My New Car: 2005 Nissan Altima 2.5 S (Smoke Grey)

I did it.



I finally bought a car. It was a long and difficult process. Finding the right car. Getting said car to the right price. All of my efforts feel necessary given the condition, mileage, and options of the car. It was not easy. There was a lot of frustration throughout the process. If you need any tips, I can help. I did a lot of research. I waited a month and a half, but it paid off. My new car is a 2005 Nissan Altima 2.5 S. I bought it with 29,200 miles on it. Just from my drive back from Florida to New Orleans and it now has 30,000.



Features:
175-hp 4-cylinder engine
4-speed automatic
4-wheel disc brakes
16-inch alloy wheels
8-way power driver seat w/lumbar adjustment
Leather-wrapped steering wheel w/radio and trip computer controls
Front anti-Lock brakes
Cruise Control
Driver and passenger air bags
Rear Window Defroster
Power door locks
Power mirrors
Power windows
Sunroof (with moonroof option)
Tinted windows
Periscope and tilted wheel
Keyless Entry
Anti-theft security System
Bose 6 speaker stereo system with 6 disc CD changer



I got it from a wholesale lot, but at a private seller price. Bill of sale price $12,949 ($13,761.94 with tax, tag, and title transfer).

I've Gone Blu Ray!

I wanted to tell you guys about a killer deal I got on Black Friday. Amazon.com had a special Playsation 3 package deal that was pretty much a shot in dark to get since there were only 500 units to buy, and thousands of people trying to get said deal. So I logged into Amazon at 9:20 am on friday and watched the countdown until 9:30 and hoped I could be one of the 500.  The clock hit 0 and the "Add to Cart" button came up. I clicked on it as soon as it popped up and waited while the order processed.  Finally, after about 5 minutes the page came up to complete the order. So the Amazon gods silmed upon me and I was chosen!

So I got a ps3, the Pirates of the Carribean trilogy on Blu ray and the "Little Big Planet" game for the cool price of $199!

So Jed, I know you have a ps3 and I would imagine have started a blu ray collection. Would love some recommendations on what some good titles to buy on blu ray would be. (Iron Man and 300 are obvious choices)  I already bought Indiana Jones 4, and tried to get Iron Man but it was sold out at wal mart. (Oh, and did you really go to Epcot this weekend? And why did you not get in touch with me if you did...Ive got Disney connections)

Jeff, I wanted to wish you a happy graduation and I am sorry that I can't be there.  I am glad you made it and I hope you get a job doing what you love.

Announcement

I graduate with my Masters Degree in less than a month. If you guys want to attend, please let me know. Jed and Justin, I know it's a long drive, but consider yourselves invited. Chase if you and Donna still want to come, I would love to see you.

Graduation for the New Orleans Baptist Seminary will be held on December 13, 2008. Commencement will begin at 10 AM, doors open at 9AM.
Held in Leavell Chapel on campus.
Address: 3939 Gentilly Boulevard, New Orleans, LA 70126.

Ornery
Blacks
Arduously
Mutating
America

...but, please, no gays.

Sorry I am a Slacker

It's been way too long since I posted.  I haven't had much to say other than political thoughts lately, and I try to keep that limited to myspace blogs.  So here is a quick update.

I've gotten back into playing at open mic nights recently, and that has been alot of fun. We played last night and the crowd seemed to dig us.  I am actually trying to start writing some songs with a buddy of mine, so keep your fingers crossed.

Work is slow, as it always is when you do freelance.  Ive got a few things I am trying to get off the ground, it just takes alot of work and the right connections.

Last weekend I saw "Religulous" and "Appaloosa". I enjoyed both.

I just ordered the new David Bazan dvd, and the new Ben Nichols (of Lucero) solo ep.  Iv'e also discovered some new music I really dig. Check out Chuck Ragan and Tim Barry. Both are excellent songwriters. 

I have decided to abstain from horror movies this year, since watching any interview with Sarah Palin outweighs anything the movie industry could do to scare the shit out of me.

That is about it on my end currently. I hope you guys are doing well, and you are all sorely missed.  Jed, I think I will have to plan a trip to Jax soon and see you guys soon. Jeff and Chase, with current gas prices I cant drive my ass that far, so your stuck with blog updates and phone calls.

xxx truth becomes lies xxx

a recap: how i spent my summer

a brother became a son then once again a brother
except then said brother said this brother was dead to him
young black men became more frightening as did the darker hours of day
and taco bell
but i became more aware of my surroundings and of what matters
for example, taco bell would make one crappy last meal
an uncle became post-mortem and this took a wayward son homeward
a father became a figure much slimmer than the son but
still much more full of vanity (throwing that word in there for scott marie schultz)
an apartment became a danger zone and subsequently
725 became a great new price for rent
the old, awesome phone number became one less cool
(hint it spells tug arfs)
the newly wed empty nesters became dog owners
but it turned out the demon dog owned them
at work an easy fire became much harder to get rid of
and that same fellow became discontent, once more with feeling
the soul searcher found relief, a little peace, then broke it
with the passing weeks he became more adept at acceptance
more compliant with routine, though still not complacent
some hurricanes became tropical storms while others were more fierce
(jeff, sorry you became displaced)
a gallon of gas became an uncommon commodity
the instability of the economy became more apparent
the crisis talk made me want uncharted territory
donna became a year older, though i looked and felt much older than my stated age
i became tired of writing and quit.

Howse check

Hey guys we're getting ready to send out the "save the date" magnets for our wedding. It pretty much just has the date so people that are coming can remember it. If you guys could email me your mailing addresses that would be awesome. I'm gonna send this message to you on Myspace as well so if you already did, then just disregard this. Love and miss you guys.

vulnerable

We got robbed at gunpoint Monday night. Donna and I were sitting in our car, enjoying the night air and talking when two guys wearing red bandanas came up one on each side. The one on Donna's side was armed with a double-barrel rifle. The one on my side had a semi-automatic handgun. I was totally powerless. I told them to take the car, whatever they wanted. He had me get out of the car and onto the ground. He told me to take my pants off. The one guy was cussing at Donna and that made me very angry. I repeated multiple times, "Don't hurt my wife." This annoyed them and I apparently was not quick enough with my pants. The one guy told the other just to shoot me if he had to. They did not get my wallet as it was not in those pants.

They took Donna's wallet and a set of keys. They asked for cell phones which we did not have and a purse which Donna does not possess. This frustrated them. They ran off from us and I looked at the back of their vehicle for tag or decals et cetera. There were none. I was thankful that Donna had not been hurt. I got my shoes and we walked down the hill back to our apartment. I didn't feel uncomfortable that I was walking around without pants. After the police left and our locks had been changed we left town. Donna has taken care of cancelling our cards, protecting our identity, et cetera. I'm taking off until next Tuesday so we can get moved into a new apartment.

