All I want for Christmas

All I want for Christmas; is for it to really be Christmas. As I get older Christmas becomes more and more mundane.  It turns into the exact opposite of what it was when you were a child. You start worrying, biting, scratching and clawing to do what you need to during this holiday season. We forget about the first and second most important things during this time of year; 1st the real meaning of Christmas, and others.  if you were planning on buying me something (hopefully the new Britany Spears album, which I gave such high ratings to in an earlier post) do it because you want to not because you feel obligated to. half of the Christmas festivities are done out of obligation.  Don't do that, do it because you can make someone else's holiday better than your own.  It's not about you, it never has been really. 

Celebrate Christmas in a new way this year, the way it was meant to be.  As for how that is suppose to be done... you figure it out. 

Fall Out Boy (Folie a' Deux)

Fall Out Boy (FOB) is at the top of the album chart in sales currently.  After releasing their record yesterday (December 16) they had no problem forcing Britany Spears out of the top spot.  FINALLY. 

The album has been bands most anticipated release of their young career; so far it looks as if the wait was worth it.  FAB continues to raise the bar with every album, and this one is no exception. 

The band toned it down a little for this one.  It's much more of a melodic "type" of "hype" (yes I just named a genre of music myself) than what we have come to expect from FAB. There seems to be a little more meaning behind the lyrics of this album than any of their others.  Dare I say it... Fall Out Boy has grown up. 

There are a few reservations when it comes to listening to the record itself however. The band always seems to include at least one song that involves heartbreak with some kind of alcohol usage or some other method to relive the hurt.  In this aspect we can expect the same from the bands 5th full length record.  

I am not telling you to automatically discredit the bands music for this type of reason.  I am telling you that you need to think about the music you listen to.  The biggest thing that music controls in a person is their emotion.  And if a song writer is "always" talking about a negative emotion (which Fall Out Boy does not) you may need to be careful of just how much you listen to that artist.  Be choosy no matter what band or genre you are listening to.  

Twilight (Movie Review)

Yes, I finally went to see what all the hype was about.  On Saturday night I found myself sitting in the movies waiting to see the highly acclaimed movie "Twilight". 

I had heard several people's opinions about what they thought of the movie, and a bunch of you who come on Wednesday nights were going to see it, so I knew I needed to give it a try. 

As for the actual content itself I really didn't find anything over the top offensive.  There was a part of the movie when a girl makes a somewhat un-lady like comment about a certain body part.  There is an inappropriate joke made about the speedos that the swim team wears. While trying on prom dresses some of the girls show a little cleavage.  There is also a scene where Edward (the main character) tells how he can hear people thoughts and describes how some people around him are thinking about sex, but he does not go into any detail.  There is one scene where the couple in the movie begin to kiss on a bed, but then Edward interrupts the make-out session by jumping off the bed.  We see in the next scene that Edward and the girl are in the bed, she is asleep and is cuddling up to a wide awake  (vampires don't sleep of course, duh) sex is not implied. That is it for the major negatives that I found in the movie. 

There were several things that I found positive in the movie as well. Family was a highly placed value on both of the main characters lists.  And even though the whole movie hinged on vampires it was never a "dark" morbid portrayal of the characters.  There were a few (what I would consider mild) violent scenes in the movie that included a few vampire bites.  

I don't know what the books are like, but the movie "Twilight" did not display as bad a wrap as it was given by critics.  I am not suggesting that you should go see the movie as soon as you can, I  am saying however, if you watch it, do so critically, think about it, test it prod it. Decide if it's good entertainment.  Decide if you could watch it with me or your parents. If you want to talk about the movie a little more in-depth email me nathanielvanbuskitk@yahoo.com.  

Twilight (Soundtrack)

Twilight (The recently released movie) not only boasts one of the top spots on the movie charts, but it boast an even higher fan approval of the soundtrack that features songs from several of todays top performing artists.  

I have not yet seen the movie so I can't speak for its content or quality. I have read several reviews and have listened to what others have said about the box office hit, but as for my own opinion I don't necessarily have one (yet).  

The music in the movie, now that is something I do have an opinion about. The soundtrack for the movie has sold faster than any other movie soundtrack after a recently new release. It surpassed the Lord of the Rings soundtrack spot which had been held by Lord of the Rings since December 2001.  

Many of the artist featured on the Twilight soundtrack are, as I said before, from mostly top artists. The list includes Paramore, Mutemath, Muse, Linkin Park and a few others. What really intrigued me about the soundtrack is that Paramore (a band that I reviewed awhile ago, and if you remember right I said they would be hugely popular in less than a year, thats right..I called it) has done two, yes two songs specifically for the movie. You can't buy the songs just anywhere, you have to purchase the entire album either on itunes, or at your local record store. It must be a package deal, I don't know politics, it's ridiculous.  The songs that I have listened to have been "ok" as for the rest of the songs and artists I can't really tell you, because like I said you have to buy the whole album to do so. 

If you just have to have this record listen to it with your parent(s). Don't smuggle it into your house only to have your parents find it later and then you'll be grounded (trust me, I've been there before).  If you do listen to it with your parents maybe you can agree on which songs are good enough to keep and then you can import those songs that were agreed upon into your music player of choice (itunes etc.) 

If you do buy it let me know how it is. I'd like to know.

Merry Xmas

I just want to take this time to wish everyone a happy holidays.  I hope you enjoy yourself the most over theses next few weeks.  After all, this comes only once a year. 

Some of you are probably wondering why I used Xmas instead of Christmas? Well I'll tell you why... It's because it really doesn't matter how you say it as long as your in the right festive spirit. Who cares how you say it as long as you say it. 

There's more to it than that though... isn't there? You see the real meaning of Christmas has taken a back seat for a long time now, it has been replaced by all the things we want or need (to do). Christ has been replaced with an X.  I know that some of you right now are saying "yea, your right Nathaniel, those people are so stupid". But think about it for a second; "you've" put an X over Christ too. You have made yourself so available to getting into arguments about the preservation of Christ's birth that you have destroyed the very thing you were trying to save.  You have neglected to love your brother (whether he agrees with you or not) you have done things in the name of Christ that weren't anything more than your humble opinion. 

Lets get back to the original way Christmas is supposed to be. There is a time when we will have to defend our faith and take one for the team.  For some reason I think that what we (as Christians) have made Christmas out to be something it was never intended for it to be.  Lets keep the main thing, the main thing. Merry Christmas Everyone!

The Fray (Self Titled)

The Fray was seemingly the one-hit-wonder when they released they're single "Over my Head".  But after that hit slowly died out after a long stay on the top 100 the band continues to release hit after hit.

The newly anticipated album (Self Titled) comes out this Wednesday.  The album (if ordered on itunes) comes with 16 brand - spanking new songs as well as 3 videos.  listeners who have already heard the album say that it is worth all the hype.  

It may sound like I am telling you to go out immediately and buy this record when it is released.  And I may very well buy this album myself.  

However, The Fray is not a "Christian" band.  They are signed to a secular label (Epic).  Even though they're songs are very positive and hint very much towards a higher power they will not be found in your local Christian bookstore.  What I am trying to say is that not everything with a secular label is bad; and not everything with a Christian label is good.  DON'T take off your God given "thinking cap" just because someone says this or that is Christian does not mean it is okay (Christian).   Many people have a already made this mistake.  So use your thinking cap for everything not just music and movies.  Test everything.