BORNEO

2009-09-14T00:37:00.000-07:00

2009-08-02T23:09:00.000-07:00

Seen your face in every child that smiles,
But I can't help but rejoice.
And I've heard the song called thunder,
But I knew it was your voice.
Touched the holes in your calloused hands,
Stuck my fingers in your side.
Oh I was six-feet-deep in doubt but
Now I'm sure that you're alive

And it's safe to say we'll never know everything still blessings we receive.
And it’s safe to say I really don't know a thing,
Still I choose to believe.

Smelt the scent of angel sweet floating in the summer air.
I have breathed in deep the incense,
While the saints send up their prayers.

I have tasted now I see
Oh I see that you are good.
And I have ate your perfect body,
And I have drank your blessed blood

And all the answers that I find,
Only take me so far down the line.
The tracks always give out
Yeah it's a leap from the lion's mouth.

And it's safe to say we'll never know everything still blessings we receive
And it's safe to say I really don't know a thing
Still I choose to believe

The Plagiarism of Benjamin Button

2009-04-29T02:58:00.000-07:00

EMBED-The Curious Case of Forrest Gump - Watch more free videos

Barack Knows.

2009-04-16T02:54:00.000-07:00

Locks of Love

2009-04-13T01:36:00.001-07:00

I have a lot longer to go before I can donate it.

10" tip to tip at the point of donation, in the form of a ponytail.

I'm at like 1 1/2".

Blue eyes

2009-04-08T02:13:00.000-07:00

Didn't know I still had this feeling left in me.

YO.

2009-04-06T02:55:00.000-07:00

Final Four.

MLB Opening Day.

NHL playoffs starting soon.

Soccer leagues coming to the final stretches.

Explain to me how anyone could not appreciate this time of year.

Out of the office.

2009-03-30T00:12:00.000-07:00

Monday night to Friday night.

See you all when I get back.

No sleep 'til Brooklyn!

2009-03-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it on television, here is the video of the Aztec faithful storming the court after SDSU exacted revenge on St. Mary's to go to the semi-final of the NIT in NYC, NY.

Back to the freak kingdom...

2009-03-16T20:41:00.000-07:00

Things accomplished in Las Vegas this weekend:
-got in the San Diego Union Tribune
-got on national television more than once
-AZTEC BASKETBALL
-THE SHOW TOOK OVER THOMAS & MACK
-hit the Strip
-ate two combos in one sitting at Sonic
-annihilated the Gold Coast buffet
-bowled at South Point and Gold Coast
-finished up by about $10 on slots
-created a new language (CHANT SPEAK)
-Mark Summers

One of the better "work weeks" of my life.

Tarzan Boy

2009-03-10T00:28:00.000-07:00

Jungle life, I'm far away from nowhere
On my own like Tarzan Boy
Hide and seek, I play along while rushing cross the forest
Monkey business on a sunny afternoon

Jungle life, I'm living in the open
Native beat that carries on
Burning bright, a fire that blows the signal to the sky
I sit and wonder does the message get to you

Oh oh oh oh....

Night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other chance tonight
Gimme the other, gimme the other night tonight
Gimme the other, gimme the other world

Oh oh oh oh....

Jungle life, you're far away from nothing
It's all right, you won't miss home
Take a chance, leave everything behind you
Come and join me, won't be sorry, it's easy to survive

Jungle life, we're living in the open
All alone like Tarzan Boy
Hide and seek, we play along while rushing cross the forest
Monkey business on a sunny afternoon

Night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other chance tonight
Gimme the other, gimme the other night tonight
Gimme the other, gimme the other world

Oh oh oh oh....

Night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other chance tonight, oh yeah
Night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other night tonight
You won't play

Night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other chance tonight, oh yeah
Night to night, night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other world

Spring

2009-02-25T17:06:00.000-08:00

Baseball is back.

Spring training.

NCAA.

And it is glorious.

Lord Stanley is crying.

2009-02-14T11:52:00.000-08:00

This country was doing fine until a few years ago. Then... it went to shite.

Why?

Because the NHL was taken off almost every major network. All of our nation's woes of late can be traced back to this fact.

LOLs on high

2009-02-10T16:13:00.001-08:00

From time to time I consider myself a pessimist, and I'm pretty sure God likes to toy with this fact just so He can show me who is still in charge.

Today in class I have my desk angled toward the projector screen on the far side of the room. To get into the row one closer to the door than mine, every single person in said row has decided it is a better idea to walk through my row (thereby taking longer) and force me to move my desk to accommodate. Not only is this out of the way for both myself and the person, but there is approximately a country-mile's worth more room if they just merely used the other aisle to get to their desk.

I am merely a pawn in the Master's game.

Articles of Confederation

2009-02-10T14:00:00.000-08:00

I am always amazed at how much people want to let the government in their life.

Live free or die.

Fever Pitch

2009-02-10T02:00:00.001-08:00

I have two Arsenal jerseys on their way to my house. One from Hong Kong, the other from London.

Potentially one more on the way.

Casino

2009-02-07T00:52:00.003-08:00

I went to Viejas tonight. I played one slot machine.

I won almost $50 on top of what I had already entered into the machine.

Awesome feeling.

1337

2009-02-03T11:03:00.000-08:00

Someone hacked my Facebook last night. I knew something was up when I got an email about resetting my password. I just let it be and figured I'd deal with it in the morning.

When I woke up, I had called multiple women (including Rebekah) a "whore" and also called myself a "faggot."

Skynet is taking over.

America has failed.

2009-02-02T22:32:00.000-08:00

I was sitting in my favorite local sketchy Mexican joint on my lunch break from the bookstore today, eating my usual pollo asado burrito with rice and beans on the side with Orange Bang to drink, when a man and his two sons walked in.

Immediately I noticed something different about them. As soon as they opened their mouths, I noticed they were from the deep South. After dropping some more eaves, I found out they were from Florida, and one of the sons attends SDSU and was taking his brother and father on a tour of the area. They made some lame-ass jokes about what "real" guacamole is and then ordered three carne asada burritos.

Now, it wasn't the food order that made me laugh/boil/giggle/want to kill, but the drink order.

The father and San Diego residing son ordered bottles of Budweiser, and the other son asked for a bottle of Coors Light (tap the Rockies). The woman behind the counter told him that they were out of Coors Light, but instead asked him if he would like a bottle of Coors (the banquet beer).

In a fashion that is ONLY becoming of a person that has never before gone north of the Mason-Dixon Line, the son replied with "Oh... regular Coors? I've never had that before."

The irony shall set you free.

2009-01-18T16:26:00.001-08:00

This video was shown in my church today, and I was blown away. This is Penn, of "Penn & Teller", who is a known-atheist, talking about a man who gave him a New Testament after a Penn & Teller show...

As a person who calls himself a follower of Jesus, I cannot with any good conscience ignore the wisdom in Penn's video. It is a huge wake-up call of the best possible variety.

Watch the video. Spread His Word.

Will power

2008-12-26T00:55:00.000-08:00

I am unable to stop myself from watching (and finishing) any airing of any movie from the Lethal Weapon series.

I will stay up late tonight.

Psalm 73:26

2008-12-10T13:13:00.000-08:00

"My heart and flesh may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

The power of this one sentence is incredible.

Sloth

2008-12-08T01:27:00.001-08:00

I am going to wear the same thing tomorrow that I did today.

Amuse me

2008-12-07T19:36:00.000-08:00

I've been debating the worth of this thing, seeing as how I use it less and less.

I admit, the therapy of a few short, witty statements per week does have its values to the soul.

I love the sarcastic life.

Update

2008-12-04T22:58:00.000-08:00

I'm sittin', watchin' "Knocked Up" and thinking about how life is going.

It's not too bad.

Just played and lost a game of beer pong, but I'm not bummin' about it.

SDSU plays USD at Cox Arena on Saturday. Gonna be off the hook.

One week left of semester.

Let's do this.

David and Jonathan

2008-11-24T16:29:00.000-08:00

"Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself. Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father's house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself." 1 Samuel 18:1-3

Counting down 'til I can visit Texas.

Fairweather bandwagon

2008-11-19T00:42:00.000-08:00

In San Diego, you never see a single piece of Chargers merchandise in the week following a loss. In the rare (and unfortunate) instance that they win, all you see are shirts with bolts on them and Tomlinson jerseys

Today, I wore my Detroit Lions shirt.

Come hell or high water, I stand by my teams, no matter what.

Stickin' it to the man.

That sound you hear is your own sighs with how pathetic you think I am.

