The World As Seen By A Teen Named Chris

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Merry Christmas, with love--from ur boi Chris!

A pic of my newly completed gansta look…

Yes, I am horrible. Year-end charts are like one of my fave things about the holiday season. Just think, we get to see what albums sold the most and what songs got played the most! What could be more exciting right? Yes well for anyone who may find these facts interesting you have come to the right place. I comment on the top ten songs and albums of 2007 for both the secular and Christian charts.

CD Review As I Lay Dying: An Ocean Between Us A+

Genre: Post-hardcore/Deathcore

Songs: 12

                CCM gave it 5 stars, and the big wigs gave it a Grammy nomination. I give it an A+, and for a good reason. This is hard music that shows a tremendous amount of skill and thought. The guitars and drums are at the utmost heights of intensity and mood setting, polished over with excellent production.

                The words are mostly growled or screamed, yet yelling comes up to accent.  Drums are used for most of the build-ups, as opposed to guitars like many bands (e.g. Underoath) use. Also melody sneaks in and makes the songs sick in your mind more than would be expected in this genre.

                The words that can be heard are few, but for those that take the time to read the lyrics you will see they were written with much care and you will find that the mind behind them seems a profound pastor.

                Not for everyone…but truly the most powerful music out there. Be forewarned.

                For Fans Of: Norma Jean, Demon Hunter, Underoath

The most played songs, overall, in 2007:

1.        IRREPLACEABLE, Beyonce

2.        BUY U A DRANK, T-Pain Featuring Yung Joc 

3.        BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY, Fergie

4.       SAY IT RIGHT, Nelly Furtado

5.        UMBRELLA, Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z

6.        THE SWEET ESCAPE, Gwen Stefani Featuring Akon

7.        HOW TO SAVE A LIFE, The Fray

8.        IT'S NOT OVER Daughtry

9.        HEY THERE DELILAH, Plain White T's

10.    HOME, Daughtry

Wow, seems all the songs I love to hate made it. Three of the top ten are by professed Christian artists, and 9/10 are family friendly (depending on how strict you are). Good to see the Plain White T’s song on there, as it was my fave song of 2007. Let’s see what the genre break down tells us about secular compared to Christian: Urban/Rap (6) Rock (2) AC (2). It also is worth noting that half the songs are by female artists.

1.        THE LAST NIGHT, Skillet

2.        MADE TO LOVE, tobyMac

3.        I'M FOR YOU tobyMac

4.        FORGIVEN, Relient K

5.        SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL, Newsboys

6.        DON'T GIVE UP, Sanctus Real

7.        LET IT FADE, Jeremy Camp

8.        AFTER THE WORLD, Disciple

9.        AWAKENING, Switchfoot

10.    FIND ME TONIGHT, Everyday Sunday

First lets all dance for joy at Switchfoot being on this chart. Done? Ok good, now dance for joy that Casting Crowns is not on here lol Toby totally took over radio this year. Having the #2 and #3 spot is just crazy. Four songs on here are from my top 5 albums of 2007 and the #1 song is from one of my fave 2006 albums. What is sad to see is that every song is Rock (10) and that all ten songs are by white males. Christians have come a long way…and have a long way to go.

Top albums by sales overall of 2007:

1.       DAUGHTRY, Daughtry

2.       KONVICTED, Akon

3.       THE DUTCHESS, Fergie

4.       HANNAH MONTANA,  Soundtrack

5.       SOME HEARTS, Carrie Underwood

6.       ALL THE RIGHT REASONS, Nickelback

7.       FUTURESEX/LOVESOUNDS, Justin Timberlake

8.       HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2, Soundtrack

9.       NOW 23, Various Artists

10.   MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT, Linkin Park

First off see that many of these albums did not come out this year yet still sold enough units to make the chart this year. Also, only three of these albums had a top ten year end single. Tiz good to see a Christian on top. Also interesting to see two soundtracks aimed at tweens…yeah. And 1 of my top albums of 2007 made the list (woot). Well here it is by genre: Urban/Rap (3) Rock (3) Country (1) Compilations (3). Five males to three females.

