Resolute Subsistence

Life and a date

2010-08-06T23:37:00.004-05:00

I used to think that life was normal when nothing bad was happening. So, negative circumstances were just a break from normality until things could be patched back up. I'm pretty sure that I viewed life as right and wrong, too. When nothing bad was happening, life was right. When bad things happened, life was wrong. In my somewhat older years I've learned what a fallacy this is.

Life is life regardless of its content. What matters is how you respond to it.

In an unrelated note:
I took my future wife to dinner and a movie tonight. It was therapeutic. She is incredible. The Bible talks about a wife of noble character being hard to find. It is true. And I have found one.

With all the insanity that is taking place it was good to turn our phones off and just enjoy each other. We got excited about the wedding again. Wedding talk makes her smile and it was so good to see. She has such a radiant smile.

Kids book

2010-07-27T13:53:00.002-05:00

I wrote a children's book yesterday. It's for my neighbors, Lucy and Ruby. They're 6 and 4 or so.

Last week they brought over a tomato and bell pepper that they grew in their yard. Honored by the gift I came up with a story entitled "Robert Tacoma McGee and the Extraordinary Vegetables". After I finish the copy, I'll illustrate it and deliver it. It could be better, but here's a trial run::

The Adventures of Robert Tacoma McGee and the Extraordinary Vegetables

This is Robert Tacoma McGee.

Robert is an extraordinary gentleman with many wonderful talents.

He is an expert angler and once caught a 10,000 pound freshwater seabass tuna shark whale fish.

He is a professional juggler, part-time, on the weekends for fun and once juggled three cats a chainsaw and a birdcage.

He has a laser sharp sense of sight and can read eye charts from clear across the country while blindfolded.

Yes, Robert is quite an impressive specimen.

Everyone likes Robert. And Robert likes everyone.

One day while Robert was working in his three time award winning rose garden, he was approached by two small nomads. One had red hair. One had blond hair. Neither of them had beards.

Puzzled by the presence of the two small creatures, he was handed one tiny tomato and one tiny bell pepper. Then, just as quickly as they had come, the nomads were gone, with only the hint of a miniature giggle left in their wake.

Sensing that these vegetables were no ordinary veggies and that they must have been grown with the utmost of care, in only the most exquisite of dirts, in only the best growing conditions, Robert set out to partake of his newly acquired organic vittles.

Upon a single taste of the tiny tomato and the petite pepper, Robert yelled at the top of his lungs with as much exuberance and excitement and bliss and joy and happiness as he could muster:
“These are the most extraordinary vegetables that I have ever tasted in my entire life, this side or that side of the Mississippi!!!”

The enormity of Robert Tacoma McGee’s shout was so loud and so boisterous that it shattered every window in the house, awakened his sleeping Labradoodle, melting the refrigerator and startled his wife, Janet, so badly that she jumped clear through the roof

Robert had never tasted such scrumptiousness and it was then and there that he knew that though he would go on to live many great and wonderful adventures full of swashbuckling and ice cream, he would never again experience a ground grown product that would rival the impeccable nature of those grown by the two small nomads.

In a moment of intense glee, Robert cried the first and last tear he would ever cry; a single tear of joy and thankfulness. He would always remember the tiny tomato and the petite pepper as the most delicious delight that had ever tickled his taste buds.

The End

Bookshelf

2010-07-26T11:36:00.002-05:00

There's a fine line between breakdown and breakthrough.

I built a bookshelf this weekend. It was a breakthrough.

The cuts weren't perfect and I immediately noticed a few things I would have done differently were I to, for some reason, do it again. But, the act of building, of using my hands to create, fashion, and mold something into existence felt right.

I need more of that in my life. I don't know how or what. I just want to make stuff.

There's a bright side.

2010-07-05T12:01:00.003-05:00

Just got off the phone with a guy behind an 800 number at State Farm today. His name is David. David informed me that my home owners insurance covers the stolen items from my car. However, it doesn't cover the broken window and the deductible is $1000.*

Ironic because the other day I had $1000 burning a hole in my pocket and I couldn't figure out how to spend it. After sorting through options like paying bills, purchasing paint and other items to fix up the house, or buying food, I actually decided that I would prefer to just pay for items that I have already paid for. So, thanks for helping me find a solution to this terrible problem, David.**

*True
**Not at all true

I have a case number

2010-07-03T17:37:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, after dinner with Meredith I arrived at my car to find my window broken and my bag taken.

It wasn't just a bag, the likes of which carried my computer and books. It was a treasure; a gift to me from my future wife. It took a long time to find before purchasing and many other bags were dismissed in the process. It was American made. It was of the highest craftsmanship. Not to wax nostalgic, but it was a legacy piece. The kind of object your grandchildren revel over as it is passed down through the generations. While it's original price tag was certainly not inexpensive, it maintained the kind of value that can't be measured over 50 years.

The thought of losing not only my bag, but also my computer and camera which contained pictures from the last year is hard to come to grips with. I could care less about the hardware. It's annoying, but they're replaceable. However, I'm not sure there's a sum I wouldn't pay to regain those images.

All the books in the world

2010-07-02T12:31:00.002-05:00

The thing about learning is that it's not retroactive.

I thought about building a time machine in the back yard this afternoon.

Only thing about that is that at some point you'd probably want to go back in time to the point when you invented the time machine and not do it so you could just go about living your life.

8317

2010-06-30T11:20:00.002-05:00

Morbid as it may sound, we do some of our best living when we're thinking about dying. When we really think about the reality of our final day, our final breath and it's unknown time and place it's tough not to squirm a little. As a Christian, the discomfort lies not in what's on the other side. I could get used to an eternity with Christ free from the burdens of this world. What makes me anxious is the value of my years here.

I recently listened to a talk from Donad Miller where he posed a question something to the effect of, If you died today what/who would suffer as a result of your work no longer being done? It hit me hard. It's easy to think of people that would be said if I died as a person. But, as a worker? As a contributor to society? Surely there's more to it than clients having to take their needs elsewhere. There's got to be more value to work than that. There's got to be more to work than making a living, or even the most noble of tasks... providing for a family. There's got to be. I haven't reached a conclusion yet, but I will find a way to make my work really matter. There's no reason not to.

Tim's one year older than he used to be party

2009-04-17T09:12:00.003-05:00

Sometimes it's good to be the bad guy and chase Spider Man around in the yard.

The Girl Effect

2009-04-13T19:10:00.001-05:00

One of the most incredible presentations of any kind that I've ever seen.
Such a brilliant concept...

SAMBA

2009-03-12T00:23:00.004-05:00

At some point I plan on starting a company. Not sure what it will do or what purpose it will serve yet. My motivation is the challenge... I just want to know if I'm capable of creating an organization that profits from leaving the world better than it found it. Most days I think there's no other option but to try.

I found this article by Allan Young very enlightening. Start-up Myth

Tink Tink Tink Tink... Over Here

2009-03-07T09:59:00.006-06:00

I've been working hard with the guys on putting together the first A Bryan Photo workshop and the website is finally complete. Branden did an amazing job with the design and we're super pumped about the event. Check it out... www.abryanphotoworkshops.com

Ultraforce

2009-02-27T15:28:00.003-06:00

It's always good to find out that people you share a name with are out there in the world making stuff like this a reality...

Ultraforce 1 from Superego on Vimeo.

Mini Saga: Jeff Dunhill

2009-02-22T14:24:00.004-06:00

I smoked a cigarette one time just to see if I would become addicted. That's the kind of thing you do when you live in Nebraska. You try stuff. Invariable boredom has to be trumped by entertainment at all costs and I left very few stones unturned. The encounter with the cigarette was much like many of the others, cool at first, but with a bitter ending that deemed the entire experience unrepeatable. I couldn't decide which was worse, the smell or the taste. Both followed me around like a buzzard eyeing a sick animal and getting rid of them was the task of heavy scrubbing and numerous Listerine irrigations. Following the smoke, I took a shower and purified my body from head to toe. I should have used a steel bristled brush and some mineral spirits instead of the bar of soap I stole from a cheap hotel. But, it did the job. At least I didn't smell like my Uncle Luke anymore. He used to pick us up from school and I'm pretty sure that's where I learned to hold my breath for so long. His red Chrylser LeBaron smelled permanently of fast food and Camel Lights and I tried to inhale as infrequently as possible when we rode with him. That should have been enough of a deterrent on it's own, but I forgot. So, I had a whole pack of cigarettes minus one.

In the basement of the Grand

2009-02-21T09:13:00.004-06:00

Cirque is coming to Birmingham!

Their show, Jungle Fantasy, will be at the BJCC on March 10-15. It looks incredible and I'm really looking forward to it. Tickets are on sale HERE.

www.jcarter.squrespace.com

2009-02-14T13:28:00.004-06:00

In a sudden and slightly annoying turn of events, I am looking for another roommate at my house. I created a website with the details. Check it out...

Room for Rent

Ireland

2009-02-13T09:46:00.004-06:00

My last post generated some very interesting feedback and struck a chord with several people that has led to some great conversation. I'm glad to know that there are others who enjoy the same kind of connections. The wealth of knowledge that exists in our world is overwhelming. We know that. But, how we boil down this ocean of facts, figures, emotions, arts, ideas, communities and communications is what makes the difference in it being useful or excessive. People are what make it possible. I've been reading Daniel Pink's, A Whole New Mind, the last couple of days. In it he makes the very obvious but often forgotten point that human minds are still more useful in right brain applications than computers. For the most part, we've been beaten badly by our machines in left brain computations and linear thinking. But, in areas of analysis and discernment there's no comparison, nor does there seem to be one coming in the future. Point is, though our monitors display an endless amount of information, it's connections to people that make it all real. Connections to emotion and thought make book referrals worth it. The really great connections happen between two, maybe three people, not between the millions who buy the same best seller.