Further proof of my fanhood:

Today at the Aztec basketball game, they always show the "Slam of the Game", presented by Denny's, which showcases the Aztecs dunking. Tonight, they showed Billy White jamming home on the Sun Devils, but then cut away for a slow-motion recording of me celebrating the aforementioned dunk... shirtless... in the crowd.

22 years

2008-11-15T02:25:00.000-08:00

21+.

I am now part of the "plus."

Feels kinda wild.

But I'm into it.

I need to get my driver's license updated.

Matisyahu

2008-11-10T13:37:00.000-08:00

In one week from today! At House of Blues in San Diego. I am so stoked.

EDIT: Tickets were sold out. Life is harsh sometimes. I'll leave the picture up anyways.

Football therapy

2008-11-08T12:38:00.000-08:00

In an instant... my weight is lifted.

Samir Nasri with a double to give Arsenal a 2-1 home win against United.

Have Heart

2008-11-05T02:38:00.000-08:00

He was a kind hearted man in a hateful world and he caught everything that life ever hurled
Like the oldest mountain he always stood so tall
Forever showing what it means to be unbreakable

Paycheck to paycheck, three jobs a day
He's the ransom for his family's pain
In the coldest world with the warmest heart, he puts to shame what you consider hard
He's the man you don't see in the mirror
While the world was screaming death he chose a different song to hear
He's the band that's playing while the ship sinks
The song of hope he forever sings
He taught the sun to shine

Now please teach this son to shine

How can this world never break your warm heart in this frigid fucking place?
You're like the river: always flowing and growing never changing, rearranging
How can this world never take your solid stance in these turbulent times?
You're like the tree in the burning forest that never was burned down
And what he said to me was this:

"Just love the world that won't love you back"

Old man take a look at my life, I'm nothing like you are
Take a look at my life, I'm so very fucking far
From the person I aspire to be...unbreakable

Busia.

2008-11-05T02:29:00.000-08:00

Busia is Polish for "grandmother." Pronounced "boosha."

My grandmother died on Sunday while I was in Las Vegas celebrating my best friend's birthday. She was 88 years old. Both of my father's parents are now with Jesus. I'm going to miss her, and I'm scared for what might happen to her house now that she is gone. Most of all I am sad for my father, I have no idea what I would do in his situation. The funeral is tomorrow/today. I wish I could be there, but I am unable to miss school since the funeral is in Detroit and on a Wednesday. She lived an incredible life. Mother of five and grandmother to fourteen. I hope Jesus likes Polish food, because hers is the best.

I'll miss you, Busia.

Greek Conference SoCal

2008-10-24T01:54:00.001-07:00

There are times when I definitely know that it was a good decision to be Greek in college.

http://orangecounty.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/

3 days, 2 nights for $140 total.

Can you say cigar in a classy restaurant out back?

Luke 11:1-13

2008-10-23T00:50:00.000-07:00

1It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples."
2And He said to them, "When you pray, say:
'Father, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
3'Give us each day our daily bread.
4'And forgive us our sins,
For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.'"

5Then He said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves;

6for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him';

7and from inside he answers and says, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.'

8"I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

9"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

10"For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.

11"Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?

12"Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he?

13"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"

My prayer life is going to get a lot better. It just has to.

I & I

2008-10-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

If it wasn't for the whole Haile Selassie I being a second incarnation of God on Earth, rasta would be the bee's knees.

A&O

2008-10-17T18:08:00.001-07:00

Running 'round and 'round inside my head
I've got some choices to make
Only thing that I can do is try and last another day
Just another day
Just another brick wall in my way
But I'm breaking through
Breaking it down brick by brick
If it's my time, it's my time
But you'll never see me giving up
Heavy arms, weak back
My mind and body are under attack
But I'm breaking through
Breaking it down brick by brick
I never asked for a thing
I worked all my life
Still gonna live my dream
Nothing will stand in my way
Failure
FAILURE'S NOT ME

Cro-Mags "Malfunction"

2008-10-16T19:22:00.001-07:00

At the Nike presents Radio Silence West Coast premier.

CRO MAGS - OCT. 8TH 2008 - WORLD MOVES FAST LA. from WorldMovesFast on Vimeo.

Into the Wild

2008-10-16T01:48:00.001-07:00

Trying to figure out a weekend where myself and another can go off into the California wilderness for a few days.

Get lost.

What's Good: October 2008

2008-10-13T16:26:00.001-07:00

And if I could find it, I would find a picture of how brilliant the episode of South Park was concerning the rape of Indiana Jones

Untitled

2008-10-13T14:01:00.000-07:00

In high school I thought that all marriages (gay, straight) should be reclassified as "civil unions" in the eyes of the state. Take the religion out of a civil practice. If a couple wanted to be "married," they would have a separate ceremony. Take the state function out of a religious function.

I thought I didn't know how I was going to vote. Or maybe I'm just an idiot.

I really hate this.

< / 3

2008-10-12T21:57:00.000-07:00

I don't know how I'm going to vote on Prop 8.

New tradition?

2008-10-10T01:58:00.000-07:00

I called my dad today, mostly just to shoot the breeze but also to inform him of my knee annoyance, which feels normal currently.

He mentioned that for Thanksgiving our family may be inviting sailors stationed in Port Hueneme to come and eat with us. I told him I was in full support of the idea.

It reminded me of when we lived in Dubai. Periodically we would invite sailors from the aircraft carriers stopping off in Jebel-Ali to have them come over and spend some time off-duty in an American environment. We always had so much fun doing it, and I'm excited at the thought of doing it again, even if we are not living in Dubai.

Still high from Cro-Mags.

Cro-Mags

2008-10-09T01:08:00.000-07:00

My body aches.

Cut on my leg.

My knee is close to seriously damaged.

Headache from blows to the head.

All for one band.

Cro-Mags.

Easily one of if not the best show I have ever seen. They played everything that I wanted to hear, including but not limited to a cover of "Baba O'Reilly" by The Who.

John Joseph's stage presence was unlike anything I've ever seen. Dude is wise beyond his years. Bringing out Toby H2O's kid on stage was pure comedy. Especially when Max (Toby's son) started playing drums after the Mags finished. Everyone thought it was an encore.

Set list:

-"Crush" = "Crush the Demoniac"
-"Intros" = "Baba O'Riley" into Leeway "Rise and Fall" into "WE GOTTA KNOW" full song

I have goosebumps thinking about John Joseph's voice during "Baba O'Riley." One of my favorite songs of all time. We listened to JJ's spoken word record on the way up. It got us even more pumped for the show.

I'll never forget this night. And I'm going to repeat it again on Saturday at Liskfest.

Schism.

2008-10-06T01:05:00.000-07:00

Today I was witness to what happens when a church turns on itself.

I am an intern at a small church in San Diego, and there has been a lot of filthy drama going on. A lot of back-stabbing, a lot of gossip, and a lack of focus on the center of the church... Jesus.

Sitting in the business meeting of the church after service this morning, I felt as though the love had been sucked out of the room, as if I was watching some sort of horrible accident you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. To put it into perspective, two military veterans (one being the pastor's wife) had very recently returned from active duty. They both described the church as wonderful and full of love when they departed for their respective tours. Upon the return home, they both agreed that they preferred being in the middle of battle than what they were witnessing in our church.

When dismissed, I could barely speak coming out of the church. Sitting in my car, my drive home was a scene of tears and prayer. I was so disgusted and saddened by what I had just seen, but so pushed toward God that I could not deny His presence. God works in the most mysterious ways. I always listen to Five Iron Frenzy on the way home from church. On this way home, I decidedly that I would listen to "Quantity is Job 1," a record that I never listen to. Solace came in the first three songs.

Prayer for my church is greatly appreciated. Thank you to those who already have been.

Religion kills.

"My Evil Plan To Save The World"
I have an evil plan to save the world for every man,
And I think it's better than the way it's being run.
Oh the groundwork's laid,
No Don't be afraid,
I'm sure that I can fix it,
When I figure out the physics.

My evil plan to save the world,
Just you wait 'till it's unfurled,
It'll go down in history.
It's prophetic,
No, it's not pathetic.
I can't believe I made it up myself.

I have an evil plan,
To save the world you understand,
The exemplary feat, you'd think I'd have to cheat.
I'd make Voltaire proud,
Deep and furrow browed.
Uncanny and so clever, it's "Our Newest Plan Ever!"

Got tired of whining,
A grander scheme with silver lining,
For every boy and girl.
We can't be responsible,
For all that's wrong with this world.

Starving children in pain,
You can't believe in that God.
The world's not spinning your way,
Does every dog still have his day?