Waffle House Wedding

Holy Hell! This is the greatest video on the internet! Please, guys, go have a looksie...

http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/ftp/multimedia/waffleweddingx/publish_to_web/

Pass out the cigars

I'm a daddy and congrats,you're all uncles! It's a boy!

He's a beautiful little hyperactive bundle of joy!

Really, it's all so exciting---
Three weeks and we've already sent him to bed without dinner more than once.

Is 120lbs big for a baby?

Oh, but you see--
He ain't heavy, he's my brother.

I Dumped The Girl

Andrea and I are no longer together. It's a long story. I am a jerk, mostly. She wasn't perfect either. I realize how much my fear of commitment affects all ventures in my life. It especially puts a damper on my love life. Unless there is a perfect [for me] women who convinces me that we should be together, I anticipate being alone forever. God help me.

21 days...

...until my last full weekend in this town. I'll be less busy then and able to post more. I think about you guys often. I hope you're all doing well.

I'll leave you with some lyrics that sort of describe how I'm feeling right now. The funny part is, the singer actually wrote this song about Gainesville. No shit.

Well you've got the perfect disguise and youre looking okay
From the bottom of the best to the worst well what can I say
Cause you cocked your head to shoot me down
And I dont give a damn about you or this town no more
No, but I know the score
Need me to fall down so you can climb up
Some fool-ass ladder. Well, good luck.
I hope, hope theres something better up there
Cause you cocked your head to shoot me down
And I dont give a damn about you or this town no more
No, cause I know the score
Broke my back

Perfect Disguise
Modest Mouse

Uncle Jed

So it just occurred to me that I might not have informed a few of you on my brother's wife's "knocked up" status...

So without further ado...





My niece.
Kenna Christine Marczewski
Born: June 17th, 2008 (otherwise known as the Icelandic Independence Day)

She's quite small and cute. In case you can't tell, I am very proud of my brother and everything he's been through and I can't wait to show it by spoiling this little one.

It's June and You Promised We'd Spoon

I got a like new GE DVD player out of the dumpster today. It was only like my second dive ever. Last week I got a catcher's mask,chest guard, and exercise equipment. It's amazing all the perfectly good stuff people throw out especially when so many organizations like Goodwill pick up charitable items. We got home from church and there was an old foot locker beside the dumpster. I told Donna I was going to check it out. I did and it was a bit too old to fool with, but I glanced into the dumpster to find this awesome new DVD player (and we had been needing a new one). It was just sitting on top at about the middle. I tried to reach for it but it was too far. I pulled the foot locker over and rested my right knee on it. I leaned into the dumpster, reached, and pulled out this great treasure. From the looks of things, some people are moving out and have opted to throw everything away. There's no telling how much perfectly good stuff is in there. This was the only thing that was worth the effort, at least in the daylight and humidity. I brought it in excitedly so. Donna and I marvelled at it. I unhooked the old APEX model with the broken disc tray and connected this much nicer one. On its tray was Friends' Season 5 Disc One. On starting the player, it greeted me "hello". When it was apparent that all was in proper working order, I shrieked with delight and clapped my hands. It was as if I had just created fire.

It's Not Vegas, But It Will Do

It seems as if every post I write here is something of an update. Since I have nothing creative to write, I'll just do what I always do. It's what you expect.

I'm saving up to buy a new car this summer. Any suggestions? Not just opinions, but likes and dislikes, facts, etc.

School is over for the semester. I finished with 2 A's, 2 B's and a P (passing my practicum class). Technically, I'm done with school. Yay. But I have one more class this summer. Boo. A week long workshop on church and community involvement. Since there is no summer graduation, I will be done with my Masters in December 2008. Because I can get a grant to take nine hours, I'm going to do that next semester. I'm going to be taking a class on the church and politics, philosophy of religion, and something else. I'm ready to be done now, though. I also have to study for the GRE this summer. That is weighing heavily on my mind.

The black non-Christian girl Andrea (I realized I never posted her name) and I are dating. It was on, then off, and then on again. We have a lot of fun together. And she is special. We're both content for now. I think that's what it is anyway. We're actually going away this weekend. I have a friend getting married in Mississippi, but due to all kinds of conflicts, we're not going. So I asked her if she would just like to go stay on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We're going to Biloxi, Mississippi, and staying at the Isle of Capri Casino Resort. It's on the beach. We have a room with a jacuzzi. And there's gambling. I mean, it's not Vegas, but it will do.

I suck the blood of Bandy's tract.

So I saw "There Will Be Blood" last night. For the record, it is at least 5,376,209 times the movie that "No Country..." was.

I would actually call it probably the best movie I've ever seen. It's coming out in BluRay on the 3rd and I will be buying it.

And just so we're straight, "No Country..." is the shit Daniel Day Lewis wiped off his boot before walking onto the red carpet. He was robbed and some no talent hack with a bad haircut walked away with his metal statue.

"Indiana Jones" review

So, May 22nd has come and gone. The 19 years of waiting is over. I have now seen "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", and the question is: was it any good? You bet your ass it was!

The reviews I have read are pretty divided, some love it, some dispise it, some just felt it was a mediocre attempt at reviving an old franchise. My personal view was I enjoyed all 2 hours of it. It looked and felt like an Indiana Jones movie, and Harrison Ford finally reminds us how great he can really be on screen. You could tell everyone was just having sheer fun working on this movie, and I felt like the end result was a good one. 

It took me a little while to get used to the time period (1957), since I was so used to Indy being in the 1930's, it was weird at first to see the opening title sequence feature Elvis'  "Hound Dog" and drag racing. But after the first 20 minutes of the movie, I was along for the ride. It had everything I wanted from a Indiana Jones movie. Great action sequences, one liners, creatures (holy shit the ants were awesome!), and good old fashioned over the top pulp. I can honestly say it lived up to my expectations. Also, be ready to laugh since it is the most comedic of all the Indy movies, just wait until you see the first snake that makes an appearance!

Alot of people have complained about the "Crystal Skull" plotline, thats its too far fetched. Not really any more far fetched than any of the other artifacts Indy has gone after in the previous films. I did some research on crystal skulls awhile back, and I find them very interesting. The Indy 4 plot is steeped in actual legend if you bothor to do the research. Its not just something Lucas pulled out of his ass, like people seem to think. My only gripe was one moment in the film where even I kinda groaned "You gotta be kidding me?".  Just think vines, and Tarzan. You will know it when you see it.  

