Goodbye Silverton

(note the person in the picture is not me, but I basically did the same thing...I haven't uploaded my pictures yet, but I have a very similar one at the exact same spot)

A song I wrote while in Colorado...just recorded it, its rough, but okay sounding. For you all to listen to and (hopefully) enjoy

Silverton is a small town in the valley between two mountains we drove over (literally...we started on the bottom on both and drove to the top, then back down).
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Song: http://www.zshare.net/download/787520203fea00d5/

The sun's setting on Colorado,
A new day gone to pass
I'm singing to the radio
Wishing it was you instead, I guess

The mountain's climbing higher,
The clouds all moving by so fast
I'm rising higher than falling back
Back into the valley again

Goodbye, goodbye Silverton
Goodbye, goodbye the day
I say
Goodbye, goodbye good weather
Goodbye, goodbye my darling day

I see the light all fading
See it all turn to grey
See the landslide coming down,
See it all just slide away

Goodbye, goodbye Silverton
Goodbye, goodbye the day
I say
Goodbye, goodbye good weather
Goodbye, goodbye my darling day

The window's down and I'm feeling
The breath of winter on the glass
A frosty whisper, beckoning
Makes me long for summer air

Goodbye, goodbye Silverton
Goodbye, goodbye the day
I say
Goodbye, goodbye good weather
Goodbye, goodbye my darling day

I say
Goodbye to dreaming
Goodbye to fall
Goodbye to memories
Goodbye to the girl who said goodbye to me

Goodbye, goodbye Silverton
Goodbye, goodbye the day
I say
Goodbye, goodbye good weather
Goodbye, goodbye my darling day

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Landslide by Stevie Nicks (Fleetwood Mac)

I am leaving for Colorado on friday, and in honor of my going there, i have decided to post the lyrics to "Landslide" by Stevie Nicks. This was written in Aspen, Colorado, when she was going through a major shift in her life...just as I am and will be in the next few weeks. This trip for me is a chance to find out a little of who I am, a little of who I want to be, and alot of what my life is all about...so anyway, here's the song.

"Landslide"

I took my love and I took it down
Climbed a mountain and turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Till the landslide brought it down

oh, mirror in the sky - what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changin' ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?
I don't know, I don't know

Well, I've been afraid of changin'
Because I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder, even children get older
And I'm getting older, too

So, take my love, take it down
Climb a mountain and turn around
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Well, the landslide will bring it down
The landslide will bring it down

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The Song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhNrrrCCTdA
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Hmm...

Tonight's an interesting night.

Tonight is an amazing night.

And why?

Cause I have nothing to say.

lol okay thats not entirely true, or else I wouldn't be posting. But tonight i'm content with how things are, and even if that feeling just last for another hour then I will be happy to have spent that hour in peace even if I must face another day of chaos. I will take pride and joy in these small moments of happiness, even if the rest of my life is filled with distraction and confusion.

In the song "nobody" by five for fighting, it says,
"Though endings are never ever happy, its the happy moments along the way, that in the end make it ok."

It's kind of a depressing line, but at the same time, it gives hope and understanding of what life is about. Life is a struggle, simply because we are human beings and WE ARE MADE FOR DRAMA. Literally...that's what original sin is about... a constant struggle between right and wrong, good and evil, life and death. The simple truth is that we must relish and take pride in the moments of goodness and, when the bad times come, roll with them. Grin and bear it, for love of Christ and for love of the truth.

So I'm going to enjoy this and grow, continually closer to Christ and to his will for me, and hope that I can just weather the storms that pass along the way.

God Bless,
Sleepless

My Promise

A New Song I wrote...and composed...at 2:16 in the morning. The audio is very rough (i made a few mistakes), but hey, I like it anyway...

