Be Your Hero

We've all heard the saying, "Don't be a hero". Usually, we hear these words in the movies when a bank has been held hostage by gun slinging thieves. One guy tries to be the hero that saves everybody from an inevitable fate only to fail at the last moment. I think many of us try to be someones hero, if not, all of us. We have that tendency to protect someone from a poor life decision, or from a harmful and possibly deadly outcome. While religions try to save others from Hell, others are saving people from themselves. There's at least one person in each of our lives that draws curiosity and fascination, due to how the person lives their life, whether homeless or a life of debauchery. Though we strive to save the one's we love, in the end, we discover they are not the ones that need salvation. If there is one person we are all trying to save, then who would be saving us? In the midst of saving others, we tend to not realize that it is the savior that needs to be saved. Like any superhero comic book, the heroic figure always saves the beautiful damsel in distress, but it always ends the same; the damsel in distress saves the superhero. Superman came to save the world, but his world became Lois Lane. Though he is the man of steel, Lois reminds Superman that he is only one man. Some of us have heard the song "ordinary" by Train, from the film Spider-Man 2. The song describes a hero who's anything but ordinary, but in the bridge of the song, Pat (lead singer) sings, "I think I've been trying to save the world for you/ you been trying to save me too/ we could just stay in and save each other". Though the world needs a hero, we all need to be our own hero so we can make our world a better place. In the words of U2, "I can't change the world, but I can change the world within me".

Into the Decade

For many of us, 2000 - 2009 was a year of struggle and discomfort. It was the struggle to keep families together, homes safe from foreclosures, and praying for others who may not have been so fortunate enough to make it through the years. For others, it was a time to give thanks. Though every day was quite exhausting, we all made it the best nine years that we could. Many family members were lost either from duties over seas or in the states from a deadly flu. However, through the difficulties and conflicts that we all encountered through out the years, we still had hope for a better tomorrow. Being able to drive up to a gas station and say, "wow, that's cheap!" was every Americans favorite phrase. Being fortunate enough to stay at our jobs for another day was every Americans dream. It is America's only dream to live each and every day with the easy thought of providing food for the family and school supplies for their children. It is not America's dream to live every day with the thought of losing their home, job, or loved one because they weren't able to afford medical insurance. Everyday we wake up to a new adventure, whether we know the adventure is going to be easy or not. We cannot predict what will happen tomorrow, but we can strive to make a better tomorrow. These past nine years have brought us to where we are now. We must forget the pain, and focus on what we've accomplished. Don't focus on the accomplishments of others, but focus on the accomplishments that we've all made personally, whether it's passing senior year of high school, getting married to a true love, or surviving the worst economic crisis in years. We don't know what 2010 will hold for us. We don't know what 2050 will hold for us, but everyday is another day to make history and to make every day the best day of our lives. As we enter 2010, I believe we will all come together to work even harder to make every day worth living for. I believe that nothing in life is set in stone, except after life itself. We cannot depend on one person to bring hope to this nation. We have to be the ones to to inspire hope for others around the world. Let's be that inspiration for 2010 and for the many years to come.

A Better Understanding

In my last blog, I described my mission trip to Africa. While in Africa, I witnessed poverty, disease, love, hospitality, drought, and life. Ever since I came back I have viewed the world much differently than I did weeks before I went on the trip. I feel that my mind has been opened even wider. I used to see things in black and white, but I think I have a better understanding of life. I'm learning not to criticize or look down on people. Even though I do not support gay rights, I do have a better understanding of what they go through everyday and I am no better than them. They are only human and so am I. If I don't like people telling me how to live my life, why should tell others how to live theirs? I'm a Christian who lives by the laws that God provided for us and one of the biggest rules God gave us was to love our neighbors as ourselves. If I just look down on people because of my faith, then I'm not being true to my faith. No sin is greater than the other.
I'm not so unsympathetic as I used to be when people make mistakes. I realize that people make mistakes and so do I, so I should never lack sympathy for them. I can't even count the many mistakes that I've made in my lifetime. Usually we say a person had what was coming to him because it's a way to make ourselves feel better. I don't think anyone deserves to suffer. Whenever I hear about a teenager getting drunk and then dying in a car crash because he or she was racing friends or making unwise decisions, I usually think, "how am I suppose to feel bad about that? They were drunk, they drove under the influence, and they decided to act on a dumb decision." People do make dumb decisions at one point in their lives. Sometimes the decision will kill the person or it can ruin the reputation of someone. Because the person made the unwise decision to drink and drive, it will affect the world around him and maybe change the lives of others. It's sad that people have to die in order for people to change their lives, but that's just how it is sometimes. I never really understood that until now. Whenever we make decisions like having pre-marital sex and then getting pregnat, it's something that a person has to live with, but will learn from it. Making mistakes is just a way to finally grow up.
I work at a movie theater and one of the foods that we provide is pizza. Sometimes when we cook a pizza it gets a little toasty around the sides. When that happens, the costumer will complain and demand us to make a new one for them. I usually look at the pizza and think to myself, "what's wrong with it?", but apparently slightly cooked means it's no good. Because it's a little toasty I have to toss it out. It really upsets me when people can't appreciate what they have when other people would kill for it. I'll admit, I am slightly picky about foods, but if something is slightly cooked, like the pizza, I'll still eat it.
I also learned not to live my life in ignorance. I have the tendency to blast certain people like feminists, hippies, and librals because they think differently than I do. I learned to see their point of view and I may not accept any of it, but at least I'll know where they are coming from instead of attacking them. My brother is considered to be a libral to a certain degree. I used to think that all librals were people who want to change how we all live, but I learned that there are good librals and bad librals. I used to never undestand feminism because I thought it was all about women critizing men, but I learned it was so much more. When I went to Dubai, most of the women had to cover themselves because the husbands did not want other men looking at her. The husbands would provide for themselves first and for their wives second. That gave me a bigger picture of what feminists are fighting for everyday.
I learned that life isn't all about having fun. Most people have to do something fun each and every day to make their lives seem fulfilled. There are people who have to go clubbing, go to parties, hang out with friends everyday, or have to go someplace just to have fun. It is good to have fun, believe me, I love a great party, but there's way more to life than just having a party-like-life everyday. Most people don't see the big picture. They don't take time to stop and count the stars, or watch the sunset, or even appreciate life as it is. For me, I have learned to see every little thing as beauty. Every little thing in life is beautiful; pretty or ugly.
Right now, I'm trying to make my life better than it was. I know that everyday I will sin, but I want to be able to recognize it so that I can not sin as much. No one is perfect and I don't expect anyone to be perfect. I know that bad things happen everyday to everyone. There's no way to stop that, but with every flood there's a dove with a leaf in its mouth. I've learned so much and I want to continue learning and to have a better understanding of the world around me.