The other question is: How was Shia? I actually liked him as a greaser in this movie. I am not going to go as far as to say he was channeling James Dean or Brando, but he wasnt a waste of space either. I actually enjoyed his back and forth with Indy, I thought he brought alot to the movie. (Jed you may disagree since we know you have no love for Shia, but give him a chance in this) And any silly ideas that Shia is being set up as Indy's replacement in future movies  is put to rest in the final shot of the film. (There is only one Indiana Jones, and dont you forget it)

This movie is worth the ticket price for the opening 20 minutes alone.  But there is alot to like in this movie, and in my opinion it's a very worthy addition to the Indiana Jones franchise. So I hope you guys go see it, and I truly hope you have as much fun as I did watching it. I felt like I was 10 years old again.  I just cant wait to go watch it again.    

I died in Las Vegas

Not really, but I did give myself a concussion on the last day. Long story short, I was jumping on the bed and the ceiling was a little lower than I thought. Other than that, the trip was amazing. We broke even on gambling, which is all I was hoping for. My best night was putting down $20 at a Blackjack table and walking away with $120. I'll put a few pictures here for you guys and move on.







And now for a few more updates...
- we set a wedding date (4/11/2009) You guys are all invited. It's a Saturday and if you'd like to see where we're getting hitched you can click here.
- my transfer to Jacksonville has been finalized, I begin work on August 4 at the beach. We're going on June 3 to apply for an apartment.
- finally here's a video for all your moms - Mommies are the greatest.

So yeah, it's been a crazy summer so far and it's only getting better. Good thing though, cause I'm ready to leave this town and I'm hoping the time will fly. Oh, and one more thing, two of our closest friends here in Gainesville are getting ready to move to Nashville at the end of summer, so that should set us up for a few visits with a certain white kid I know...

The Whip Cracks In Two Days

This coming wednesday night/thursday morning at 12:01 am, I will be sitting in a darkened theater with my friends waiting to see "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of The Crystal Skull". I can't tell you how excited I am to finally be typing that sentence. I have been hoping for a new Indy movie for the past 10 years and it's finally here. The early reviews are coming in from it's premiere at Cannes on Sunday, and from a Paramount Screening held yesterday all across the country for the press. So far, reception is good from the few things I have read. I try to avoid reading reviews because I hate spoilers, but I have read a few trusted critics and I am pleased with what I am hearing.

I grew up on Indiana Jones. I watched all 3 films countless times, even got to see "Last Crusade" on the big screen back in 1989. I still stand by "Raiders of the Lost Ark" being the best action/adventure movie ever made, but I also have a special place in my heart for both of the Indy sequels.

I love the "pulp fiction" quality of the Indy films. It's a throwback to old adventure tv serials from the 30's and 40's, and all the pulp comics of those days. I do wonder how a younger audience tempered on quick cutting, fast paced action films are going to handle a new Indy movie. There is no slick mtv-style editing tricks in these movies, in fact Spielberg wanted to shoot the new one in the same style as the originals. It's been a 19 year gap since the last one, and filmmaking has evolved alot since then. I think it will be interesting to see how people respond to this movie.

I am sure I will have more to say after I see the movie. For now I am just content to know that the man with the hat is finally back!

hypocrite, hippo-crates,hip-hop craze

hypocrite-because i said we should blog more but again it has been a week.
hippocrates-because my number one rule is "first do no harm".
hip-hop craze-because it always comes in handy to have black people on your side.

several less than profound notes and then salutation:

my hair sticks to my head, should shower like three days ago.
found the girl i went to prom w/ on facebook. haven't talked to her since 2000. still waiting for her to say "yes" again.
it's just i don't appreciate that disconnect w old friends you know, at least for no good reason.
worked off the clock a few hours over-time this week so as to get caught up. i think i faired pretty well.
that is, i reviewed my caseload (all 72) and for the first time in weeks i knew what was going on w/ all but a few of them.
i hope you're having a blastoma in vegas,jederick.
going to jak-sun this weekend-really though it will only be about 30 hours. not so bad.
i've got this mix cd i'm keen to make soon: songs for the disability examiner.
i really am as smart as scotty schultz, i just haven't figured out how to show it.
then you will all see my einsteinian heritage.

but as for now, i remain this creepy old prom date badly in need of a shower who cannot stop obsessing about his job.

ode to you, dear pimps.

The Music Makers

I've been listening to alot of new music lately. Actually more like new music from old bands., but you get the idea.   First off, I will mention a new band that I have only been listening to for about a year, and I have to say they are in my top 10 favorite bands at this point.  They are called Lucero, and they are a mix of rock, country and punk. In fact the lead singer was in a punk band in the early 90's before he went on to form Lucero.  I cannot stop listening to them, and I even filmed a show for them here in Febuary.  The side of me that is a "little bit country, a little bit rock n roll" tends to be saited when I play their music.

 
I also just picked up the debut album by Mudcrutch. Now, if you don't know the history, it was Tom Petty's band he formed in Gainesville way back before he started the Heartbreakers. So now 30 years later they decide to form up and record an album. It's a really good album, and fits in with alot of Tom Petty's other music, but it's different at the same time. It's alot more southern in it's style than his Heartbreakers stuff.  


Also, just for the sake of mentioning it, go see Iron Man! It's so good, and Robert Downey Jr is amazing in it.  It's a good start to what should be an amazing summer of movie watching.

Viva Las Vegas

Evelyn graduated college yesterday. I am so glad that is over with. We're headed out to Vegas on Tuesday and I won't be online again until a week from then. I'll post pictures and stories and other gay things when we return.

In other news, Grand Theft Auto IV came out last week, and it is arguably one of the greatest games of all time. I have wasted so much time on it already and I can't wait to play it again. Evelyn also bought me a PSP, which connects wirelessly to the PS3, and it's awesome.

On a third note, I saw Juno and it is ten times more of a movie than No Country For Old Men. Sorry, Justin.

We should blog more.

There are four of us, four writer/readers. This has been really good, the four of us reconnecting and reconvening here. So long as we never quit the blog will still exist, but I hope that perhaps it could be a little more electric than lifeless. This resembles times when we've relaunched To Whom only for it to fizzle out after a couple months. I don't want to see that happen again.

I say all of this at the risk of being called a blog nazi. Seriously though, you must recognize this is not that at all as it is only the four of us and none of us are concerned about comments or stats. This is more like saying I want to hang out more. The question is, how would we interact if we were all on the same couches and standing in the same parking lots, being pissed at the same apartment management, cursing the same stale city we live in?