Design, Habits, and Storytelling

2009-02-11T09:30:00.004-06:00

I recommend a lot of books to a lot of people. Typically, I'm reading something and it reminds me of a conversation I've had with a friend so I drop everything and call, text, or e-mail them. Sometimes the book rec is warmly received and I hear back about how much they enjoyed it. Most of them the time it's, "Oh that's cool, I'll have to check that out," and we all know what that means. It's understandable, though. Suggesting to someone that they spend a significant chunk of their time on something they may or may not enjoy is a lot to ask, especially if they didn't discover the book on their own.

In the past, I've tried to think of ways to create a group of people focused on learning from books. Essentially a book club, but less nerdy and never referring to itself as such. But, people don't seem to "have the time" for that kind of archaic mind work. I realized today that all I'm looking for is a connection. Someone to call when I read a great story by Gladwell or a practical insight from Babauta and have them say "yeah, I loved that part, too" or "I haven't gotten there yet", or "I hated that part". These kind of connections are rare, but so valuable when they happen.

under the counter, literally

2009-01-28T23:44:00.003-06:00

If you're sick and want to try something that will soothe your body and calm you down, try oregano tea. I guess you could drink it if you're not sick. But, I have a cold right now, which is why I am. Oregano oil can be bought at places like whole foods and you just put it in hot water. Then drink it. Maybe it's not really tea. Actually, come to think of it, it's not tea at all because there's no tea leaves involved. But, what else am I supposed to call it?

brick walls and dirt bikes

2009-01-26T09:14:00.005-06:00

FAILblog never ceases to amaze me. I think we've all done plenty of things in our lives that could be posted. Here's a great example...

see more pwn and owned pictures

And this...

how about this? sure, that sounds good.

2009-01-21T06:00:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I went with Robby down to the local paper store to try and find some boxes for a project we're working on.

We didn't find the boxes, however, we did some great deals on cut-outs of Marilyn Monroe and a Tyrannosaurus Rex, which we appropriately named Trex Jenkins.

We proceeded to do this with them...

Marilyn and Trex from A Bryan Photo on Vimeo.

swanky tricks

2009-01-20T12:40:00.002-06:00

Another trip to Atlanta... this time Caleb, Rob, Bryan and I went to the Southern Weddings Magazine release party. We are so excited about the work these have girls done. These are definitely some of my favorite people...

ice cream and screaming

2009-01-19T17:55:00.002-06:00

A couple months ago Josh, Bryan and I went to Atlanta to take care of a little thing we call, business. Along the way we stopped off at Bryan's brother's house and I had a conversation with Scott, Bryan's nephew. Maybe one of the cutest kids ever...

HMS

2008-12-18T22:56:00.005-06:00

I've known Josh Hausen for longer than I've not known Josh Hausen. His family moved to Birmingham from Florida when we were in the fourth grade and we've been hanging out ever since. We went to the same elementary school, high school, and college. I'm not really sure how it happened, but we always seemed to end up in the same places. After we graduated from Samford in 2005, we ended our streak and took jobs with different companies. But, lo and behold a few years later I found myself working with him at A Bryan Photo.

Josh is a pretty awesome guy and recently he decided that he would like to marry his lady friend, Laura, and I couldn't be more excited for them. Laura is one of the coolest girls you'll meet and it's so obvious that they make each other very happy. On Monday Josh took Laura to New York with our good friends, Caleb and Laura, to pop the question. She said yes.

So, of course we were forced to make a video...

Josh is Engaged!!! from A Bryan Photo on Vimeo.

More story and pictures here... Josh is engaged!!!

Books on the floor

2008-12-18T06:46:00.003-06:00

I typically try to be a little more original that stealing someone else's blog and posting it on mine. But, Seth Godin's post today is too good to pass up...

The best and the brightest

Here's a piece of (quite) good news:

The smartest and most motivated young people are no longer itching to become investment bankers and lawyers. We're always hearing about a shortage of engineers or nurses--but there never seems to be a shortage of people eager to work 90 hours a week helping to move money from one pile to another.

Applications to work on the Obama team are over 300,000 (up from about 44,000 at this point in the Bush administration). Students are deciding to become fellows at Acumen or to set up innovative small businesses or volunteer their time or bootstrap a music career. Perhaps we're on the verge at getting much better at making useful things, spreading ideas that matter and helping people, and not quite so good at leveraging capital for financial institutions. Imagine what would happen if 5,000 investment bankers or 500 M & A lawyers put their talents to work doing something else...

As I look through all the notes and applications I received for the program I'm running next year, I'm not just optimistic. I'm thrilled. There must be hundreds of thousands of movers and shakers out there, people of all ages who are smart and get things done. And more and more, they're being motivated by the quest, or the outcome, or the people they work with, not just the cash payout. It's exciting beyond words. The ten people I've chosen are just astonishing, each and every one of them.

If you can't find people like these, you're not looking in the right places. And if you can't figure out how to work with them, you're missing out.

Da Bears................. Da Bulls

2008-12-13T15:07:00.003-06:00

How to turn the annoying circumstances of daily life in Chicago into great fun...

Negative: The sidewalk is covered in a thick sheet of ice making it nearly impossible to walk without slipping in your nearly treadless dress shoes.

Positive: Find a dry patch of sidewalk to run on and gain speed before jumping on the ice and sliding for 20 or so feet down the street.

It was a lot of fun.

The Hat Book

2008-12-09T15:00:00.003-06:00

Got to spend some time with my good friends, David and Jen Blumberg, yesterday and today in Nashville. David is an incredible designer and one of the most creative people I've ever met. Time with him is always good. He also introduced me to a new photographer, Rodney Smith. Not in person, but this guy is quickly becoming my favorite photographer of all time.

Aside from seeing David, I came to Nashville to meet with some event planners and tell the A Bryan Photo story. I met with Rachel Hawkins of Something Blue today and it was incredible. We talked for two hours and I am really impressed with what she's doing and her vision for her company. I wish I could meet a lot more like her.

Headed to Chicago tonight. Staying with Clay Willingham and meeting with more event planners til Friday. If you're in the Chicago area and want to hang out, let me know!

Ning

2008-12-06T19:30:00.004-06:00

I am realizing more and more that leadership is not an accident.
It requires effort and practice. A lot of effort and practice.

A good friend of mine reminded me this week of the phrase, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." For all intents and purposes, it's true. No matter what you do, you can't make decisions for people. But, in some ways it misses the point. The point is to get them to drink. The point is to develop enough trust and relationship that they're willing to follow through on what is best for them.

Challenging people to grow and leading them to change isn't necessarily complicated. At it's core, the biggest thing it requires is compassion. Compassion moves us to see others succeed and reach the potential that they don't even know they have. It's the common trait of the leaders I follow and, is hopefully, what I offer to those who I lead.

For me, the compassion I want to have is derived from Jesus Christ, as I've found no love that compares with his. His authentic zeal for people coupled with intentionality allows us to make a real impact. It allows us to be true agents of change, and we can't help but be drastically changed, ourselves, in the process.

floor B

2008-11-11T18:42:00.002-06:00

Recently, Robby, Bryan and I made a video for our good friends at Southern Weddings Magazine. Here's what we ended up with...

The SW IT LIST Scooter Tricks from A Bryan Photo on Vimeo.

For more, check out the ABP post, HERE.

Two other good ones

2008-11-11T01:23:00.003-06:00

Great news for Gladwell fans...

Outliers

On sale November 18th!

roygBiv

2008-11-08T13:23:00.001-06:00

I sometimes wonder if anyone is listening.

pillows on the floor

2008-11-06T00:04:00.003-06:00

Matthew Mayfield and Griffin House are playing a concert at our studio...

Click here for details

seriously

2008-11-03T22:33:00.003-06:00

Someone stole my iphone today.
I can't quite express how irritating that is. It's not just for the sake of a phone or for stuff or for the money I'll lose.
It's the injustice, the inconvenience and my loss of connection to people.
It'll all work out, but it's so frustrating.

Don't forget to vote tomorrow. Contrary to many opinions I've heard recently, just because you don't like either candidate doesn't mean you shouldn't vote. That's why they created the write in.

Chaz Morell

2008-11-02T01:06:00.001-05:00

Sometimes you just gotta rock out a Halloween party...

Sometimes Robby does stuff like this

2008-10-31T10:01:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween...

A Bryan Zombie from A Bryan Photo on Vimeo.

5 Points Grill and Starbucks... Thanks.

2008-10-30T12:55:00.005-05:00

It's a lot easier to be guarded, to put up a front that ensures your faults go unnoticed and your flaws unobserved. It's not hard to ensure that conversations stay shallow and that friendships float happily on the surface.

But, the people that really connect, the people that build the most fulfilling relationships, the people that are able to lead movements and instigate eternal change are the real ones. The ones unafraid to dive deep, to be vulnerable, to expose wounds and, consequently, to bandage and not salt the wounds of others.

maybe it won't happen

2008-10-28T02:03:00.003-05:00

Sometimes people say socialism looks good on paper.

No it doesn't.

Even on paper the incentive to do anything and the consequences of doing nothing are absent.

2008-10-26T12:02:00.002-05:00

If losing half of the contacts in your cell phone is frustrating, losing all of them twice is enough to make you crazy. It's not that bad and I think I can get half of them back again, but in my contact-centric business and social life, it's not fun.

When I got my beloved iPhone I was only able to transfer 250 contacts over from my defunct Blackberry because of the capacity of the SIM card. Not having the time to go through and delete all the superfluous numbers, I was forced to lose a bunch I needed and keep a bunch I didn't. Oh well. Knowing that I could create a Facebook group to get everyone's number back, but knowing I never would because of the cliche factor, my hand was forced.

In an unknowingly bold effort to streamline my technology and obtain the ability to play music on the iPhone's built in iPod, I decided to hook it up to my iTunes. Wow, iConfusion. Bascially, all that did was lock it up so tight that I couldn't do anything including make calls, receive calls or use the interface. Had I needed 911, I would have been screwed.

So, I took it to the big silver box at the Summit and they promptly Restored it. Restored is code word for erase everything and start over. Fortunately, I was able to get my contacts back (the remaining 250) and go on with life as usual.