My Trip to Africa

On July 8, 2009, a mission team departed from California, USA to Tanzania, Africa, where they would teach people about God's love and help rebuild the little town of Morogoro. Do you know what the best part was? I was part of that group. I was able to fly clear across the world to change other peoples lives. Hearing my story will be easy, but completely understanding of what I saw and experienced will be something that I will only know.
As many long trips go, we started at an airport, where we would soon embark on the greatest journey. From there, we flew over North America, over the Arctic Circle, down Russia and into a country, known as Dubai. Dubai was one of those countries where you want to get in and get out as soon as possible. I don't say that because it's dangerous. Well, yeah, there was a heavy case of Swine Flu, but the heat and humidty was very much unbarable. We did stay at a local hotel that night, but we headed out early the next day to catch our flight to Africa. The flight to Dubai was about 15 hours while the flight to Tanzania was about 5 hours, so it was a very long day for all of us.
We eventually landed in the city of Dar es Salaam, near the east coast of Africa. Again, Swine Flu was heavy, but fortunately, we made it out alive. From the Airport, we were driven to our hotel, which was suppose to be a three hour ride, but because there was a traffic accident every couple miles, it took us nearly 5 hours to reach our hotel. The roads are fairly different from here in the US. Like England, the people drove in the left lane rather than the right. However, drivers would always tend to cross into the right lane in order to pass a slow moving vehicle. If a car flashed its left blinker then it means it's okay to pass. If a car in front of us flashes its right blinker, it means that we cannot pass. If a car behind us flashes its lights at us, it means that the driver wants to pass and it's up to us to decide if he can or not. In America, that is highly illegal, especially when a driver crosses over double barred lines. But we were in Africa, so I guess we had to expect the impossible. We finally reached our hotel, which was called the Usambara Safari Lodge, at around 9:00pm, which was 11:00am in California.
The next day, which was yesterday for America, was the beginning of our trip. We headed out to the local school, which was only a five minute walk from our hotel, and gave the little kids a carnival day. We brought out games, face paint, and all the things little kids would love. They definitely had a good time.
On Sunday, we attended the local church that was led by a very holy man, known as Pastor Alex. In America, a typical Christian church has worship with a band or choir and people usually read the lyrics off of a projector screen. Well, in Africa, worship was done in singing and dancing. There was a lot of dancing. Little kids and adults would get up from their seats and begin to dance, choreographed of course, in front of the church. The words were in Swahili, but I sang along anyway in the best way that I could.
Monday through Friday, the group held Vacation Bible School at the same school that we had the carnival at. After school let out, certain grades would stay after and attend the VBS. It was exhausting, but it was so much fun getting to know all the kids. They just fell in love with us and we fell in love with them. I tell you the truth, each kid loved Michael Jackson. He was more popular in Africa than he was here in America. All the kids would sing, We are the World, and attempt to dance just like Michael Jackson. He was perhaps more popular than Barack Obama.
Every day after VBS, our group would split up into groups of threes to visit a students home to tell them about our faith. One house that I visited was fairly nice, but the others were extremely poor. The first house we went to was about a 45 minute walk from where we were at. The house had no electricity and no windows. Tiny ants were trailing along the sofas, while chickens simply walked straight into the house. The second house we visited was much worse. Yes, the house was small and rundown, but we dealt with a much more serious problem than that. The man's son had a disease that was unknown to them and us as well. Basically, the son's skin on his ankle was tearing away and deteorating. At first I was thinking something like Leprosy and then I tried to look it up and found out that it could have been Ecthyma. That would make sense because Ecthyma occurs with lack of nutrition, which seemed to be a high risk of many of the people there. I talked to him about God and prayed with him, but it was very hard to do so because it ws a tough and tense situation. At the other house my group and I attended, the woman's son, who's name was also Eric, was in the hospital with Maleria. It was tough to deal with all these intense situations, because I've never dealt with them in America. It was certainly an eye-opener. For me, it was very depressing to see these kids be so happy and playful when they have to go home to a place that is unhealthy, unsafe, and poverish. I suppose that I have to give some pitty on them, but how can I feel bad for people who are happy with their lives? Those kids don't know any other way of living. It certainly has made me appreciate everything that I got here at my home, not just material things, but humanity as well.
Saturday was a day that I will never forget. It was the day I went on an actual safari. Words cannot even describe the beauty and wonder of the African wild. There were no barriers between us and the animals. Besides seen Giraffe's, Baboons, Zebras, and Elephants, my favorite part was seeing my favorite animal of all time, the Lion. I will never forget the feeling of seeing a Lion upclose. It was astonshing, but very scary as well. Our jeep was about 15 to 20 feet away from the lion, but there were other Lions surrounding us on each side. The Lion that we were watching was eating a Cape Buffalo. When I saw that predator tearing away at that Buffalo, it was the most beautiful sight, because that was nature at its best. If I ever see a Lion at the zoo, I will never look at it the same way again.
For the last Sunday, some of us went to Pastor Alex's church again, but it was somewhat depressing. The church was sad that we were leaving the next day, but they were also losing their music leader. Later that day, we all met the Secretary General of the Ruling Party of Tanzania. He owns the hotel in which we stayed at and he bought everyone a carved wooden cross for doing what we were doing. He also paid for a couple gifts for me that I got for my family, so that was really cool. It was definitely a good way to end that day.
The next day, we headed to the airport for our departure to Dubai. Again, we spent the night in Dubai and headed back to America early the next day. It was such a long flight and bumpy one at that. I am seriously terrified of flying. To increase my phobia, our plane had a very tough time landing at the San Francisco airport. Our plane was attempting to land, but we were slightly off course because of fog, so we flew back up to make a full U-turn. We attempted to land again, but another plane was landing and another was about to take off, so we were again slightly off course, but we finally got right and landed safely. Flying is something that I won't ever do too often, but I'd definitely go back to Africa in a heartbeat. Going to Africa was something I'll never forget. I'll really miss the people and all the great experiences that I had there. There's always at least one thing that went wrong for someone such as mosquito bites, food sickness, stolen property and bad food. The food in Africa wasn't great at all. We just couldn't question what we were eating because sometimes we just didn't want to find out. Everyone owned a chicken, so guess what was for dinner each night. My one bad experience was my bad luck with watches. I never got bit by a mosquito or had anything stolen, but time was certainly not on my side for this trip. First, my wrist watch froze as we were going to Africa. Then, my cell phone clock was off by a few hours, along with the date and world clock. I borrowed a watch from a friend and I either lost it or it got pick pocketed. For most of the trip, I had no idea what time it was. My internal clock usually got me up on time in the morning. However, those were just minor downfalls. Worse things could have happened, but we were blessed that nothing did happen. Again, this trip was absolutely amazing and I am so blessed that I was able to go on it. I cannot wait to go again next year.