If we could somehow make that magic happen here, I think it would be miraculous. Let us pretend this blank blogger screen is the air in front of our mouths as we emit words in between drinks of Dr. Thunder, as we wax philosophical and marvel at our own genius, only to be put in our place moments later by another. But we should not fear that or act so as to avoid it.

Give me discourse. Carry on with me. If I tell you that I believe it's okay to beat my wife or some other such nonsense, I expect you to blurt out "wtf?" and perhaps stage some cyber intervention (you guys and you're half-assed interventions). Likewise, I expect myself not to be offended when you do not agree with me. I should give consideration to whatever it is you offer. What is this friendship if we only smile and nod? A meeting of m-o-o-n meatball brains, that's what.

This is not to say we haven't been honest or sincere, we have. I just wonder what we may not be saying and why. I'm not going to be offended if you tell me you hate God, ate God, or are proud to be a robotic cowboy. I love you and just hope you have some peace. If believing one thing moves you toward that end, wonderful. If doing something moves you any which way, be moved. I will cheer you on.

I'm under the impression that we four are generally opposed to rules and even suggestions. I get that. All I want to do is figure out how to make this gig work, how to make this location feel a little more like home or some place we'd hang out together. A Super Canton of the Internet. Jared, you can have my egg roll but don't put chicken in my water, please.

I am a man of many goals but I move so slowly. I am sedentary. This get-together is one thing I want to commit to because to me that means committing to you. I feel like of many things that I could bide my time with this will have greater rewards. Throw this out the window if you don't like it, you know. I'm not even sure I like it. I may delete it later.

Intoxicated Jaywalkers

A couple weeks ago I was at Donna's mom's house. A guy got a flat tire in the road on the side of her house. I told him he could pull the truck into the yard and leave it until he was able to get back the next morning. He got stuck in the driveway whilst pulling in leaving him halfway out in the road still. I had tried to help him but really was of no use. It was getting darker and his girlfriend had not arrived as promised.

A sherrif's car drove by on the road in front of the house. I threw my hand into the air thinking that they would have resources to move this guy's truck. I had not noticed his erratic behavior before and what I had seen I chalked up to appropriate hysterics considering the situation. However, when the cop lady arrived I realized they were here to help but in a different way than I had imagined. Next thing I know, cop lady had the guy put his hands on the truck and was frisking him. He's apologizing for the whole thing and I'm trying to clarify to cop lady that all that had happened was that he had a flat tire.

Come to find out, she had been looking for him for nearly an hour driving all over that part of town. She had received so many calls complaining of a man veering on and off the road, into ditches people's yards. So, I realized he was a bit intoxicated and all the erratic behavior made a lot more sense. No wonder he was trying to remove his tire even though he didn't have a spare. Within 20 minutes, five cop cars arrived on the scene each with two cops each in tow. It ended up being just a bunch of dumb redneck law enforcers harrassing this guy and giving the neighborhood the free light show. A while after he was apprehended they shut him up in the back of the car. He was given two options: hospital to check his blood or jail. Apparently, he picked jail. Also, his license will be suspended for one year.

And thus concludes the story of how I got the drunk man off the road and saved Christmas!

New David Bazan Tunes

 Dave just played a show in Austin recently, and he played 4 new songs. Three of them I have heard before in concert, but the fourth one was really new even for me. So check them out at the link here.

The new songs in case you don't know them are as follows : Weeds in The Wheat, Please Baby Please, The Stiches and When We Fell.

Also Harmless Sparks is new as well, although he goes into a song from the ep during it as well.  

He did a bad bad thing...

So, I went downtown tonight with some friends.  I ended up meeting an amazingly beautiful 30 year old named Heather. We made out like high schoolers.  Obviously I am not the most monogomous man on the planet it seems. Come to find out she is married, but it seems very unhappy. My head says no, but my other head says fuck yeah! Not really asking for advice here, just hoping I avoid doing something really stupid. But as someone once said....the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. If you saw this woman's flesh, you would totally understand why I am weak.

Out with the old....

So.... big news for me this week. I bought a PS3.

Now, to the average Joe, this might not seem like news, but if you know me, you know I love my video games. And for the last 2 1/2 years, I've been totally engrossed in a little machine called the Xbox 360. Microsoft did give me a nice run for awhile there, but the tide is turning this year. I list here my top five reasons for a buying a PS3.

1) BluRay - Not much to say here. Toshiba started shutting down there HD-DVD plants about a month ago, officially ending the new format war and screwing Microsoft in the process. It was a pretty pointless game, considering now that Toshiba is manufacturing parts for Sony's players, but in any case, for hi-def, BluRay is victor.

2) Failure Rate - If you've ever heard and Xbox running, you know what I'm talking about. The PS3's noise is akin to a baby's sigh. Every single one of my friends has had to send in their Xbox at least once for some type of service or replacement. Put simply, them suckers run HOT. Luckily, I have never needed a repair, but the PS3's 0.02% failure rate still makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

3) PlayStation Network - Not only are the PS3's online capabilities free (Xbox Live is $50/yr), there is also an internet browsing client included. For a system so focused with online interaction, it never occurred to me why the Xbox had not included this. I have also played a fair amount of COD4 on both systems now, and have had a more enjoyable experience on the PS3, which, did I mention was free?

4) Games - Exclusivity is the name of the game when it comes to pigeonholing the gaming market, and Microsoft certainly had their basket full for the last couple years. I know I bought my Xbox to play Halo 3, and so did everyone else. But this year shows much promise for the PS3, with some stellar exclusives like Killzone 2 and Resistance 2 and finally.....

5) LittleBigPlanet - If you haven't seen anything on this game, you must watch the video I posted below right now. All the levels will be created by users, uploaded, played, and voted on by the community. Everyone makes their own unique character and it's just the most fucking amazing game ever! You are literally only limited in this game by your imagination. It is the #1 reason I bought the PS3.



So there you have it. I have, as my Xbox loving friends say, "gone to the dark side." But in that case, I'm willing to bet Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is gonna look better on my system.

Jeff shouldn't be the only one venting.

I have a few issues of my own that I am not sure how to handle. I haven't been in the best of spirits this weekend. I am flat broke, and zero gas in my car. It's been a few weeks since I have worked, and the savings I did have are long gone due to rent, bills and various other shit. Freelance video isn't always steady, and with the economy in the shitter, no one is really beating down my door to get work.

