guitar hero

for quite a while i've been searching for my true purpose in life. and though, i still have yet to discover it, i have stumbled across something that may possibly be better. guitar hero. although this amazing creation is linked to the seemingly mediocre system some people like to call play station two, this game goes far beyond the average ps2 realm. basic controllers are thrown out the window, with an actual guitar-like figure taking their place. this "guitar" comes fully equipped with a wammy bar and other mind-blowing features. in the game itself, you are able to choose from an array of classic rock songs, which vary in difficulty and speed. after choosing both a song, and the level of difficulty (easy, medium, hard, or expert), a guitar neck comes scrolling from the depths of the screen, indicating which notes to play where, and for how long. as you actually play the song characters perform in the background of the screen. but wait, it gets better! after earning a certain amount of "rock power" you have the ability to rock out with your guitar, tilting it up in the air, and giving you bonus points, along with the empowering feeling of being a rock star. i know, its incredible! (if you still dont get it, you're an idiot..and think of dance dance revolution, guitar style.)

while playing this game with a group of friends, and taking turns on the synthetic stage, an idea of pure genius was derived. the gaming industry should make this game in multiple musician-based forms (drum champion, bass master, vocal protagonist, xylophone star, etc.)...the possibilities are endless! they could even go as far as making it for xbox live, where bands could be formed, and competitions could be held. i cannot take credit for this ingenious idea...i believe it was the profound minds of jared moine and taylor ishii that produced the concept. i also think a letter to those at the video game headquarters needs to be written containing this million dollar idea.

so in conclusion, i have fallen in love with guitar hero. though..after finding this game, along with a new passion in my life, i have also found a great sense of loss...for i do not own a play station two. so, as alanna would say, "shang it!"

me? a working girl?

okay. if you know me, and know me well...you know that i hate even the idea of having a job. most of my friends, especially the ones that work, see me as spoiled. which at times, i suppose i am. i get a lot of things handed to me by my parents, especially money. and because of this, the thought of me working never really crossed my mind, at least not in a serious manner. that is, until just now. i spend a lot of time at saddleback church, and at the church there is this place called "the pavillion," and at the pavillion there is a book store, and at the book store there is a job opportunity. a friend of mine, lauren owens, just started working there two weeks ago and has convinced me that i need to join her in her employment endeavor. the job pays incredibly well for an incredibly little amount of work. and i figure, i'm already at the church a lot...why not spend my time there making some money? i think it's finally time to get rid of this title i have of being "spoiled." it's time for me to step into the working world. me? a working girl? yes, i dare say, i may be.

dear loved ones,

love letters. letters of love? no, they arent the same. often times i have heard that the bible is "god's love letter" to us. this phrase, to me, has always seemed to go in one ear, and out the other. but as a result of current events in my life, this idea that the bible is god's love letter to me has congealed itself into my mind. before this past week-or-so, i always seemed to think love letters were an incredibly romantic sentiment. a "love letter," to me, was seen as a note that a boy would write to a girl (or vice-versa, of course), containing all of his endearments towards her, confessing his love and telling her of how brilliantly wonderful she is. and what girl, or boy for that matter, doesn't want that version of a "love letter"? i based my definition of a love letter on what i'd seen in the movies and read in novels (something that i often do). but i have recently come to realize that that is not what a love letter really is. my new definition of a love letter is simply this: a letter written by someone who loves you. my mom could write me a love letter, as could my friends, and anyone else who loves me...not just a boy. earlier this week i received a stack of "love letters," from the person in which i consider my "boyfriend." as he left for two weeks to venture to the other side of the world he left me a letter for every day that he's gone. and i was extremely excited to read them, one by one. but suddenly, i realized something. something that made me feel kind of aweful. i was more eager to read these letters that a boy had written me, than to read what god had written for me (i'm talking about the bible). this is because i thought the letters from my boyfriend would hold true to my previous definition of a "love letter." i wanted to hear all the "mooshy" stuff. and so i had my expectations; they were broken. after reading quite a few of these "love letters," so far only one of them has contained anything heart-felt or romantic. and i couldnt be more thankful. because this made me realize the real reason i wanted to read these letters. i wanted to read them because i knew that they were written by someone who loves me. i knew they had been written with love. and that is what a real love letter is. god has written me thousands of pages of love letters. the bible was written with me in mind. no, it doesn't contain the romantic sentiments that make a girl's heart melt, but everything that was written was written by someone who loves me. the bible isnt a letter of love; the bible is god's love letter to you and me.

sincerely,
alli

three cheers for peer pressure

...and so i have done it. i, alli reinhardt, have created a blog. but why? honestly, i don't really want a blog. supposedly, they grow on you...and according to the opinions of my peers, i need one. but still i ask...why? so that others can read my intelligent thoughts, or lack-there-of? i have fallen into another trend. thank you, peer pressure. my need to be part of the crowd has pulled me into this new world of blogs, comments, and whatever else is done here. i'm not exactly sure what to expect. i am more than certain that i will become addicted. i love to write, and most all my friends know this. unfortunately, this sets a high standard for me, as far as this whole blog thing goes. on the rare occasion that i feel insightful or come across an epiphany, i suppose i'm supposed to write about it here. and whenever i venture home from some exciting place, i will type in the url that will lead me to this place, and i will write about my adventure. so here is to the "blogs" that are yet to come, to my future addiction, and lastly, to peer pressure...where would i be without you?