Who I Am

I'm not who you think I am. If you don't know me, then you cannot even begin to imagine who I am. You could picture me in any way you want. Let your imagination run wild. Go ahead. Imagine. Are you picturing me tall? Perhaps short? You might even begin to imagine me as a well-built athletic hunk. Maybe not. I don't know. Before you begin to imagine, let me just say one thing. Everything you thought was wrong. You don't have the slightest clue who I am. Sure, you could possibly identify my personality from these blogs, but you still only have half the picture. Instead of making this into a mystery novel, let me just explain who I am in the best way that I can. Maybe, after I explain myself, you might know me better than before or you may walk away without a care in the world. Either way, you are now reading this blog. Because you are reading this blog and because you have read this far into it, you are now curious to find out who I really am. Go on. Continue to read on. I am the opposite of a democrat, but not that patriotic toward my country as I should be. I don't believe in a religion, but in a way of living. What people call music and what I call music are two different types of music. My life is entertaining and so are my future dreams. I'm not short, but I'm also not tall. My strengths and weaknesses are different from the mightiest humans. When I say strengths and weaknesses, I'm not talking about failure and accomplishments. My life is full of those as it is. I think a "Results May Vary" should be posted on my face. My love life seems to think I'm a creep and a weirdo and I just don't belong. You could call me the Joker because I laugh at the most absurd situations or you could call me House because of my witty remarks toward human nature. I believe that Global Warming is just a way to spend more money and make people more worried than they already are. My favorite bands are names of a bug, a car, a pot smoking holiday, a religious icon and sound traveling data, a high number of blinking, and a fighter plane from WWII. My best friends are not all the ones in my Top 8, but a few. If there's anything in life that I will never understand is chemistry, philosophy, and girls. I realized that when I like a girl, she doesn't like me, but when I don't like a girl, she likes me, so maybe I shouldn't like anyone and see how that goes. A few of my best friends have 61 black and white keys, 6 strings, and 5 heads. I enjoy capturing objects of everyday life with a push of a button. My other best friend seems to obtain many of my interests and his name is something you step on or lay on. My skin resembles the color of mocha and my hair resembles a puddle of tar. My voice is something no man on earth has ever heard before. I live in a cow-town named Lard. Lard is the heart of California and the crossroads to every destination. I'm not young, but I'm not old. Whatever age you think I am, you are wrong, but I won't be upset if you guess incorrectly. This is who I am in the best way I can describe. Do you think you know me better? Maybe. Maybe not. You may never fully know me. I may never fully know myself. Just keep using your imagination and eventually you'll get it right.

Photographs

I realized that when we are looking at photos it's as if we are looking at the stars in the night sky. For everytime we look up at a star, we are actually looking into the past of how the star used to look a hundred or even a thousand years ago. Isn't that what we do when we look at a photo? As we hold that memory in our fingertips, we see what our lives looked like years before. For the most part, many of us cannot even recall the event in which the photo took place. It is the only evidence that proves we were all young at one point. We've all heard the saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words", but if I may, I'd like to tweak that phrase a little to, "A picture is worth a thousand emotions". When we gaze into our past, we can't help but feel a mix of emotions. The biggest emotions that we share are happiness, sadness, and of course the one everyone has, nostalgic. Everyone wishes that they could go back in time to that particular event. Does that mean Kansas was right when they said that all we are is dust in the wind? We take a photo, but life goes on. People in that photo may be grown up, married, have a family, or possibly deceased. In the words of the Beatles, "Tomorrow never knows". We have no idea what to expect in the future, so we like to live in the past in order to forget about all our worries. People like to live in the moment. When you look at a photo, look at the people who are in it. Think about where they are now. Look at a class photo and think about all the kids who made it out as druggies, successful beings, average Joe's, and the pretty innocent girls with the flower dresses who no longer know the meaning of having innocence. Usually, when we look at a photo, we tend to focus on the primary subject, which would be us. When you take a picture in public, look past yourself and pay attention to the people who happened to land in your snapshot. What if someone took your picture at the park and there happens to be a person in the background who will someday be your spouse? What if that person in the background was a future celebrity or a criminal or someone who will later cross you to change your life forever? What if you've already met that person? What if I was in the background of one of your photos? What if you were in the background of one of my photos? A photograph isn't just a glossy piece of paper with people or natural elements on it. A photograph is a door to our past and a window to our future. It captivates our soul and makes us fall in love with life all over again. People we once knew growing up never really left us. They just happen to be hiding in those old photo envelopes that you keep in a box on the top shelf of your coat closet. Who says that we should stop living in the past? The past is not overrated. Go ahead, take a photograph.

Fear is the Heart of Love

Love is one of those words that is always difficult to explain. Some say it's when two people care for each other. Others say it's when two people are compatible with each other. Then there are people who say love is when you get butterflies in your stomach whenever that person is around.

My definition of love is something different. You see, I have a theory about what love really is. My theory is; for one to be in love, one must fear love first. Think about it, before you ever get into a relationship or while in a relationship, you have to have some sense of fear. It's the fear of knowing you may never be with the one you love. It's the fear of losing the one you love to someone else. It's the fear of living your life without that person by your side.

Being in love is like having a job. Before you apply for a job, you have to know what you are getting yourself into and how your are going to make it through. If you go into a relationship thinking that it will last forever, it will surely end with great destruction.

I thought of the concept of loving God with fear. As a Christian, I love God, but I also fear Him, as any believer does. It's the belief that God is in control and He makes everything possible. If we put that into our love lives, then we too can be happy and successful.

Love is not just saying how much you love that significant other. Love is not just thinking about that person all the time. Love is not just being compatible or having common interests. Love is not just about getting butterflies in your stomach. People always say that true love should be easy. That is not true. True love takes hard work and time. If it does not take hard work and time, then it will not survive. Just because you and your partner have sex doesn't mean you'll be with each other forever.