Song Download Link:

http://www.zshare.net/download/7846883671545121/
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My Promise -

You've carefully plastered
the walls into your heart
with steel and iron stitchings
so you'll never fall apart
But I know better
cause I know you
and i know all the lies you use
to hide behind the truth

Throw the doors wide open,
And let me in
You won't drown if I just hold you up
We'll tread water together
forever, its true
this is my promise to you

The path's ever widening,
The steps already tread
The passion that you're feeling
The source of all your dread
Don't turn away
All you need is here
And all you're looking for you see
Is what's always been with me

Throw the doors wide open,
And let me in
You won't drown if I just hold you up
We'll tread water together
Forever, its true
This is my promise to you

you won't drown if i just hold you up
I would never let you fall,
I would never let you go
I would never let you drown

Throw the doors wide open,
And let me in
You won't drown if I just hold you up
We'll tread water together
forever, its true
this is my promise to you

this is my promise to you

The Things i Miss

***********************************************************************************************
I miss simplicity and hate duplicity
I miss sunshine on a rainy day, and hate these clouds ruining a perfect day
I miss trusting and hate losing it
I miss knowing what is real and hate that I'm just another hamster on the wheel.

***********************************************************************************************

Top Ten "Authentic" Love Songs

There are many aspects that make a great love song. Great lyrics, great music that sets a tone, and great vocals can make any love song special. However, what truly sets a love song apart from any other song is the emotion behind it. If a singer truly feels the words they are saying and feels the music in a very personal sense, a great love song becomes an amazing love song. This is a tribute to the top 10 songs I feel are the most "authentic"; the ones where the singers really meant every word they said, and you can tell, felt it to their core.

10) We Belong - Pat Benetar

Lyrics: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/p/pat+benatar/we+belong_20104904.html

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxZInIyOBXk



When you get a song with such great lyrics, it would be an absolute shame for the artist to then follow them up with weak or lethargic vocals. Luckily, Pat Benetar lives up to the billing, singing straight from the heart that cuts right to the core of a relationship. The refrain especially is felt, so that one cannot help but think about their own romances, either past or present. It is a universal complication of dating that we often are left to fight to keep it all together, and this song embodies that struggle within both our heart and that of our partner.

9) Every Rose Has Its Thorn - Poison

Lyrics: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/p/poison/every+rose+has+its+thorn_20109974.html


Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFIKPGVTwEY



If you just listen to the recording, you can easily hear the deep breath he takes before starting the song. That one act, breathing in, that one sigh, becomes the inspiration behind the rest of the song. Every languishing word, every lamenting thought, centers around that idea of an imperfect reality. A slight blemish on a beautiful thing. Poison may not have contributed much to music as a whole, but this song singularly makes its mark on the listener with its raw emotion and simple lyrics.

8) You Don't Bring Me Flowers - Barbara Streisand

Lyrics:http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/barbra+streisand/you+dont+bring+me+flowers_20012696.html

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj10EzNKA2M


Combined with the starpower of Neil Daimond added to Barbara's already huge following, this song was destined to be an instant hit. However, it was much more than a hit; it was the embodiment of both beauty and sadness, tragedy and recollection, true love and true despair.
Such an awesome combination of both the greatest and the worst of human emotion cannot be taken without a significant impact being made.


Note: I prefer the recorded version then the live video I've posted here. It should be easy enough to look up in any search engine.

7) Iris - Goo Goo Dolls

Lyrics: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/g/goo+goo+dolls/iris_20061324.html

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpO9MSEWpxc

Okay so the movie wasn't that great...I mean, angel falls in love with girl who he's been staring at for the last couple of weeks...kinda creepy right? However, the one gem that comes from this is the song "Iris" which has become one of the top rock songs and love ballads of the 90's. Though its taken from the viewpoint of an angel, even mere humans like ourselves can associate with every line. I mean...who doesn't get "And I don't want the world to see me, cause I don't think that they'd understand." Anyway, the song is sung with such emotion that is only done by Goo Goo Dolls that it earned its way on this list.

6) I Need Love - LL Cool J

Lyrics: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/l/ll+cool+j/i+need+love_20081043.html

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEUX-HYRtUA

A rapper admitting he needs love? and not just the bitches and hoes? (sorry..."malibu's most wanted" reference there, if you don't understand, watch the movie its great). Anyway, all kidding aside, such brutal honesty with oneself isn't seen very often in the music scene, especially in a song itself. It can be a little cheesy, but come on, if the guy's willing to end his song with "I'll be waiting...I love you" you know that he's putting himself out there.