So here is my issue: I live with 3 people. One of them being my girlfriend, and the other two being mutual friends. One sleeps on my couch, until he gets back on his feet and finds work. The other sleeps in the computer room. Now, my girlfriend is really good friends with one of the guys, thats how he came to live with us. He battled cancer, and had to take a leave of absence from school, so he lost his place. When he came back he asked if he could live with us for the remaining time he had in school. Anna asked me about it, and I said as long as he pays rent on time and is clean. Now in my mind.....on time means the 1st of the month. Not the next day, or a week later.

Well the first month, he didnt have money, so he only gave us $100. (His rent is $650, which includes utilities and internet) I assumed Anna would make sure he paid us the rest, but instead it seems we have covered his share.

The second roommate, is staying with us because he hd to have surgery, and he ended up losing his job, because of recovery time. So now he is looking for a chef job, and giving us what little money he can. But he cooks for us, and cleans things up, so it's not so bad. I know he is trying to get work, and it looks like it will happen.

Now, back to this other issue. This month has been tough on me. So rent time comes around, and Anna and I have to again cover rent because the other guy doesn't have his "big check". So I have to go broke, and on top of that my cell phone gets cut off. I have insurance due as well. Now, what I have neglected to mention is that this guy orders food from Pizza Hut EVERY SINGLE DAY! And they day he gets a check, he doesnt give us anything in rent, but has the audacity to ask me to take him to best buy so he can buy a video game. Knowing I am broke, with no cell phone, an barely any gas. This pisses me off to no end. Anna ends up taking him, not ever once telling him he should at least give us SOME money towards rent. Instead he spends close to $100 at best buy. I was livid, but didnt say a word. My other issues with this guy is that he never does shit. He stays in his room on the computer all day long. He is basically anti-social when we have parties. And on top of that..he never cleans anything. It's not that I dislike him as a person, he is really funny, and has good taste in movies. To me, he is taking advantage of our friendships to him.

My friends say I should just confront him, but there is one problem: Anna. Last time I said anything to her about it, she accused me of being mean, and I should be like that. That is fucking insane! Basically, I have no opinion in my own house. If I say anything, I am viewed as the asshole. So I don't know what to do right now. I just hate this situation I am in, and want out.

Sorry Folks, Enough With The Gay Jokes

Hi, again. I'm sitting in Introduction to Social Work, and I have to tell you, it's not as entertaining as it sounds. I was really interested in taking this class at the beginning of the semester. By now, all excitement has ceased. Systematic Theology II is next at 9:30 AM. Always way more fun, but I tend to explore online the same amount of time.

Since my first post, lots of things have changed. Last week during my Spring Break, I went to see Chase and Donna in Nashville. It was fun. We went to Louisville, KY, which is, sadly, the farthest north I have ever been.

I watched "No Country For Bored Men" with Chase and Donna. You get it. It was not that great. Sorry guys.

The biggest thing in my life is that I am no longer dating the black non-Christian girl. Ironically, she taught me more about Christianity than some believers have, certainly more about life than some really good friends have. In the disgustingly long conversation we had last night, I learned that I tend to use women. This was shocking to me. I should have figured it out; I mean, we've all heard my whore-stories. Yet, I thought I acted differently in college than I do now. But, I've just been lying to myself. It's the same. I'm the same. 18 and nearly 28. A decade of deception. Whether I was scared of commitment or feared something else, I would bail on the relationship before it went anywhere. For what reason? I'm still not sure. But instead of explaining the situation and addressing my fear to that girl, I always blame it on extraneous circumstances. In this case, it was her non-belief and my Dad's prejudice nature. I guess the root of the problem lies in that I can't see spending my life with one person. I still haven't found one person that I want to wake up next to for the rest of my natural life. And I always want to know that info before we even date. Maybe that's possible, maybe it's not. I've seen tons of examples from both camps. I'm learning to accept being wrong. So maybe I should just date tons of women? Maybe I should just be a hetero-life-mate to some strapping lad who will tolerate my elitism. Oh, back to the topic. Then in all of my relationships, the physical stuff happens, and we become content in substituting our friendship/makeoutship for a real relationships. Either way, I actually think I still like this lady, but I know that will fade. It always does. I led her on, when she was ready to explore the possibility of us. I was never ready. Perhaps I'll never be ready, for her or anybody else. We're two different people. By the time I'm ready, she'll be way ahead of me. I'm only chasing safety anyway.

I guess that little chunk of self-revelation was all I had to say. It's funny: I'm up with a little more than an hour sleep. It's hard to keep my eyelids open. It's hard to stay focused. I'm easily distracted. And I can actually see clearly. Oh, so clearly.

Life is a bitch.

Grumpy Old Fargo Territory Minus Bloody Snow

It started out simply. A suggestion was made. An agreement was reached. Four former college-mates would each view and initiate discussion on last year's well-endowed, well-received, highly lauded film, No Country for Old Men.


A DVD was rented. A plane flew overhead. Another terrorist plot was foiled. Popcorn was popped, refreshing beverages were poured. Lights dimmed. Actually, there was no popcorn. Perhaps, this was where everything went wrong.


Trailers such as one for National Treasure 2 seemed eerily anachronistic proceeding such a film as soon would air. We were taken from black like curtains drawn to a dusty desert landscape. Sunlight cracked through, just a soft shy hint would do. The first voice, nearly the first sound, was that of Tommy Lee Jones. All in attendance were calmed.


We were comforted because Tommy had never led us astray(with the forgivable exception of Man of the House). His voice uttered from those expanding sunlight craters like the very voice of God speaking from burning bush. We were intrigued to hear the story of his father and possibly his father before him, all having served nobly as agents of wrath, Texas' law men.


But nearly as soon as this lullaby hung lushly, there was another voice. This voice was not that voice. This one did not console us, it would render us helpless. It beckoned us to fear. We found this irresistible, this desire to learn what would happen to us. We had to look and as we looked things only became uglier and more wretched.


We hid and watched in secret like some kind of BTK-voyeurs. One man looked on just as we did, but his curiosity swallowed his survival instinct. As he interacted out-of-sight with this flesh-covered monster, an unsavory deal was brokered. The man would give his life for the flash-pan delusion of power and the vulgar intoxication of adventure.

Many others would fall prey, perhaps some were wholly victim, many others, ourselves included, had invited the terror by stalking the evil perversely. Then we awake from what we hope had only been a dream. I fear it was not.

Seriously, I enjoyed this though admittedly I got a little drowsy while watching it. I disagree with the academy on this one having seen most of the best picture nominees. I stand by my previous statement that Atonement was more deserving of the little golden man/fallic symbol.