In the movie, Dan in Real Life, one character says, "Love is not a feeling, it is an ability". You must know how to love to feel love. Love today is depicted from all the sappy love movies. If you're in love, rejoice, but don't think that because you are in love you are invincible. In the Bible, it says that love is patient. That's exactly what it should be. Just because you and your significant other have been dating a year doesn't mean you have to talk about marriage. Studies show that couples who talk about marriage while dating in high school (high school sweethearts) will end in divorce.

What I do is I try to prevent bad things from happening to people I care about and others whom I don't even know. I've seen this stuff happen before. Don't say that your love is different from everyone else, because it's not. Those who say that are exactly like everyone else. Those are particularly the ones who fail. Strive to make it last. Don't just take advantage of being in love. I know the words "fear love" sounds cynical and pessimistic, but if you don't fear love, every little thing will hit you like a bullet. You will not be prepared for anything.

To fear love is to honor and respect love. If you don't fear love, then you are just abusing love. There is no other way. You either be smart and safe in your relationship, or you do whatever you want and see where that leads you. I read so many myspace surveys where one person mentions the other person in almost every question. That is not love, it is an obsession. An obsessed relationship goes against my theory. What happens if something bad occurs to that other person? Suicide? Depression? If every little conversation or thought is about your significant other, then you need to realize that that person is not some divine being and is only human. Fear can only make a person stronger in their relationship.

Think of love as a Jenga set. If you keep pulling those pieces without observing it, studying it, and having patience, the whole thing will collapse. You see, you want to pull that piece from a safe spot and put that piece back on top of the tower. Whenever you pull a piece from the tower, you fear that your tower will collapse at any moment and you won't be prepared for it when it happens. However, the more you observe and become patient enough to look at the whole picture, your tower will never collapse and if it somehow does collapse, you will see where you went wrong and it will be easy to rebuild your tower.

Life After High School

So far, I've been out of high school for about 2 years now. I attend college and I have a part-time job. Those are typical things for a young adult to have at that time. However, it seems that since I've left high school, I've grown far apart from my friends. Maybe I've grown apart from them or they've grown apart from me. I remember in high school where we'd make a new friend and we'd claim to be BFF's (Best Friends Forever). After high school ended, all of that seemed to change. There are some people we stay friends with, but some will move away, some will stay, and some will forget all about you because they have a new person in their life. In some way, it reminds me of how Andy replaced Woody for Buzz Lightyear because he was so much better and cooler than all the other toys. It's harder to keep in touch with everyone because they are all grown up and they have their own responsibilities to take care of. Sometimes our so called friends don't even make an effort to see us anymore unless it's convenient for them. There are some people who say they are your friend, but do they ever call you or just stop by to say hi? Could you ever count on them to save your life? I mean, will we be able to attend their wedding? Will we be able to see them when college is over and we've all settled down? It's like I wish we were back in high school so that our friends would never go away. Remember back in high school when your friends used to call you to hang out? It wouldn't matter what time of the day it was, it was always convenient. Remember all the group photos you used to take with each other at the park or any other public place? Remember the secrets that only you knew about? Remember the jokes and gags you and your friends pulled because it was the most hilarious thing ever, even though they were dumb? Remember when all of that ended? Sometimes you wonder if you really were friends with those people. However, things always start over new. Because you're out of high school there's a whole new world waiting to meet you. There are new friends to be made. There will be more opportunities for group photos. There will be more secrets and more immature jokes. Even though there's a breaking point after high school, somehow we find out who our real friends are and were.

Last Blog of 2008

Well, here it is. This is the final blog of 2008. Today, millions of people are eagerly awaiting the year 2009. On the other hand, millions across the globe are already experiencing the beginning of a new era. With the year 2009 approaching around the corner, we can all feel a sense of new change and new hope for all Americans. We have elected a president that we all have faith in to rebuild this country from what it has become in the last several months and years. The next year is really a year to start fresh and forget about the past and look towards the bright future. Tonight, clocks will be ticking, the bells will be ringing, and horns will sound off in celebration of the New Year, 2009. But instead of looking towards the future of things that have not yet occurred, let's go back and see what all went down this past year. Maybe 2008 wasn't all that bad as we think.

First of all, let's look at the bad things that have happened in our world:

• Gas prices soared the highest in years
• The stock market fell the lowest in years
• House foreclosers were rapid
• Job employment froze
• Companies began closing down due to a Chapter 11
• One of the biggest hurricanes hit Texas
• Car bailout
• Terrorism attacks
• Russia and Georgia
• Israel and Gaza
• Bhutto's assassination

Now for the good things that have happened in our world:

• First African American President of the USA
• First female VP of the USA
• 2008 Summer Olympics
• OJ finally went to jail

Here are some good things that have happened in film & music:

• Cloverfield hype
  
• Dark Knight hype
  
• No Country for Old Men (Best Picture)
• Daniel Day-Lewis (Best Actor for There Will be Blood)
• Twilight hype
  
• Jonas Brothers
• The return of Britney Spears
• Taylor Swift
• Tokyo Hotel
• David Cook (American Idol winner)
• Coldplay (Viva la Vida)

Now for the memoriam of past celebrities of 2008:

• Heath Ledger
• Paul Newman
• Bernie Mac
• Charlton Heston
• David Groh
• Eartha Kitt
• Isaac Hayes
• Mitch Mitchell
• Stanley Kamel
• Sydney Pollack
• Suzanne Phlesette
• Tim Russert
• Roy Scheider
• Eddie Arnold
• George Carlin
• Estelle Getty
  

Finally, the possessions that everyone wanted in 2008:

• Blu-ray
• Guitar Hero: World Tour
• Rock Band 2
• Call of Duty 4

There you have it. These are the things that I have tried to remember most of all during the year 2008. If anyone has any other memorable moments for one of these categories, feel free to tell me so that I may add them to the list. I hope everyone had a good year and I hope everyone will have a good year to come. I am signing out for the last time of 2008.

It's a Tradition!

Every year during Christmas, my family and I have a set of Christmas traditions. Unlike most family traditions, I do enjoy having them. I guess they are traditions that I could pass down to my family and my families family. I've even created my own kind of traditions.

The Santa Hat- Every Christmas Eve, my family and relatives pass around a Santa hat to eachother. Whomever has the hat is the house that we go to for Christmas Eve. If my dad has the hat, Christmas Eve would be at our house. My uncles and cousins would come over to open presents and spend time with one another. Also, the one with the hat is the one in charge of passing the gifts to the person whom it belongs to. After the night is over, we would pass the hat to the next patron. The cycle never changes, neither does the order of who has the hat next. As always, there has to be some sort of catch. If the man of the house has to wear the hat, then the youngest child of the family has to wear the embarrassing reindeer antlers that not only look lame, but also light's up for more total embarrassment. Can you guess who the youngest in my family is?