"All That Is Good"
Where does the misunderstanding come from?
Perfection never was a requirment although some might say
Demanding that we be outstanding and then some?
So then for times when things get old I might get cynical
We desired it
I see that I don't see
Do they see You when they see me?

Thoughts may change , the truth be told,
A closed mind will leave you empty
In honesty there's room for improvement
Use your mind to use your soul

Opinions shift, a broken sift, an empty hand,
Do all streams lead to one sea?
Alert the press, their dogmas are a mess,
And billboards ask, "where do they stand."

Logically there's room for all questions
Though the answers aren't all known,
Objectively the myth of plenty,
Who dbout His truth within their soul

"Dandelions"
In a field of yellow flowers
underneath the sun
Bluest eyes that spark with Lightning
Boy with shoes undone
He is so young,
so full of hope,
Reveling in tiny dreams
filling up,his arms with flowers
right for giving any queen,
running to her,beaming bright
While cradling his prize
A flickering of yellow light,
Within his mothers eyes,
She holds him to her heart,
keeping them where they'll be safe,
Clasped within her very marrow,
Dandilions in a vase,

She sees love where anyone else would see weeds.
All hope is found.
Here is everything he needs

Fathomless your endless mercy,
Weight I could not lift,
Where do I fit in this puzzle,
What good are these gifts?
Not a martyr or a saint
Scarcley can I struggle through
All that I have ever wanted,
Was to give my best to you

Lord, search my heart,
Create in me somthing clean.
Dandelions-
You see flowers in these weeds.

Gently lifting hands to heaven,
Softened by the sweetist hush,
A father sings over his children,
Loving them so very much
More than words could warrent
Deeper than the darkest Blue
More than sacrafice could merit
Lord,I give my heart to you,

Quote of the Day

2008-10-04T21:51:00.000-07:00

"Seriously, why did i graduate? College was so much better than this moment right now." -- Rebekah

Vote Common Sense

2008-10-02T18:24:00.000-07:00

America's best beer.

Needs to be in charge of the nation.

Prequel to the Sequel

2008-09-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

Last night was a fantastic night. Almost all plans fell through, but two good, nay great things happened anyways.

I. The first involves the greatest cocktail known to man... the Pisco Sour. Pisco is a Chilean alcohol that is heavily regulated by the government of Chile. It is only allowed to be produced from two specific regions of Chile, based on the grapes that it is made from. If it isn't from Chile, then it isn't real pisco.

Here's how you make one, recipe courtesy of Three Sheets on MOJO.

Ingredients:
2 oz of pisco
½ an egg white
2 oz of lemon juice
2 tbsp sugar
Handful of ice

Preparation:
In a cocktail shaker, combine the Pisco with the egg white, lemon juice, sugar and ice. Shake well. Add a dash of angostura bitters and pour into a sugar-rimmed glass. Kick back and enjoy.

Kyle, his friend Max, and I made one round with our brand new cocktail shaker and enjoyed how smooth and easy a great pisco sour goes down. We decided to make another, but were quite disturbed to find that we were completely out of lemon juice. We had even hand squeezed a lemon for the final ounces of the last round, which was of course our last lemon.

Max then suggested that we just orange juice instead. Kyle and I couldn't argue, as we had already placed the pisco and the sugar in the shaker with ice.

As we put the improvised drink to our lips, somewhere in the distance we heard the sound of baby birds being born in a tree made out of cotton balls set next to a river of Coca Cola where Ewoks play on the powdered sugar beach whilst the Muppet Babies have an imaginary adventure in a castle they built out of Sour Patch Kids and Milky Way as Mr. Rogers rolls up singing "Won't You Be My Neighbor" with King Friday. We raise our glasses to all of them. It was easily the best cocktail I've ever tasted. Based on the use of orange juice (Simply Orange HIGH PULP is best, no debate) instead of lemon juice, we named it the "Pisco Julius" as a tribute to Orange Julius. Highly recommended that you make one.

II. But like I said, there are two great parts to this night. This part is much shorter, yet much more insane.

Puck, my AGO little bro Shonen, and I were sitting on the top of PS2 watching partiers walk by, when we saw a girl run behind a wall, presumably to pee. This is common practice at SDSU, so at first there was nothing that seemed out of place. We then see her boyfriend run back there. Again, not uncommon as someone has to keep watch.

When the girl came out of the bushes, she and her boyfriend were just barely visible through a tree. What happens next can only be described as "drunk." After laying on the pavement for a few seconds making out, they take it a step further. She leans up against a wall and THEY HAVE SEX AGAINST A WALL. OUTSIDE. IN PUBLIC.

Preface: not even 2 hours before, I had mentioned, jokingly, to my friends that I could not believe that I had gone to State for 4 years and had yet to see anyone doin' it. I don't think you get a better moment of irony than this.

So that's my story. Get on the Pisco Sour bandwagon, eat Fatte's pizza, and please don't have sex in public.

Relief

2008-09-26T01:49:00.000-07:00

I found my iPod. It was in my car, the one place that I thought it for sure would not be.

Dodgers clinched today. I wish it was the Tigers, though.

I watched 3 or 4 episodes of "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" online. I was almost crying at my computer from laughter.

No class tomorrow. Here's my agenda:

-wake up, shower
-Chik-Fil-A with Reed
-maybe AA for a deep V
-maybe Zumwalt's for some much needed bike gear
-PBR*
-Critical Mass*

I think my Friday is going to turn out quite well. I need to remember to charge my camera so I have pictures for most/all of it.

*potential to be enjoyed in tandem, but always in moderation.

Ugh

2008-09-24T00:39:00.001-07:00

Not being able to find your iPod is so awesome.

6 legs, no soul

2008-09-22T17:03:00.000-07:00

Today in my JMS 560 class we watched a video about product placements in society.

Naturally, a comparison was made in the video to cockroaches, and for approximately one minute the screen was covered with cockroaches.

I turned my head and looked to the back of the class until the images of cockroachery had passed, much to the bewilderment of my classmates.

Apparently one also lives in my garage, and I pray every time that I go in there that I don't see it.

Quote of the Day

2008-09-21T16:04:00.000-07:00

"I've been farting at work all day, just waiting to see if one of my female coworkers will say something."

Max Montez.

Perfect Transport

2008-09-20T01:52:00.000-07:00

Live life without pants... err... brakes.

It's all in the feet.

Late night

2008-09-18T01:20:00.000-07:00

Animal-style Double-double at 11:30 pm.

I've made better decisions before going to bed.

I took a nap this afternoon and had the wildest dream. I know I slept hard, because I woke up in the same position that I laid down in... face down into the pillows.

Squab 2009.

Barack Roll'd

2008-09-17T10:36:00.001-07:00

Thank you, Kevin and Bean. THANK YOU.

Show review

2008-09-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

Chain Reaction, Anaheim, CA

September 14, 2008

Terror (headline)
The Warriors
Death Before Dishonor
CDC
Trapped Under Ice
Alpha & Omega

It had been awhile since I last went to a show, in fact I think the last show I went to was Sound and Fury Festival way back at the end of July. Most of my mosh muscles had lost their memory, and I needed to get my stage dive legs back. This show did not disappoint. I rolled up to this show with my best friend, Puck. Sarah met us there and accompanied us for the ride back down.

Alpha & Omega: I've seen these dudes a bunch of times, definitely one of the best local bands in LA right now. Hard, metallic hardcore. They consistently bring good reactions and wild crowds. I wish that more kids had gotten there earlier to watch them.

Trapped Under Ice: This band set it off at Sound and Fury. And I mean every bit of that Madball reference. TUI continued to give Baltimore a good name last night. With vocalist donning a Ray Lewis Ravens jersey, you knew it was gonna be killer.

CDC: Heavy, but a generic mosh-metal-core band. If it was 2002 or 2003, I would have been all about them.

Death Before Dishonor: DBD played loud... really loud. Moshing was pretty hard. One fight broke out. Blood for Blood cover was top-notch.

The Warriors: I hadn't seen the Warriors since 2006, and wondered how much I would enjoy them. I was blown away. They had tightened up their sound tremendously and put on one of the best performances in hardcore that I've seen in a long time. They played all the hits from "War Is Hell" and everyone was feelin' them. Lots of moshing and headbanging. Set the stage, the ambush begins.

Terror: This was my fourth time seeing Terror, my third time this year. This was the best. All of the best jams, stage dives off the side wall into every possible position. Front flips, cannonballs, NEVER FEET FIRST. Hardcore style. Terror is going to be the new generation's Cro-Mags, and I think that is perfectly alright. Hardcore perfection.

