Ode To Dave

Clear common sense thrills me.  Dave Ramsey thrills me.  The guy deserves that title “financial guru”.

What does Dave teach?  Ditch credit card dependence.  (Go green and use cash.)

His motto “live like no one else... so later you can live no one else” brings a smile to my face.

Here are Dave’s seven financial steps to financial peace:

1. Build emergency fund to $1000
2. Pay off debt (minus mortgage) smallest to biggest
3. Build emergency fund to 6 months worth of income
4. Invest 15% of income into Roth IRAs
5. College funding for children
6. Pay off home early
7. Build wealth and give

More great advice at daveramsey.com

I’m working on step four now and dig his plan.  His books are worth checking in to.

Your Light Shines

Here’s some new lyrics to a song I wrote recently:

Your Light Shines

The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin
then the light of your glory shined
like the sunshine in all its strength at noon time
sill the light of Your glory shines around us

Your light shines, it overtakes the dark
and consumes the night
I was lost, was blind but now I see
Jesus is the light

Now there’s no darkness when I hold on to You
I once was blind but now I see
On to the path of life we walk together
Your word’s the lamp unto my feet and our path

© 2009 More Left Music

Favorite Phrases

Who doesn’t love a good quote?  Like Johnnie Cochran and his “If it doesn’t fit you must acquit” I enjoy spouting off memorable idioms.

Here’s a list of my favorite lines.  These platitudes deserve their own blog posts (and one already has one).  I hope some day to further explain my fondness for these statements.

“it’s not about blame”
“obligation is a poor motivation”
“self control should be our goal”
“make good choices”
“thank you, I just got it stuffed”
“play it like you wrote it”
“play it for the babies”
“hit ‘em hard”
“debate is healthy”
“not today, wave”
“keep Al Gore happy”
“I tah too” (use after someone says Utah)
“secrets don’t make friends”

Favorite Ingredients

Like many of us I am fond of music.  I enjoy explaining my appreciation for certain songs.

Then I found a website called Pandora that, after entering your favorite artists, finds common threads that roughly define your personal music preferences.

My music preferences include:

• subtle vocal harmonies
• mild rhythmic syncopation
• electric rock instrumentation
• vocal-centric aesthetic
• electric rhythm guitars
• subtle use of acoustic piano
• acoustic sonority
• acoustic rhythm guitars
• upbeat lyrics
• mixed acoustic and electric instrumentation
• punk influences
• acoustic rhythm piano
• major key tonality
• funk roots
• disco influences
• flat out funky grooves
• groove based composition
• repetitive melodic phrasing
• basic rock song structures
• minor key tonality
• prominent organ
• extensive vamping
• electric guitar riffs
• classic soul qualities
• demanding vocal performances
• demanding instrumental part writing
• folk influences

That’s a lot of ingredients in the cookbook.  If I had to nail it down to a few I’d prioritize:  electric rock instrumentation, upbeat lyrics, and funky grooves.

2008's Top Albums

 1.  Jon Foreman “Spring - EP”
Switchfoot lead singer Jon Foreman branched out to release solo EPs based on the seasons.  From the first listen “Spring” placed a smile on my face.  The inspirational song “Baptize My Mind” sounds like......well....springtime.  Foreman’s melodic paraphrase of The Lord’s Prayer (“Your Love is Strong”) struck me powerfully.  (I played the song 53 times during 2008.)

2.  Brooke Fraser “Albertine”
Brooke caught my attention when I heard “Hosanna” from a couple worship CDs.  She peaked my interest after I read of her rapid success in her native New Zealand.  “Albertine” impressed me with it’s fresh sound.  The undeniable conviction in her lyrics leaves me wanting more.  I even sponsored a child through World Vision after reading her story.

3.  Coldplay “Viva La Vida”
I had lost my excitement for Coldplay.  I joined their bandwagon early when I heard “Yellow” and “Shiver” on KROQ years ago.  But by the “X&Y” album I grew tired of their routine formula.  Then came legendary producer Brian Eno.  Together they created something visionary.  The depth of sonic layers in this album will envelop me for years to come.  The thick ear-candy and haunting “post-songs” infuse new life in the pop/rock genre.

4.  Copeland “You Are My Sunshine”
These guys have my loyalty.  Their bold melody lines linger in my mind days after a listen.  “You Are My Sunshine” ensures their maturation with well produced adventures and satisfying minimalist tunes like “The Suitcase Song”.  Thick vocoder use and a Billie-Holiday-esque background vocalist top off the albums gratification.

5.  Lovedrug “The Suckerpunch Show”
Lovedrug’s new CD takes Christian music places I did not think possible.  The no-holds-barred song “Everyone Needs a Halo” ruffles feathers in new ways.  And “Blood Like” exhibits delightful authenticity.  If you want something to talk about just pick this CD up.

Pass The Burrito

Living in Southern California has perks. The beach, mountains and desert are all a short drive away (provided it is not rush hour). The regions large population provides many opportunities for entertainment, employment and life in general.

Great mexican food restaurants demonstrate a more unsung virtue of Southern California life. And the city in which I work, Chino, contains three of California's best Mexican restaurants.

First there's Que Pasa (or Que Heck Yeah as I call it) located by Harkins Theater. This restaurant has the ideal blend of authentic Mexican flavor with American tastes. Their fresh tortillas out-taste all others and their meat marinades define delicious. Top that with $4.99 lunch deals and how can you go wrong? I even split the hearty portions up into two meals.  It's no wonder the employees know me.

If you want a Mexican restaurant with a more authentic taste give El Rey's, near Riverside Dr. and Ramona a shot. It might not look like much from the outside but that adds to the realism. El Rey's is authentic Mexican food meets California health standards.  They had me when I saw their meat spindle just like the taco stands in TJ.  The cheese reminds me of meals south of the border.

Lastly if you prefer a nice sit-down atmosphere with great taste then Los Portales has you covered. With great service and $7.25 lunch deals this place ensures a good time.  The carne asada quesadilla with a cherry coke hits the spot too.

Chino California deserves notoriety for more than it's cow population.  Chino also hosts extremely tasteful Mexican restaurants.  Quite possibly the best burrito of your life may be eaten in Chino California.

iGood to iGreat

OK, if you know me then you know that I enjoy my iPhone.  I dig how it syncs my calendar/contacts from my phone, web and laptop together.  If I update a friends phone number in one device all my devices wirelessly get the new information......beautiful!

Apple’s done a lot to improve the thing too.  Now I can use it as a lightsaber, guitar tuner and more.  But they’ve missed one big potential improvement: ToDo lists.

I am a fan of using ToDo lists in Apple’s iCal program.  But I can’t view any of that data on my phone.  I want to but I can not.

Yes there are some silly ToDo programs made by third party developers.  Those programs do not sync with my iCal data.  They do not allow me print out lists and edit them on the web, laptop, etc.

Please Steve Jobs help me.  Or, if you know Steve could you pass this on?  The squeaky wheel gets the grease so here I go.......SQUEAK!