Youngest to Oldest- When Christmas day arrives and my family and I are gathered around the tree to open presents, we go from youngest to oldest. To go in order, it would start out with me, then my brother, my mom, and finally my dad. Of course, we get gifts for my cat as well. However, in cat years, he's older than all of us, so he always goes last.

The Prayer- Before we ever open gifts, my family says a little prayer. We just simply thank God for another safe year and for watching over us.

Jingle All the Way- This particular tradition is something my brother and I made up on our own. For as long as we can remember, Jingle All the Way, has been our favorite Christmas movie ever. The movie is about a guy named Howard, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has to find a popular action figure known as, Turbo Man, for his son Jamie. However, Howard waited for the last minute to buy the gift, thinking that there would be plenty of them in stock. He goes from store to store in search of the toy only to be in competition between him and a mailman, played by Sinbad. So, every year, my brother and I sit down and watch the movie together.

New Years Eve- Like Christmas Eve, my family goes to one of our friends house for New Years Eve. There, we would play family games like Taboo or Pictionary. We would be with all our good friends and have a joyous time together. Over the years, it has gotten to be a little more difficult for us to fulfill this tradition. Recently my friend, Matt, moved away and a lot of the kids, like myself, have grown up. We have jobs that get in the way of activities and some of us have moved away for college. We try our best to keep the tradition alive.

The Alternate Side

I just finished watching the movie, "The Family Man", on ABC Family. It stars one of my favorite actors, Nicholas Cage, whom is a wealthy, but bitter business man. He is met up with a street thug, played by Don Cheadle, who shows Jack (Nicholas Cage) what his life would be like if he never took the job and settled down with his college girlfriend, Kate. As Jack struggles to figure out why he is living in his alternate life, he is also discovering the love he had for his girlfriend, Kate-whom in his alternate life is now married to-never went away. In his new life, Jack works for his father-in-law, as a tire salesman. Eventually, Jack gets the opportunity to re-establish his position at the job he once had, but later turns it down because he finally realizes what's more important. Jack then wakes up in his original wealthy life. He goes to visit Kate, whom is now a successful law firm agent, but soon discovers that she is moving to Paris. Jack is determined to get her into his life forever. Now for those who haven't seen it, I can't spoil the ending for you. You'll just have to watch the movie for yourself.

The reason that I brought that up was because I've always wondered what it would be like if my life was different. If I was brought to an alternate life of myself, how would it be? Would I have the same friends? Would I have gotten the love of my life? Would I be the person that I am today? I don't know. I do know that every thing does happen for a reason. Whatever thing we do, good or bad, we are destined to do what is right. But the movie showed that a person can really miss out on something good because of money and total success. Just take the life of any celebrity and imagine if they weren't rich and famous. Imagine that they were just as human as you and me. I've always had a dream of becoming something big. I've always fantasized about a life where I am either a big time musician or a famous celebrity in Hollywood. I know those are such surrealist fantasies, but I wonder how my life would be different if that happened. I can also turn this around. What if I never existed? If you've ever seen the Fresh Prince episode where Carlton does not exist, it shows how his families' lives would be different without him. If I didn't exist, how would others lives be different? It's like the old saying goes, "It takes one life to impact another's". Even though we think we have not changed someones life, we have. It's like watching a commercial. Even though we think we don't want the product, it is in the back of our minds always sitting there. So if the opportunity comes knocking at your door that can possibly change your life forever, listen to your heart not your head. If you just do something without thinking of the possible consequences, you could be missing out on the greatest opportunity of your life. Then you'll always be asking yourself, "What if?"

Remembering the 90s

As a '89 baby, I don't really remember the first few years of the 90s, but I do remember the years in which I grew up in. Call me nostalgic, but I wish I could relive my childhood once again, maybe just for a day or so. I thought I'd create a list of all the things that I remember growing up in the 90s. If I remember more, I'll add them, but here's my list:

-Playing Tag around the playground at school
-Playing Red Rover until the school bell rang
-Watching Stick Stickly on Summer Nicktoons
-Watching Ren & Stimpy
-Rugrats
-Playdoe
-Silly Puddy
-Hot Wheels
-Playing Super Nintendo until your thumbs got blisters
-Super Mario World
-Donkey Kong
-Pokemon
-Goosebumps
-Yu Gi Oh
-President Clinton
-N* Sync (Bye Bye Bye)
-Hanson (MmmBop)
-Britney Spears (Hit Me Baby One more Time)
-Christina Aguilera (Genie in a Bottle)
-Blink-182 (All the Small Things)
-Green Day (Brain Stew)
-Backstreet Boys
-Lion King
-Spongebob Squarepants
-Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards hosted by Rosie O'Donell
-The Batman series (excluding the 89 version)
-Punk Rock
-Pop Music
-Rap
-Family Matters
-Fresh Prince of Bel Air
-Home Improvement
-Barney & Friends
-Sesame Street
-Blues Clues
-Recess ( the cartoon show)
-Aaron Carter
-Shaq
-Michael Jordan
-Pagers
-Car Phones (aka Cell Phones)
-Windows 98
-The introduction to CDs and DVDs
-Cassette Tapes
-VHS
-The Oregon Trail (game)
-Cooties
-Walkmans
-Playstation
-Nintendo 64
-Gameboy Color
-Mortal Kombat
-Street Fighter
-Comic Books
-Garfield Comics
-Zelda
-Seinfeld
-Simpsons
-Nirvana
-Long Hair
-Mismatched Clothes
-Spiky Hair
-Bleached Hair
-The Internet
-Body Piercings
-Heavy Makeup
-Free Willy
-Bunk Beds
-Going to Chuck E. Cheese's
-Discovery Zone
-Dreaming of going to Disneyland
-The belief in Santa, Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy
-Laying your tooth under the pillow for the Tooth Fairy
-Waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve
-Hunting for Easter Eggs
-Playing Truth or Dare
-Playing Monopoly was actually fun
-Hearing a bad word was the worst thing ever
-Watching Star Wars over and over again
-Jurassic Park
-Dinosaur toys
-Train Sets
-Roller Blading
-Skate Boarding
-Box Cars
-Little Rascals
-First Crush
-Kids Meals at McDonald's
-The Beach Boys
-Full House
-May Kate and Ashley Olson
-Scooby-Doo
-Americas Funniest Home Videos hosted by Bob Saget
-SNick (Saturday Nickelodeon)
-TGIF (Friday night line-up on ABC)
-FOX Family (Now ABC Family)
-Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
-When Nick at Night used to show classic TV shows like the Munsters and I Love Lucy
-The Brady Bunch
-Kirk Cameron
-Kevin and Winnie (The Wonder Years)
-TRL
-The Real World
-MTV
-Spice Girls
-Vanilla Ice
-Weird Al Yankovic
-Madonna
-Back to the Future III
-Bop It
-Gumby
-Animaniacs
-Boombox
-Home Alone I & II
-Terminator 2: Judgment Day
-Dumb & Dumber
-Mambo #5
-Jim Carrey movies
-Tony Hawk
-Where's Waldo?
-Kenan & Kel
-The Introduction to the NOW: That's What I Call Music series