Recently, I decided I would try it again. I just had to have music and audiobooks on my phone. Having upgraded my iTunes to the newest version, it should have been no problem, right? And, it wasn't. It sync'd up like a champ. Gigs of music and educational material were placed on the device and I was pretty pumped.

Until it decided to upgrade the software on said device. Knowing I needed the software update for things like better battery life and increased functionality, I agreed to the screen's request. This decision, however, sent the world of technology down a winding road or pain and torment... again. PC and iPhone exchanged words, went to battle, and the resulting carnage was stale mate... again.

Back to the big silver box, back to having no contacts. Apparently, PC and iPhone don't like each other. It's like the commercials only more bitter and only the customer loses.

All that to say, I hope to get part of my contacts back again. However, if you have called me in the last week or so and I haven't called you back, that's why. So, if you're friends or family and you want me to have your number, please call or text or e-mail or something it to me. I would call someone to get your number... but I don't have their number.

Thanks.

Capital H

2008-10-15T00:33:00.002-05:00

Will be joining this club soon...

http://www.junkycarclub.com/

Such a great concept.

three iii's

2008-10-13T22:24:00.004-05:00

Seth Godin's new book, Tribes, comes out on Thursday. I got a chance to read a copy and it doesn't disappoint. Seth leaves his usual world of marketing and writes about leadership using the model of a tribe. In typical Godin fashion it's a quick read packed full of practical and brilliant ideas.

Check it out...

the dominant black cats

2008-10-11T20:11:00.011-05:00

Back in May I started dating this beautiful girl...

And tonight while watching football, we decided to make our own football team. Here's the lineup we came up with, in no particular order or position:

God - because he's unbeatable
Mary Jane Carter (my grandmother) - because she loves watching football and Thanksgiving
Mike Huckabee - because he's awesome and beautiful
Kevin Spencer - because we saw his magic show on Friday night
Chuck Norris - because
Beth Meadows - because the team will inevitably get hungry
Jay Barker - because he will always be our role model
Captain Hook - because of the hook
My mom's dog, Toby - because he always wears a helmet
This guy - because we want to keep the team's creepy factor at sustainably high levels
Harry Potter - because he can expelliarmus

On the PowerShot

2008-10-10T08:07:00.005-05:00

As mentioned in the previous post, Delicate Luxury, I started a new job not too long ago. So far, it's been great. I've been working really hard and having a lot of fun. Since it's difficult to display the work I've been doing, I'll just show the fun I've had.

Three of the guys I work, Jeremiah, Branden, and Caleb, have all gotten engaged in the last two months. It's ridiculous. In honor of this ridiculousness, Robby and I decided to make these very special videos...

Jeremiah is Engaged!!! from A Bryan Photo on Vimeo.

Branden is Engaged!!! from A Bryan Photo on Vimeo.

Caleb is Engaged!!! from A Bryan Photo on Vimeo.

Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso

2008-10-09T11:25:00.007-05:00

Two things happened since my last post.

1. I went to Zambia
2. I went to a Hanson concert

One of those two things should come as some surprise to you, but I can assure you I had reason for both.

If you've ever been on a mission trip before you know that there is one question that you will be asked until you've seen or talked to everyone who knew you were going... How was your trip?

It's an innocent question, one that I'm glad people ask because it shows that they care. But, it's a tough one to answer. As much as I've thought about it, I still don't really know what to say. It feels like trying to tell someone what color a painting is... Well, um, there's lots of colors and there's different shades within those colors and some of them run together, and some of them have distinct lines separating them and... it doesn't make sense to either you or the person you're trying to explain it to.

The truth is the trip was hard, challenging, fun, stretching, hilarious, beautiful, disgusting, smelly, dirty, interesting, frustrating, long, hot, physically taxing, educational, convicting, eye opening, heart warming, confusing, ridiculous, blessed, encouraging, overwhelming and strange. How do you wrap all that up into a quick answer?

Overall, I saw God do some really cool stuff in my life, in my team's life, in the Zambian pastors, and in the hearts of the people we were ministering to. In those terms, it was "successful" if you can measure these things in terms of success and failure. Logistically, it was a nightmare. We signed up for orphan ministry and spent probably 4 hours in an orphanage the entire 10 day trip. Our plans changed, our itinerary was wrecked and our transportation arrangements consistently plagued us with problems. Flexibility was not an option. It was go with the flow or be miserable.

The intent of our mission was to equip the local pastors so that they could continue the ministry efforts we started. We had hoped to eliminate the typical white man comes in, drops off clothes and leaves like Santa Claus, only you won't see him again next year. I'm not sure they got it. For the most part, they just wanted money. Whether through western TV evangelists or misguided teaching, they have adopted a money equals souls mentality. Strange, given that they don't have any.

It brought about a lot of questions and challenged my way of life and way of thinking. I didn't leave Zambia with the happy God feeling that I have in trips past. Not that I wasn't happy with God, but past trips have left my experiences with God almost completely internal. Mission trips affected MY relationship with God and MY needs and MY experiences. But, they rarely left me looking outward. I am convinced that an inward gospel is a garbage gospel. Complete garbage. The Bible is redundantly clear that we are to go (Matt 28:19 , Prov 14:31, Luke 6:19-31, Psalm 140:12, I Sam 2:8) . That we are to help. That we are to give. That we are to sacrifice. That we are to die. The inward gospel that I've preached to myself and heard preached so many times does not address the needs of other people. Sure, it included loving my neighbor as myself and viewing others as better than myself.

But, it also included making sure that I was safe, secure and comfortable as often as possible and at whatever cost. It ensured that my needs were met first and that my time was organized as self first, others if I have the time. I don't believe that God has called us to a life of safety and security that our culture so highly values, that I so highly value, still. Paul made it very clear in II Corinthians that his ministry was not safe. He was often very uncomfortable. His point was not, Hey, if you're going to follow Christ you have to have the crap beat out of you and have no money and no place to live and get wrecked on a boat a lot. His point is that our hearts need to be willing to do whatever it takes to bring glory to God by making disciples of all nations, no matter what that costs.

The biggest question I came back with, was "what does this look like, God?" What does it look like for a mid 20's American to truly view himself as dead, a vessel to be used solely for the purpose of God? The practical side of me wants to know, do I sell my house, my car, everything I have like he commanded the rich guy in Matthew? Do I eat less, just enough to keep from being hungry so that I have more resources freed up to feed those who don't even have just enough? I have been barraged by questions of how and what I've come to realize is that I'm going to have to let him show me. It's become clear that I have to do something, though. Which leads me to event two... the Hanson concert.

How in the world did I end up in a room packed full of hyped up college age girls who still believe that they're going to marry one of the Hansons? Completely ridiculous. It started a couple years ago when Bryan shot Zack's wedding. They became friends and Bryan ended up shooting a project Hanson did in South Africa with Toms shoes. Basically, they raised a bunch of money and in collaboration with Toms (who gives away one pair of shoes for every pair that are purchased) were able to give out a ton of shoes. You can check out some shots here on the A Bryan Photo blog. When Hanson came to town the other night, Bryan got some back stage passes and several of the guys from our studio went. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.

After the show, we hung out with Taylor and Isaac for a little while and talked about the Africa project. It was amazing to see how much these guys are doing for the African people and how passionate they are about making a difference. Before each show they walk one mile barefooted through the streets of the city they're in to raise awareness and money for their ongoing shoe project. I was stunned. All these guys are doing is putting shoes on people's feet, but in doing so, they're living part of the Gospel better than I am, better than most Christians I know. God again reminded me of the sacrifice that I believe he is calling us to. Quite often, I've heard Christians criticize old school evangelism by saying, we have to meet their physical needs in order to reach them for the Gospel. And I've totally bought in. That was a huge part of Jesus' ministry. But, we're doing so little, if anything at all. We're not teaching people to read, or helping them find jobs, or caring for them when they're sick. We do it for our own, but for the world?

I don't know what all of this means for me. I hate the idea of coming back from a mission trip as a kamikaze Christian, acting like I'm sold out for Christ and anyone who didn't go on my trip is a weak Christian who doesn't get it. I feel completely the opposite and I'm still searching. I'm still trying to figure out how to impact the world for Christ. It hasn't manifested itself in selling everything I have and moving to Zambia. I didn't really care for the place that much. But, my ambition is that as I search I will find what God would have me to do here in Birmingham, where there are so many lost and so many needy.

You should do the same. I have no idea what that looks like for you.

songs in the attic

2008-09-16T08:42:00.003-05:00

If you're in Birmingham this Friday night, you should definitely check out the Grey Haven concert. Friday night, 6:30, Urban Standard. Caleb was kind enough to let me sit in on their practice last night since I am leaving for Zambia on Thursday and will not be able to attend the show. They've got some really great songs that will be performed and it will, no doubt, be amazing.

Please keep me in your prayers as I travel with a team of five others from The Church at Brook Hills to Zambia. We are taking clothes to orphans and will be helping Zambian ministers make disciples. It will be a tough trip, one that I'm sure will require a lot of physical, emotional and spiritual endurance. I can't wait.

mmbaway

2008-09-11T21:43:00.008-05:00

I was a freshman in college. My roommate and I sat and watched the TV in our small room as the chaos unfolded. Smoke rose to the sky as people, ash and debris fell to the ground. No one understood. No one could explain. We just sat. Not knowing we were under attack. Not knowing what was about to happen. And then it did.

I didn't know them. They weren't my friends or my family or my colleagues. They weren't protecting my neighborhood or my office building. They didn't do anything to deserve it.

It's still hard to fathom. Hard to get my mind around. No other instance in my life has mixed such seething fury with such deep sadness at the exact same time.

Seven years and we're still sifting through it all. The rubble is gone and the foundation has been poured. We'll never understand. It will never be ok. Another reminder that this world is not my home.