Other perks to the night:
-Marteen doing guest vocals for TUI
-Dave DTN doing guest vocals for Terror, his own band
-tons of different kids at the show

All in all a great show. I wish they all could be this good.

Moist

2008-09-15T01:25:00.000-07:00

I sweat so much tonight that I even soaked through my leather belt.

Vogel makes everything worth it.

Show review when the new day is underway.

One with the underdogs.

Can't stop, won't stop

2008-09-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure/pain of indulging in the best kept secret in America... McDonald's iced coffee. I usually get it regular flavored, size medium. However, I stepped up my game yesterday and ordered a large, with half the amount of ice.

What resulted was me putting about twice as much coffee into my bloodstream. I was wired for about the next 3-4 hours, and couldn't sit still. It was terrible.

Highlight(s):
Rebekah thinking that I got drunk via text message.
How easy it was to fall asleep once I crashed.

Voicemail, Scatterbrained, etc.

2008-09-10T02:01:00.001-07:00

I feel like all of my entires (music series notwithstanding) have been themed recently. That's pretty rare for me, but I need to break out of it.

I got a voicemail from my mom. I can just hear how much she misses having me and my brother around.

I took a break from the music series today. There are at least two more artists that are a necessity for me to write about. Anything past that is just extra credit.

Free pizza tonight for dinner. SDSU Advertising Club. One of the more legitimate organizations in town.

Downpresser "Perverted Justice" is a hard record. You should listen to it.

Dodgers are holding down first in the NL. Wish the Tigers weren't the laughing stock of the league.

Terror/Trapped Under Ice on Sunday. New injuries to be had. Can't wait. Parking lot situations.

I kept my water bottle filled with ice and Gatorade near me at the gym today. It helped a lot. Lemon-lime.

Trying not to trim the beard until at least Halloween. Compared to my short haired, clean shaven housemates I'm definitely going to look like the odd-man out.

I drink my coffee black and iced.

This is the best intro to any television show.

All These Faces Come and Go (part IV)

2008-09-08T20:26:00.000-07:00

People have taught me a lot of lessons over the years, and I've learned just as many on my own. I've lost count of the number of bands that I've seen and it is a real rarity that a person can learn life-lessons from four or five guys that you've probably never met and probably never will. The nice thing is, hardcore takes away the barrier between performer and spectator. There is no separation.

This is one of the more important entries that I'll make, about a band from South Carolina called Stretch Arm Strong.

I've been listening to Stretch Arm Strong for as long as I've been into hardcore, all the way back to 2000-01. I first heard them on "God Rock," a half hour television show on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. To this day, I consider it the only quality piece of television that station has ever run. It is ironic to me now, because Stretch Arm Strong is not a Christian band. They have members that are Christians, but do not center themselves on the religious side of the genre. But when you find yourself on Solid State Records, that pretty much classifies you sometimes.

The first record that I bought of theirs was their third studio release, called "A Revolution Transmission." I loved how there were no subjects that they wouldn't write about, whether it be a van breaking down on tour, domestic violence, and even childbirth. I have the entire record committed to memory. I've often thought to myself that if I could be in a band, I would want it to sound just like Stretch, not only musically but lyrically as well.

The stand-out song on the album is track number four, "For the Record." There is not a single person involved in hardcore who cannot lose their voice to this song. A true anthem, it tells the story of just how much hardcore can do for a person, as a positive influence in an unrelenting society.

Once "Revolution..." was adequately stored in my memory banks, I went and bought the Stretch record that had been released prior to it, called "Rituals of Life." One of my favorite parts about following this band is hearing how their sound has progressed and matured with each record. "Rituals..." was an audibly more "primitive" release, both in recording and writing, but the songs set the foundation of intensity that has trademarked the band. My favorite songs on the album are "Outside Looking In," "Second Chances" and "For Now."

After "A Revolution Transmission," Stretch's next full-length release was called "Engage." For me, this is an album that I overlook most of the time. When I first heard it, I was going through a strange period where anything with melody was immediately shunned by my subconscious. Thus, I never really gave it the chance that it deserves. I will listen to it on occasion, and I do admit that I like it now, but it will never grab me the way the previous two records do.

Stretch Arm Strong's final release is called "Free At Last." I was very nervous when I first listened to this album, hoping that the band would not continue the "slump" from "Engage." Thankfully, I was greeted with an intense, albeit more melodic Stretch Arm Strong. Songs like "The Sound of Names Dropping" and "Faces" showed how they had never forgotten who they are as a band, and how they cannot forget all the people who helped them get there along the way.

What first drew me to this band has continued to keep me drawn to them. I loved how they never lost sight of the fact that they are just a group of guys who are lucky and blessed enough to be able to play music and tour, as well as fit it into their lives. If I'm not mistaken, all current members are married; most, if not all have children, and at least one member of the band is a school teacher. Yet, even when touring with "big-name" acts like New Found Glory or Good Charlotte (ugh), they never lost sight of the fact that they didn't "deserve" to be there. They never took on that "big band air" that plagues so many artists today. Whether they were playing in front of 10,000 people with a 20-foot barrier in between them and the crowd, or a small club where everything is intimate, Stretch always put on the same show. I have the highest respect for that. I wish that hardcore kids could learn from that like I did, that you aren't entitled to anything, that you have to work for everything.

I've posted a few more videos than usual, with the lyrics to each song beneath the video. You don't have to watch them all if you don't want to, but it would mean a lot to me if you did.

Video for "Outside Looking In"

Lyrics for "Outside Looking In"
Let's go...we've come a long way through the good and bad
And it's so much more than what it seems
Sometimes I take it for grantedâ€'I take it for granted
Which way will the wind blow? I don't know if you will ever know
how much this means to me
Let me take this opportunity
to say thank you for what you've given to me
There's no telling how long things will ever last
Let's not forget the memories of our past!

Video for "For the Record"

Lyrics for "For the Record"
I'm not exactly pround of the place I'm from
but I've been here my whole life so I guess I'll call it home.
In South Carolina a flag still shows the enslavement of our minds
but in South Carolina I learned from all the times.
We went to all-ages shows, Sunday matinees
hanging out wondering if the bands would show and even play.
The bands would come and we would all sing along (sing along sing along).
Would they ever know their impact would last so long?
The world is full of lonely places no matter where you're from.
A crowded show, familiar faces make me feel at home.
Many kids have come and gone but I know what kept me here.
The magic of those songs has sustained me through the years.
I heard the word sincerity and I know now what that means.
I learned it first with Black Flag, mohawks, combat boots and torn-up jeans.
We were more than just a tour date. You were more than just a song.
We sweat and sang together and that helped us to carry on.
We were more. You were more. For the record.

Video for "The Sound of Names Dropping"

Lyrics for "The Sound of Names Dropping"
Tonight I looked at you and you smiled.
Will this feeling last forever?
Will it die and fade away?
Is this all that we’ll share?
I’ll pour my heart out if you’ll stay
And there’s a chance that you might say
“this could be never-ending.”

Through all these years
The sweat and tears,
And now it comes to this.
I can’t see that
The rituals of my life define me.
No words can express
How you’re loosing faith in me,
And I’m loosing strength from you.

I tried, you cried,
we said we’d try so hard.
It only goes so far,
Will we make a dent
Or do we only leave a scar?

I can’t believe that you turn your back
On everything you promised me.
I can’t believe that I turned my back
And now you’ve erased me.
I can’t believe that I turned my back.
I always knew that you’d turn your back.
And so it goes, well I suppose,
Its time, its time to move along now.
Times have changed and
Faces rearranged
Now you sing another song.

That night I looked at you and you smiled.
The feeling’s gone forever,
It’s been replaced with something new.
There’s nothing more for us to do.
I gave you everything that I had
And after all that we’ve been through,
This could be never-ending...

Video for "Faces"

Lyrics for "Faces"
All these faces come and go
Happy places we once knew
Have been lost and died

I want to open my heart wide
You won't feel so all alone
But i'll try
I'll try to take you home

Watching the world pass us by
We keep on running, we keep on running
The air escapes me now
So where are they now?
Two years on and they're all gone
We keep on running, we keep on running
Where are they now?

Words seem to useless now
Have you forgotten how this made you feel?

All these faces come and go
Happy places we once knew
Have been lost and died

What if i told you that we were better off this way
And that the air was clearer because of the change
The mood has shifted
The weight has lifted
No signs of decay
Now the truth is nearer
Because of the change

Your words are dead and useless now
Have you forgotten how?