Life as I Know it

For the longest time, I've been wanting to make a full length movie on my own. I've always been involved with film in some way or another. I'm the kind of person who doesn't like to make any old movie that anyone can do. I'm the kind of person who thinks out of the box and into the question, "what if?". I always think about, what if things were this way or what if this or that was different. All these questions were rambling in my head. It was then that my friend Matt asked me, "what if [I] didn't exist? What if everything was all in my imagination?" That got me to think a lot. I did plenty of research to find such an existence of that idea. There is an idea, called Solipsism, which means that there is no evidence to show that everything outside of the mind is real. Basically, we see what our mind wants us to see, but we have no control over life. It's kinda like a dream. In our dreams, we see, we hear, and we can sometimes feel, but even though it is in our mind we have no control over a dream whatsoever. There are people who actually think like this and it truly is a scary thought. Usually, solipsism can occur if something horrendous had just happened, like a nuclear war. That's when my idea of a movie came to mind. I looked into the events that are currently happening right now and the events that could occur in the near future and I put it all together. I also used my life to depict two of the main characters in the film.

Basically, the movie takes place in the year 2013, a year after the legendary "Doomsday" of 2012. After a nuclear holocaust, a boy by the name of Riley, is somehow still alive and is the only person left on earth. To not lose his sanity, he quickly re-creates the earth as it once was only by using his memory of the past. Every little thing looks the same as it once was, but nothing can ever change due to the fact that he only knows what he knew from the past. Riley continues on with his life, pretty much repressing his thoughts of the war, and seems like everything is okay. He has the same friends, is in the same grade, and has the same love interest, Abbey. For as long as Riley can remember, he has been in love with Abbey, who just happens to be one of his best friends. However, Abbey has a boyfriend and only sees Riley as a friend. Being persistent, Riley is determined to tell Abbey how he truly feels about her. However, weird things begin to happen in Riley's life. Riley has been having reoccurring dreams where it's always sunny, but then lights shoot up into the sky eventually falling back down and destroying everything. Also, Things begin to disappear before his very eyes. At first, little things like a spoon disappears while he is making breakfast and then during school his eraser disappears, which causes him to accuse another classmate of stealing his eraser. The longer he is without physically being around real objects and people, his mind begins to forget about them. Because everything vanishes, everything no longer exists. With that in mind, Riley fears that he may lose the memory of Abbey forever. This makes him more persistent to see Abbey and talk to her as much as he can in order to keep her as a memory. Riley then arranges to meet with Abbey at a local restaurant to explain to her everything that has been happening. After they are done eating, they exit the restaurant and Abbey's boyfriend calls her, which makes Riley somewhat depressed. After she's done talking to her boyfriend, Riley tells Abbey that he loves her. Unfortunately, Abbey responds by saying, "I love you too. I'm glad we're best friends". The thing is is that Riley soon forgets that everything is fake and believes that his whole life is real. Soon, important things like time begin to vanish, which can only mean that the most important things in life are soon to be gone forever, including Abbey. Riley rushes to her house to see her and make sure that she will not disappear. While at Abbey's house, Riley turns on the TV only to witness a newscast that was broacasted ten years ago. Newspapers around her house have similar stories that have already occurred in the past. Later, Abbey goes to bed while Riley stays up thinking about his life. Knowing that everything will eventually disappear, Riley goes into Abbey's room to talk to her while she is asleep. Abbey wakes up, but pretends to be sleeping while Riley is confessing his love to her. Riley then falls asleep on her floor next to her bed. The next morning, Riley wakes up and notices that Abbey is gone from her bed. He begins to panic and calls out to Abbey. Abbey then responds from the kitchen, making Riley feel relieved. She runs up to Riley to tell him that she love him so much. This makes Riley very confused. Abbey admits that she was awake when Riley was talking to her. Riley begins to freak out, because he fears what he said to her will now change their friendship. Also, Abbey will continue to date her boyfriend which also makes Riley upset. Being upset and slightly embarrassed, Riley runs out of her house. As he is running, images of the nuclear war flash into his head, which can only mean that reality is catching up to him. He eventually reaches a park where everything is peaceful and full of life. He lays down under a tree thinking that the time is near. Abbey soon lays next to him under the tree. They both finally hold each others hands and Riley asks Abbey to make a promise that she will still be there when he wakes up. Abbey accepts the promise and finally tells Riley that she truly loves him. Riley eventually falls asleep, but when he wakes up Abbey is gone. His entire memory is gone, which causes Riley to panic because he has no idea where he's at or who he is. He wakes up in a dirt field in the exact same place the park used to be. As he is screaming for help, he realizes that there is something in his pocket. He pulls is out and looks at it trying to figure out who it is. It turns out to be a picture of Abbey, but Riley has no memory of her. He turns the picture over and reads the letter that Abbey wrote a year ago to him. Riley begins to make himself remember who Abbey was, but can't. He finally remembers every memory of Abbey. The final scene of the movie shows a hand grabbing a hold of Riley's hand from behind. The next thing we hear is a voice saying, "Hey, Riley". We never see the face, but we assume that it's Abbey. During the entire final scene, "Love Remains the Same", by Gavin Rossdale, is played. The song plays a major part for the movie. The lyrics goes like this; "Make me want to run til I find you/ I shut the world away from here/ drift to you, you're all I hear/ Everything we know fades to black/ half the time the world is ending/truth is that I am done pretending/ I never thought that I had anymore to give/ pushing me so far/ here I am without you/ drink to all that we have lost/ mistakes that we have made/ everything will change/ but love remains the same."

