"The music industry makes music for people who don't like music."
~Ian Mackaye of Dischord Records

I've been thinking a lot lately about the D.I.Y. (do it yourself) lifestyle. I realize more and more that it's something I really support and believe in. The D.I.Y. lifestyle is deeply rooted in music. I'm beginning to believe more everyday that music produced by the mainstream does not qualify as being worthwhile.
The mainstream is a machine, an assembly line. Music is packaged, stamped, & shipped out to be consumed by the masses (just like meat, but that's another story). The artists who create mainstream music are robots in the machine and have little control over the music they make. They do not make music for music's sake, they make it for the sake of finances.
This creates a problem for people who claim to like music, but purchase mainstream music. I think if these people understood how the music is made, they would not support it. If one really likes music, why spend money on sub-par artists or bands that are ultimately only out to take your money?
Legitimate music is made by people who do not get their main income from their music. When one gets his/her main income from making music, the music is polluted. Somewhere along the line musical quality will be compromised for a dollar. A person who truly wants to produce good music will avoid this for the music's sake. When your music makes your money, it creates pressure to pay bills. Sometimes paying the bills takes priority over making quality music. This is why those passionate about music should avoid it being their bread. You'll end up in a bad spot.
Making music has nothing to do with what you wear or look like. Making music has to do with what you believe. That's why mainstream music sucks. The artists believe in money. And money only ruins good things.
This doesn't mean that mainstream music sounds bad, it actually sounds great because of all the money involved. It's the motivation behind it that makes it lousy. There are some major label artists that I enjoy. But that's because they sound good, not because of what they believe. I think music should be based in what one believes.

I'm not really sure where to begin here. I'm beginning to loathe the word "pursue." This is a word that is becoming painfully overused in the Crosswalk Community (better known as the "God-Squad"). Many of the guys use it to describe the act of some refer to as "chasing tail" or whatever. The word "pursue" sounds much, much nicer than "chasing tail," but I'm beginning to believe that that is its only purpose. Guys use it like it's some sort of holy word. "Hey man, I'm pursuing so-and-so, pray for me."
There's a sense of desperation in the air. In the Christian community pre-marital sex is frowned upon big time. I'm not going to go and say that pre-marital sex is a good idea. I'm not a fan of how our culture treats sex. Basically the only way I'm going to end up having sex is if I get married, and that's only because it comes with the territory. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's delightful. However, there is WAY too much emphasis on it. Every weekend is a new quest to get laid, and I think it's stupid.
Anyway like I said, in Christian culture pre-marital sex is frowned upon. So the emphasis switches from having sex to getting married. There's also this lame idea that the guy always has to make the first move in a romantic situation. So basically what happens is guys don't understand how to handle something that's stressed so much in our culture like sex, know they should get married or whatever, and go crazy "pursuing" every girl around. They convince themselves that they like some girl in order to date her, possibly marry her, and then have sex. guys are going insane and not even understanding what they're getting in to.
From my experience, most people I've met (Christian and non) link their happiness to whether or not they're involved in a relationship. They blame their unhappiness on "sexual frustration" (which by the way is a fancy word that scientists made up to replace "selfishness" to justify this "need" for sex). People base their worth on other people. I don't know about you, but I don't see how finding my value in another person could be anything but harmful to me. People are naturally selfish, and therefore will always let you down unless you comply with their every "want" or "need," which is impossible.
Don't get me wrong, I think it'd be swell to find "Ms. Right" or whatever and live "happily ever-after." BUT, there's no use in sulking because she has yet to show up. There's even less use in "pursuing" every single girl that I find remotely attractive in order to find her. This will only leave a trail of carnage behind you. When you look at every girl as a potential-mate you lose out on being their friend. And because you'll only end up with one girl, in the long run others can be no more than friends. You begin to treat ladies as objects, a means to an end, and not as people.
As I write this I currently have 0 (zero) prospects. And as crazy as it would've sounded to me several months ago, I love it. It leaves me with the ability to just be myself and befriend more people, which leads to better relationships, which will lead to a legitimate marriage. I will not get married just so I can have sex. I will not get married to feel secure. Many (many) christians do this, and it makes a mockery of something viewed as "holy matrimony."
In "keeping your options open" you're really just giving in to a fear of commitment. When you're not sure who to "pursue," you shouldn't be "pursuing" anyone. If there isn't someone who sticks out, you'll settle. And settling in this case is a synonym for "giving up."
When people say "I really feel like God wants me to pursue someone," it actually means "man, I am SO insecure that I need to hit on every moderately attractive girl I see so I can latch onto them, and THEN I'll be a legitimate human being." Sex/dating/marriage/romance are not requirements for human survival.
You tell me that you like her, you just wish you did.


You're not ready, you're not ready. Please stop acting like you are.