Lunar Boulevard

Every day I'm bombarded with some commercial about a beauty product or technique that ensures me that I can reverse the effects of aging and the ravages of time upon my body. While I have no doubt that these products may very well eliminate wrinkles and touch up my skin, it doesn't solve the ultimate dilemma: we're all going to die. While that fate is unavoidable for all of us, there IS a solution that will scientifically prolong your life. The answer is simple: time dilation. Now I'm no scientist, nor am I bright by any stretch of the imagination, but this concept is really quite simple. According to the theory of relativity, time dilation is an actual difference of elapsed time between two events as measured by observers either moving relative to each other or differently situated from gravitational masses. That's basically a fancy way of saying that time in one place may be running faster or slower than another place. Time dilation can be caused by diffe...

You know something? I'm proud of Chik-Fil-A. I've never eaten there and I'm not a big fan of chicken. That being said, I have always respected this company for holding traditional values, including being closed on Sundays. In this day and age it's rare to find a company that sticks to its beliefs and isn't afraid to stay that way. With all this debate about their view of traditional marriage I realized something: Chik-Fil-A is doing what many other Christians won't. What they're doing is quite simple: they're not selling out. They're not backing down or conforming to what an increasingly secular and progressive culture is trying to force others to do. They're standing their ground and doing exactly what God has called us to do, which is hold firm and be in the world but not of it. I'm saddened by the number of Christians who are condemning the company and calling them all sorts of vicious and unkind things, especially since all they...

I recently learned about these things. Heck, until today I had never even heard of them. I'm always fascinated by the universe and the more I look into it the more I can see a divine and creative God who designed it. It's even more incredible when you look outside our own Milky Way galaxy and being looking at all that surrounds it. If the sheer size and scope of the universe doesn't blow your mind then there isn't much that will. It's simply stunning. According to the Hubble sequence, there are four main types of galaxies: spiral, elliptical, lenticular, and irregular. I had read about these and knew of their existence, yet there are many different kinds that I wasn't aware of. Apparently a satellite galaxy orbits a larger galaxy, which is due to gravitational attraction. The satellite is considered the smaller galaxy when it's accompanied by a larger galaxy, called the primary. These make up a pair of orbiting galaxies, and if the two orbiting galaxie...

I prefer to wait until a record officially drops before giving it a listen. Listening before it's in my hands is akin to opening a Christmas present early: it takes away the surprise and anticipation and leaves me feeling almost as if I cheated. However, when I saw that NPR was streaming Handwritten , the new album from New Jersey rockers The Gaslight Anthem, I knew I would end up giving in. I'm in the process of moving and sitting in a hotel room with nothing to do only added to the temptation. In this case, though, I'm glad I gave in. This record is bold, confident, and a perfect example of why this band is currently one of the best and brightest on the scene. On their fourth record they sound as fresh and energetic as ever, combining everything that made their past works so great and creating an experience that's one of the year's best albums. At first I'll admit to being a bit worried. The album's opener and first single, "45", is one of ...

It's been quite a while since I had a good rant on here and lately I've been given some prime material to work with. I should state before I go any further that this is in no way a commentary on any particular person, denomination, or situation, so rest easy. This is also not a tirade against my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, but rather something I feel we need to be aware of and it's an issue that keeps popping up in my daily life, forcing me to bury it and ignore it until it festers and eventually explodes in a fit of frustration and self-loathing. Sound fun? If so, then let me explain what I mean a bit more. To put it bluntly: I'm tired and weary of fellow Christians tossing out the same over-used catchphrases and judgements. I've lost count of how many times some of these lines have been uttered and repeated to me as if they should answer every question I have and calm any doubt that seeps its way into my mind. Granted, I'm as guilty as anyone o...

Submission and boasting. If that makes you uncomfortable then that's a good thing, because that means God's word is resonating. In Chapter 4 of James we get a brief look at both of these areas and it's no less challenging or inspiring than what came before it. James wastes no time in beginning with a look at quarrels and fights going on within the Christian community. The first several verses bluntly state that we fight because of our selfish desires and we ask God for assistance while having wrong motives. In verse 6 he mentions the Old Testament:  God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. This is a reference to Proverbs 3:34, a clear sign that James had reverence for the Old Testament and believed it to be God's authoritative word. Humility is obviously a trait that's encouraged time and time again in the Bible and Jesus is our perfect example of humility and a servant's heart. This entire first section of Chapter 4 is a firm remi...

While many Americans spent yesterday celebrating Independence Day, there's another anniversary that most probably forgot about. July 4, 1997, marks the day that the Mars Pathfinder landed on the surface of Mars. Some may not see this as any big deal but I'm pretty stoked about it. It sent us back some awesome images and proved that landing on Mars, at least in this capacity, was totally probable and kudos to everyone involved in that amazing landing. I miss things like this.

In 1996 Nada Surf released their debut album High/Low , a somewhat lackluster album that's best remembered for housing the single "Popular", a summer hit that gained the band some success and limited mainstream attention. However, it's their sophomore album that contains a far more interesting story and features the kind of radical growth that would prove they were more than just another rock/alternative band. Originally released in Europe in 1998, The Proximity Effect was critically acclaimed and was accepted by the public. However, Elektra Records, whom the band had a contract with at the time, didn't hear a "hit" on the album and kept asking the band to record covers that they could release as singles instead. Eventually the band became fed up with this and refused to make any more changes to the record, believing it to be artistically perfect and they were soon dropped from the label. They spent the next two years fighting to get the rights to ...