Round 2

Went out with Rachel to the Plateau today and got a couple I liked. They're a little blown out but it's harsh sunlight... ya know?





And for Paddy...

40d

These are the first shots I made with my new camera that I got yesterday.



I don't think they're that bad for just figuring out how to use everything and messing around the house. Ya know?

Movie Suggestion.

I Am Legend. It was awesome. Do yourself a favor and go see it. :]

The Fridge

Well, it turns out that our fridge got unplugged about two weeks ago. We discovered this fact today and were greeted with the most disgusting odor of all time. The fridge contained nothing more than a whole lot of spoiled milk. Yummy.

Weather

I love this weather so much. It makes me want to visit Northern California, Oregon and Washington.

I had a walk in the rain last night and it was wonderful.

I'm also glad that this semester is almost over. Hot dang!

Also: If you like really good acoustic/ singer songwriter music then please check out Rocky Votolato. It's phenomenal.
www.myspace.com/rockyvotolato
www.rockyvotolato.com

Charlie Brown

I've been listening to the Charlie Brown Christmas album a lot lately. For me that's Christmas.

Do yourself a hugeee favor and pick up that cd if you don't have it.

I am really glad that school is almost done.

And on saturday Rachel and I are going ice skating and I'm pretty excited about it.

Have good days.

President

I am currently looking at two potential presidential candidates.

Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee. Currently leaning more towards Ron Paul because I disagree with Huckabee on a few more issues than I disagree with Paul on. (Support of Israel and foreign policy being of main concern) Hmm, both seem like relatively good choices though. Which other candidates are everyone else looking at?

Sorry

I am truly sorry for the lack of updates everyone! It has been a busy couple of weeks, be it the long stretch before thanksgiving and all of the homework that I had, to the actual busy week of thanksgiving itself.

I'll just itemize things that I want to talk about.

Uno :
I do not get to go to Cal State Fullerton in '08. I am incredibly bummed on this fact but the sad truth is that most schools do not accept lower division transfer students. I don't understand why this is, but it means that I get to attend Fullerton college for the next three semesters while I acquire the necessary units for the transfer. I am definitely excited to start my new major however and next semesters I get to start taking photography and communications classes. Hot dang! In the meanwhile, if you knkow anyone who needs photography services then please put me in touch with them! That would rule.

Dos:
This whole switching majors thing has made me a little bitter toward some of the classes that I am taking right now, namely the bible classes. I am a little mad that I am paying so much to take these classes but their units will not transfer to any other school that I will go to. I still love the subject matter but I am completely over writing 2 to 3 bible papers a week for no credit. It's a major bummer. This got me thinking a lot about bible college in general, and i have come to the conclusion that bible college makes you test your relationship with God to an insane degree. I came here thinking that I had solid foundations in my faith, only to have professors' comments and questions from my peers and coworkers lead me to begin to seriously question my own faith. It's very hard to hear someone tell you that perhaps monogamous homosexuality isn't a bad thing, or that maybe God DOESN'T have a plan for your life. Solid Christian foundations suddenly removed from underneath you, it's a hard thing to deal with. I feel like I am regaining my trust and faiths in God's truths but I really wish it were easier. I have found myself wishing for a modern days levitical law, at least then it would be clear as to what good and bad are. To reconcile faith and philosophy in the same head has been the most difficult thing that I have ever tried to do. There is obviously a lot more thinking that goes along with this section and I'm sure there are holes and gaps and things missing, so this will probably get cleaned up a little bit in the comments.

Tres:
I love my girlfriend very much and I am bummed that I don't get to see her for two and half weeks. We had such a good week, with highlights including her family having thanksgiving dinner with my family and an epic amount of VERY early morning black friday shopping. We hit J.C. Penny's at 4 in the morning, Old Navy at 5, and Target at 6, and to be honest, I had a lot of fun with it. It was fun to literally run through the crowds to try and get the best deals. We also went to a "reunion" party that consisted of all of the people in our senior AP english class. The kids in this class were the brightest kids at school, the supposed stars of this generation. Political science majors, pre med students, engineers, all were represented. Knowing how much potential all of these people have made me want to talk to everyone about their plans, whether their goals have changed, what they've learned this semester - something! But no, all everyone ended up talking about was how much they love getting smashed and going to clubs. I was so saddened by everyone's lack of seriousness about life that ;ajshbgjkashg, I just don't even know. What a waste of potential, what a waste of brains. It's ok not to drink guys. It's ok not to drink.