I did appreciate seeing a new Coen brothers movie in the same ballpark as Fargo. I miss the bloody snow, all the "yah's" and head-nodding and William H. Macy in his underpants and chowtime with the knocked-up,on-duty,crime-solving Frances McDormand but most-of-all I miss the wood chipper.

Sighing...

Someone recently asked if I was going to see the new Indiana Jones movie this summer....

Top Summer Movies to Look Forward To

I am in a listing mood today, so I am going to post my usual list of most anticipated films of 2008. Please note I am not including the fall yet, since I haven't seen many trailers of fall movies yet. So this list covers now through August, in order of release.

The Ruins (April 4) - The novel scared the hell outta me. A very fresh tale of the horror genre, and quite possibly one of the most disturbing premises ever. If the film is anything like the novel, it's gonna be creepy as hell.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (April18) - Yet another comedy by the Apatow group. No reason why it won't be really really funny.

Iron Man (May 2) - I love Jon Favreau as a director. Never was a fan of the comic, but the movie looks promising, and I like seeing Robert Downey Jr in pretty much anything.

Prince Caspian (May 16) - Not sure how much of the Narnia series is going to translate into film. I consider some of the books unfilmable, but I will stick it out until they fuck it up. This one looks like it will be good though, assuming they don't keep trying to make it the next "Lord of the Rings".

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (May 22) - Can this day come fast enough? Obviously my most anticipated film of 2008, and my god did the trailer make me feel like I was a kid again! The iconic shot of Indy picking up his hat off the ground...holy shit! I was grinning like a kid again. Harrison Ford is the man, and we all know it!

The Happening (June 13) - The latest M. Night Shyamalan movie. The trailer and the premise of the movie is really interesting. I think it could be his best film yet.

Wall-E (June 27) - Is it even possible for Pixar to make a bad film? This one looks like alot of fun, and I am just amazed by the realism of their animation.

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (July 11) - Benn waiting for this one for awhile. I love the casting, the story, and the director. Should be a kick ass year for comic book films.

The Dark Knight (July 18) - Damn this movie is gonna rock my socks off! Heath Ledger as the Joker screams perfect casting, and I have said that from the beginning. It's just going to be a bittersweet movie to watch since it's his almost-final (and quite possibly his greatest) performance.

Choke (August 1) - Finally a new movie based off a Chuck Palahnuik novel! Is has Sam Rockwell in the lead role. So here is hoping it's as good as Fight Club.

Lincoln, Roosevelt and Obama?

When it comes to historic political speeches, they are few and far between. We read about the Gettysburg Address and the "Day of Infamy" speech, and feel inspired by their words. I always hoped that one day I would hear a speech that left that same feeling in my gut. Two days ago I got my wish. Barack Obama's "race" speech that he delivered recently is one of the most inspiring, honest speeches I have heard from a contemporary politician.

He certianly has my vote for the next President. Any doubt I ever had about his ablity to lead this nation has been dissolved. Watch the video if you haven't seen it yet, I would love to hear what you guys thought of it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/18/obama-race-speech-read-t_n_92077.html

Sleeping Pill

My day off last week did not go unpunished. I will be struggling this week to regain lost ground. With work, I am trying to find that cozy middle ground between getting so into the job that I burn out and being totally apathetic about it. I can't swear off off days. If anything, I faultered for not taking a mental health day sooner.

Friday we drove to Jackson where I finished reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower and began reading Girlfriend in a Coma. That night and then again on Saturday I spent a lot of time staring blankly into a computer screen intending to write, making little headway. This warranted frustration as did feeling like I can never determine which idea to pursue.

One plus. In between those two books I picked up Wide Open Spaces by Jim Palmer which I was already halfway through. It's a great book and I think much of the author, but I realized in going back to this that there is a certain kind of non-fiction that I do not wish to write. I've been reading fiction lately and comparatively I was bored. It seemed like clarity until I tried to explain it, then I was not as sure.

I awoke this morning at about 5:30 a.m. after a few hours sleep and ended up sitting in the bath for 3 hours reading Girlfriend in a Coma. I'm a 112 pages in now, it's great. I am aware now that fiction is sometimes the truest thing we have.

I was going to go back to sleep, at first, but then I had stayed up too long and we had planned to meet the dead-beat in law for lunch. On the way back to Nashville this afternoon, I myself was nearly comatose. I expected to conk out for the evening as soon as I could get our bags in. I did not. I have not. We watched Dexter, which is the best new show on free t.v. after which is when I arrived here in this seat to write this short story.

I don't think seven hours will be enough tonight. I can already hear the alarm.

Where My Money Goes

If you ever hear me complain about why I am broke, just take a look at my dvd shelves and you will see why. Yesterday I made a trip to one of the local used bookstores and to Best Buy. Or as I like to call them: My crack dealers.

Now the reason for going to the bookstore was to try and find the rest of the Preacher graphic novels. I have been trying to find them used, and so far I have gotten the first five volumes from this one store for around $7 each. Sadly, there were none to be found. But fear not! I did manage to make a few purchases anyways. So here is a list of what I bought, in case you guys care about material things.

Blasphemy, by Douglas Preston- a book by one of my favorite novelists. I am only 5 chapters in so I can't tell you too much about it.


No Country for Old Men - My favorite film of 2007. It was on sale this week at Best Buy so I had to pick it up. I plan to revisit it in the next few weeks.

Into the Wild- More than likely my second favorite film of 2007. If you have not seen this film, seriously stop what you are doing and go rent it. This is not an option. Everything about this film is perfect. The fact that it was pretty much ignored at the Oscars ( i.e No Best Picture, Actor, or Director), was a travesty.

Midnight Express - I have actually never seen this film before, but I have always heard it was incredible. Oliver Stone wrote the screenplay about this true story of a man imprisoned for smuggling hash, and the brutality and harshness of his incarceration.

Black Snake Moan - Nothing wrong with a half naked Christina Ricci chained up, and Sam Jackson playing the blues.

The Mosquito Coast- I am on a Harrison Ford kick lately. I am trying to watch alot of his early films, which tend to be better than most of his current work. But I guess we all need paychecks, even if it means starring in Firewall.

Murder in the First - Gary Oldman? Check. Kevin Bacon? Check. A film about the trial that shut down Alcatraz.

A Picture is Worth Five Dollars

In case any of you guys didn't know, Evelyn has been heavy into photography for a while, and a lot of it has rubbed off on me over the years. Back when I lived in Jacksonville, I started developing an idea for a book of which I brought up again and revised the idea with Evelyn last night.