5) I'll Be - Edwin McCain

Lyrics: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/e/edwin+mccain/ill+be_10094377.html

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2YZYjjonCg


Alright, so this is flat out one of the best love songs ever written, much less sung. Come on, what girl does not want to hear that no matter what, you'll be there? Not to mention the fact that it is sung so much from the heart that you can't help but know he's being sincere. I picked this video, which is a live version and not the actual recording, because he shows even more of his sincerity and sheer emotion for the song. if you'd rather listen to the recorded version, its great too.

4) Total Eclipse of the Heart - Bonnie Taylor

Lyrics:http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/bonnie+tyler/total+eclipse+of+the+heart_20022769.html

Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=840B27zYfOk

A quirky, cool song that technically includes two or three singers, but is dominated by bonnie tyler's vibrant voice. Her singing chills you, to the point where you wonder where such feeling and emotion could be coming from. There are certain songs that can only be described as "haunting" and this is one of them.

3) Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper

Lyrics:http://www.lyricsfreak.com/c/cyndi+lauper/time+after+time_20035202.html

Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdQY7BusJNU

The music video is pretty weird, and starts out with an interesting scene. When the song kicks in though, you know that its heartfelt and true to what a real love song should sound like. The whole song is great, but especially the last repetition of "time after time" is phenomenal. Great song all together.

2) Faithfully - Journey

Lyrics: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/j/journey/faithfully_20075719.html

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVs4jDL-JBo

What a great song, what great lyrics, and what a great sound! The piano itself is filled with emotion, so much that you're already impacted by the first stanza, much less the rest of the song! Though he declares that "loving a music man ain't always what it's supposed to be" he also points out "I get the joy of rediscovering you". The ending to the song culminates with an emotional display not often seen, and definately places this song as one of the most authentic love songs in music.

1) I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston

Lyrics:http://www.lyricsfreak.com/w/whitney+houston/i+will+always+love+you_20146353.html

Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGC003Xz3CY

I've said alot in this post...maybe too much. Every single one of these songs means a little something to someone, and a lot of something to me. I think that this song speaks for itself, so I have nothing else to say.









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Concerning Indifference

One of the greatest threats posed to the Catholic Church, and in a much grander sense, humanity today is a startling and unsettling character of indifference within our world.

Just think about that. Indifference has become a norm, while earnest devotion and zeal for the truth has become the exception. A wise man is no longer an admired man, but instead, a despised man. A fun-loving simpleton who lives off of booze and women becomes the hero of any party, and the object of every teenager's admiration.

If one honestly seeks the truth, he is either met with sarcastic belittlement (think "dude, that's way too heavy" or "wow, who cares? that's morbid') or even worse, indifference ("whatever you like man, if that's what you're into). The truth is no longer the goal, but rather, a hindrance to living life as it was meant to be lived out "freely and without any semblance of guilt or regret".

One time in the church's history has a similar indifference come about; however, while now this indifference comes from a complete separation of church from state, and similarily, church from personal life, the church's prior experience of widespread indifference came during its period of greatest control and rule; the Middle Ages (Dark Ages as so named by historians, though that is debatable).

During the "Dark" Ages (1200-1450 approximately), the Church had risen to a point of complete dominion over state affairs. The Pope, not the king of England or Spain or France, was the most powerful figure of Europe, and he weilded that power with all the regality and wealth that befitted a person of his noble stature. However, in many ways this was abused, though I will not go into detail. The important thing to remember is that during this time the faith, which had been paved and borne by the blood and struggle of the early martyrs, was now left stagnant and left to shrivel up, until only a few drops of zeal was left amidst what used to be lakes and oceans of it.

The true faith, which consists of sincere love and devotion for Christ combined with worship of the truth and the acquisition of it, was left to dry out because the faith was so secure in its own right. Protocols of politics and economics overtook practices of selflessness and piety. The priesthood itself became a right of passage into higher ranks, rather than a chance to serve and to empty oneself so that Christ's love may use one as a conduit to others.

With this drying out and loss of genuine zeal for the faith, the lifeblood of the Church, the Church itself began to stray from its purpose and mission. It began to work for the rich, which in turn worked for it, so that the cycle of giving left out the very group it was supposed to protect the most; the common people. Thus, the common people soon lost their interest. If one wonders why so many peasants and lower-middle class people took up the Protestant way so readily, it is partly because the ways of the Catholic church had failed to serve their interests.

