Red Bull

When I was driving across the country about 2 months ago I realized something. There is a ton of crap to do in L.A.. I began to make a list of things I wanted to do in L.A. and California. Things like; go to the Hollywood Bowl, see a movie star, go to Salinas Valley where John Steinbeck is from, make-out with a movie star in Malibu, etc. This list is pretty long in its physical sense. It is infinitely longer in my head. When I hear of something cool to do or see I make a mental note. If it is something super serious it ends up written in my journal for further consideration.

All of that is to say my first evening in L.A. I saw a giant advertisement for the "Red Bull Soap Box Derby" needless to say I made a mental note, wrote it in my journal, tattooed it on my body. I refused to do anything else on September 26. If my dad died, the funeral would be postponed. I mean Red Bull gives you wings. Think what it could do for my dead dad.

It was everything I thought it could be. Over 100,000 people attended this glorious event. The breakdown is this. Remember those soapbox derbies you may or may not have attended as a child? Maybe you were a boyscout or just watched a Disney channel movie that culminated with the main character winning the race as well as growing as a person and learning a life lesson. I knew that I had to be there. (I've missed out on a lot of life lessons) There were about 40 contestants all equally crazy in their themes and presentations. Eric Estrada was a guest judge. They gave away free energy drinks to men, women and children who really did not any more blind energy than they already had.

Where do you go from the Red bull Soapbox derby in Downtown L.A. in the shadow of Skyscrapers and homeless dudes selling Blow pops for a quarter? I went to an outdoor showing of Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Richard Dreyfuss at his best as a crazed man who saw...something...and is now a exhibitionist sculptor with potatoes and play-do. There is something special about watching a movie outside. Perfect weather. No one under the age of 40 except Sam and I. Apparently, the youth of today have something better to do than watch a classic Spielberg film outside on a blow up screen with a raffle for telescopes going on.

School started for me yesterday. More on that soon. Once I get out from under about 600 pages of reading, I'll tell you about it.

Carson Daly vs. Ryan Seacrest

Is it possible that Ryan Seacrest swooped in and stole the future of Carson Daly? Recently I happened to be up way later than I intended to be and caught a few minutes of Last call with Carson Daly. I went on a trip down memory lane, to times of TRL and N'Sync and J-Lo (A.K.A. Jenny from the block). When I thought about it I assumed when he left T.R.L. he would have a bright future of hosting ahead of him. Then out of no where this young buck, this newbie, Ryan Seacrest came on to the scene.

Where did he come from? Its like one day, you think the world is going to be one way but the you have the rug pulled out from under you and you don't know left from right, up from down. Ryan came in and turned my world upside down.

Why is no one talking abut this? Obviously, Carson is the better host and has a higher moral character.

I'm just saying.

Campus Tour

Today I went to one of my first Fuller functions and it was everything I expected it to be. Helpful but full of awkward social interactions. During my lifetime I have spent the better part of my adult life interacting on an academic level and social level with Christians. Hands down, without a shadow of a doubt there is not a more awkward group of people. Again, today, my theory was proven to be true. I went on a tour of the campus, which is about the size of a average front yard, and it took about an hour. During this time my leader named Jeremy pronounced Jeremi (long i) confused many different locations on campus. Which begged the question, "Why are you giving me this campus tour?" If I end up in the men's room instead of my greek class I will blame Jeremi long i.

Short but I have orientation all week and I can only imagine what lies ahead for me. Don't worry, when I get involved in some kind of uncomfortable situation, you the reader,will be told.

Solitude vs. People

Since I moved here I have been alone. I lived by myself. I don't really know any one else in the area. I had not started school here yet. Currently, I don't have a job. So I have spent the majority of my first month in California, alone. It has been great. I am not a person who necessarily needs people but I do enjoy people. I love to laugh and talk and get peoples opinions on any various topic that I choose (politics, music, chicken salad etc.). Also, I have never spent that much time to myself ever. I have had days where I don't see my friends or family. But, never more than one or two and rarely would a week go by that I would not interact with someone type of acquaintance for an extended amount of time.

In college I read a few books about quiet and finding out who you really are during times like these. I have also heard of of musicians spending a month in a remote cabin and at the end coming out with some incredible piece of music.