These were three of my main points from the last couple of weeks and I'll try not to get to behind on my posts in the future. Sorry everybody. Goodnight.

Majors

After a lot of diliberation and discussions witha lot of people, I have decided to change my major.

Come fall I will be a photocommunications major at Cal State Fullerton. Next semester's goal will be to get me into that program.

I think this is the right choice and I'm very excited for it.

Fire

The fires today sucked. Rachel was stuck at Pepperdine and we had a whole bunch of stuff planned for today. Sadness ensued.

Earlier tonight I messed around with some point and shoot cameras laying around the room. Check it out and leave comments.

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=73145558&albumId=1357491

Camera

There's the camera that I will be purchasing soon. Am I completely stoked? Yes. Am I going to be taking pictures all day everyday from now on? Yes.

Also: sorry for the lack of updates, I'll do a better one later.

Understanding

It seems that the more I learn the less I understand. Throughout high school I had these spiritual, mental and physical rocks that I stood on and the more I learn about the outside world, different people, different interpretations of scripture, different world views, different takes on history.. it just seems like it is impossible to know anything. The more I learn about things, the less I understand as a whole.

Also, I had a couple of long talks tonight in which I realized that the music scene today is just a disgusting mess. I wish I was born in 74'.
Hardcore is completely dead as evident by all of these crappy bands out nowadays. Here's hoping for a renaissance in the future.

But I still have these old cd's and these old songs.

Number 2

Here's another one!



Hope you like it

hmm

does anyone else ever feel like, "Great, I can do something better than a lot of people I know, but so what. Compared to what's out there, I suck, so why bother." Well that's how I feel right now.

Photography

It would mean a lot to me if anyone interested would check out some of the pictures I've recently taken and offer some CONSTRUCTIVE criticism on them. Thank you :)

And the band of the day is Rosetta btw.

LINK: http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=73145558&albumId=1262564

Alcohol

Attention: Stupid kids who want to drink at Chain. I WILL pour all of your alcohol out. Every can. Every 40. Every bottle of Jack. And then I will make you leave.

BYAH!

Photography

I WILL learn photography.

Does anyone know any photographers who would be willing to show me a few things?

That would be awesome.

Also- I'm currently taking art lessons from Dana.

Here is my first painting, entitled "Beards".

Locals

local hardcore bands are terrible. Terrrrrrible.

I mean, give up on life terrible.

I mean why do you even bother terrible.

Stop playing music. Seriously.

You've liked "metal" for like 6 months.

Tell me who Fugazi is. Tell me who Minor Threat is. Tell me who Quicksand, Gorilla Biscuits, or Lifetime are.

Lame-o's.

:end pointless vent post:

Girls

I do not think I will ever understand girls.
Pepperdine is nice buy I don't know if I could feel at home there.
I had a great day with a bad ending. Don't you hate that?
:/ .. oh well.
I learn from it I guess.

Go listen to Fugazi and goodnight.

College

College is a perpetual weekend with homework. It rules.

Lame.

No matter how nice you are to someone, some people will always be a jerk to you. Frick.

Also - Everyone told me how I should update this thing or get one for that matter and I do a big huge post on my thoughts and hopes for the future and I get nothing. Lame. Very lame.

I'm in a crappy mood.

Suck it.

There is so much on the horizon...

I feel like everything is radically changing at the same time. Be it my college move or the way in which I think the church is going.. all of it is incredibly exciting.

I will be moving to Hope International University in just over one day and I am incredibly excited about that. I can't wait to learn more about the bible and more about myself in relation to christ. I am excited to share a space with my roomates Trevor and Matt and for all of the adventures that we are going to have. I am going to miss Rachel terribly but I know that I will still be able to see her often. Me and Steve (Theresa's boyfriend) will be switiching off car pools that will be making the trek up to malibu every other week... so that is incredibly exciting.

