how the heck!?!?

Skip ahead to 1:35 for the magic act, and be prepared to say, "How the heck!?!?"

lol

#funny_but_true

this. is. incredible.

note to self:

love this!

mi gusto mucho

truthful. gentle. fearless.

Kingdom Come

Flawless. As usual.

bye bye bikini

Jessica Rey, swimwear designer and television actress. Man, she's whats up.

“Modesty isn’t about hiding ourselves, its about revealing our dignity. We were made beautiful in His image and likeness. So the question I’d like to leave you with is, “How will you use your beauty?”

She said that. Know what else she said?

“Little girls wouldn’t be running around in sexy underwear and skimpy bikinis if it wasn’t for their parents buying them for them."

Boom. She went there.

She also went there with some research regarding the function, or lack thereof, of the male's mind in the presence of scantly clad beach bunnies. Here's the low-down, ladies: its nothing respectable.

So if you happen to have about 10 minutes to spare, let Ms. Rey tell you all about it instead of myself. She do it a much better job than I, and she looks better doing it.

Even though she's clothed.

carry on

the value of a moment

The Purge

Set in the year 2022, the movie The Purge depicts "a nation reborn."

Violent-crime rates have hit an all-time low, due in part to a government instated 12 hour time period once a year called the Purge. 

All crimes, including murder, are legal to commit during this time and emergency services are suspended.

Only government officials are off-limits.

Everyone else is up for grabs.

This yearly catharsis is just enough to curb everyone's apetite for blood, but by the time the week of the Purge comes around, everybody starts getting antsy. 

Listing the names. Making their plans. Gathering supplies.

Could you just imagine knowing that in only a few hours your neighbors would have a license to kill anyone they'd like? Could you imagine knowing in only a few hours YOU would have a license to kill anyone you'd like?

One of the main justifications of Purging in the film is based on man's inherit wickedness. The people who lose their lives during the 12 hour free-for-all are commemorated for serving their country; bringing forth peace throughout the nation simply by falling victim to another man's rage.

Amongst some other themes such as social class and economic status, the overarching thesis of the movie is the murderous nature of man. This is what is being purged; not the lives lost during the annual slaughter, but instead it is the evil drive behind the murders.

I do believe there is an evil nature in all man, but I don't believe it can be purged; the source of evil in man is man himself. Acting upon that nature, neglecting and isolating it, analyzing and labeling it... none of those things are purging of it.

There's not much we can do on our own. We can't simply purge ourselves of our problems, because we are our own problems. 

their acoustic version...

is even better than their original. On repeat.

just give me a reason

Simple melodies and mellow instrumentation seem to be the flavor of the week right now. Love it!

this kid

This kid, he's kinda awesome. His 'lil bro and 'rents aren't too bad either. Here's something his momma had to say on FB today:

3 years ago, Isaiah was sick. He refused to eat, had excessive thirst, was losing weight and lethargic. We had to wait for the official diagnosis, but we already knew. Type I Diabetes at 2 1/2 years old. So little. So scared of shots and finger pricks.

Today we have a 5 1/2 year old who is so brave and responsible, that I can't hardly believe it sometimes. He has been forced to grow up (in some ways) a little too fast. Waiting for meals until his blood sugar has been checked, realizing that there are times he can't eat what everybody else is enjoying. And he's okay with it. He doesn't cry, and rarely complains.

Diabetes sucks.

But I am so thankful. I'm thankful that God knew this was coming, and He had created Isaiah with such a calm, patient and adaptive personality. I'm thankful for the discovery of insulin and now, because of God-granted wisdom to some doctors, maintenance of the disease is manageable. I'm also thankful for all the support we received at diagnosis, and continue to experience from friends and family.

I look forward to watching Isaiah grow into a man, and using his gifts to help spread the Kingdom.

Yep. Love this kid. And when the strain of working as a childcare counselor gets to be too much for me, all I gotta do is pop in for a visit with this little guy. Instant therapy. His calm, caring, and good nature just melts all the 'yuck-of-the-world' right off my heart. A reminder of hope. He will, no doubt, spread the Kingdom. 

EN.CRED.DEE.BUL.

Absolutely lovely.

off with their heads

These kids...
they be making me crazy!

Furrealz.

I work three twelve-hour shifts, 11am to 11pm. When I report for duty, the evening staff I relieve gives me the low-down on the day's happenings.

Typically, its not a pretty story.

And those details; the threats and the violence, the opposition and the insults, they all paint a picture of what my morning might look like when all these darling 'lil kiddos rise and shine... And more often than not, the picture painted tends to be pretty accurate. So there I sit, ruminating and dreading what will inevitably come to be.

I try to keep my attitude in check and be positive but, well, thats stinkin' hard to do at times. With funds running low, the money just isn't there for the counties to send these kids to a higher level of care, even when thats what some of them really need. And with our organization not doing too great itself, we're definitely not turning kids away, even when we're unequipped to treat them.

Its a hot mess. And until the economy picks up and helping troubled kids become a priority, its unlikely to get much better. Hence my frustration.

Compassion fatigue has set in, or is revisiting, and I've run out of room in my heart. My knee is jacked up from busting down a barricaded door and doing a restraint last weekend, I leave work most days smelling like the spit of dirty kids who haven't used a toothbrush in only God knows how long, and I guess I'm just tired of the continuous string of unresolved crisis'.

Yep. Off with their heads! All of them! Just make it painless...
I guess I must still have a little room in my heart for them after all  :-)

"Frequently people think compassion and love are merely sentimental. No! They are very demanding. If you are going to be compassionate, be prepared for action."

-Archbishop Desmond Tutu

letting go / holding on

zip zip

"Sometimes the thing

that brings us together

also pulls us apart." 

"Sort of like a zipper.
"

-Jarod Kintz

achy breaky heart: a universal melody

SoCal summer approaches. The grills are fired up, the Coronas are on ice, bouncy-houses are blown up and overwhelming the backyards of every lucky kid on the block.

All this, to the festive beat of mariachi music.

And when listening close, even a gringo like me might recognize a song or two. Its a wonderful, yet occasionally unfortunate, merging of cultures.

"Occasionally unfortunate?" you ask. Allow me to present Exhibit A: Achy Breaky Heart. I guess good 'ol Tennessee twang and stories of unrequited love speak to all hearts. In fact, the 1992 country hit has been rerecorded and released in well over one-hundred languages, representing numerous cultures and influencing multiple generations.

Now, no disrespect to big Billy Ray fans, but the song humors me. Maybe its the plunky melody or the cheestastic lyrics. Either way, it makes me chuckle. But there's obviously something about it that permeates cultural barriers and continues to defy ever-changing trends in the music industry. A person could probably come up with a whole list of reasons... but I'll put my money on one: its the achiness and breakiness.

Smiles may be universal, but there is no greater commonality than broken-heartedness. From fiesta-goers to barhopping cowboys, and everyone else under the sun, we've all experienced some level of sadness. I believe the running royalties accrued in Mr. Cyrus' bank account will attest; share a man's burden and make a lasting impact. Sure, sharing a good laugh may be a lot more enjoyable, but... well, I guess there are just some things an achy breaky heart can't understand.

Too bad the partiers down the street aren't as generous with their carne asada as they are with the volume of their music...