Fluff

2008-09-09T23:46:00.005-05:00

I love reading. Particularly, I love reading books. There's something timeless and endearing that a book provides that magazines and the internet will never be able to. Over the last few months I've read a lot of books. In some ways it feels like being back in college, but only taking one class. I rarely have more than one book going because of the tendency to never finish both, so whatever is current is getting read until it's done.

I read to learn. It's therapeutic and it makes me feel like I'm taking steps, however small, toward becoming a better person/entrepreneur/marketer/writer/Christian/whatever. For some reason, I've come to expect the author to tell me what I need to know, why I need to know it and move on. I think it came from reading Seth Godin's books. They're concise, small and packed with valuable marketing insights that I can usually apply the second I read the words.

His blog is like that, The Dip is like that, Purple Cow is like that, All Marketers Are Liars is like that. Meatball Sundae, however, is not. It's redundant, it's ambiguous and there is way too much excess. Maybe it's the "microwave culture" that old people tell us we live in, but excess is irritating. I picked up Small Giants tonight, by Bo Burlingham... excess. Ok, that's not fair, I've only read the (long) introduction. But, so far it's gems of value hidden and disguised by lots and lots of words. I'm looking forward to reading it, but I really hate having to sift while I read.

If you're reading a novel, excess is necessary. If you're reading to learn, excess will drive you crazy.

orange fury

2008-09-02T13:30:00.006-05:00

Recently, my dad bought a dirt bike. It's pretty awesome, so yesterday we decided to take it for a Labor Day ride. My last experience on a dirt bike was less than pleasurable and left me unconscious and grateful to be alive. That's another blog for another day, though. We went out to The Bowl in Maylene, AL, which is just past the other side of the edge of the earth. Very few people know it exists, but it's a great place to ride.

Dad's bike is exorbitantly fast and I felt out of control several times on the mostly gravel road, but I left The Bowl with minimal injuries. I got tossed one time when I turned too sharp and gave it a little too much gas. Fortunately, I was wearing armor that saved me from losing a lot of skin on my shoulder and upper arm. The palm of my right handed landed on a small rock and it bruised a little, but nothing major. The next time I ride I want to do a double back flip. Shouldn't be too hard.

Helmets and pads are good.

Dad about to do an amazing trick...

I just bought með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

2008-08-30T23:27:00.007-05:00

Sigur Ros doesn't appeal to the logical side of me. In fact, I'm surprised that I like them. There are no words to their music. But, there is singing. The singing is just made up. It doesn't mean anything. Strange, but beautiful.

I really want to see them live...

love that trend

2008-08-29T15:03:00.007-05:00

My new job has given me the opportunity to learn a lot about photography. I still don't know a whole lot, but I have discovered a few things from the industry that really drive me nuts.

One such pet peeve is the Tilted Shot. Some photographers use the Tilted Shot as a means of making things more "artsy" or interesting. However, I think it just screws up the photo. There's no reason that the viewer should have to adjust the angle of their head in order to see a picture. The tilted shot also takes away any chance you have of presenting natural and authentic photos.

Here's a couple examples:

There are a lot of great photographers who use this technique, but I really don't like it.

Statement of the great mint

2008-08-28T11:48:00.008-05:00

It's got to be a pretty cool thing to bring life into the world. That's what my brother, Ryan the Firefighter, helped a woman do yesterday... twice. She was being transported to UAB to have her twins, when she started going into labor. So right on 280 outside the Summit, Ryan and his adrenaline pumped colleague welcomed the babies into the world in the back of the ambulance. They were both pretty excited that they got to deliver babies and it sounded really cool, but it doesn't bother me that I don't have to cut umbilical cords in my job.

Check out the news report video on the event here... NBC 13

little black box

2008-08-26T22:38:00.007-05:00

I got yet another non-computer Apple product yesterday, an iPhone 3G. My Blackberry died and faced with the option of getting another one for $100 or getting an iPhone for $200, I opted for the latter.

Some of the advantages of the iPhone are:

It's awesome
The internet is fast
It's very easy to use and figure out
Google Maps + GPS = Never get lost
The ringtones aren't obnoxious (most of them)
8 GB iPod
2 megapixel camera that takes decent pictures
Quick e-mail set up

The disadvantages:

The battery is terrible. I've never had a phone that had such a short battery life right out of the box. Buying a car charger is probably inevitable.
It doesn't have Blackberry Messenger and I'll have to find a new way to communicate with Jason Clotfelter.

Overall, I really like it.

Also, I was going to write a post about my first week at A Bryan Photo, which also happened to be the week of the company retreat. But, I ended up writing one with Bryan for the company blog. So, if you care, you can check it out here... Our Retreat

Delicate Luxury

2008-08-16T10:05:00.008-05:00

Sometimes when the job you want and are best suited for doesn't exist, you just have to create it. At least, that's what I had to do. On Thursday I started working in a Client Relations role with A Bryan Photo, the premier lifestyle and wedding photographer in the Southeast. They weren't exactly looking for help and they hadn't really planned on bringing on another employee right now, but I knew that what they were doing was something I had to be a part of.

My goal over the last 6 weeks or so has been to find an opportunity within a remarkable company and I could not be more pumped about the way that ABP fulfills both. Bryan Johnson, the head photographer and founder of the company, has compiled an All-Star roster of guys that are creating a wedding experience for brides that is truly remarkable. The quality of the photographs and products delivered are second to none and maintain a standard of excellence and beauty that makes brides go crazy.

I think those that know me are surprised that I'm entering a world centered around weddings. To be fair, it seems strange to me, too. I mean, it's Saturday morning and I've already spent time reading Southern Wedding Style magazine and there's a copy of Grace Ormonde Wedding Style on the floor waiting to be thumbed through (again). But to me, remarkable changes everything. Remarkable supersedes the 'what' and makes the 'how' a wonderful challenge and a whole lot of fun. They've been doing something remarkable at A Bryan Photo and I'm so excited to be part of it and escalate the experience we offer to a whole new level.

Click these links to check out our website and blog!

eight one hundred

2008-08-13T15:48:00.002-05:00

probably one of the coolest moments in U.S. Olympics history...

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/share.html?videoid=0811_HD_SWB_HL_L0194

it will prompt you to download a microfsoft viewer. it's well worth it.

black blood

2008-08-11T10:16:00.004-05:00

Our world can be a ridiculous place. Take oil, for example. It's no secret that the United States is entirely dependent on oil. For a variety of reasons, both geological and political, we get the oil to feed our 20 million barrel per day addiction predominantly from sources outside the U.S. A huge amount of this oil comes from the Middle East, most notably Saudi Arabi, who is second only to Canada in total crude oil imports to the U.S.

On the surface, this doesn't seem like that big of a deal. Saudi Arabia is the largest producer of oil in the world, so it only makes sense that we would get a lot of oil from them. But, does it really make sense? Saudi Arabia is the epicenter of terrorist financing. Their unregulated "charities" provide a guise of goodwill while they pour hundreds of millions of dollars into jihadist movements, Al-Quaeda terror cells and the spread of Wahhabism and hatred of the West around the world. Conveniently, the Saudi government donates billions of dollars to these charities each year, with donations continuing to increase as oil revenues increase.

So, what you're telling me is that we are giving an exorbitant amount of money to purchase an exorbitant amount of oil from a country who is then taking that money and giving it to people who would love nothing more than to make the existence of our country a distant memory? You're telling me that the money we spend on oil funded 9/11 and is helping to train, organize, and fund other similar future endeavors? You're telling me that we are sending our own troops to a place where no weapons of mass destruction have been found, no significant infrastructure has been put in place, no peace has been restored so that they can be killed by insurgents who are funded by our own money?

Yes. That is exactly what is happening.

To further incense you, take a look at what the U.S. government has done about it. They haven't confronted Saudi Arabia or made any attempt to get them to cease their blatant funding of terrorism. They've made little attempt to develop alternative energy sources allowing us to decrease the money we're pumping into terrorism. They have ignored the issues as if the facts weren't staring them in the face. They have done nothing.

In some places that's called suicide. Or is it homicide?

Energy Information Association (EIA)
The Saudi Connection, How Billions In Oil Money Spawned a Global Terror Network
Saudi Charity Begins... Nowhere

hooray

2008-08-10T00:12:00.003-05:00

Recently, I remembered half.com, a great website where you can buy used books and movies really cheap. It's owned by Ebay, but doesn't work as an auction. Items are ranked based on their condition and priced accordingly. The other day I bought the 5 remaining Seth Godin books I don't have for a grand total of $42. They're usually at least $20 a piece. Plus, when you buy on half.com, they don't ask you if you have a Barnes and Noble Member Card when you check out. That's worth it in and of itself.

www.half.com

soup

2008-08-03T14:29:00.002-05:00

I've been sick since Thursday. It looks like things are clearing up, but I really hate being sick. There's nothing worse than having a bunch of stuff you want to do and not being able to do any of it. I think I need a new immune system.

alto

2008-07-31T01:31:00.000-05:00

If I had to guess, I would say that you probably don't know what you're talking about. Not all the time. But, at least, some of the time. You probably talk about things like you know what you're talking about and, in deed, you think you know what you're talking about, but you don't. You make up things based on observations that aren't true. You make assumptions based on what you hear or what you see that are only partially correct. Then, you take your partially or completely incorrect assumptions and tell them to other people as if they have been proven by years of scientific research. Sometimes you start sentences with "I heard they". The 'they' often refers to a group of people who you do not not know, have never met, will never meet and, frankly, do not exist. But, for some reason when you say that 'they' have discovered something or 'they' are doing this or that, you believe that it's true regardless of where you heard it or who told you, if anyone told you at all. You say stuff like "organic is better for you", but you don't really know why or if it's even true in the first place. You take the Bible out of context and make it say things it never said and never intended because you don't really know what it says. You talk about politics and throw out your opinions to other people who don't know what they're talking about, but if you took a test on the specifics of the issues, you would fail.