Sam arrived Sunday and it was a welcomed change of pace. Someone to talk to. Someone to laugh with. Most of all someone to experience things with. I have had a blast exploring L.A. and finding my way around. Being alone, you can only be so excited before you are look at you because you are giving high fives to strangers.

I went to my first Dodgers game tonight. Sam and I made friends with 2 guys sitting behind us and they invited us to tailgate with them this weekend at the UCLA bruins game. We just have to bring a six pack a piece. While they will provide all the BBQ and other fine delicatessens. There is something to this idea of community and interaction.

But, I do not want to lose some of the introspection, the creative times and the personal exploration of this direction in my life. Like everything so far about the last two months since I have left the East Coast everything is new and exciting and different. I look forward to to what else Tinsel Town has in store.

Also, for those of you who are keeping score. I will be taking these classes this Quarter:
Greek
Urban Evangelism
Introduction to Theological Studies

Tour De...Handicapped

Falling off your bike is embarrassing. I did it twice today.



This summer with my Government stimulus check and my tax return from last year I purchased a Specialized Allez. It is the second most expensive thing I have purchased at one time, only second to my Mac. I bought it as a fun way to get in shape and lose weight. That mixed with running I have lost quite a bit a weight. "And yes my heart isn't in trouble anymore but whatever" (For you FRIENDS fans out there). Riding in Myrtle Beach is a pretty light thing. You go down to Ocean BLVD and go. It's flat like most real estate on the ocean is so your capable of going pretty fast. I was excited about the prospect about taking my bike out to California with me and explore some new terrain. Little did I know that everyone here rides a bike and that there are hills/mountains here. I pretty sure I rode two straight miles at an incline that your head would be completely tilted back for. That's where the first fall came from.

I was coming down a hill at Mach 11 when I approached my chosen destination. I thought it would be fun to ride to the Rose Bowl stadium. For you dedicated sports fan that may mean a lot more to you than it does me. I just needed a place to go. Well, like I said I am going faster than the speed of light when I come to the end of the road...literally. I looked both ways as quickly as you can at 287 miles an hour but everything is really just a blur at that pace. Luckily, I saw this 2010 Porsche right before he plowed into me. I hit the brakes and hit the ground. Lucky for me the porsche didn't stop. I could have died or at least have some internal bleeding but most important my ego was bruised. I'd rather laying there in my own DNA before asking for help.

The second fall was a lot more of a slap to my ego. Like in most cities Pasadena contains stoplights. There are two annoying things about this; first they are on every block. Second, my bike has pedals that allow me to hook my shoes into it. Just like Lance. This stopping all the time is annoying because you have to un-click your feet every 500 feet. So, a lot of bikers figure ways around it. Balancing, slowing down at lights before you have to stop, propping yourself against sign. I went for the last. I decided the "Slow children at play" was the perfect sign for me to do the said propping. Little did I know how appropriate it would be. When the light turned green I began to pedal but could not create the pace I needed to...you know...go. So I ended up on the sidewalk right in front of that "Slow Children at Play" sign.

I brushed myself off, a little worse for the wear but mostly ok.

The South will rise again or Southern by the grace of God.

Saturday I went and saw the Avett brothers play. They were great. It was my 5th time seeing them live but my first on the west coast. About two weeks before I moved from MB to Cali I had the opportunity to see the Avetts two nights in a row at the House of Blues there. When I thought back to that time and this most recent time something stuck out to me. If you are unfamiliar with their music you need to familiarize yourself. But, for the sake of this blog I will do a quick breakdown.

They are an alternative folk band. I doubt that makes any sense to anyone but let me see if I can help. Imagine Bob Dylan exploring his punk rock roots. Anyway they are from the south, specifically North Carolina. Now, what was interesting was seeing them under completely different circumstances. Seeing a band from the south on the west coast was a little odd. A fish out of water kind of situation. Think back to when you were in school, maybe fifth grade and seeing your teacher outside of class. Maybe, Wal-mart or the Mall. It's like your small world is falling apart. Things are combining that should never combine, i.e. your parents ad your teacher interacting on the same aisle your Mac and Cheese is on. It's just bizarre. It gives you a feeling that you enjoy but don't want to duplicate.


