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Merry Christmas everyone!

Last night I went to midnight mass at St. Charles in Tacoma with Sergio. I've always been the butt of jokes when it comes to singing, and as I was taking my best stab at "O Come All Ye Faithful" I realized that the Church is to blame.

I've recently discovered my singing voice and have even been allowed to sing lead on a song and sing back-up on a couple songs with the band. However, I was not sounding so great at church.

I was reverting back to my youth: Being surrounded by a bunch of out of tune white people focusing on singing the right words in time, not really focusing on the key or melody. I never noticed what I actually sounded like because I was always drained out by the volume of the congregation. Plus, I never really cared how I sounded because I was always uninterested in the music. Ally always says she considers converting to the Baptist Church, just for the music. I think God would understand.

Not being a great Catholic, I have only attended church occasionally during the last couple of years, and it's helped my singing. I could actually hear how horrible I sounded, picked up a guitar and figured it out.

So, Pope "Eggs" Benedict, let's tackle this problem. Hire an Elton John or Paul McCartney and let's get some new music penned -- something with a beat, please. It might be a stretch, but the church might be to blame for generations of white people lacking rhythm, too. The classics ("Amazing Grace," "On Eagle's Wings") are great, but often challenging to sing. Let's get some easier songs together with smaller melody ranges. There's a reason why no one can sing "The Star-Spangled Banner." The range is huge.

For God's sake, let's get some music together that's not going to hurt His ears when it comes from untrained voices. It's not my fault I couldn't sing for so long, I blame it on the Church.

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If you didn't go to last night's focuspoint show, you missed out! In the words of music critic Wesley Magee, "That was by far the best show you guys have played... ever." I hope to see some of you, especially those who haven't come out to see us yet, at the J&M Cafe in Pioneer Square Jan. 18. Thanks to everyone who came out last night.

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Here's something you probably don't consider when you're waiting in line at a restaurant or bar bathroom: "Are any people behind me in line having an emergency? Can I 'hold it' longer than they can, and, if so, should they go ahead of me?"

You wouldn't normally think this because if you gotta go, you gotta go, and that's going to be the only thing on your mind at the time, but some people do have medical conditions that require them to use the restroom frequently -- often an emergency situation -- and these people should take priority over the rest of us.

According to the AP, "Texas would join two other states that mandate access to employee-only restrooms for anyone with a pressing medical condition, including pregnancy, under a legislative proposal." Maryland and Illinois already have laws in place. The Illinois law authorized a $100 fine for stores that refuse restroom access.

I've recently realized I know a handful of people with Crohn's disease, an inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract, which causes them to use the restroom frequently. Symptoms vary, but I think Jeff Neale, spokesman for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America, drives the point home.

"As we all know, when you've got diarrhea, often you need a bathroom urgently. Now, imagine having diarrhea for weeks, months or even years at a time," he said. "If you can't get access to bathrooms out in your community, you can't leave your house."

So, I think Washington State should get a bill into legislation, like Texas, to give people affected by Crohn's and similar diseases more options. It's not that I think the general public isn't considerate -- it's more about recognition and awareness. And next time you're waiting for the bathroom, be cognizant of your surrounding and those who might need to cut in line.