The truth is, a lot of what you believe and say is incorrect.
It's a harsh reality, but it's true for all of us and it should be changed.

this purple animal is changing everything

2008-07-27T14:02:00.005-05:00

One time my girlfriend asked me what I liked about myself. I thought it was an odd question. One of those questions where you have to act like you don't know the answer, but deep down you really do. I'm not sure why it seems so humble to act like you don't know what you do well. It's not.

After I thought about it a while, I decided that I liked my ability to make quick decisions. Most often, I just make decisions based on gut feeling. (Read Blink by Malcom Gladwell). I'm not super analytical and I don't like stressing over things. The majority of the time my decisions turn out ok. Sometimes they don't.

Recently, I quit my job as a commercial real estate broker. It was a great decision. I didn't realize how great it was until after I quit. There were a variety of really good reasons to leave, but the main reason was that it just felt like the right thing to do. My bank account is suffering, my mortgage is still due every month and I'm unemployed. But, it was undoubtedly the right thing to do.

I'm looking for a new opportunity. I want to be a part of something remarkable. I'm not sure if the timing will match the opportunity I'm looking for, but I don't want just another job. I'm convinced I will find it. Since I don't have the money or the idea necessary to start my own company, I'm going to look for one that already exists. If it doesn't exist, I'll find a way to pay the bills while I scheme.

"That's not a hate crime." "Well, I hated it."

2008-07-20T12:30:00.007-05:00

I'm a victim.
Officially.
Last night someone smashed my mailbox. While innocently standing in my kitchen, I heard someone yell something and then a smack. I had just moved the mailbox to its current location and apparently these villains disapproved. So, I went ahead and filed a police report. Hey, why not? There's no chance the perps will ever be caught, but isn't that what law abiding citizens do when ridiculous stuff like this happens? I was hoping Batman would show up, but apparently he is taking some "time off". I don't understand. The damage isn't that bad and, in fact, I could probably keep using it. But, I'm going to get a new one. One that doesn't say Jones on it.

favorite. really? yes yes yes

2008-07-19T00:35:00.007-05:00

Not too long ago Matthew Perryman Jones played a show with Peter Bradley Adams at the ABryanPhoto Studio at the Phoenix Lofts downtown. It was a great show and yesterday Bryan posted the audio from the evening on his blog. If you get a chance, check out the song called The Pearl. It's an Emmylou Harris song that Matthew covered and it's wonderful. Lay down and turn it up loud. It will be good.

Click Here then click on the boombox in the top right corner. It's track 10.
(Check out Bryan's blog while you're there, too. He's an amazing photographer!)

Strike 2

2008-07-17T20:58:00.005-05:00

Some lessons are harder learned than others. Not too long ago, in a post titled I'm going to get up really early, I told a story about running into a wall in the dark. The moral of the story was... Don't walk in your house in the dark.

So, the other night I pulled down the attic ladder to see if an old table would fit in the vacancy above the ceiling. I didn't pull it all the way down, just enough to measure the width of the rails. After obtaining the measurement, I then proceeded to measure the table. Unfortunately, it didn't fit. Also unfortunately, I never went back to put the ladder up. Instead, I carried on with some tasks in the living room until I decided to retire for the evening. As always, I turned out the lights and proceeded to my bedroom which is at the end of the hallway, which is past the attic. Luckily, I remembered that I had left the ladder down. Unluckily, I didn't remember until after I slammed into it with my face. The bottom rung of the ladder which hung valiantly from the ceiling punched me right in the bridge of the nose. I knew immediately what happened and I couldn't believe it. Apparently, busting my face open on the wall wasn't enough. I needed to be beaten by a ladder, as well. Maybe the daily reminder of the scar above my eye and the ridiculous bruise on my nose will be enough to help me to remember not to walk in the dark.

frames

2008-07-16T15:19:00.005-05:00

Last night I picked up a book called All Marketers Are Liars. It's written by Seth Godin and is a phenomenal assessment of consumer psychology and behavior and how to respond as a marketer. I started reading Godin when I picked up Purple Cow, which is still my favorite business book of all time. His writing is simple, effortlessly understandable and brilliant. I read his blog just about every day and almost every day I find something useful and applicable to my life.

So, today as I was reading All Marketers Are Liars and thoroughly enjoying its contents, I thought I should let Seth know. I went on his website, found his e-mail address and dropped him a brief note telling him that I loved his work and how much it challenged my thinking. Within an hour or so, he had written me back thanking me for my comments. I didn't entirely expect a reply. For some reason, because he's written ten best selling books, has one of the most popular blogs on the web, has started and sold numerous companies, is one of the most sought afters speakers in the world and has ideas that make mine look like directions for making Ramen noodles, I knew there was no way he would respond. But, why? Yeah, he's busy. Yeah, he's busy doing things that make him insane amounts of money. For some reason, we tend to elevate those who have achieved more than us to a status out of this world. But really, we're all the same. Really, we're all just human.

Subscribe to Seth's blog here...
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/

blue, yellow

2008-07-14T23:22:00.004-05:00

On Saturday I took my wonderful girlfriend to Ikea in Atlanta. It's an enormous furniture store, each of the two display floors maintaining the same square footage of, say, Target. Neither of us had ever been before and it was quite an experience. For the most part, I could fill my entire house with furniture, cabinets, counter tops, rugs, sinks, and kitchen trinkets all from inside the enormous walls of the store. Despite the low prices of their goods, the quality remains fairly high. The only thing that was of obvious cheapness was the bedroom suit I wanted. I would probably have to replace it in about 16 months. Of course, with the price they were asking I could probably afford to do that, but what's the point? Overall, I'm an Ikea fan. If you like fairly modern furniture that's not crazy looking or like it came straight out of a 1960's design studio, this is the place for you.

Here's one of the kitchens I found particularly interesting...

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/kitchen

10th Court South

2008-07-10T21:33:00.006-05:00

Caleb Chancey is one of the good guys. In a world full of disingenuous people that don't get it, Caleb is not one of them. He's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet and he's funnier than most all funny people. Regardless of who you are, Caleb likes you and if you talk to him you will likely leave the conversation thinking, "I am very important". That's just how he makes people feel. Caleb is also very talented and can do a lot of things. He has a passion for all things art and expression and is gifted in expressing his own art. Of particular note is his photography. It's incredible and what I know him best for and what he seems to be the best at. I'm not sure if that's true, but it doesn't matter. He's also a gifted musician. As a matter of fact, he's organized a musical collaborative called Grey Haven that is performing at Workplay Friday night at 9 and it is sure to be incredible. Caleb has a voice like a Greek Siren that shipwrecks women's boats.

Not too long ago Caleb asked me if he could take some pictures of me. I vehemently agreed and after a fine lunch of McDonald's take-out, we ended up on the roof of his house. Apparently, he was doing a series of pictures of his friends on his roof for his blog, which is awesome. You should check it out. It has some of his work posted and is typically riddled with creativity and spectacles of amazement. After that you should make an effort to meet Caleb. It will be well worth your time.

www.calebchancey.com/blog

Strawberry Swing is my favorite so far

2008-07-03T09:26:00.003-05:00

People ask me all the time what kind of music I listen to. I don't know why. I guess it's an easy question to ask and most of the people I run into seem to share the same affinity for music that I do. I always struggle with what to say. I don't know how to describe it. It doesn't fit well within any defined category. The artists change a lot, too. Due to the vast supply of music on the internet, who I am listening today is probably different than who I'm listening to in six months. Not because my tastes or preferences have changed, but just because there's so much new stuff I want to check out.

One staple that has remained in consistent rotation on my ipod is Coldplay. I've listened to Coldplay more than any other band without question. I've listened to X&Y, their last album, maybe 10 million times. It's easily my favorite album of of all time for any band that has ever existed. So, recently they came out with a new album. It came out a few weeks ago, but I just got it on Tuesday. To be honest, I was scared. I heard an interview from the band and they mentioned they had made some changes in their sound and they were putting out music that they loved. Whenever a band says something like, "We had to stop caring what other people thought and just put out music that we loved," it usually means they're putting out a crappy album. It's just the way it goes.

So, I hesitated. Knowing that X&Y had become a part of my DNA, I was sure that Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends could never even hope to come close to being as good. But, I couldn't resist any longer. I buy most of my music on iTunes, but in cases like Coldplay I want the real deal. The, go to Best Buy and pay more but get the real cd with the real cover art and packaging deal. The cover of Viva has a Delacroix painting (Liberty Leading the People) on the outside and certainly must represent far more than I care to dive into here, but it was interesting. The interior art is pretty terrible. It looks thrown together and very contrived. It was a bit disappointing, but I got over it and put the cd in.

Overall, I really like it. It's better than I thought it would be. Their sound has changed a bit, but they haven't lost what made them great... wonderful songwriting, beautiful melodies and superb instrument selection. It was produced by Brian Eno, a guy that produced some for U2 and has a long history of success in the music biz. I haven't had a chance to fully analyze each song, but the album seems like it has some real staying power. The verdict is still out. For now, it's good.

exposed brick

2008-07-01T09:40:00.002-05:00

You can't ask people from different walks of life who don't know each other to become friends. It doesn't really work when it's forced.
You can, however, ask those people to show up at the same place, at the same time, for the same purpose and see what happens.

10 whole megs

2008-06-29T00:50:00.002-05:00

I finally have the internet at my house.
I didn't realize how much I missed it until I had it again.
Plan to see more posts in the near future.

Faith is good.
Mine is being tested.

spelled right, said wrong

2008-06-19T10:47:00.003-05:00

Tragedy is better handled through community. I saw it last week. A man died. His friends, family and church surrounded his wife with love, logistics, and provision. They rallied together to comfort each other in their loss, to encourage one another in the days to come. It was a beautiful site and it was a byproduct of a decision they made before the tragedy occurred.

