ladies.

women, you make me depressed.

why would you settle for some shmuck?  some guy who doesn't treat you right, creeps all over you, and makes you feel miserable?  i don't understand it.  i really don't.  and it's kinda frustrating for the nice guys out there.  just saying..

that's all i have to say today.  haha thank you, i love you all!

-michael howell.

we're back.

Echoed Illusions is back and doing better than ever!

we just had our first band practice in a little over six months, and i have to say, i REALLY like the sound we're going for now.  i'm excited to keep writing and get our old bassist back!

Joel, hurry home, me, Matt, and Dylyn has a present for you!

-michael howell.

to the choir.

for those of you who have noticed that my last post has been removed, i think you'll agree with me that it needed to go.  sometimes my mood swings can get me in a lot of trouble!

anyways, onto something better!  or at least a little less depressing!!

i'd like to take a second to desrcibe a conversation i had with a kid at my work today.  now we just hired this guy, and already he's been dubbed the nickname: "Bible Boy."  it's literally all he talks about.  and i fell into his trap.  when he asked me if i believed the Bible, i said, to an extent.  but i don't agree with some things churches do now-a-days.

now he literally won't stop talking to me.  it's constantly questioning my every belief in a very specific way, and when our beliefs don't match up perfectly, he makes sure i know that he thinks me wrong, giving me line after line of his preachings that his minister spouted to him the day before.  i'm pretty sure the brainwashing's complete.

not to say that believing the bible is bad, but at least PRETEND that you're coming up with this yourself, ok?  if i wanted to hear what your minister said about the subject, i'd go to your church.

anways, about today, i'm at my station, doing my work when i look up and see him making a bee line right at me.  i sigh and think here it comes...  he walks up to me and says: "so do you believe we come from monkeys?"  (i'd told him i believe in evolution before) and i said "yes, i do."  then he says "so you think humans came from bacteria, then fish, then monkeys?"  i responded "i don't know all the details, but yeah."  and he just looks at me, slowly shaking his head.  "i can't believe you believe we come from a big bang in the sky.  that's just crazy."  that's. just. crazy.  so i looked at him and asked him "well do you believe god created us then?"  he says yes, then i ask "how is that any crazier than believing we came from the big bang?"

and i'm just gonna leave it at that.  there was more to the conversation, about facts versus faith, but that's not really that important.  what's important here is that every belief system, every way of life, seems crazy to alot of people.  they become so rooted in their ways that they can't possibly see how anyone else could live a different way.  it even gets to the point of violence, and that just does not make sense to me.  i know i've said this before, but tolerance is the key to any kind of happiness in this life.  you have to accept people for what they are, not what you want them to be.  you need to see what's good about everyone, not what you think they're lacking.

that's it.  i hope it wasn't too preachy for anyone!  i'm sorry if i offended.

-michael howell.