The original idea was to go out and pay random homeless people $5 to let me take their picture and to tell me an interesting story, and eventually I would collect enough decent ones to put into a book for publishing. It didn't take long to realize that I was never going to actually perform on this one, whether the culprit was laziness or just a general fear of homeless people, I'll never be sure.

Our ideas last night were, I believe, on the verge of something greater. This is how it will work:

Step 1 - Find a random name and address from somewhere in this great United States. Mail that person $5 and a letter with an explanation and request for their picture, along with a story if they so choose. There will always be the option of them just throwing away the letter and keeping the money, but I'm still paying them pretty well for their time and energy.

Step 2 - There will be a website, apictureisworthfivedollars.com, which will be a hub for people to visit who have either received my $5 request or are interested in helping with the project themselves. To become an official "member" of the site, you need only to mail me a five dollar bill, which will in turn have its serial number recorded, and sent right back out to a random address with the picture request.

Step 3 - Every single submission we receive back will be posted for viewing on the site as a potential entry into the book and is available for voting upon only by paid members. If the entry that was sent back was a result of their personal money, their name will be printed at the bottom of that entry's page in the actual book. All submissions will be saved digitally on the website, and every submission we receive that was obtained through a member's personal money will have its original documents mailed to that said member. So in theory, it is possible to have the submission you "paid for" get printed in the book, you have the book on your coffee table one day, and you can say look, "I did this; here's the original. See my name there?"

I've still got a few kinks to work out of the plan, but I think it will work. Just wanted to get some feedback from some of the harshest critics I know: my bitches.

A Time Saving Tip

Do not go see 10,000 BC! It was awful in every way. The only thing that would have made it worthwhile is if when walking out of the theater I would have seen Doc Brown with the Delorean and somehow able to travel back in time. Or maybe Sam Beckett can "leap" into me two hours beforehand and buy a ticket to "Semi-pro" instead.

Apparently, Indenting is for the Gays

Part of my daily routine at work is checking frames that people bring in to ensure they are in a condition to be remade with new lenses. Lots of people like to do this to save money, and they can get pretty testy when they're told that their frames aren't up to snuff.

One of my coworkers, Marcel, who happens to be gay, was working with me last Sunday. He brought back a pair of glasses that were in pretty bad shape, and needless to say, I turned him down. Marcel is a great guy, and also very fashionable. He has several ear piercings and dresses very snappy. I have conversations about penises (penisi?) with him all the time. It is not hard for anyone to see that he is gay.

When he informed Mr. No Good Glasses, the ignorant white trash looked at him and fumed for a few seconds, and said the only thing a logical person could say:

"Well, that's okay, I don't like people with jewelry in their ears anyway."

McPasty's Big Day

So, big news. I quit my job. Yup, this morning I left the old quitting message on the supervisor's phone. Old trick comes in handy.

No, actually I've just taken the day off. It's the first day I've called out at this job and at six months that's a new world record. I've been thinking to take a day since Monday a week ago but have kept making myself go on in. I've been feeling pretty run down and haven't been very productive. I've consistently been performing far ahead of the curve and have not wanted to miss because I am competitive and didn't want to lose this. When I awoke today I knew it was just not happening. I made the call and slept until 11.

I've been stirring around, taking my time since then. We're having lunch soon and then are going to the bookstore and the park.

Yay!

The Tissue Issue

I would totally subscribe to Playboy if the paper they used in the magazine wasn't so crappy.

I just pre-ordered this book from Books-A-Million; I read about it in Wired and the excerpt sounded pretty interesting. Even so, I haven't decided if I will buy it or not when it arrives.

I also want to do a headcount of who has or has not seen No Country for Old Men. I know it just came out on video today and I was thinking we could post our thoughts on it this weekend. I'm going to rent it and probably watch it Thursday night.

"I Miss Those Summers Where Nothing Mattered More Than You"

Well look at these morose looking mofo's right here. I could have used profanity there, but decided not to because it sounded too harsh. Plus this is a reunion of sorts and we should be on our best behavior. I am fine with profanity, just so you know. Shit, ass, dick, hell, twat...oh, there's the line.

Hi guys.

I must admit, when Jed first presented the idea to me about a new blog I wasn't all that accepting. I had reservations. The crux of the problem would be in the lack of time I have to spare for things not work and school related. Yet, after having read all of your introductory posts catching up on life, how can I not blog now? These feels like old times. Just in case you are curious, To Whom It May Concern is still running. Running may be somewhat of a wishful term.

Okay, so to catch up on my life:

I will graduate with a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Seminary in December of this year. I then will do something for work for six months or so. At the moment (as things often change), I plan on attending Rice University to pursue a Ph.D. in Humanities as a Religious Studies major with a concentration in Modern Christianity in Thought and Popular Culture. I think my purpose in vocational work is to teach. I feel like for now it's high school, but after a doctorate, I may just want to teach at a university. Who knows, I could finish and decide to start a band.

I still attempt to write poetry and songs, but not as often as I once did.

A friend of mine gave me an XBOX for free a year ago. I play it on a regular basis at work. I take care of handicapped people for a job. It's cool. I get paid to sleep (albeit, it's barely minimum wage). I go to school full time too. I have no life.

I still read a bunch, but it's mostly for school. I have been reading "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens for a couple of years now. It is dreadfully boring. Other than that, I have been reading "Race Matters" by Cornel West recently. It's good, but a little depressing, too. I don't really enjoy feeling like crap because of my ignorant ancestry. But really, who does?

I am dating a girl who I am crazy about, but she is nothing like me. She's black, essentially a spiritualist who is not a Christian, and very much set in her ways (okay, so maybe we share certain qualities). But she is fun and she gets me. I don't know if I've ever experienced that before. She's also a distraction, and that has been a problem lately.

An indie flick I watched a couple weeks ago called Rocket Science was amazing and I highly recommend it to you all. I also just watched American Gangster and was a little disappointed.

I still drive the tan 1994 Nissan Altima. It has 221,000 miles on it. I feel like it's going to die any day now.

This is far too long.

I miss you guys and think fondly of our days in that very small town.

Assuming you still haven't seen it, Jeff, this is for you.

Testicular Torsion!!

I thank God I don't have that problem. I must add though TT is the single greatest thing you'll ever put your ears to, give this hot new speed metal act a listen.


No, not really.


We were watching ye Romeo and Juliet when agast I could not focus due to overwhelming diversion into the metaphysical and subsequent feelings of depression. I needed to distract my mind which is why I sat down here at the computer.


I too can be easily summarized into a list of 9 or 10. So,


1. I believe myself to have been a needy guy when you all last knew me. I believe I'm not now. Funny story, once a year into college I ran into a guy I knew from high school. I wanted him to know that I had changed. I was trying to explain this to him but I think he thought I was telling him I was gay.