The poet John Donne said in Mediation XVII from his Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, "No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main." It's true. We're connected. Who we are connected with makes all the difference in the world. Who we are connected with can make the difference between thriving and surviving. If you are like me, you, no doubt, are involved in a lot of different communities. Some of them interact with each other, many of them don't. I wonder if this is a problem. Maybe not a problem. Maybe we could just get more out of life and have deeper relationships with people if we brought our communities together, if we brought the continents together if you prefer to use Donne's wording. This is a new goal for me.

orange

2008-06-17T10:30:00.003-05:00

Last Sunday was Father's Day. It's basically the same thing as Mother's Day. Except we celebrate our Fathers. It's also the same as Mother's Day in that it doesn't do the occasion justice. I've been fortunate enough to have some incredible men in my life. Men that have taught me and shaped me into the man that I am and the man I am becoming. But, no man has had more impact on me than my father. No man has taught me more about character, about hard work, about problem solving, about loyalty. No man has given me a more real example of enduring love for a woman than my dad. For some reason the gift card didn't quite seem to accomplish its purpose. But, what can?

time never gotten back

2008-06-10T09:21:00.003-05:00

Last night I saw two of the worst music videos of all time. Ever.
The first was Summertime by New Kids on the Block. They are apparently attempting a comeback, but this is not a good start. If you're going to mount a comeback and attempt to monopolize on the monstrous success you had 17 years ago, it would seem that you could find someone to write a better song than this one. The lyrics are ridiculous and my previous lack of faith in the music industry has been further reduced by the release of this song onto public airwaves. The video is equally as bad and I am embarrassed for them that they put this out. But, since misery loves company here you go...

The second video is Jump in My Car by David Hasselhoff. It speaks for itself...

really

2008-06-09T14:17:00.003-05:00

There are all kinds of people in the world.

All kinds of people do things all kinds of different ways.

Different doesn't necessarily mean wrong.

I'm going to get up really early

2008-06-04T11:44:00.004-05:00

I've done a lot of stupid stuff in my life, but last night I reached a new level of stupid. I was on my way to bed and before retiring for the evening I decided that an AC adjustment was in order. The thermostat is down the hall and around the corner, about seven steps from my room. On the wall leading down the hallway is the light switch for the hall light. Since I sleep in the dark, I always turn that light off before going to bed. Common sense would say that it's typically best to perform any and all tasks requiring light before actually turning the light off, i.e. adjust the thermostat, then flip the switch. However, last night I chose to turn the switch off and then proceeded to walk the rest of the way down the hall. That plan was, however, thwarted by the hallway wall. I walked maybe two steps before running head first into the corner of the wall because I couldn't see it. Because it was dark. Because I turned the light off. The absurdity of the moment overtook me at the same time as blood came pouring out of the left side of my forehead. I turned the light back on to find my left hand covered with spots of red liquid and I immediately wished my medic brother was there to diagnose how many stitches I needed. I made my own diagnosis deciding that the number was zero, but my head began to throb intensly. I was unsure which hurt worse, the banging of my head or the stupidity required for the banging of my head. The phone rang and in a still shaken stupor I answered and made an effort to carry on a conversation despite my recent calamity. It was a struggle and I wasn't sure exactly what I was saying and I was pretty sure the ear on the other end was unsure what I was saying. So, I filled myself with Ibuprofen, gave myself a little pep talk and drifted off to sleep. I can't recommend highly enough that you not walk in the dark if it's at all avoidable. It can result in small gashes above your left eye.

just before the sun

2008-06-03T17:22:00.001-05:00

I've always thought that anything worth having is worth fighting for. It's true of relationships, dreams, business, faith, everything. What we fight for is important and I'm learning that without an intentional effort, we fight for things with no substantive value while at the same time passively sitting by as important wars wage on without us. This should not be so. If there exists any desire in us to live life on purpose, any desire to shape our destiny, we have to know what our battles are and proceed to fight them. So, what are you willing to fight for? More importantly, what are you willing to die for?

every other saturday

2008-05-28T17:05:00.005-05:00

I'm not married. I never have been and I'm grateful that I still find myself single despite the vast marriedness of most of my friends. Regardless, I heard a message called the Gospel and Marriage at church on Sunday that I thought was phenomenal. David taught from Ephesians 5:22-33 and opened my eyes to a picture of the Gospel of Christ that I had never seen before through the establishment of marriage. If you are married, or getting married, or thinking about getting married, or just want an incredible picture of how Christ loves his bride, the church, you should definitely listen to it. I am convinced that it will change your life. It did mine. It's about an hour long or so and well worth the time. Below is a link where you can download it.

http://www.brookhills.org/media/page_audio_chrono_2008.htm

for like 12 hours, and then some

2008-05-24T10:03:00.004-05:00

Growing up I was told somewhere that character or integrity is who you are when no one is looking. I've thought about that statement a lot lately and realized that I don't like the definition I was given. It only covers part of the equation. What about who you are when people are looking? What about when people do see the actions you take? Do those not count towards our character? It doesn't seem to make much sense to definite it in such terms. I've done plenty of boneheaded characterless things in my lifetime right in front of people.

I think it may be more appropriate to say that character is the commitments we make to the things we believe. Good character isn't something that just happens. It's not an accident or a surprise. It takes time to develop and requires a conscious decision to follow what we believe is right and stand firm in what we know is true. Not in the moment of moral dilemma, or after compromise has presented itself, but long before. Who we will be tomorrow is dictated by the decisions we make today and the commitments we make to who are are going to become. It's not simple, but I strongly believe it is worth every effort. If you think about it, our character, our integrity, who we are and what we believe in is really all we have. It goes with us wherever we go and there is no departing from it, this side of death. There's no reason not to make the most of it.

chaps

2008-05-20T14:40:00.003-05:00

I'm learning to relax. It's not that I'm an up tight kind of person. That's probably, or maybe hopefully, the farthest thing from the truth. But, I'm going and doing all the time. For the most part I like it that way. I enjoy being busy and getting as much stuff done as I can during the day. But, there are times when it's good to forget all that and just breathe. I've been at the beach in Seagrove, Florida since Friday and it's been great getting out of my busy routine and chilling out a bit. The beach has a way of calming me. Despite its magnitude and power, it remains serene and beautiful. When you're at the beach you don't have to have a schedule either. I love that. Last night I didn't go to bed. Between playing cards, watching movies and engaging in wonderful conversation I found no need for sleep. It was more fun to just stay awake and a trip to the beach at 5:30 to watch the sun come up and the moon go down proved to be very rewarding. I couldn't live without an agenda all the time. It would drive me crazy. But, occasionally it is outstanding and I need to do it more often.

Also, the label on our water balloon launcher says that it will shoot a balloon at 75 m.p.h. That seems awfully fast, but I'm pretty sure we proved that it is indeed possible. Standing at the glass door in the living room we launched a direct shot into the open freezer in the kitchen about 25 feet away. No joke, it was going so fast I couldn't even see it and I thought it might bust through the back of the freezer wall. I wish I had a radar gun.

pool side

2008-05-12T08:17:00.004-05:00

I've been blessed to have the best mom that ever existed. I don't care who you are or who your mom is, mine is better. I never feel like Mother's Day does any justice to its intent. A nice card and a gift somehow don't seem to be enough. What is? I realize she doesn't expect me to pay her back for all she's done for me. But, I kind of wish I could.

An album full of Mitches

2008-05-08T13:58:00.004-05:00

A couple years ago I read a book called Tuesdays With Morrie. It's a short book about a man who spends time talking with an elderly gentleman in the last stages of Lou Gehrig's disease. The book tells a touching story and is full of great concepts and I was recently reminded of the one concept in the book that I deemed most valuable. It's a phrase that has stuck with me over the years and proved to be incredibly valuable.

"Wherever you are, be all there."

There is some serious value within these words and it's not always easy to do, particularly for people like myself who are driven easily to distraction. But, whether you are working or playing or talking or listening or driving or writing or creating or whatever you may find yourself doing, do it with a conscious effort to give it your full attention.

It becomes particularly valuable in conversation. How many times have we talked to someone at at a party or on the phone or one on one when they are obviously not engaged with the conversation at hand? Nothing sends a stronger "I don't care about you" message than not listening or, just as bad, talking without regard to the listener. If we are ever to show people that they are valuable to us, that they mean more to us than whatever else we may have going on in our lives, this is a great way to start.

oh, by the way we made an enormous mistake that is going to cost you a lot of money

2008-05-07T15:45:00.003-05:00

Trials and difficult times are interesting.
Sometimes they draw me closer to God, strengthening my faith and developing perseverance.
Other times, they push me away from God, making me feel disappointed and evoking a frustrating self-reliance.
I'm convinced that running to God is the best option.

suburbanites strike again

2008-05-05T16:26:00.003-05:00

I don't have internet at my house yet, hence the lack of posts lately. It's something I'm working on.

I made progress with the neighbors yesterday, though. While working in the yard, a lovely family of four came over to say hello. They live across the street and actually took the time to introduce themselves. It was sincerely exciting. Scott, his wife Lisa, their 3 year old Lucy, and their 1.5 year old Ruby all came for a quick visit. They were sincerely nice people and I am hoping that I will get the chance to know them.

I thought about having them for over for dinner. But, unless they like sitting Indian style on the floor, where would they sit? And what would they eat? Maybe one day.

until 2038

2008-05-02T16:07:00.003-05:00

I bought a house on Wednesday. It's a rectangle box covered in bricks with walls that make up rooms inside. It was a long time coming. I had been living with my grandmother for the last two years and despite the fact that she's an outstanding lady and I love her to death, I needed to not be there anymore.

For the first time in my life the place where I live is mine. Not my parent's, or my school's, or my landlord's, or my friend's, or my grandmother's. It's mine and I can do whatever I want in it, with it and to it. If I want to play kickball in the house, I am more than welcome to. It's a good feeling. So far, I've had the kitchen scrubbed form top to bottom, moved in some furniture, cleaned a bathroom, painted my bedroom, played baseball with a hot tamale and a spatula, had a wrestling match, had a dance party that started at 2AM last night, tried to see how far down the hallway I could slide on a towel and slept. Sleeping is what I've done the least.

