What Happened To Our Standards?

Recently, at work, someone made a complaint against me about a joke I made. A joke that I've made for a few years based on how often I've been asked what country I'm from. A joke about needing a translator. I figured I was getting a complaint for telling a driver she almost got me with her vehicle, essentially flying through the parking lot. That happens every day.
Our bothers me most that, compared to our lowest moments of indecency in January, January was a sign we still had some sense, now we're all basically social anarchists in our behavior. "Don't tell me how to live my life," or "It's not like it really matters, right?" You tell them the truth, they get truly offended. You leave them to their ignorance, they get worse.
Not only that, I've come to notice how some people have no problem living a lifestyle role of any decency or nobility. Manners, top them, is a joke, a bad one barely with a chuckle. Someone like me, waiting for marriage, am a joke, if not a generational anomaly, just because I still believe in decency and treating women with both respect and Godly intention. People seem to prefer immediate gratification without patience nor work.
Literally, life is all about them. I told a coworker he should try hiking himself before others. Went from smiling to confused and refused. That told me the sort of guy he prefers to be. Then again, while at work, he serves others. If only our hearts went solely focused on ourselves, we might become a great nation again. As things currently are, we're literally a backward laughingstock compared to everywhere else. In satirical news networks, we're easily made fun of with how far regressive we are with business practices and family values. By statistics, we're only the best at the worst. Tell people this and they're either shameful of the facts or believe you're unpatriotic and need to shut your mouth. To me, this is a multigenerational side effect of walking away from God. You know, the "fairy in the sky" people make fun of flippantly because God doesn't give them the mansion or car or game system they were desperate for. Or worse, believed God would deliver their loved ones from death strictly because of their faith, treating God like a feel-good vending machine. Or disbelieve because our *current* model of evolutionary science "disproves" him. I only say current because it does change every week to every other month, unlike God's Word which never changes, nor His promises.
This one deity is the antithesis of our selfish hearts, our shortsighted minds, or ego-driven personae. That's why, if we're not trained by God-fearing folks, we lose track of Him and follow a deceiving heart and laugh at those willing to set aside personal time to help us get back on track.
Another annoyance the days is when people show a callous recklessness. While at work a short while back, I told a customer I get real annoyed by customers who leave their carts in the middle of the lobby floor. An elderly woman heard me and told me, without a smile, that she does it "because it's your job," I knew she would file a complaint against me if I told her I still recall the trail and of an era when it was expected that people looked out for one another instead of "expected" servants to do their job because they're paid for it. Whatever happened to that humble attitude, too selflessly help each other? It's so rare, people are taken back by examples of it, they get wide-eyed and nearly jaw-dropped when simply does it, let alone without expectation of a reward. And I never ask for compensation.
No, we're so focused on ourselves, we barely pay attention to local traffic laws. Back in February, a college student was killed in a traffic incident by someone running a red light. The first of three this year to be killed by someone too selfish to follow the rules. Yet my area still has drivers who refuse to lookout for pedestrians. At work, I'm more likely to get glare from someone breaking the state law who's trying to illegally speed up (and risk running anyone over) than I am to get the go-ahead by sane people.
Pride. If we're not careful, that will be our downfall long before the next horrifying act of terrorism.

The Quest: Review

An album, three years in the making, has finally come out... last month. Much as I wanted to get it, I was worried my phone would get the wrong impression of downloading music that wasn't on Google Play. Luckily, November 2nd came and Leah fans got the big news: THE QUEST WAS AVAILABLE ON ALL STREAMING SERVICES! I immediately purchased it.
Before I go any further, let me mention that, when it comes to reviews for symphonic black metal or Celtic metal (let alone fantasy-inspired metal), there's always the tendency to do comparisons. Whether it's the professional critic comparing to a bigger, established name band or the fan on YouTube comparing some Goth sound to The Lord of the Rings, we always have the instinct to do comparisons. Why? To find comfortable familiarity, some sort of common ground. Which is one thing that irritates me about how most Americans like their music, then they look at me strange when I describe the music, not comparing to other bands, per se, but to certain cultural influences and specific music genres, even when it's something one has never heard of before (mentioned "techno" in regards to another band to a co-worker today, he'd never heard it). With Leah, the style's best described as "Celtic metal with fantasy inspirations" or "Celtic fantasy metal").
This album, by far, is the biggest departure from her norm. I don't mean to say she leaves Celtic metal for *gulp* country music (terrifying thought!!!!!), but, compared to her previous albums and EP (plus digital singles), this album does have its own spin on the genre. No two songs are the same. From the not-radio-friendly-lengthy album opener to the short, yet beautiful album closing ballad, every song has a purpose in how it sounds. Some of the songs have a direct inspiration on where the lyrics come from.
From the announcement of The Quest, Leah made it clear that it would be a departure (of sorts) from her previous projects. For one, this would be a conceptual album. Maybe playing Skyrim effected this? No, she doesn't hide the fact she's a Skyrim addict. So, this album is the musical equivalent of a big quest for a hero to go through. Like better, not-quite-stereotypical stories, there's challenges and hope. I keep getting the feeling "Ghost on a Throne" is inspired by Aragorn meeting the Ghost Army's king. That, in itself, is a nice challenge as that scene dealt with making a near-impossible promise, then keeping to the promise.
After the first three tracks, the album threw a curveball for me, "Heir" started off sounding like a Christmas song, then it got heavy, which gladdened my heart with the creativity in it. It's very hard picking out any song on this as my "favorite," as it were, but "Heir" is a top contender at this point.
At this point, after multiple times listening to this, I still have yet to find any flaws worth mentioning, which is rare for me, even to nitpick about.

5/5