2. My brother, 15, will be coming to stay with us this summer. I think that my mom is trying to see if it would work for him to live with us. This is something we are excited at the prospect of, because his life there with my dad sucks.


3. Presently am listening to and enjoying Johnny Cougar's "I Need a Lover".


4. The truth is probably that I need an anti-depressant. Does anyone understand what it means to be pleased with your life but feel like there's a foot in your brain holding your mood under?


5. I hope you don't, but I resent anyone who assumes the problem is beyond chemical.


6. I no longer fear checking the mail or answering the phone because we are now out of credit card debt. Though a ringing phone is still the single most nerve-wracking noise.


7. After 7 moves in 2 years, we've been appreciating stability this past year. That stability is afforded to us by my first decent job. I still do not know what I want to be when I get grown, but right now not worrying about food or bills feels like a high calling.


8. Got job-quitting stories? I do. Ask me sometime when you'd like a laugh.


9. We are into recycling and tend to other eco-concerns. Donna's mom calls us "green" like that's a bad thing.


10. Still no pets or kids (that I know of).

11. I couldn't stand to be boxed in to a 10 item list or to name only one movie so...I liked Atonement, Juno, and U2 3D. Also, I read 75 books last year but so far this year only 3. A goal I have this year is to read more contemporary fiction. I'll post a list later of books in progress and books intended, as well as others considered.

I miss you guys, my friends. I've made other friends out of co-workers and such but all seem lame substitutes. Thanks for setting the bar so high. Really. Anyway, this new endeavor here is pretty exciting for those kind of reasons.

The Rundown Lowdown

In case I didn't tell you on the phone, I'm so into conforming right now. That being said, let me do what Justin did...

1. The last few years have consisted mainly of working at Lenscrafters and putting up with Evelyn as she finishes school.... Of course I'm joking, but it has been a trying time and I am very thankful that she is graduating this May. We are still very much in love, celebrating our fifth year together, and preparing for our wedding next spring, which I hope you all will attend.

2. I've been playing lots of video games lately, some of my favorites being Call of Duty 4 and World of Warcraft. I was very excited for a time about BioShock, a game I have since bought and sold, yet I will always stand behind it as the greatest game of all time. It was truly a work of art if a video game can be called such.

3. My reading has fluctuated with my school attendance, revolving almost entirely around comics and R.A. Salvatore's Legend of Drizzt saga. Salvatore has created some amazing characters so far in this series, and in 20 books so far, I'm on #16 and going strong. I've read all the comics Justin mentioned, with Y: The Last Man being my favorite. Y's writer, Brian K. Vaughn has recently started writing for my favorite tv show ever, Lost. And here's one you can appreciate Justin: I own every single issue of Walking Dead from one to current, and #2 is signed by Tony Moore!

4. My drink of choice is 108 proof Wild Turkey bourbon and my pipe of choice is filled with ice water. My current codeword for marijuana is "Teddy Ruxpin." I'm not sure if that means I really am in love with Jeff or not.

5. The last five albums I've loved, and in no particular order, are as follows: Autumn of the Seraphs / Pinback, The City the Forest / Julius Airwave, Carmina Burana / Carl Orff, Cease to Begin / Band of Horses, and Dead Ringer / RjD2.

6. Since Justin set the stage to only recommend one movie, I'm going to have to stick with my guns and go with Beowulf 3D. I know, I know it sounds lame, but if you had a chance to see this in the theater in 3D, you know what I'm talking about. It was a fine piece of movie and even made me forget I was watching CG every once in a while. And who doesn't love a partially nude Angelina Jolie?

7. We've had a cat for three years now named Pops. His name was officially Thepope, but then the real Pope died and we changed it. He's also very fat. Not as in also I am fat, but as in also his name was Thepope.

8. I own at Guitar Hero.

9. My hair has gone from down to my nose, to the Brad Pittish trim and everywhere in between. It currently resides almost entirely in the vicinity of what you see on my profile page.

10. My future plans involve moving back to Jax this summer and attempting to open a video games/comics hybrid store with my friend Clinton. I am very excited and very nervous, and hopefully I will one day post a picture of our Grand Opening on this very blog.

If you skipped to the end of this post instead of reading everything, at least go back and read #8, and then cower before me.

Whats new with me.

Whats up guys? Personally I think this idea is pretty damn brillant, since we are all scattered in different parts of the country. So here is a little list of whats been going on in my world, everything from movies to career.

1. I am now involved with two film production companies trying to get films off the ground and make money in the process. We have a short horror film called "The Letter" that we are basically making as a resume of sorts. The general idea is to make this short with no budget and then have our contact guy get it in the right hands,
which could mean a picture deal with Lionsgate.

2. Since living in Orlando I am driving my third car. I drove a 98 Grand Am, then a 99 Corolla and now I am driving a white 98 Firebird 5 speed. Best car I have ever owned, looks pretty badass too.

3. My dvd collection is close to 1000 strong.

4. Since getting involved in filmmaking, I have filmed live perfomances of David Bazan, Lucero,
BB King and Gasoline Heart. I still mantain contact with everyone except for BB King.

5. Speaking of music, over the past year I have discovered some great new bands. Lucero,
Gasoline Heart, Reckless Kelly, and The Frames. I find my musical tastes has gotten much more
mellow and southern as of late.

6. Also 2007 marked the first year in awhile that I was not able to go see the Dave Matthews Band
live. I hope this isnt the same for 2008.

7. On to good movies.....if you have not seen "No Country for Old Men", do so next week when it
comes out on dvd. I can't get enough of that movie.

8. I have also gotten into reading comics (mostly graphic novels). "Preacher" is highly recommended, and in my opinion one of the best stories ever printed to page. I am also a big fan
of "The Walking Dead", which is by far the best stories involved zombies EVER! Others I read are
"The Boys", anything written by Alan Moore, and I am about to start reading " Y: The Last Man".

9. I am also reading novels by S.M Stirling, George R. R. Martin and various books about films or
filmmaking. The Martin book series is mind blowing.

10. My most anticipated movie of 2008 is "Indiana Jones and the really long title", or just Indy 4.


There are a few things to get you guys caught up on whats new and interesting in my life. I miss all of you
and I hope all is well.

If you guys don't already use this site, start now. You'll thank me.



Just do what it says.

Hey guys, this is pretty much it for now; I'm going to create a new template soon, but I wanted to get us started quickly so deal with it.

It's good to be back in business. Love you guys.