Let's just say we've run our course
No need to argue or question the source
Let's just say we've run our course
No need to argue or question the source

Growing old but not in age
You lost your fire
You lost your rage
Maybe you never had it at all

Words scribbled on a page
Seem so useless in this day and age
Nothing means nothing any more

All these faces come and go
Happy places we once knew
Have been lost and died

Again, thank you for taking the time to read this.

Semester

2008-09-08T14:10:00.000-07:00

Entering my final semesters in the advertising major at SDSU, I have confessed the following things to classmates for ice-breakers:

-I don't want to be in advertising
-I plan on pursuing a teaching career
-I can grow a great beard
-I talk trash at sporting events
-I'm an Arsenal fan
-I am a hopeless Law and Order: SVU addict
-I have no pets
-I am unemployed (for now)

This is shaping up to be one hell of a semester.

Love Hate Kings Queens (part III in the series)

2008-09-07T23:58:00.000-07:00

I said that I was hoping to make a serial out of these band entries, so I figure I should probably get as many of them done as I can before my mind starts to get lazy and my words get fewer and farther between. Rebekah told me that I'm a good writer, but I'm going to try to not let that go to my head. I just want to put down why something might mean more to me than it should. Chances are good that I'll stay up too late writing this, but that's the price I'm willing to pay.

As much as I have loved and still love hardcore, there are not a lot of records that speak right to the inside of who I am. Don't get me wrong... I could listen to "Age of Quarrel" or Bad Brains or the Minor Threat discography every day and not get tire of them. Let no one think that I am in any way disregarding the relevance of any band. Maybe it's just because I wasn't born in the right decade, or because I didn't grow up in New York, Boston or some other urban East Coast town, I really couldn't tell you.

But like anything, something always comes around to change that. With that in mind, I give you Cold World from Wilkes-Barre, PA.

I don't remember when I first listened to Cold World. I want to say that it was around late 2003 or early 2004, but there's really no way to be sure. The first record that I heard of theirs was "Ice Grillz," At first, I had no idea how to take the record or the band as a whole. It's not every day that a hardcore record starts out with turntables and a shout-out from Jim Jones.

I enjoyed the record, but never really gave it much thought. Still, I kept it around on my computer anyways. I would find myself coming back to it every so often. The more I listened to it, the more it grew on me.

Around 2006, I was listening to the record with regular frequency. As soon as the opening riffs on "Refuse to Lose" hit, I would lose track of time until the album ended. The blend of hip-hop samples and rap-esque vocal style didn't turn me away like the ever-disappointing rap-metal genre of the late 90's, but actually made me like them even more. I'm not an educated hip-hop head in the least, but I still know when something I'm listening to is genuine. Cold World didn't write their records to make money (otherwise they wouldn't have chosen to be a hardcore band), but because every element of their writing process showed who they are as a band. And I have to respect that.

Looking back on it, I can honestly say that at some point in my life I have related in some way to every track on Ice Grillz. I won't post every lyric here, but I included a link to a place where you can find them.

http://www.LoudSon.gs/c/Cold-World/ice-grillz

I saw Cold World live for the first time at Sound and Fury 2007, where they played third to last on the second day of the festival. Aside from No Turning Back and Cruel Hand, this was the band that I came to see. I don't want to waste your time by writing and trying to describe it, so I won't. The following video is from their set at Sound and Fury 2007, of the songs "Low Places" and "Cold World."

In the three years between Ice Grillz and the next full length, I heard not a single note of their other material. Ice Grillz was all I knew. I kept hearing rumors of the next LP, but never any tracks. When 2008 rolled around, the first signs of the record that was to be known as "Dedicated to Babies that Came Feet First" appeared. I have to give it up to Deathwish Records, the audio players they put up their website before record releases make the wait go by a lot easier.

I only heard one song from "Dedicated..." before I saw them live at Sound and Fury 2008. They played, I believe, third to last again on the first day of the fest, but split a set with War Hungry on day two, making them the first band to play more than one day of Sound and Fury in the same year. Here's a video of "Low Places" from the 2008 festival.

When "Dedicated to Babies Who Came Feet First" was released, I listened to it on repeat for about a week, and then kept it in constant rotation. I wrote a review for the album for my friend Max's zine, called East Bay Communique. I don't think he'll mind if I post my review:

"I can't explain it, but from the moment I hit play for the first time on "Ice Grillz," Cold World and I were meant to be. I'm not an urban styled guy, I don't wear tall tees (that often) and I bend the rims on my baseball caps. But this band strikes a chord for me. I'd been waiting for the LP for a long time. "No Omega" was a great way to hold my appetite, but a man's got to have some solid food to eatt. I can genuinely say that I was not ready for what was going to hit my ears. From start to finish, Cold World's LP is a blend of so many different styles of hardcore and hip-hop. But not in a thuggy/awful/trying-to-be-something-they're-not sort of way. The way Cold World writes their music, they do it in a way that shows you that this is the way life can be. The lyrics are also much deeper than previous releases, yet simple enough that everyone has a song that will resonate with them. Personal favorites are "Boom Bye Bye," "Dedicated to Babies Who Came Feet First," "How Deep" and "Liars, Thieves." This record is worth your money. And I'm not talking about on ebay."

Just like "Ice Grillz", "Dedicated..." had those songs that spoke right to who I was. I credit the track "How Deep" with helping me realize the downward turn my life had taken when I was drinking "without consequence." George Hirsch's verse on the title track gives me goosebumps. You'll hear more about Mr. Hirsch and that contributions that his band, Blacklisted have made in a later entry.

So that's Cold World for me. I don't know how often I'll be listening to them with my children (should I be lucky enough to have some), but they are a hardcore band that went from a random pick-up to a mosh pit favorite.

Video "Refuse to Lose" in Belgium

Lyrics to "How Deep"
Just how deep can shit get
I'm in above my head again
Life put me in my place
Now it's written all over my face
Gotta get up, gotta get out
Gotta change what my life is about
Too much wasted time in my mind
With a rage of discipline I'll get by
Life is hard but as time goes on
You learn from your mistakes
So now it's up to me
How many more I let myself make
When you ask me will I be ok
I don't know what to say

George's verse on "Dedicated to Babies Who Came Feet First"
Still ill after all these years
I feel at ease around my peers
But there's a difference between them and me
I can't run away from my fears
Times have changed
Times have strayed
But I know I've seen the worst
Someone must know how I feel
This is dedicated to babies who came feet first

Thanks for reading this far, I hope that my attempt at autobiographic, narrative self-therapy has been of some use. I am going to try and have part IV done when I get the chance.

Proof that the Youth Are Revolting

2008-09-07T14:56:00.000-07:00

Two days ago I wrote an entry about Curl Up and Die. Since then, I've felt inspired to continue the trend and write about bands that have either a) meant a lot to me or b) have played a large role in who I am today. I'll try to write these as often as I can; music can tell you so much about a person.

The next band I want to talk about is Five Iron Frenzy. I first heard FIF through my good friend and neighbor Sean Nelson, somewhere in the vicinity of 1999 to 2000. We used to listen to them on the way up to Mountain High on the weekends to go snowboarding in middle school. At this point, I listened to very little Christian music, and that is still mostly true today. But back then, I was loathe to listen to anything that didn't involve a red Yankees cap or a freak on a leash. To put it in contemporary standards, for as little as I listen to anything grind, I listen to ska even less. Five Iron Frenzy is literally the ONLY ska band I listen to.

I always enjoyed FIF's music, but it wasn't until I went to Forest Home winter camp in the winter of 2000 that I came to love them. I remember sitting in the book store for almost an hour during free time just listening to the FIF sample CDs that were available. I bought the Five Iron Frenzy live album, called "Proof that the Youth Are Revolting," partially because of the play on words in the title, but because it had all of the songs that I enjoyed the most.

I listened to that record exclusively for almost 2 weeks after coming back from camp. There was nothing in the world better than the hour and some-odd minutes contained on the disc. To this day, I have almost all of the between song banter memorized.

Eventually, I went back to listening to other bands, and my secular habits returned back to normal. But I knew that every time I put on that FIF record, it would take me to a much happier place. The combination of comedy, genuine spirituality and honesty was something that I never knew before in music. They even PRAYED while on stage. My head could not wrap around this back then.

It's now more than 8 years since I first listened to FIF, and enjoy them even more now. In the early weeks of camp this summer, it was all I would listen to when driving the vans. I have just about every record of theirs, and I can't help but blast them and sing as loud as I can.

In 2003, I was fortunate enough to attend their farewell tour. In proper FIF style, it was called the "Winners Never Quit Tour." I went with my younger brother, Kevin and our youth pastor Bil (intentional one-"L"). I had no idea what to expect, as this would be the first and only time that I ever got to see them, any future reunions (though unlikely) notwithstanding. In any case, I was blown away by the performance that was given. They played every song that I hoped to hear, and was moved to tears for every worship song.

