Resource Alert!

I remember reading Understanding Today's Youth Culture by Walt Mueller when I was in school, it is a great book but now is very outdated. I was surprised to find an updated version of the book now called Youth Culture 101 by Mueller in my local Christian book store. I am just now diving into the book, but it looks good and I would recomend it to all parents and youth workers.

I also went only to find that Mueller also has a website devoted to youth culture: http://www.cpyu.org/ which stands for Center for Parent/Youth Understanding. I found a lot of media articles and a lot of youth culture articles among other things on the site. It is a very good site and seems to be updated several times a day. Check it out to find out about current youth culture trends. This site will also produces a journal on youth culutre. I am awaiting my first issue and will report about it when I get it.

What I Am Listening To

I like to pass on what I am listening to so others can enjoy it. Here is what I am listening to right now:

Jack Johnson - Sleep Through the Static

I am a huge Jack Johnson fan. I especially liked his last album, but this album is very different from. Don't expect as many catchy tunes, this album has fun parts but is much deeper. It took me several listens to really like it, but now I feel this is his best album yet. Favorite songs: Monsoon, They Do, They Don't, and Hope.

Skillet - Comatose

I took the students from my church to Winter Jam Tour here in Evansville and we all agreed Skillet was definitely the highlight. I remember them from back in the day, but don't remember them rocking out like they did. I bought the album, which is from 2006, and have loved it. It definitely rocks. Favorite songs: Rebirthing, The Last Night, and Whispers in the Dark.

Ingrid Michaelson - Girls and Boys

I, like many people, loved the song on the Old Navy commercial about "giving you my sweater". I looked up the artist and was very surprised by the album. The sweater song (The Way I Am) is not like the rest of the album, each track for the most part is very different. This is probably the best indie album I have heard. The songs are well written, performed, and produced. I love this album. She also got a lot of play on Grey's Anatomy last season, but don't hold that against her. Favorite songs: Die Alone, Starting Now, The Way I Am, and Overboard.

Sanctus Real - We Need Each Other

I bought this album not knowing much about the band, but I was looking for some good music to give away as prizes. I went the Christian book store to listen and was very surprised. It seems this band has been very subdued in the past (I found the album in the soft rock section), but on this album they rock. There are several slower more worshipful songs, but a couple really rock. I like this album very much, definitely worth checking out. Favorite songs: Turn on the Lights, We Need Each Other, and Legacy.

Lost Season 4 Episode 4 "Eggtown" Reaction

This weeks lost was good, however it didn't answer my primary questions about Sayid and Desmond on the copter or anything about the boat, but it did answer a question about who Kate was refering to in last episode last season. It turns out that it is Aaron, Claire's son. So Claire must have died at some point on the island, it is unlikely that Kate would take the baby or Claire would give it up. Claire must die as some point.

The rest of the episode was nothing to spectacular. These people from the boat are getting annoying with there looks back and forth everytime someone says something about rescue. I think it is time we know why there are really there. I hope next week will show us the boat, but from the preview it looks like they have helicopter problems, so they probably all crash and die. Who knows?

The one questions that doesn't look like it going to get answered anytime soon, but is driving me crazy is what happened to "the others". They left for some temple and have not shown their faces, why don't they attack the people from the boat and kill them. Unless they are acting out a plan with Ben being captured and so forth. I don't know, I hope next week is more imformative.

Strike Over

Before I go to bed I wanted to let you know how excited I am that the writer's strike is over. I am excited that the Office is coming back, but not until April. I am really excited that SNL is coming back this Sat. I am bummed that 24 is postponed until next Jan. Oh, well we still have Lost. I can't wait until tommorrow night. I hope all of my questions will be answered, but I don't expect much it is supposed to be a Kate-centric with the flash forwards. I hope we will learn who the mystery person she was talking about in the season finale last season. Also, I am intersted in how she avoids going to jail. Anyway I can't wait, I have a lot of questions that I sure will be answered only to get more questions in return.

Dead or Not Dead?

Is this blog dead, probably! Should I try to revive it? Probably not because I usually get excited about these things once in a while then I get to busy and forget about them. However, I would like to continue it, I think I need to get some sort of focus. Maybe I will make it focused on ministry or maybe on just personal junk, I dunno? I am going to think about it over the next few days and try to reinvent it and keep it going. If you read this, congrats you are probably the only one, so THANKS.

I did buy the new Sanctus Real Album today and it is awesome. The first song rocks, and the rest is really good. Check it out.

Anyway, check back again because you might find something useful. And, by the way for all you perfectionist, I am not going to proof read this, I just posting it because I hate proof reading. If there are mistakes then deal with it.