I felt the same way seeing these guys on the west coast. Hearing them sing about land marks like I-95 reminded of my southern roots. Flannery O'Connor speaks about the distinctness of the south and how southern literature may be one of the few styles that have a distinct feeling of place. It is so different than every where else in the country.

I never thought I would say this, but, I am a southerner. So many things I fought against growing up some how snuck up on me. I like country music, some of my favorite authors are classified as Southern Literature. I've never really cared for sweet tea but I could go for some Chicken and grits. That cliche' old state rings true here; "You can take the boy out of the south but not the south out of the boy".

Moving to California has been a weird transition. Simply because I feel like I haven't transitioned. I feel like I have always lived here. For about an hour once I was alone in this state I contemplated the possibility that somehow I was born here or spent some time here but was brutally ripped away and forced to grow up on the other side of the country. But, the craziest thing that came over me that evening was an overwhelming sense of Southern Pride. All of a sudden I began to judge everyone in the audience singing certain lines that spoke to something on the other side of this country.

It's odd how it takes a drive across the country to a new place and time zone to realize that a major part of who you are is behind you.

Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Santa Monica Pier and surrounding rea
Sunset BLVD
Explored Pasadena
Venice Beach
LACMA
Tar Pits

I am continually surprised at the sheer amount of opportunities I have for exploring. L.A. is full of things to do that satisfy my every desire. For example; if you know me even a little bit you know that I love shoes. It's an obsession, unhealthy or not I love them and will continue in this habit. I don't know if you, the reader know (and by reader I mean my mom) but L.A. is full of people that have contracts with all kinds of shoe companies to design their own style of a classic Nike or Adidas. All of that is to say there is a awesome shoe store 5 minutes away from my house. I don't mean a Shoe Show or Rack Room, I mean a legitimate shoe store.

Each day offers up new opportunities, do I want to be cultured today? Lacma. Do I want to be a tourist? Venice Beach. How about possibly seeing an actor or actress? Rodeo Drive. Or finally do I want to see that super hip indie movie? Laemmle Playhouse 7.

School starts soon and I am excited but super bummed because that means my exploring will come to a screeching halt. Or will it? Maybe my new world of exploration will come in the form of the Koine Greek or Systematic Theology. Who knows. I live on the West Coast now and I am looking forward to what is ahead of me and what the Lord has for me.

Thoughts on Honesty through the films Closer & Revolutionary Road.

hon⋅es⋅ty
–noun, plural -ties.
1. the quality or fact of being honest; uprightness and fairness.
2. truthfulness, sincerity, or frankness.
3. freedom from deceit or fraud.


The films Closer and Revolutionary Road seem like very different movies. They are in two different time periods as well as places in the globe. One is based on a play the other on a book. The plots even follow two very different structures as well as themes and motifs. The only comparison is that both have a great line up of actors and actresses.

In Contrast my experiences with each movie were very similar. I watched Closer at a theatre in Myrtle Beach with a good friend, Revolutionary Road was viewed in a theatre with a another good friend. Sounds similar but let me explain a major portion of how I watch a movie. Maybe the most important part of the movie for me is leaving the movie. Let me explain...

It is important for me when I leave to be impacted by a movie, by the story, impacted in any way; offended, excited, engaged, frustrated. Any of these will do as long as I feel something. These are the movies that resonate with me, stick around and make me think about life, love and the pursuit of happiness or whatever. This could include anything from Casablanca to anything starring Tim Allen. Regardless of the film I need an attachment to it. I want to interact with it in some way.

So the question is how was I impacted by these two movies?

Leaving Closer I was fairly confident I had never been more offended by a movie. I was blown away by the dialogue and some of the content and themes. I also consider this movie one of the dirtiest I have ever seen without a single sex scene. If you have not seen this movie it is about two couples; Jude Law and Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. It explores the complexities of these relationships when these two couples meet each other. The offensiveness of the film is not necessarily the fact that they cheat and lie to each other, it is how they discuss it with each other. The brutal honesty that each person needs to maintain their sanity. Up to that point in my life I had never seen how complicated a relationship could truly be when there was not an inherent trust between the two people.