Every time I hear "World Without End" or "The Greatest Story Ever Told," I get choked up because of how true the lyrics are.

If there is one song I hope to comprehend 100% one day, it's "Ugly Day." I plan on listening to it after my wedding.

Five Iron Frenzy is a band that I'm going to listen to with my children, and I always get excited when I meet people who are as impacted by them as I have been.

All my dreams are slowly dying. I can count my years in scars.
The only One that's never left me, has carried me so very far.
I've heard it said that He wastes nothing, so beautiful to behold,
the Author of my hope is writing, the greatest story ever told.

Video for "Every New Day"

Lyrics for "Every New Day"
When I was young, the smallest trick of light,
Could catch my eye,
Then life was new and every new day,
I thought that I could fly.
I believed in what I hoped for,
And I hoped for things unseen,
I had wings and dreams could soar,
I just don't feel like flying anymore.
When the stars threw down their spears,
Watered Heaven with their tears,
Before words were spoken,
Before eternity.

Dear Father, I need you,
Your strength my heart to mend.
I want to fly higher,
Every new day again.

When I was small, the furthest I could reach,
Was not so high,
Then I thought the world was so much smaller,
Feeling that I could fly.
Through distant deeps and skies,
Behind infinity,
Below the face of Heaven,
He stoops to create me.

Dear Father, I need you,
Your strength my heart to mend.
I want to fly higher,
Every new day again.

Man versus himself.
Man versus machine.
Man versus the world.
Mankind versus me.
The struggles go on,
The wisdom I lack,
The burdens keep pilling
Up on my back.
So hard to breathe,
To take the next step.
The mountain is high,
I wait in the depths.
Yearning for grace,
And hoping for peace.
Dear God...
Increase.
Healing hands of God have mercy on our unclean souls once again.
Jesus Christ, light of the world burning bright within our hearts forever.
Freedom means love without condition,
without a beginning or an end.
Here's my heart, let it be forever Your's,
Only You can make every new day seem so new.

Video for "A Flowery Song."

In the soundless awe and wonder,
words fall short to hope again.
How beautiful,
how vast Your love is,
new forever,
world without an end.

Bard

2008-09-07T01:45:00.000-07:00

This is where I like to pretend (to no avail) that I am C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein or anyone else of vastly greater intelligence than myself. I like to bring my best of friends here, the ones who I want to have around for the long haul.

The blossoms, my lovely, they're dying.

2008-09-05T22:31:00.000-07:00

They're dying.

I'll never forgive myself for missing Curl Up and Die's last show, especially since it was in Ventura.

I rarely reach for anything grind-ish, but CUAD really does it for me. That running head down into a wall sort of feeling.

I got to see them three times. Once in a guy's living room in Simi Valley that was about the size of a men's restroom. Once again at the Whiskey-a-Go-Go with Converge. And the third and final time in a poolhouse in a Westlake Village neighborhood, near Westlake Elementary. Or Westlake Hills. I don't remember which name it was.

Band puts you on another plane of existence, like them or not.

WE. ARE. ALL. DEAD.

Now and Then

2008-09-05T12:46:00.001-07:00

Saved by the Bell

Raising the Bar

Recognize any familiar faces?

Could you imagine the plot possibilities if Mr. Belding or Jessie Spano shows up?

Here's one you haven't heard

2008-09-03T23:51:00.000-07:00

When I'm alone in my car, I rarely listen to music on my iPod, CDs or other medium.

I go to FM radio, and tune into whatever station happens to play the top 10, mainstream, pop/alternative/rap/etc. hits that you'd hear at a school dance.

This happens almost every time I drive.

2008-09-02T23:35:00.001-07:00

Survival

2008-09-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Thrown in the ocean
Told to survive
You gotta sink or swim
Live or die

There are times when I can tangibly feel Satan trying to get to me.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13

I say this to myself to the minute of every day.

Whirlwind tour

2008-09-01T01:13:00.000-07:00

Wednesday through Friday could happen every week and I'd be perfectly OK with it. The perfect people I needed to see, with the perfect conversations.

I felt pretty happy... like I was back at camp, or something very close but equally as good.

The weekend was my first college football game of the year... and of course both MSU and SDSU lose to their respective opponents. What a way to open the season. I flew up to Berkeley for the MSU-Cal game. I was going to stay until Monday, but decided to catch an earlier flight. It feels so good to be back in my own home/bed/town again.

School starts Tuesday.

I'm almost done with Mere Christianity. I have this feeling I'm going to re-read it as soon as I finish.

6 page letters are something that my sleep schedule has not yet recovered from. Worth every word.

Moved in

2008-08-25T23:56:00.000-07:00

The bed is set up, my desk is set, everything is where it needs to be.

Yep... I've moved into my new house in San Diego.

Room tour coming soon, but man does it feel good to have a place to stay.

Come sail on my pirate ship, although applications for first mate are currently closed.

We could always use some new deckhands, though.

New adventure

2008-08-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

I've never been more excited to have to work for something.

PRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYER
PRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYER
PRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYER
PRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYERPRAYER

It's the only way.

2008-08-22T14:32:00.000-07:00

After each failure, ask forgiveness, pick yourself up, and try again. Very often what God first helps us towards is not the virtue itself but just this power of always trying again. For however important chastity (or courage, or truthfulness, or any other virtue) may be, this process trains us in habits of the soul which are more important still. It cures our illusions about ourselves and teaches us to depend on God.

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Everything in its right place

2008-08-21T00:14:00.000-07:00

Radiohead is playing in the background, and just before I start typing I pluck a stray hair from in between the "x" and "c" keys. Rebekah just signed offline, so it's up to me to finish this in solitude. It's 12:15 am right now, and I'll probably finish somewhere near 1 am.

This summer was one that I don't think I'll soon forget. The word they like to use is "pivotal." I'm going to use it, too. This summer was pivotal in my life.

I left San Diego in mid/late May with absolutely no clue as what was going to happen to me. I don't mean that in the "I don't know what the summer holds for me" sense, but in the sense that I didn't have a clue as to where I would be in all aspects of my life. I had just gone inactive from AGO after a semester of complete idiocy, and spiritually I was at an all-time low, even though I was being poured into more than I was used to. Prayer was seldom, porn was often. I guess it's a good thing I don't do heroin. Before moving home, more than one night was spent in my car listening to Dustin Kensrue's "Please Come Home" and crying in worship to my God. I was so scared sometimes.

Upon arriving home, I went straight into preparations for summer camp (still 3 weeks away) the next day. It's an awkward feeling to know that in your current state you are at that moment spiritually unqualified for the job that's ahead of you, but God calls people to do things they aren't qualified for, so you show up and pray.

Austin, Tony, Rebekah, and I sat in Tony's office and banged out ideas for the curriculum for the summer. We came to agree on showing Christian virtues directly through the life of Jesus. They were as follows, week one at the top and week nine at the bottom:

Youth
Uniqueness/Creativity/Individuality
Integrity/Words
Courage
Outreach/Service
Forgiveness/Mercy
Anger
Compassion
Zeal

After five days of writing at either the church or my house, Austin and I wrote up the curriculum/skits and then sent it on to Rebekah, who wrote the questions. Already, I felt proud to have lent my hand to something like this.

Working with Allison to get JC/CIT business squared away was a whole other monster. I was unprepared for this new part of my job. I had no idea how hard it was going to be, or how rewarding it would be. I learned so much about time budgeting and organization, and a few pointers on Microsoft Xcel.

I wish I could say the weeks leading up to camp prep were all fun and games, and that I was out of the thickest. To a degree I was, when I was at the church working. But there were still nights where to be honest, I don't remember I made it into my bed at night. And one of them happened when I was just at my next-door neighbor's house. One night I woke up to my parents calling me at 4:30 am asking me where I was. When I woke up, I realized I was still at the house from the previous night.

When camp started, nights like the aforementioned ceased, save July 5th. After that I made a vow never to be like that again. I could feel it taking its toll, physically and spiritually. Austin still had a pretty good laugh about it, though, and I admit that I gave my chuckles. I suppose it's the least you can do. That, and move on. So far, so good.

The rest of camp only got better. My friendships with the other directors grew tenfold. Tony, in his final weeks at camp, became an irreplaceable source of laughs and wisdom concerning camp and life. Courtney and I talk about America, the Dodgers and Rainbows on a regular basis. It's been so great to get to know her and learn what has shaped her. In the process I also got to know her boyfriend Dave, who turns out to be the most down dude on the planet. Steven/Puma was invaluable over camp, adding so much awesome humor and the most incredible video I've ever seen.