Hopefully, I'll meet the neighbors soon. Hopefully, the ridiculously loud techno music from the dance party last night did not wake them up. I would hate to get off on the wrong foot with them on day 2. We'll see.

rock the block, creepy man

2008-04-27T22:15:00.003-05:00

Sometimes it's good to make a change. Even a small one. Like sitting in a new place at church. I thoroughly enjoyed sitting in a different part of the church today and I look forward to once again changing my location next week. Life is boring without change.

one

2008-04-21T22:27:00.002-05:00

I've never been a parent before. I don't know what it's like to raise a kid. I don't know what it's like to have that much responsibility and, consequently, I don't know that much about parenting. But, I do know that a panicked look on a mother's face while looking for her child in the park as the sun is going down, is not a good thing.

I went running this afternoon at the trail on Lakeshore. I'm supposed to run a half marathon in Nashville on Saturday and what better time to begin training than the Monday before, right? I was feeling pretty good despite the ridiculous amount of bugs that somehow kept flying in my eyes and I was making much better time than expected when I was stopped by a woman on a bike. I heard her coming from quite some distance as she was yelling a name I could not quite make out. Initially, I thought she was searching for a dog, though I am unsure why. Having an unfortunately low amount of concern for her finding her dog I thought little of her endeavor and kept on with the pace of my run.

However, as our paths began to cross she stopped me to ask if I had seen a little boy on a bike? Her voice was confident and strong despite the beginning stages of panic that I felt were looming not far away. Unfortunately, I had not seen him since I had started running in that direction. Slightly disappointed but unsurprised, she began peddling and headed off once again to find her son. I asked her what his name was to which she replied, Kirby. An interesting name I thought.

As she peddled away I knew I needed to find that kid. It was getting dark and despite the fact that we were in the suburban utopia known as Homewood, it's still a dangerous world. Soon this mother would move from a state of calm but very concerned to panicked and freaking out, only serving to make the search more difficult. I ran another quarter mile or so when off in the distance I saw a little black bike with a little boy wearing an oversized helmet peddling toward me. Unless there were other parents losing kids on bikes in that park, I was sure it was him and verified his name with the one his mother had given me.

Kirby looked like your garden variety white kid from the burbs and appeared to be maybe six or seven years old. He slowed slightly as I approached, a bit surprised that I knew his name, but appearing in good spirits despite the separation from his mother. His face had the look of intense searching rather than fear and it seemed of no consequence to him that he was by himself on the now nearly dark trail. He was headed in the right direction to find his mother, but I could not take the chance of an unsuccessful search and I began to run with him. I assumed that he had been taught not to talk to strangers as all white kids from the burbs are, but he managed to answer my questions about where he went to school and how he got lost, etc.

Our conversation was brief as he had little to say and was only intent on finding his mother. So, I ran behind beside Kirby while he rode his bike and we both looked intently for her. Finally, after another quarter mile or so I once again heard her loud call as she yelled his name while she rode her bike along the trail. I yelled back that I had found him and in an instant he was gone, his little legs peddling harder than he ever had before, harder than he had when he passed their meeting point because he failed to see the mile marker on the trail. My run became a walk and I briefly watched the reunion.

She was elated, but I could tell she suffered the same conflicting emotions that any parent does after losing a child for any extended period of time. I think she wanted to squeeze his little head off for scaring her so badly while at the same time wanting to squeeze him so tightly from the excitement of finding him that his little head actually could have come off. Kirby received the loving reprimand of a lifetime as she informed him of how scared she was and asked eight million questions about what had happened before the young boy could even blink.

Once again I started back in the direction toward my car. The slight detour left me with several miles to go and plenty of time to think. I thought about the scared mother. I thought about what she must have gone through, what the moment was like when she realized Kirby was no longer with her. Her immediate response was to begin searching and there's no doubt in my mind that she was going to search until she found him. It didn't matter what else she had planned for the evening. It didn't matter how inconvenient it was. There was a new goal, a new priority and she would have given her life without thinking before allowing her son to go unfound.

The sweat on my face became mixed with tears, the reality of the situation hitting me like a ton of bricks. That's what my Savior did for me. I was lost. And he found me. It didn't matter what I had done or where I had been or how far off track I had gotten. He searched for me, willing to give his life before allowing me to go unfound. I couldn't help but be grateful and thank God for what he had done. For leaving the ninety nine, for rescuing his beloved, for finding his child. It is good to be found.

there's an owl looking at us

2008-04-20T23:27:00.003-05:00

I've never been much for sitting around waiting for things to happen. I would rather take action. I would rather make something happen. But, sometimes in certain situations and for various and sundry reasons Wisdom screams with a megaphone in your ear, BE PATIENT! It's good to at least occasionally heed his advice.

stream

2008-04-19T16:30:00.005-05:00

i feel alive again today i feel alive not that i was feeling dead as some would argue is the opposite of alive though i would contest that it is not but is instead the absence of life just as dark is the absence of light and evil is the absence of good but nonetheless the feeling remains despite what one will call it and for that i am glad as it is refreshing despite my inability to pinpoint its origins or beginnings but maybe it is a compilation of things maybe it is not one event or one instance or one day of good events and instances but multiple days that have formed to create a sense of peace and as i contemplate said theory i review prior accounts of my life in order to understand and i have but come to find that there is much to rejoice in and could it be the discovery of a new sound that is not new but has been playing music for many years yet to this point to no avail to win favor with my ears since i am new to their sound and the band being nada surf and the album being Lucky and the music being very pleasing to my ears such that i want to recommend it to many friends though few of them will take my suggestion and even fewer of them will like it as much as i do if any as has been the reality of former such artists but i care not what they think i have found solace in their lovely songs which coincidentally reminds me of the evening prior to this day when i heard dan wilson play at workplay and him being currently one of my favorite artists i was delighted to hear him play even though i missed a few songs because of a slight miscommunication regarding the order of the show but it however did not prevent him from playing free life which has served as a song from the soundtrack of the movie of my life over the last few months where i have truly begun to realize who i am and what i want which is great because its rare that that happens but his show was great and i was excited to hear him and it serves as one of the reasons but the evening contained far more than music to my ears but also sites of beauty that filled my eyes and a shots of laughter that filled my soul with happiness and a ball of corn but that is an entirely different story for an entirely different day since the issue at hand is still a reason which could have been partly also and when i say could have been i definitely mean definitely was a reason was the book that my friend caleb gave me by annie dillard which contained several stories or books whichever but the main point being that it contained a section called the writing life and in it annie masterfully tells of what it is like to be a writer not necessarily in the sense of what she does day to day though that may have been interesting to hear and she may delve into that world later but she spoke of the difficulty of writing a novel and how long it can take and revealed that my previous goal was far too hasty though i had kind of already come to that conclusion but her words were still very encouraging and once again renewed the passion which is always of value and adds to the list of the number of books about writing that i find phenomenal so far the only other one being bird by bird by anne lamott which is outstanding and chalked full of practical advice that can be applied immediately but also caleb introduced me to john hodgman and his book areas of my expertise which is one of the funniest things i've ever heard and i say heard because i bought the audiobook and i love it so far but caleb is constantly introducing me to works like that that challenge me and encourage my mind to think outside of the little world that it so often does and it is one of the reasons that i love being friends with caleb because he is one of those people that does that so i thank him and i thank god for him and i also made attempt to keep a bridge in tact that had the potential to collapse though i received little warning of its impending doom but making the effort was all i could do and for the time it succeeded although recent words in ears may cause that bridge to burn itself on its own accord but whose to say and whose to know and whose to do anything about the unfortunate realities of life anyway because we've all been there at least i know i have been on many more than one occasion but maybe the greatest reason for the feeling was because of the thirty pound baby i birthed last week which sounds ridiculous and metaphorical and mysteriously stupid but it is entirely true that i carried it for a long time and when finally the day came it was actually less surprising than i had thought it would be though some may be surprised but for those whose opinion counts and that number being relegated to a very small number it did not and for that i was very very grateful so as i drove today and thought my thoughts with the windows down and music rolling gently past my ears i thought to myself that i feel alive again today i feel alive.

Short Circuit

2008-04-17T09:11:00.002-05:00

The other day I passed a billboard on the side of I-59 for Trinity Medical Systems. It said:

"A Leader in Robotic Surgery"

After reading the sign, I couldn't help but ask myself, what does that even mean?

My mind was naturally drawn to two conclusions, neither of which I was ok with.

One... "Oh great, Trinity Medical Systems has now done away with the ever so annoying "human surgeon" and has replaced them with the much more intuitive, much better trained, robot surgeon." Yeah, how freaky would that be to wake up from surgery to see IRobot standing over you with a scalpel? I'm not a big fan.

Two... "Oh great, Trinity Medical Systems is now performing surgery on robots." If that's the case, then I sincerely don't care and can't understand why that needs to be advertised. It seems like the market for surgery for humans would be a little bit bigger than for robots, but that's just me. I'm not in the healthcare field.

'Say'

2008-04-15T22:25:00.004-05:00

I seem to be constantly reminded how important communication is. Whether we like it or not, it's what connects us all as human beings and the better we are at it, the stronger our connections. Unfortunately, poor communication can lead to a lot of unwanted outcomes, most prominently, confusion.

I've also been reminded that if you have something to say, you should say it. Don't stumble over words, don't beat around the bush, just say it. The listener may not appreciate what you say, but I feel confident that at some point they'll be glad you at least said it. Candor is a trait far undervalued.

and i said how bout a revolution

2008-04-14T22:25:00.004-05:00

Through a variety of events that unfolded on Friday, I ended up backstage at the O.A.R. concert. They played at Birmingham Southern and apparently the only people that knew about it was the group of five that I went with and the couple hundred or so BSC students who decided to make an appearance. I'm not O.A.R.'s biggest fan, but I really enjoyed the show.

We got to meet Mark, the guy who played his guitar while singing, and Chris, the guy that beat on the drums. They were genuinely nice guys and it was kind of strange hearing a voice talk that I had heard sing so many times before.

It made me want to see them play with Dave Matthews at the Gorge in Washington this summer. It's doubtful it will happen, but it would be a lot of fun.

in the corner?