1.       WOW HITS 2007, Various Artists

2.       PRECIOUS MEMORIES, Alan Jackson

3.       FLYLEAF, Flyleaf

4.       THE ALTAR AND THE DOOR, Casting Crowns

5.       (PORTABLE SOUNDS),tobyMac

6.       SEE THE MORNING, Chris Tomlin

7.       FIVE SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO, Relient K

8.       THREE WOODEN CROSSES, Various Artists

9.       NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE, Mat Kearney

10.   BEYOND MEASURE, Jeremy Camp

Switchfoot’s “Oh! Gravity” came in at #13 for anyone who cared…ah yes but I hate to break it to everyone, but we live in a world where Chris Tomlin sells more than RK. Never would have happened in prior years—RK and Switchoot’s sales flop was a sad thing this year. But yay, two of my top albums of 2007 making this list. Genre break down: Rock (3) AC (4) Country (1) Compilation (1).  Seven males artists to one female.

Yes well if you wanna know how your fave albums or songs did on any year-end chart just ask—I’m more than happy to tell you.

This week’s charts:

Christian Rock:

1.       Part One, Wavorly-

2.       Angels, MxPx+

3.       Illuminate, Project 86+

Christian AC:

1.       God With Us, MercyMe-

2.       East to West, Casting Crowns-

3.       Christmas Makes Me Cry, Mandia feat. Mathew West+

Christian Hit:

1.       Older I Get, Skillet-

2.       We Need Each Other, Sanctus Real-

3.       Let Go, Grey Holiday-

4.       What I’ve Done, Until June+

5.       Head Over Heels, Switchfoot+

Top Christian Albums on The Billboard 200:

(64) The Alter and The Door, Casting Crowns

(65) WOW Hits 2008, Various

(81) It’s a Wonderful Christmas, Michael W. Smith

(83) All That Is Within Me, MercyMe

(   ) Let It Snow baby…, Relient K

Alas, I have used all the “groans of the day” I have. That being the case, the groans section of my posts are temporarily out of service.

Today is my brother Conrad’s 15^th birthday!

He is a piano/violin player that has a weakness for classical music as well as hard-core music. He also eats and eats and eats…which means like all the good food is usually gone which leads to me not eating as much and saves me from getting fat. He is very skinny and I don’t know why. But yeah, he is annoying and awesome. And I admit--he is one of my best friends.

Happy bday Conrad!

Yes, and other than that…I just half like a half rant thingy:

Many people and business say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”. I am sick and tired of ppl getting mad at this display of thoughtful political correctness.  Believe it or not, Christmas is not the only holiday ppl are celebrating this time of year. Take Boxing Day for example! Possibly the world’s most underappreciated holiday. The day when  ppl celebrate…nothing. But give each other gifts to celebrate it! Tiz my fave holiday I swear :D

And…is everyone ready for a shock? Jesus was not born on Christmas. If you want to get scientific about it he wasn’t even born in the winter. The good ‘ol Catholic church decided to celebrate His birth on the 25^th because it was already a pagan holiday. Happy Holiday’s indeed…

It is great to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but let’s concentrate on the holiday feelings and cheer. Not on making one day, or one holiday, the important thing.

That said…

Merry Christmas! ;)

Personally, I am tired of hearing all the celebrity divorce and remarriage stories. So I found it really cool when I read about Bono, and his wife.

Bono met the girl he would marry when he was 15. He married her when he was 22, and has been married to her for the last 25 years. Go Bono!

A) Four Places I go over and over:

1. My room

2. What, you want me to name other rooms in my house?

3. I have no friends or life…I am like at home ppl

4. school…before last tuesday

B) Four People who e-mail me: (regularly)

1. Luke

2. Jamie

3. Jon

4. Switchfoot

C) Four of my favorite foods:

1. Oreos

2. Cheese

3. Gyros

4. pizza

D) Four places I would rather be right now:

1. With Erin on a date anywhere

2. Ireland at a U2 concert

3. At the Iraq switchfoot show

4. At the white house chilling out

F) Four movies I would watch over and over:

Over and over? That would becrazy.