As for Austin and Rebekah, I don't know what I'd have done without them this summer. Both of them went from mere "camp friends" to some of my most treasured. I had always known that Austin and I could carry a conversation, but we put that to shame this summer. He became my partner in crime, and I referred to him as my "better half" on more than one occasion. Through him I also met his older brother Drew. The three of us are gonna make the most of San Diego one of these weekends, just you watch. I've got a Kahlua cigar waiting for each of us when they get down to San Diego. The future is bright for our trio.

I don't think I have ever seen a friendship grow so much in so short of time as my friendship with Rebekah. We had worked together for 5 years before this, yet had never said anything to each other outside of camp. Something about this summer was different, though. I try to look back and see the catalytic events of the summer. The first thing that got us talking outside of camp was the fact that I asked her sister, Emily, out to dinner at the end of week one. It was only one date, but thankfully Rebekah and I have continued talking well beyond that, about any and all subjects. Since then, we've attended midnight book releases for books we will NEVER read, crashed weddings, and pranked back and forth with a pair of boy's underwear. If you would have told us that we'd be this good of friends when we both started working together, we'd have both replied with "You're crazy." But man, am I glad it happened.

Those two friendships help push me to become a better person.

Note: It is now 1:04 am and I am no where close to being done.

In the middle of summer I always attend the hardcore/punk festival known as Sound and Fury. While previously held at the Alpine in Ventura, CA, this summer saw it moved to the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara. This made it the third summer of Sound and Fury, and my third summer seeing 30-50 bands. This year's highlights involved sitting in the back of my car drinking warm Coors Light and talking with friends from all over the country, from California to Texas and all the way up to Maine. It's a tradition I hope is not soon broken. K-Shaps, Rachael Light, Max, Mike Craigs, Jayme, Tim Butcher, Carrlyn, Sarah, Mark Handed, Sam BBB, Scott Corbin and Joel Chipley all lent a hand in making the weekend so awesome.

This brings me to talking about all of camp itself. Adventure Weeks has been a staple of my summer since 2003. I spent four summers as a counselor, one as an assistant director and this year as a full director of camp. AW has been so much more than just a summer job. As you have read in my descriptions of my director friendships, it's the people that keep me coming back each year. And those are just a small fraction of all of the friends that I've made through camp.

Other than my co-workers, there is nothing better at camp than the children. They will change your view on the world like no philosopher or theologian ever could. True, they can stress you out to no end, but the moments where you see them in total connection with God are moments that you never forget. I was so happy to get to know two boys named Jackson and Klemens this summer. They were the biggest blessing to my workdays, and many times the thought of hanging out with them was what got me out of bed in the morning. Getting to sit with a counselor and watch two other boys raise their hand and say that they'd like to accept Christ was a moment that almost brought me to tears. The tears would in fact come, but not until later. God has been too good in blessing me with a job like this. I've seen kids go from first grade and into middle school, literally growing up summer by summer right in front of me. Some of the children I had as campers were now counselors under my supervision.

Leaving camp on the last day was a very hard moment for me, knowing that it might very well be the last day of camp forever, depending on what the church decided to do for next summer. For weeks I knew that this day was coming, but still did not know how my heart would handle it. Happiness, sadness, tears and embraces made up the answer. I choked up in our final morning meeting with the staff, and it was then that I knew that I wasn't getting through the day without some watershed. Sure enough, when Puma played his video chronicling the last 7 days of camp, the tears came. Hard. I sat with Rebekah and Courtney on the couch as we all sobbed through the 20 minute video. Jackson was sitting with me and I had to compose myself a few times to make sure I could answer any questions he had. The thought of never seeing him again breaks my heart even as I write this. My life was so blessed by these children. Their faith is something I desire everyday, to be able to love Christ simply because He is to be loved. How we have complicated such a seemingly simple task. I have Rebekah's copy of Mere Christianity to help me deal with this dilemma, not to mention my own prayers.

Now I am a mere 60 or some odd hours from packing up my car and driving to my new house in San Diego. I have no clue what the semester will bring. I will be the only Christian living in my house, so it is up to me to set the example. I don't think I realized the responsibility of this task until very recently. The past two years I'd spent living in AGO, never having to worry about whether someone I lived with was a believer. It's back to the real world now, and again I find myself scared as ever. But I know my God has brought me through much more. He's going to work through me. I can't wait to sit in my new house with my room mates Mat and Kyle, Kyle being one of my best friends and my room mate from my freshman year in the dorms. We'll sit out on the pirate ship in our backyard and laugh at how good our lives are.

I go into this school year renewed, which has not always been the case in years past. Usually I am renewed when I get back to school, after reconnecting with AGO after 3 months away and going back to my SD church. This semester feels the opposite, and I think it's God's way of saying everything is going to be OK. He's good like that. He's blessed me with an incredible foundation of Christian friends at home, and I have all of my brothers in AGO as well. God definitely put me in San Diego for a reason. I need to make the most of this missionary opportunity while I'm there. Please come down and join me.

As I close this entry, I look to tomorrow (today) and what I have to do. I'll be heading to the church to do some consolidation and cleaning from camp with Rebekah and Courtney, as well as doing my best to finish Mere Christianity. My parents offered me my choice for dinner, so long as we can cook it in the house. Needless to say, I'm pretty excited.

I'll leave you with some lyrics from Dustin Kensrue. They have served me well, and I hope they will serve you just as well. I pray God blesses you and that you may find Him in all things, even when you think you don't even believe anymore.

Seen your face in every child that smiles,
But I can't help but rejoice.
And I've heard the song called thunder,
But I knew it was Your voice.
Touched the holes in Your calloused hands,
Stuck my fingers in Your side.
Oh I was six-feet-deep in doubt but
Now I'm sure that You're alive

And it's safe to say we'll never know everything still blessings we receive.
And it’s safe to say I really don't know a thing,
Still I choose to believe.

Smelt the scent of angel sweet floating in the summer air.
I have breathed in deep the incense,
While the saints send up their prayers.

I have tasted now I see
Oh I see that you are good.
And I have ate your perfect body,
And I have drank your blessed blood

And all the answers that I find,
only take me so far down the line.
The tracks always give out
Yeah it's a leap from the lions mouth.

And it's safe to say we'll never know everything still blessings we receive.
And it’s safe to say I really don't know a thing,
Still I choose to believe.

The Gipper

2008-08-19T16:49:00.000-07:00

I haven't been keeping much of a manual journal for the last month or so, which is probably more of a detriment than I think.

Ronald Reagan inspired me.

2008-08-18T23:32:00.000-07:00

What's good

2008-08-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

I'd like to take this opportunity to tell you about a small passion of mine. I don't often indulge in this activity, but when the opportunity arises I rarely miss.

As many of you know, I have a fond affinity for greasy, gross, calorie-collecting fast food. I think it is the best food in the world, and I've been known to describe it as "better for the soul than the body."

To me, when walking through a shopping mall, there is no food that better satisfies the soul than Hot Dog on a Stick. it is enjoyed best with my mom present, and today she did not disappoint. While I ate my corn-dog (mustard only FTW), she described "Pronto-pups", a brand of corn-dog found in the Southern United States. We also marvelled at how much different the Oaks mall had become.

That being said, next time you are at the mall with me, expect a stop at the finest food kiosk in all the land. And be sure to wash your dog down with a cool cup of their lemonade, it's some of the best you'll find.

After that, hit up the pretzel stand or Cinnabon.

2008-08-17T14:56:00.001-07:00

Ugh

2008-08-17T09:26:00.003-07:00

My underwear must be confusing or something, because for the second time this week I accidentally put a pair on backwards.

ABDC

2008-08-17T03:26:00.001-07:00

America's Best Dance Crew.

I've watched more in the last 3 hours than anyone should in their entire life.

At a loss for words.

The Family

2008-08-16T02:12:00.000-07:00

My dad's older brother, my godfather, is in town for the weekend rowing in Long Beach.

It's gonna be good to have a bit of the Mid-West out in the Old West.

Lower peninsula for life.

Richie Knows

2008-08-15T01:17:00.000-07:00

Being Frank

2008-08-13T20:30:00.000-07:00

Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you
If youre young at heart
For its hard, you will find, to be narrow of mind
If youre young at heart

You can go to extremes with impossible schemes
You can laugh when your dreams fall apart at the seams
And life gets more exciting with each passing day
And love is either in your heart or on its way

Dont you know that its worth every treasure on earth
To be young at heart
For as rich as you are its much better by far
To be young at heart

And if you should survive to 105
Look at all youll derive out of being alive
Then here is the best part
You have a head start
If you are among the very young at heart

Hope floats

2008-08-10T23:20:00.000-07:00

I want to make this the best last-two weeks at home that I possibly can.