Indifference then became the cause of Catholicism's greatest loss in history, for the number of souls who were/have been lost, or at least had to find a different route to redemption, due to the schisms that were to follow (both the Great Schism and the Protestant Reformation) is incalculable. Indifference, which was fed because the Church had become too controlling and too bureacratic, in a word, too worldly. By cramming the practice (or maybe the illusion?) of faith into the world's collective throat, they ended up taking the very faith out at the same time, and replacing it with a dry and lifeless thing. Without Love.

Indifference today is the exact opposite, for while the original stemmed from the overextension and mismanaged presentation of the Church (it being too materialistic), the current indifference is bred from a complete separation from the Church. After church was separated from state in the late 1700s and early 1800s acround the world, it was easy to see that one's job, then one's personal life, would be soon to follow.

It's very easy to work in selective "boxes" of reality. For instance, the self you portray at school/work is very different from the self you may portray at home. Around your friends, you usually are alot less critical than with your family (especially siblings). With each person, with each group, you have different expectations and thus, a different attitude. Only a truly authentic person escapes these boxes and creates an all around being throughout...a person that is who they are to the core, regardless of the situation.

Thus, our culture today is filled with "box" Catholics, and "box" christians. This is truly just another sign of indifference, for if one felt true love and enthusiasm for their faith, they would see no reason for boxes. In fact, they would resent this box world, because they would realize that while we are all contained within our boxes, the truth can no longer resound. If we believe in one thing in Church, but then another thing when we're with friends, then that doesn't show true belief, that shows true duplicity, and a genuine falsehood (if such a contradiction exists, it is in such a life). We cannot find truth when we sanction our faith off into one corner of our lives, but do not allow it to flow into every aspect of our lives.

Indifference nowadays is not caused by too much church or practice, but rather, not enough. Even when it is practiced, its sanctioned off to sundays, or personal prayer. It has become a habit of ours to very readily separate our everyday life from our spiritual life, so much that we become two different people. This duplicity can only hurt us in the end.

How do we combat such indifference? It's a difficult task, and one that may very well be impossible without divine intervention. The problem isn't the same as our past, for in the past people were still able to use the power of logic to fight and combat enemies of the faith. Great writers such as St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas More, used logic to fight their battles with the aid of love for both the truth and the faith.

However, how do you combat something that doesn't use logic as its basis, but rather, pure animalistic sense? Whether it be pleasure or science that a man uses as its primary motivation, it is very difficult to appeal either of them to a higher truth. When one only believes what his heart feels (emotion) or what his eye sees (science), how can one believe in something so far beyond simple observation?

I think its possible to fight indifference, but in the end, it must be a combination of both our own personal effort and Christ acting through us. We are meant to be conduits, not sparkplugs. We only initiate the action, but what Christ chooses to flow through us will determine whether we are successful in our endeavors to bring others to the truth...his truth, in case we ever get proud enough to start thinking that we are the ones to be credited.

Little miracles together with little actions everyday, is the solution to bringing a genuine love for the faith back to humanity. And when we provide good examples to the world around us, we ultimately serve the faith better than any amount of motivational speaking or profound writing.

God Bless,
Sleepless

This is who "I" Am

The Man I Am -

I won't be the guy
Who is loved by the masses,
No trumpets, no sound to my arrival
Just a shrug and an innocent look,
A passing glance to my survival

I won't be the guy
Who woos all the lovers
with a song and a ballad
I'll be the one in the corner,
Singing only for myself

And I won't be the guy,
Who in the winter cold,
Warms himself at other's expense
While the women do the work
And the children starve at their feet

I won't be the guy
who comes home to an empty home
who drinks till there's nothing left to drink
who lives to an empty tune
I won't be the guy
who's love is tempered by temptation
who's heart is crippled by distractions
who's wlil is wasted on mistaken attractions

I'll be the guy,
who is known to a few and loved by a couple
who is hidden from palaces, but welcomed by the doorstep
who is overlooked by women, but enchanting to one woman
who is not known in books, yet knows the books by heart
I'll be the guy,
who lives in this world, but not of it