2008-04-12T01:52:00.005-05:00

I really really want an old typewriter. I don't know a lot about them, but if you know where I can find one please let me know. I just need it to work.

rays of the sun

2008-04-11T00:20:00.003-05:00

Around the corner and down the street from where I live is a Winn-Dixie grocery store. Occasionally, I find myself in Winn-Dixie picking up Stouffer's lasagna, peanut butter, bread and meat for the newest addition to my culinary repertoire, spaghetti. With the help of my friend Johanna, I can now brown meat. It's probably the most impressive thing I can do in the kitchen.

I like going in Winn Dixie because of the partially retarded guy that works there. I don't know what his name is, so I'll call him Richard until I find out. Richard is very outspoken and has no problem saying whatever he's thinking at any time. Every word I've ever heard him speak has been in the same volume... very loud. It can be really awkward. One time while bagging groceries, he talked to every person in line about SEC basketball. Regardless, if they responded or knew what he was talking about, he informed them of all he knew on the subject. Most people are pretty nice to him despite the fact that he obviously makes some people very uncomfortable.
Today I went to buy pita bread at lunch and, of course, Richard was there. I walked to left side of the store where the bread is kept and began looking for the pseudo Greek bread alternative. As my eyes scanned the shelves, Richard saw me and immediately showed me where the Sunbeam bread was. I don't know why. I guess he just thought it was really important. I decided to ask him if he knew where the pita bread was and he perked up, told me he did and motioned that I follow him. Oddly, as I followed him we left the bread section. But, thinking maybe he knew something I didn't, I allowed him to be my guide. He looked down the cereal aisle, the aisle with chips and a couple other aisles before deciding to go down the one full of soup.

It became very obvious that he may or may not have known what pita bread was or where it was located in the store, but not to be unsuccessful in his mission Richard decided to ask someone. It didn't seem to bother him that he asked a customer, a very confused customer at that. He just wanted to know so he could help me out. Still standing behind him, I realized that maybe Richard wasn't the best source for directions, so I headed back to the origin of my descent where I was pretty sure the pita bread must certainly be. Sure enough, I had walked right past it on my first trip. Basically, when Richard decided to take charge I was standing five feet from what I was looking for and he took me on a wild goose chase across the store, up and down aisles, for a product that he most obviously had no clue where it was located. But, it was well worth the experience.

I'm really glad management allows him to stay and work and it seems really good for him. I'll probably keep going to Winn-Dixie to see Richard. Not only is he entirely intriguing, he's also a super nice guy.

time on sportscenter

2008-04-09T23:17:00.002-05:00

I'm a huge advocate of women's sports. I think women should be allowed to use their athletic abilities to play any sport, any time, just like men.

I just don't think it should be televised. Under any circumstances. Ever.

penniliss sitar player

2008-04-08T23:27:00.004-05:00

I don't really like poetry. I'm not sure why. I think it's because poems never make much sense. Other than the reader, usually no one knows what they mean and I'm not big into interpreting literature. It just seems really pointless to me. Regardless, sometimes poems come out of my head, so I write them down. The poem below probably won't make much sense. It does to me and you are welcome to ask for an explanation. It just seems like it would defeat the purpose if I wrote the meaning here, too. Whatever.

It doesn't have a name... Feel free to make up your own. As a matter of fact, if you think of a name for it, let me know. It's highly unlikely that I will actually name it whatever you come up with, but I would love to hear it

Caged in walls of solid steel
And trapped behind a tight locked seal
Constrained by blocks along the path
From heart to hand creating wrath
The pressure builds and fights its way
To tempted lips for words to say
No valve to let the raging loose
Or rope to hang it from a noose
The constant battle through my mind
Enough to prove the words unkind
They swim around my brain the tank
For fish that find no file and rank
Like seeds amongst the the thorny soil
The sprouts must fight and tear and toil
For surface break to breathe the air
Its new found life it finds unfair
If ever words to paper could reach
From gray matter my mind to teach
The hand to scribe its fallaced stories
And revel in completed glories
Then simple times would find their way
And lessen angst from day to day
But if the words like magic came
And fell from clouds like they were rain
If effort were a distant ghost
And pages served as simple hosts
For thoughts and groups of letters formed
To cease the senseless mind that stormed
Each night with fingers bloody torn
From dreaming with lives still yet unborn
Then would there be a point to fight
For some that will and some that might
Find hope in what their eyes consume
And what unknown in hearts may loom

sheets of rock

2008-04-07T22:58:00.002-05:00

I love this. There's nothing better than a well documented drunken face plant.

come what may

2008-04-05T18:02:00.004-05:00

When I was in high school and college I took some pretty ridiculous math classes. I say they were ridiculous because for the most part they maintained absolutely zero applicability to my life at the time or any time since. In general, I'm pretty convinced that math is a good thing. Calculus, however, is a complete waste of time. Unless you're a mathematician or maybe an engineer. Regardless, I remember a couple times my professors mentioned the concept of functions. A function is a mathematical concept that expresses dependency between two quantities, one of which is given (the input), and one of which is produced (the output). Functions are often demonstrated in graphs, formulas or algorithms. I don't know or care why. I don't really even know why I was thinking about functions today except that most obviously, life is a series of complicated functions.

Some functions are very predictable. If you cut yourself, you're going to bleed. If you drop your pen, it's going to hit the floor. If you put a flame to gasoline, it's going to ignite. But, most of the functions of life are completely unpredictable and infinite in number of inputs and outputs. The words you speak may or may not be received well. You can't know that if you love, you will be loved in return. If you lie, you may or may not be discovered. The options and possibilities are endless. Equally impossible as knowing what to input is knowing what to expect in the output.

electric limb

2008-04-03T23:06:00.004-05:00

Today I had a guy tell me that the shape of a particular piece of land was somewhere between triangular and trapezoidial. I've never heard the word trapezoid converted into an adjective, but he acted like he knew what he was talking about. My contention is that he did not.

what is your

2008-04-02T10:59:00.001-05:00

I used to have a lot of free time. Then I started calling my dream a war. Now I have no free time.

5 hours back

2008-04-01T00:28:00.001-05:00

I can't get this song out of my head.

Band of Horses
No One's Gonna Love You

white bread and bbq sauce

2008-03-31T23:14:00.005-05:00

Somehow I've ended up with quite a number of friends who are really great photographers. One of those friends is a guy named Bob Miller. Besides being an outstanding photographer, he's also an incredible dude and one of those guys that everyone wants to be around. He's super laid back, has a great sense of humor and a really cool haircut. I'm drawn to Bob because he's passionate and I love being around passionate people.

Bob is involved with a magazine called Engage, a publication put out by the students at Samford University. It's a great magazine and one day Bob asked me if I would help him out with one of his shoots. I obliged. He explained his idea for the shoot and it basically went something like this:

Bob: I want you to wear a black suit, with a white shirt and a black tie. You're going to be holding a black umbrella that has holes in it and is all torn up and we're going to pour water on the umbrella so that it looks like it's raining. Can you do that?

Me: No problem

It sounded innocent enough. I would get a little wet and have to dry clean my suit, but I had no problem doing it for Bob. Plus, photo shoots are always fun.

So, I show up the next Saturday at Bob's house. We hung out for a few minutes while waiting for his assistants to show up and started talking about the details of the shoot. About ten seconds into the discussion I realize that Bob wants to do this venture, not inside like I had pictured, but outside. Normally, not a big deal. But, it was like 42 degrees outside. Fahrenheit. That's decently cold in and of itself. Especially for March. But, it's really cold to be standing outside soaking wet. I started rethinking the whole ordeal, but I had already committed and didn't want to ruin the fate of the magazine or Bob's entire career. That's a little extreme, but I wasn't backing down.

Turns out, not only was it cold, not only were they going to pour water all over me, but we were doing it in a shaded alleyway, completely devoid of any sun. In addition to that, the alley formed a vortex of intensity for the wind that was blowing at about 90 miles per hour. It was cold wind, too. Nonetheless, I was doing it. Two girls with water in cups above me and Bob with camera in front of me, the insanity began.

At first, it wasn't too bad. The layers of suit and shirt and under shirt shielded my skin from the water. We did a couple rounds of shots, took a break to stand in the sun, then got back at it. After about the third round, things changed. The water began soaking into the core of me and my body temperature began falling like a brick off of a high rise building. I was getting cold. The umbrella holding hand was starting to hurt and I could feel my shoulders beginning a slight shiver. It was intense. Round five came and I was done. My body was shaking, my teeth were chattering and I could feel pneumonia or some other disgusting sickness creeping down the alley towards me.

Fortunately, I was able to change clothes quickly and get in the sun where I found great solace in its warm rays. I stuck my hands up to the heater in the car for about five minutes while they literally thawed out and I began to move them again with out feeling like I had one million needles piercing their blue facade.

Eventually, my body returned to a comfortable temperature and I was able to think again. All in all it turned out to be a lot of fun, Bob got the shot that he needed for the magazine, and I was glad for the opportunity to help him out. Here's the final product...

For more of Bob's work, check out his website at http://www.everythingisinbalance.com/. It's amazing.

coke in a glass bottle

2008-03-29T17:48:00.004-05:00

I have found that some people just like to talk. I'm not necessarily sure that they care if anyone is listening to them, they just like to have words coming out of their mouth. I meet a lot of people like this.

I also meet a lot of people that talk a lot in effort to be heard. Their words come out like mud thrown at a wall, just hoping that some will stick, hoping that someone will hear even just a little of what they say.

I tend to have a fond affection for the latter, the first try my patience.

ticker

2008-03-26T00:23:00.003-05:00

I just discovered the video version of the Onion News. I'm glad I did.

gasping for air

2008-03-25T23:14:00.004-05:00

Delicious went home today. After a week on the dining room table he finally made the trek back to where he came from. It still amazes me that a living thing can reside in something that small. It was actually kind of depressing and I'm glad he's gone. He looked trapped. I hate feeling trapped.