Revolutionary Road was released 4 years later. My interaction was very different. Revolutionary Road is based on a book by Richard Yates. It is the story of a couple in the mid-1950’s that struggle with the idea of living the “Suburban Lifestyle”. It stars Kate Winslet and Leonardo Dicaprio (Their first time together since the juggernaut Titanic). This film is also an exploration of a relationship. However the difference here is that it seems to me that it is based upon the hope of a different future for the two of them. This movie also contained some of the most brutally honest scenes of intense dialogue I have ever seen.

The question that I am wrestling with is Reality vs. Fairytale, Fact vs. Fiction etc. I think of some of my favorite paintings, they are not the distorted realities of Picasso or Dali but the brutal reality of Goya or Rembrandt. I appreciate both but I spend more thoughtful time on the latter. These things show us something of the world and culture that we live in.
When leaving both Closer and Revolutionary Road I uttered the same phrase, “If thats what an adult relationship is than I am not interested, no thank you.” When I first read some of the definitions above on honesty the third one seem to shine the most light on this line of thought, “Freedom of deceit or fraud” These movies do seem to show an aspect of this.

Growing up we are taught to be honest, do not lie, I mean there is a whole disney movie dedicated to the idea of telling the truth. But, this is not the type of honesty portrayed in these films. Honesty seems to encompass more than just simply our speech but how we conduct our lives. Living honest lives in every aspect. That may be why I have been so offended by these films because we have a voyeuristic opportunity to see morality played out in front of us. We are peeping toms looking in the window of these peoples lives watching them have a breakdown of morality. We have the leisure to watch and judge and dissect the themes in front of us.

The question I am wrestling with is which is it? Is it the simple principle, “I shall not tell a lie” that a young George Washington gave to us. Or is it something more brutal? Something that encompasses more of the person, the whole person.

The more I think about it I think I want brutality. I want complete and utter honesty in my relationships. I just don’t want to have to stumble upon the truth and then deal.

Summer Party Mix

Since Summer is coming to a close I have been transitioning to my winter music. I do this unconsciously every couple of months. I find myself only listening to certain things at certain times of the year. In my head my summer playlist looks like this: A large back deck, Tiki torches, cold beer and a lot of people talking. Kind of like the final scene in a teen drama when everything turns out alright. So, if I were to put together a playlist for that party these would be the songs on that list.

Ryan Adams- Gold- New York, New York
This has been a summer stand by for years. When May 1st roles around I bust out this album, it sounds the best with the windows down and the temp at least 90 degrees.

Avett Bros- Kick Drum Heart
Any song that you can clap along to screams summer. As an added bonus a great use of a simile.

Counting Crows - Accidentally In Love
All parties have an undefined sense of discovery. Who knows what lies ahead for that single boy and girl?

Outkast- Southernplayalisticcadillacmusic
This song should play as the sun is going down. Right at dusk. It will do wonders to your party.

Beastie Boys- So Whatcha Want
Play this song when you as the host or hostess want to play some Twister or Pin the Tail on the Donkey and no one will be able to say no.

Huey Lewis and the News- I Want a new Drug
If the party is lagging this is a good conversation starting song. For Example; “If you were to have a new drug what would it be?”

Jay-Z - Lucifer
Jay-Z’s rhymes, Kanye West’s Production, you really don’t need anything else.

White Stripes - Hotel Yorba
With themes like love and marriage a great addition for all those afraid to take the next step couples.
A Tribe Called Quest- Jazz
If possible this song should always follow the Outkast song. When planning the perfect party mix it always about flow. The Tribe created flow.

The Black Keys - 10 a.m. Automatic
Rule number one for a good party: People have to be there. 10 A.M. automatic will keep them there until wee hours.

What would your Summer party mix Look Like?

Two Weeks in...

Well, I have moved to California and realized something after being here for about two weeks. California is far away. So far in fact that I am three hours behind my family and friends. To be honest I have never really liked being behind others. It's an uncomfortable place to be. Hopefully you East Coast guys will have the common courtesy to tell me if anything happens in the future.
I have moved here to attend Fuller Theological Seminary in pursuit of a Masters in Divinity. I am looking forward to beginning my higher level theological education and will keep you updated on all textual criticism breakthroughs.

Since I have moved to the West Coast I have decided to completely immerse myself in all things West Coast. I am now a Dodgers fan. I joined the bloods and waiting to hear back from Brangelina in hopes that they will adopt me.