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Why Every Man should love Taylor Swift - For Kara

When I go on my theory of why every man loves (or at least should love) taylor swift, I am often met with protest. "But Nicky," girls say," she can't even sing!" or "Nicky, she may have (or may not have as I must remind you) ripped off many of her lyrics from other artists." Finally, the most consistent complaint I get is, "But Nicky...she's so cheesy and melodramatic" (note that these are coming from girls). While these are good (if unfounded) arguments, I still find that men naturally are gravitated towards liking taylor swift, the way peanut butter is naturally compelled to jelly, or how peas just naturally fit in a pod. it just works!

But for you doubters, here are just a few reasons why its true:

1) She is CUTE - not slutty, not obnoxiously hot, not jaw-on-the-floor and howling like wily coyote. I mean, look at this completely unposed for, completely candid, picture of her at school:

Look at that! Curly hair, simple dress, barefoot! She has two things; first, she seems like she could be the typical girl next door, your average down to earth, lovable girl. At the same time though, she also reminds us of the classic beauties of the past; audrey hepburn, meg ryan, janet jackson (okay just making sure you were still paying attention), and barbara streisand, to name a few.

2) Her lyrics - oh come on, no one can look at a taylor swift song and be like "damn, i've never felt that way before." of course you've felt that way! I mean, let's look at the themes of two of her top songs;

You Belong with Me - girl next door, best friend of a guy who doesn't see her as more of a friend, of course he's dating the hot cheerleader girl. Every, and I mean EVERY girl can understand this...but even us guys can too. Unless you're one of those hot, popular guys (which if you are, then you make up .01% of all males in the world) then you've probably had a female friend (usually attractive, funny, charming, cute, whatever) who you adore but can't tell because it would ruin your friendship and, let's be honest, you're not her "type",

Tim McGraw - the end of a relationship, and you're left devastated(September saw a month of tears, and thankin' God that you weren't here, to see me like that). in the end you hold on to that one memory, and you hope that they remember you fondly too.

Those are just two of her songs, but take any one of her songs and its almost universally applicable.

3) She's Smart! (and driven)
In case you were getting under the impression that she's just a ditsy girl who likes to sing about her adolescent life, know that she also has a deeper side to her. Take the following excerpt from wikipedia (which, as most of us know, is a completely authoritative and trusted source in all teenage and young adult circles, if not in actual academic circles);

"When she was twelve years old, she devoted an entire summer to writing a 350 page novel, which remains unpublished"

Twelve years old! As a writer who has still yet to finish his own fully-finished book, I appreciate the amount of devotion and work it takes to get such an accomplishment. Let's do the math:

1 Summer = 2 1/2 months
2 1/2 months = approximately 75 days
350 pages (at 275 words per page) = 96, 250 words
96,250 words/75 days = 1283 words per day for 2 and a half months!

And in case you didn't realize, thats a significant amount, especially for a 12 year old.

4) She's goofy!

One of the most important aspects in any potential partner, male or female, is the ability to laugh at themself and not take themselves too seriously. To show this point, I give you the following link to her song "Thug Story"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz10BUCP2dE

5) Finally...she wants to do what you want to do!

And this is a big thing for us guys. She doesn't want to go shopping that much, or go do girl-things. She's interested in what you're interested in! For instance she'll :

Get your humor *gasp* !!! - (You belong with me) "Cause she doesn't get your humor like I do"
Just chill and listen to music with you - (You belong with me) "I'm in the room, its a typical Tuesday night, I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like."
Go to All Your Games - (You belong with me) "I'm on the bleachers"
Dance with you, regardless of the weather and regardless of the clothing she is wearing - (Fearless) "And I don't know why, but with you I'd dance in a storm in my best dress"
Sneak Out with you (when your momma don't know) - (Our song) "Sneakin' out late tappin on your window"
Ride shotgun with her hair undone (which is extremely attractive/cute) - (Our Song) "I was riding shotgun with my hair undone"
Write You A Song! - (Hey Stephen) "but would they write a song for you"

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Thus, I rest my case. For all intents and purposes, in every way, manner, shape, or form...every man should love Taylor Swift.