Join me in my quest.

Flashback

2008-08-10T09:01:00.000-07:00

During my freshman year of high school, my English teacher had us write Odyssey-based essays, asking us what our "Ithaca" was. I said mine was making it to the Olympics in Beijing as a competitor.

Ice Cream

2008-08-10T00:37:00.000-07:00

Ben & Jerry's.

Karamel Sutra.

47% saturated fat.

Please enjoy responsibly.

Disney, Weddings, more

2008-08-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

Disneyland was awesome. Spent approximately 15 hours at the park, from just before 10 am to all the way to 1 am. We also went to CA Adventure and had some fun. To say the least, work the next day was absolutely exhausting. But so worth it.

Here are some pictures from the day:

Yesterday brought about an important moment in my life: I crashed my first wedding. I heard about the wedding that day at work and went with a few people who are camp directors with me.

-The backyard reception and ceremony had approximately 40 people tops in attendance
-Went to the ceremony, then caught a bite @ Chili's before the reception
-Got to the backyard reception, where there was a cooler filled with Coors Light, Sam Adams, Corona, and more
-Played a drinking game during the wedding speeches while double fisting Coors and champagne
-Got to hang out with some great friends from work
-Talked to the mother of the groom TWICE and she hugged me on my way out.

I wish I had pictures. There are some glorious ones.

It's gonna be harder to leave than I thought.

Happiest Day of Work on Earth

2008-08-06T22:09:00.000-07:00

I'm going to Disneyland again tomorrow... this time for work. Meaning I'm going to be on the clock at Disneyland. Makin' money while at Disneyland.

My job is retardedly awesome. Summer camp directorships are the way to go.

That being said, is there anyone that can get me into Club 33 once the children are sent home?

OOF of the day

2008-08-06T07:33:00.001-07:00

I just saw a commercial comparing The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants II to cheering for America in the Olympics.

Someone needs to die for this one.

Sports Epiphany

2008-08-04T18:49:00.000-07:00

That's the great thing about baseball...

There are so many games to watch between Arsenal seasons.

2008-08-03T14:45:00.000-07:00

Just how deep can shit get
I'm in above my head again
Life put me in my place
Now it's written all over my face
Gotta get up, gotta get out
Gotta change what my life is about
Too much wasted time in my mind
With a rage of discipline I'll get by
Life is hard but as time goes on
You learn from your mistakes
So now it's up to me
How many more I let myself make
When you ask me will I be ok
I don't know what to say

Typical Saturday

2008-08-02T23:50:00.000-07:00

There is no one but myself in my house this weekend.

Woke up at 10:30, watched an episode of Law and Order SVU that was recorded. I hung around for awhile and then decided to give my good friend Michael Craigs a call. Turns out Rotting Out was playing a show that day in LA, so I drove to Chateau Harder to roll out with him to the show. After watching the beginning of Mrs. Doubtfire, we took off for the show.

Long story short, the venue wasn't too great, not to mention miscommunications within Rotting Out ended as the band not playing, so as Mike and I went to his office to play around on the pull-cart. We set up a course and had a grand ol' time.

Video of said pull-cart derby:

As we were were driving back to the venue to at least watch a few bands, we decided instead to go to the Dodger game on a spur of the moment decision that was three exits away from Stadium Way.

We purposely ask for the worst available tickets, which turn out to be section 58 of the reserve level. All the way in the far corner of right field, about eye-level with the top of the foul pole. About 10 minutes after we sit down we see Manny Ramirez hit his first HR as a Dodger. We also watch a sweet fight in the stands; one of the dudes fighting was a tall, skinny ginger. On the way out of the stadium, I guess the ginger accidentally hit an older dude during the fight. The old guy and the ginger exchange a few words, and the old guy punches the ginger in the face. It was the perfect cap to the night. $19 ticket well spent.

Here is a picture from our seats. Watching baseball makes me feel like I'm winning the war on terror by myself.

On the way out of the stadium we saw this license plate:

Food eaten today: Taco Bell, Dodger Dog, Coke.

And in a straight incidence of irony, I got a new pair of sunglasses today. Rotting Out and their ingenious merch (football jerseys, etc.) pull through again. Can't wait to slap some croakies on these bad boys.

Today was a Hall of Fame day. I hope they repeat more often.

Sound and Fury, etc.

2008-08-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

Sound and Fury was absolutely nutty. Between bands was the ultimate parking lot situation. During bands was mosh-dive extravaganza. Here is a picture of me during the No Apologies set.

Highlights of the weekend for me:
Bands:
-COLD WORLD on day 1
-Terror
-War Hungry/Cold World split set on day 2
-Trapped Under Ice
-Pressure
-Alpha & Omega
-Guns Up!
-Mongoloids/Kids Like Us split set on day 3
-NO APOLOGIES NO APOLOGIES NO APOLOGIES

Non-bands:
-Max Montez
-Kyle Shapiro
-Maine Mike & Chateau Harder
-Rachael Light
-parking lot situations
-tailgate hangouts
-great friends
-visors
-beer coozies
-tank tops
-camo bucket hats

Then it was back to work on Monday. It took me 3 days to get most of my soreness out. My shoulder is still a bit stiff from popping in and out of its socket during Terror, and I still have a huge bruise on my left thigh, most likely from achieving new levels of stage dive potential. Here is a picture. This is it almost a week later. It's gone through black, yellow, green, and purple phases.

Aside from work and SAF, I don't have much else for the summer. Arsenal starts on August 16, exactly two weeks from now. Anticipation builds.

I need some new sunglasses.

Weekend getaway

2008-07-24T23:52:00.001-07:00

Sound and Fury in Santa Barbara this weekend.

Packing checklist:
-shorts
-tank tops/sleeveless shirts
-Nikes
-the Party

Yup. Just about done packing.

This is going to be a weekend to remember.

Family outing

2008-07-21T21:53:00.000-07:00

12 hours.

2 parks.

Disneyland & California Adventure.

My whole body is tired, but it was honestly the most fun I've had in so long. I love my family, and that everything went right today.

Real Talk MVPs:
-Haunted Mansion
-Fast Pass
-Mission Tortilla Factory
-California Screamin'
-Club 33 (I WILL GET IN THERE SOMEDAY)
-pretending like you are falling asleep for your Space Mountain picture
-Karl Strauss cart at California Adventure

Prospects pt. II

2008-07-20T14:17:00.001-07:00

I just informed my little "getting another degree" idea to my parents. They were receptive, but told me to start looking into it.

I'm going to start talking to advisors and counselors.

Who'd of thunk that I'd be thinking of staying in school.

My life.

Prospects

2008-07-20T00:49:00.000-07:00

Update on my life:

-living back with the parents for the summer until school starts. I'm working as a camp director until then and absolutely loving my job and the people I work with.
-Sound and Fury a week from today.
-Arsenal is less than a month away and I can't wait for next season.
-The girl-arena is very promising currently... and I like that.

But the biggest thing:
I've been giving serious thought to moving to Austin, Texas post-graduation. I would love to either continue my education for a Master's degree or get teacher certified in order to become a teacher. This is all insanely difficult, as trying to do any of this with an advertising degree is fairly stupid. I'm probably going to be in school until I'm 30.

Trouble

2008-07-01T07:12:00.000-07:00

Approximately 12 minutes ago, my alarm went off to wake me up. I hit every button on my alarm clock, except the alarm would not turn off.

After hearing it cycle through about three times, I realized it was my phone.

ATTN: Nerds

2008-06-29T12:09:00.000-07:00

SO MUCH BETTER THAN STARBUCKS. Get over yourselves, hipsters.

And I don't even really like coffee.

Librar

2008-06-15T22:44:00.000-07:00

Just started reading Fever Pitch. So far, so good. If I lived in England, I'd be exactly the same as the main character. It makes it so much easier to get into the story, both of us being Arsenal supporters.

Work starts full-time tomorrow. I can't wait. The world just isn't right without AW in the summer time.

Where the pizza at?

The New Guy at Ashburton

2008-06-13T09:39:00.001-07:00

Meet Mr. Aaron Ramsey, age 17. Just makin' the transfer from Cardiff City FC in Wales. Heard good things about this kid. The new Arsenal jerseys are growing on me, but I wish they'd just kept the other ones.

Is it August yet?