I feel that the church is starting to move in a new direction. Like a revolution is beginning to stir it's whispers and different people are beginning to hear them. I think that the thoughts of the church are moving in such a way that the focus will no longer be on what the church can do for us, but what we can do for the church. Such opposite doctrine from the likes of Osteen and his ilk. I really do think something is big is going to happen soon with this, and I really I do hope that I begin to understand these principals better than I already do. I am so tired of health and wealth gospels and I can see that many others in the church are just as unhappy with it. No more watered down gospel. No more background selfish ambitions. Exciting to say the least!

I am so full of hope right now. Hope that I can actually do something with what God has given me. God is love and all I want to do is show that on earth.

I'm sure I'll get a whole lot of comments on this one ...

Love,

Niall

It feels like...

There is going to be some huge change on the horizon. In everything.

I'm kind of excited. :)

I'll elaborate later.

Stolen from Parks

ENFP - "Journalist". Uncanny sense of the motivations of others. Life is an exciting drama. 8.1% of total population.

Free Jung Personality Test (similar to Myers-Briggs/MBTI)

Intersting!

3 Things

1. In two weeks from tomorrow I move into the dorms at Hope International University.

2. I haven't seen Rachel in two weeks. I miss her like crazy. She comes home tomorrow. :)

3. Listen to the band The Glorious Unseen. For fans of ambient means and honest worship. Seriously. It's phenomenal. www.myspace.com/thegloriousunseen

Godspeed!

Anyone Else?

Does anyone else watch televangelists and just want to yell scream and shake the tv?

I think I've pinpointed the problem. Their entire message is about what the Lord and the Church can do for us, not about what we can do for the Lord and the church.

After everything I've been learning in these past couple of months, everything boils down to this concept. Just go freaking do it. It ties in to all of my frustrations with my church in Murrieta, with megachurches in general, with health and wellness ministries. It seems to me to be downright selfish.

This is definitely a vent post. I'll post a more intelligent and thought out post later.

Positive

How does one positively affect their peers?

How do I convey to kids the message that drugs, drinking and lots of sex lead them into brick walls?

Frustrating.


..and I miss Rachel A LOT.

Bored

The new yellowcard is REALLY good. I'm too bored to sleep.

Nevermind

So the car now looks like a no go. I hate money.

Rabbit

Tomorrow marks the day that I buy my first car, a 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit. I'm pretty excited and from everything I've read and seen in person, it's supposed to be a great car!
This summer certainly is a summer of milestones isn't it?

Chillin

Well Ecuador is over and done with but I'll post much more about that later when I have pictures at my dispense.

I just finished my online driving instruction to negate my ticket. I started only an hour ago and holy crap it was a joke. Not only are the questions easy and sometimes bogus, "Who invented eyeglasses?" but you are able to use the back button on your browser to change wrong answers! Me and my mom were laughing at the sheer retardation of the thing. Oh well, I'm just glad that this whole ticket thing is finally taken care of because I got the freaking thing last November.

Yesterday was an awesome day because I got to see the Murrieta kids and Rachel finally. I missed them all so very very much.

I should probably get off the computer now though considering all of the laundry and cleaning that I have to do.

Here I go, go in God,
Niall

My Name's Ham And I'm The Best

Preface: Finally this stupid thing is up and running and everyone can get off my back about it. I hope someone likes the header I made, I think it's pretty sweet.

Actual Post: The team and I are leaving to Ecuador at 1:30 tomorrow morning and I feel a number of different emotions. I am in one sense terrified because even though I know what I am in for there are still a number of challenges facing me
. From this point on.. I relinquish control of this post , to Chris Luna who will speak on the legendary, Ooongatz.

Hey everybody out there in the bloggerverse. this is web master Chris Luna. This one time we were chillin' out in the Burn office. Amy heard a weird noise. I looked and it was Ooongatz. Ooongatz is the monster who used to live on my street and down the hall from me. Anyway, Ooongatz came into the room and ate Paddy. Niall leaned like a cholo and took out his broad sword and stabbed Ooongatz in the jam. Amy thought she would help and vomited all over the monster Ooongatz. Then Ooongatz died. Paddy was still inside. The end

Macbooks

Macbooks are so ballin'. I highly suggest to anyone looking for a new computer. Whoo!

OMG! PIRST FOST!

Well I have taken the advice of my livejournal friends and finally a got a blogger. So now I may actually get to reveive actual comments on my posts instead of "Get a blogger." Hopefully, Paddy can help me make this thing not look crappy later. WHOOT!