"Sorry Jesus That Your Birthday Sucks"

We have all heard about this man that goes by several names; St. Nick, Kris Kringle, Father Christmas, the big guy in the red suit, or just Santa Clause. There are those who believe in him and then there are those who are skeptics. Even though Santa does not exist in the way we perceive him as, he did at once exist as a real human being. There are many stories that are told to tell the life and origin of Santa. Many stories include the idea that a man by the name St. Nicholas gave gifts to the poor. He was never perceived as a fat jolly man in a red suit with leather boots and belt until the 19th century. Other countries see Santa differently than we do. Some countries see Santa as he really was and some see him in a similar way that we see him today, but slightly different. There are Christians who believe that Santa actually distracts people from understanding the true meaning of Christmas. Christians believe that Jesus, the Messiah, was born in a manger from the virgin Mary in the town of Bethlehem. Instead of having faith in Jesus, we as a society put our faith in Santa. We bring our children to the malls to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what they want for Christmas. If they don't get that gift that they asked for, then it's all Santa's fault. Christmas has become all about asking and wanting. It's really like a battle between Santa and Jesus. There are songs that sing about Jesus like; Joy to the World, Away in the Manger, and Hark! The Herold Angels Sing. Then there are songs about Santa like; Here Comes Santa Clause, Little St. Nick, and Santa Clause is Coming to Town. In the song, Santa Clause is Coming to Town, Santa knows if anyone has been good or bad, is asleep or awake, which means that Santa is watching each and every one of us each day of the year. It kinda portrays the existence of God. Like Santa, God is also omnipresent, which means he is everywhere all the time watching us. Some people for Christmas put up lights, while others set up their Nativities. Whenever we watch TV, the character will state that Christmas is not about receiving gifts, it's about being with the ones you love. Both of those statements are false. Like I said before, it's about one man named Jesus. Of course, no one really knows the exact day of Jesus' birth, but since it is dedicated on December 25, then it ought to be celebrated. It's almost like the "Sixteen Candles" factor. You wake up and it's your birthday, but no one remembers because of they have other things to worry about. There's a line in the TV show, "The Office" where Michael, played by Steve Carrel, is stressed out by everyone's bad attitude during Christmas and Michael says, "Sorry Jesus that your birthday sucks". It's funny, because it's true. We are so wrapped up in getting the perfect gift that Christmas literally becomes chaotic. I guess we can blame the Three Wisemen for that. Jesus doesn't care if we buy gifts or not. He doesn't expect us to. Santa does expect us to give gifts or ask for gifts. So when we do celebrate Christmas, keep in mind that it's not about Santa. It's all about Jesus. Jesus always wins.

The Story of One Man

It seems that Christmas is here once again. It's everyones favorite holiday and it certainly is one of mine. I mean, what's not there to love about Christmas? We get to eat candy canes, put lights on the house, decorate the trees, sing Christmas carols, receive/buy gifts, kiss under the mistletoe, drink hot chocolate, sit on Santa's lap, and watch the Christmas Story every year. It sounds pretty awesome. However, none of those things have to do with the true meaning of Christmas. Unfortunately, not too many people know the true meaning of Christmas. So, I'm going to give you the low-down on Christmas 101.

It happened on a crystal clear night in a little town, called Bethlehem. It was there that a little baby by the name of Jesus was born. His mother, Mary, and his father, Joseph, went to a manger to conceive baby Jesus. But let's rewind a little bit. It all started when King Herod ordered his men to kill any baby within the ranges and age 2 and younger. Herod was so angry that a baby that was claimed to be the Messiah was going to be born. Mary and Joseph were on the run and had to hide to escape Herod's men. They first attempted to stay at an inn, but unfortunately it was full. The only option left was to stay in a manger, or a cave to be more specific. From then, the angel Gabriel appeared to some shepherds in a field. He told them that a baby was born from a virgin and that he goes by the name, Immanuel. The angel told them to follow the bright star in the sky which would lead them to Jesus. They found him and began to worship him. About two years later, the wisemen came and brought Mere, Gold, and Frankincense. There were also more than three wisemen. The three comes from the three kinds of gifts they brought. From that point on, Jesus grew up, but his childhood was never explained in the Bible. Bits of it was, but his life story began as an adult. Soon, Jesus was charged of fictitious crimes against him and was ordered to be crucified on the cross. You see, not only do we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus, but also the sacrifice that He made to save all humanity. That's why some people get frustrated when others spell Christmas as "X-mas". You can't spell Christmas without Christ.

So next time when Christmas comes around, you might think differently. I mean, it's cool to give and buy gifts and wait for Santa and such, but it's just important to know why all of that exists today.

Only Human

Well, we did it. We voted. We decided. We chose. Barack Obama is now the President of the United States of America. I, on the other hand, wanted to see McCain win. Sure, Obama made history by being the first African American president of our country. This could never happen anywhere else in the world. I don't have a problem with Obama, not at all. I'm a Republican, so any Democrat that wins doesn't quite appeal to me. I'm sure Obama is a good guy with a good heart. Bad morals, but a good heart. So, I got to give him some props for having the courage to step out and run in this controversial campaign. But is it just me or has everybody forgotten that Barack Obama is only human. Seriously, we are treating this way too obsessively. People are already calling this the "O Generation". Seriously? The "Obama Generation"? How obsessive can you get? You can't walk into a store without seeing a picture of Obama depicted on a magazine cover. I understand that he's not Bush, that people can now feel a sense of hope for America's future. But seriously, the man hasn't even started to do anything yet. Can you imagine the pressure that must be put onto Obama? It's all up to him to fix our nation. We are now counting on him to correct our mistakes, to clean up our mess, and to rebuild the foundation that was once called the home of the brave. Let's face it, we all think that Obama is some kind of savior. Isn't that how we are treating him? If you haven't noticed, America is not the only one who has been truly affected by the election of Obama. Continents around the world, such as Europe, Africa, and Asia are all falling face down for Obama. This is not just some Ronald Regan election. This is the elector that has and will change the world forever. Not even John F. Kennedy held so much popularity as Barack. From looking at Obama, he does not seem like the kind of guy who will let anyone push him around and he will definitely not take no for an answer. I have no idea what to expect from Barack, but let's pray to God that he knows what he's doing. If this country is going to follow this man, then I hope they realize that this man is only human and not God.

Dare to be Different

If you go up to anyone, ask them if my brother and I look alike, they would agree that we do. In fact, many people know me because I look like my brother. People always ask me, "Hey, do you have a brother?" or "Dude, you and your brother look so much alike. I'm serious. No Joke" or my favorite "Are you guys twins?". Really, that's exactly how they sound, I'm not exaggerating. We are not twins. We are two years apart in age. I can see how people can say that we look like brothers, but I don't think that my brother and I look that much alike where we could be mistaken as twins. I am obviously better looking than he is. Ha ha. You see how I made a funny right there? Go ahead, sink it in. OK. Good. However, even though my brother and I may look alike, we are two very different people. First I will tell you how he's different and then I'll tell you how I'm different and then I'll tell you how we are similar. It's kinda like those circle compare and contrast charts that everyone hates.