G) Four places I have lived:

1. chi-town suburb #1  

2. chi-town sub #2

3. Kankakee suburb

4. under a rock

Ok, I did it with songs, here’s my top 2007 albums:

1.       Oh! Gravity., Switchfoot

Best SF CD yet. Has a full range of emotions, indie ingenuity in the music, and Jon Foreman’s unmatchable lyrics. Almost a perfect album. A+

2.       Minute To Midnight, Linkin Park

A close second I’ll admit. From beginning to end, the songs shock you with their crisp fresh rock sound and grab your soul with their emotion packed vocals and lyrics. A+

3.       Portable Sounds, TobyMac

One big party. Best Toby CD to date.  Has a lot of well placed guest spots, and the songs are just evil catchy. Could use a little clean up and two tracks cut, but it is Toby’s style to be a little goofy. A-

4.       An Ocean Between Us, As I Lay Dying

Death metal that is Christian, and the best in the genre. Grammy nominated, and busting ear drums, this CD is sure to scare or please. Lots of intensity and truly poetic lyrics. A+

5.       Five Score And Seven Years Ago, Relient K

This is a big departure from their old stuff, and some of the songs come off as just to mature. But you’ve got to hand it to them, this is a very well done CD with some amazing songs on it. “Must Have Done Something Right”, “Faking My Own Suicide”, and “Deathbed” are all truly great. A-

Holiday cheer, holiday politics, and holiday sick. Top it all off with way too much egg nog and almost nothing to do, and you have Chris’ 2007 holiday season. And other than about the sickness, I’m not complaining.

Yesterday I woke up and was shocked and very excited to see that Independent U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman endorsed Republican Presidential hopeful John McCain. Lieberman is my favorite former Democrat, and a great supporter of the War in Iraq.

It is time I endorsed a candidate. It won’t do anyone any good, but I shall do it anyway. Everyone ready? Being a proud Independent, I shall endorse a candidate from both parties.

I endorse Sen Obama for the Democrat ballot. I endorse Sen McCain for the Republican ballot.

There, did it.

Now, if you are at all a normal teenager the above bored you. Not because I wrote it, but because  you think politics are boring, or for adults. Like, hello, for ppl who can vote, right? I can’t sit here and yell at you about why politics should excite and interest you. But I will explain why politics excites me, and maybe you will catch at least a new view.

You are one of the humans that finds yourself a citizen of the greatest and most powerful country in the world. If you live in a democracy other than the U.S., you most likely have a government modeled after the United State’s, and share the strength of the U.S.

The government secures your freedom, and supplies you with endless amounts of services and safeguards. It protects you from other country’s products and other country’s militaries.  It protects you from poverty, hunger, and ignorance. But most important of all, it protects the freedom that you were born with.

Nothing is more dear to me, nothing more important to me, nothing I’d rather give me life for more, than freedom. And before you jump of me for not saying God, let me say: Everyone that has died a martyr has died in the cause of freedom of religion, refusing to give up their rights and conform to tyrants.

I love politics because I love the United States. I love the United States, because I love freedom. I believe that all are born with the desire to be free. “All men die, only a few truly live.” –Braveheart

Those that rule our country—politicians—are responsible for securing our freedoms, and supplying us with the privileges and safeguards that we all take for granted. Us as citizens are all responsible for choosing who these rulers will be. So in fact you and I are responsible for keeping this country free, and thereby great.

And just because you can’t vote means very little. You all have adults and older friends in your life, everyone of them can be potentially influenced by you on how to vote.

By sitting around and thinking politics are boring, we are putting government—our freedom—in the hands of those who do involve themselves in politics. If our government fails and our freedom is lost, much of the blame will be on those who did nothing to prevent that from happening.

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This weird photo was taken by an anonymous annoying person yesterday and shall serve to amuse the less intellectually bent of my readership ;)