How My brother is Different From Me:

1. He's older (obvious one there)
2. Likes, I mean, loves politics
3. Likes music where people use synthesizers and special effects (basically banging on a trash can)
   
4. Serious about everything
5. Mysterious
6. Philosophical (not as philosophical as Plato, not Play-Dough, but he's there)
   
7. Loves to debate over every single thing (really, I'm not lying)
8. Friends are like him
9. He's a Democrat
   

How I'm Different From My Brother:

1. I'm more of a relaxed/care-free person (basically a mix between a Seinfeld and Dr. House)
2. I like any style of music (and when I say any style of music I mean anything but rap/hip hop)
3. I'm more of the romantic/sensitive type ( Ladies, I am single and I enjoy long walks on the beach)
4. I'm energetic
5. I enjoy the most random and stupidest things in life (that's not saying much)
   
6. All my friends are different from me (except my friend Matt. He's like a white clone of me)
   
7. I'm more open about things (whatever goes into my mind comes out of my mouth. That sounds gross)
8. I'm timid around the opposite sex
9. I'm a Republican
   
10. Oh, yeah, and I have an accent that no one in the world has (Scientists are baffled)

How My Brother and I are Alike:

1. We both play instruments
2. We are both Christians
   
3. We have the same taste in movies
4. We have the power to read each others minds (and no, we're not psychic)
5. We've both had our troubles with a love interest
6. We both know a lot about music
7. We both know what we like and dislike
   

Different Roads

They say that God has a plan for everything and everyone. They say that everyone is walking down the road of life. Down every road two people will somehow meet and their lives will be changed forever. I myself think it may take longer for me to find that one special person. I've had a lot of crushes in my life, some more serious than others. Of course, every love interest of mine never happened. I was the one always crushing, not the one being crushed on. I was the one always getting hurt in the end. But I have figured out a pattern. Yes, there's a pattern. Check it out. This is what I have realized. I have realized that every girl that I have liked has become pregnant before marriage. Everyone of them has gone down that road of parenthood unexpectedly. These are girls that I really liked. These are also girls that you'd never expect premarital pregnancy from. So, to hear about these tales surprised me. My friend Matt jokes around by calling me a "Jinx". I find that funny. It could be true. I can see that. But somehow I think God paved a different road for me and those girls. While those girls walked down one road, I was lead down a different road. It's kinda like those books where you can create your own adventure. If I would have went down road A, I might have made a mistake and I'd fall off a cliff. Well, not a cliff, but you know, bad things would happen. Since I was lead down road B, I escaped those possible relationships. Even though I was never in those relationships, I feel somewhat sad for those girls. Not bad, sad. I'm afraid that if this pattern continues then the girl that I loved the most might get caught in it. I can't let this happen. All I can do is hope that it doesn't happen. If it does happen, then...I don't know.

Obama Vs. McCain

The time has come for America to place its vote for the next president of the United States of America. People across the nation have sent in their ballots or walked to the polls to make their decisions. Not only do they have to vote for the president, but also senators, school trustees, and propositions as well. The world watches and waits for all the ballots to be tallied up. Whoever reaches the score of 270 wins the seat in the White House. Will it be McCain/Palin or Obama/Biden? More and more people are voting this year. Teens, minorities, the elderly, whites, and adults are making their mark. This is truly an intense battle. People want a change. People, we need a change. If Obama wins, he will be the first African American to be president. If McCain wins he will be the oldest president and will have the first female VP. Either way, history will be made. We will be part of history. And history will be a part of us. The numbers continue to rise as the polls close. It's really neck and neck for both candidates, but only one will come out victorious. Everyone who is eligiable to vote needs to go out and vote now. Only we can make the change that America needs. Vote! Vote! Vote!

Myspace Generation

In 2003, one of the biggest internet sites opened up to the entire world. A man by the name of Tom Anderson, or just Tom as everyone calls him, created a website that allowed people of all ages, actually only 16 and higher, connect with the world. For those who are new to the Myspace generation, it's basically a way for people to stay in contact with friends, family, boyfriends, girlfriends, or even businesses. It's also a way to meet new people. To begin Myspace, one must create a profile page. This usually consists of an "about me" section, favorites movies, favorite music, TV shows, books, heroes, and people we'd like to meet. It also consists of a default picture. This picture is displayed for people to recognize you. About 90% of default pictures involve someone taking a picture of themselves in front of a mirror, either with a digital camera or a camera phone, with the camera flash exposed. The next step would be letting everyone know if you are single, in a relationship, married, a swinger, or gay/lesbian. You also can state your religion. About most teens who are dating someone will have the "married" status posted, even though they have been dating for a month or couple years. Finally, the biggest task of all is to decide who will be on your Top 8. Actually, now it can reach up to the Top 40 or higher. Basically, what the Top 8 is is a way to reach your closest friends faster. Usually, the person you're closest to goes first on the list. Honestly, being on someones Top 8 is like being in the Book of Life. If you're in it, then you're happy and cool. If you're not, then you're mad, disappointed, jealous, and thinking to yourself why that person did not include yourself when you know that you two are good friends. Anyway, people can meet new people. If they like them, then they can "add" them as a friend. That allows you to comment their profile, comment their pics, and read their bulletins that tell you to comment their pics. Of course, I myself have a Myspace account. Myspace was originally designed for people 16 and older, but little kids from ages 13 maybe slightly younger have a Myspace account. Through out the years, Myspace has been getting a lot of attention from the media. Stories of sexual predators, things kids are looking at on the site, and people meeting other people whom they've never met before have been big topics. When Myspace first began, it had a thing where people can rate either men or women. However, people were uploading nude pictures of themselves, sexual pictures, and other explicit images that basically made Myspace into a porn site. That was banned later on. Myspace has really been a big help to rising stars, such a actors, musician, comedians, and filmmakers. Anybody can go to a musicians profile and add one of their songs to their own profile. Many celebrities have created accounts, in which people can add them as a friend. Myspace has definitely been an open door to this generations internet experience. I mean, next to Myspace there's YouTube, Google, Yahoo, and my favorite, Wikipedia. I don't know if Myspace will be around forever, but for now we live in the Myspace generation.