Digging Through Deja Vu

Writing is about to take off on the Weezer Rant. I haven’t posted a “Weekly-ish rant” in almost 2 months (haha, go figure, right?), but should be posting more frequently now. Hope everyone out there is doin well.  As for what’s been going on with me – well I just got a job a couple weeks ago. Before that I’d been doin plenty of odd jobs, predominantly yard work via Nate Moses or connections through him. Back in November I had applied to work at Level One again but was turned down.  Well they hired me again a few weeks ago, and Iam actually fairly glad to be back. It may simply be the fact that I haven’t had a full-time job in so long that I’m just thankful to have a regular income, but I’m trying to have a good attitude about it. I can’t believe I’m back again, but am thankful God has given me work. I will, however, actively be looking for other work opportunities, so if anyone has any – let me know PLEASE. I have also recently moved back home. At first it was only temporary to help out another friend who needed a place to stay, but being thrown under a bus financially this past 8 months really hurt, and it’s gonna help me a ton to have cheap rent for a few months. Life is still a little tuff right now, simply because it’s slow and trying. It’s sort of a Deja Vu moment, like i’m reliving my own life. Being back where I was 3 years ago seems like I took a step backwards in a way, but I’m trying to grit my teeth and see what God does with it all. What I’m  trying to do is just keep pressing forward towards my goals, doing my best along the way to worry about myself and being the best person I can be by God’s standards. One thing that is going well is church. Grace Church held its first service at the new Downtown location this past week (a photo is posted on my Twitter @theweez09). The building was packed out with visitors, and Matt Williams preached a great message on the vision for our church. He preached from Acts, emphasizing about what Paul said in regards to giving all you have for the cause of Christ. Just because we got a new building doesn’t mean we have arrived. Jesus needs us to spread His name in our new environment and be involved in our church body. Matt told us that 20% of the greater Greenville area is churched. 20% – and we’re the diamond stud on the buckle of the Bible belt. If every person in the Greenville area wanted to go to church next Sunday morning, we’d be 300,000 seats short – and you and I KNOW how many churches there are around here. What does that say about places like Boston, Seattle, and Las Vegas? This really got me excited about wanting to plant a church. Stuff like that always does. Hopefully I will have a chance to help out with the internship program at Grace this summer. My buddy Mitch Miller will be doing the internship there. Other than that, I’m trying to stay exercising, playing my guitar, and continuing to write. My goal now is to pay off some debt and save for the upcoming school year so I can be back at seminary again.

AND here we go with the categorical run-down:

Movies

As I have mentioned before, I only recently got a job, and since it’s been awhile since my last post, and since I’m a big movie guy anyways – there’s a lot here to dish out, so here it goes –

–  August Rush – a really good, family movie dealing with an orphaned boy who turns out to be a musical prodigy. Good story and characters make for a really good film I could basically recommend to anyone. 7.5/10

– The Majestic – Jim Carrey stars as a man who loses his memory and ends up in a small town he knows nothing about. The movie was decent, but being from director Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, the Green Mile) I expected A LOT more. 6/10.

– The Green Mile – Tom Hanks stars as a state prison guard who comes across a convicted murderer who has some extraordinary abilities. Frank Darabont directs this emotional drama showing showing us what miracles look like. Really enjoyed this one – 8/10.

– Law Abiding Citzen – Jamie Fox and Gerard Butler star in this suspense action flick about a man imprisoned for killing the man who murdered his family. The whole movie is about the lines between justice and the law. This movie was ok, leaving me with mixed emotions about the main characters. 5.5/10

– Goodfellas – regarded as one of the finest mob movies of all-time, Martin Scrosese’s look at crime in NY City is definitely a well-made movie with great acting performances. That being said, the movie was not very entertaining to me and did not hold my attention well. I realize that most critics love it, but the 1st priority of a movie is to entertain, and I was not. 5/10

– American Beauty – 1999’s winner for Best Picture is a comedy-drama that tells the story of a typical family that is going through many issues. Some of the subject matter is kinda twisted, so I wouldn;t recommend it for everyone. Kevin Spacey is great and the story is easy to follow, but I would certainly not say it’s worthy of a Best Picture nomination. 6.5/10.

– Fargo – The Coen Brother’s quirky black comedy set in a small Mineesota town follows the scheme of a married man to have his wife kidnapped to get a sizeable ransom from her Father. Inevitably, calamity ensues and it’s funny at times, disturbing at others. Again – a movie that deals with some odd subject matter at times, so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to the typical person, but I can appreciate a well-made film, while it wasn’t my favorite. 6/10

– Donnie Darko – a really odd movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal about a teenager who takes advice from a doomsday bunny. Sounds weird, cause it is. The movie is a cult-favorite, and a few guys I know LOVE it and tell me to watch it again, but I haven’t cause I hated it hahahahaha. 3/10

– Robin Hood – Ridley Scott’s big, bold new take on Robin Hood acts as a prequel to most typical Robin Hood flicks, drastically changing some of the key plot lines you’d come to expect out of this character. I was REALLY excited about this movie, and was REALLY let down, unfortuntely. the story was hard to get into for me and the movie just lacked the charm and script I expected. Russell Crowe is good, as usual, but that’s about it. 5/10

– Iron Man 2 – The follow-up to 2008’s smash hit had some big shoesto fill. In my opinon, Jon Favreau does a great job at keeping the same feel to the movie. Robert Downey Jr is perfect is his reprised role as billionaire tech wizard Tony Stark. Joining him is returning cast members Gwyneth Paltrow, along with new comers Scarlett Johansson, Mickey Rourke, and Don Cheadle. Really liked this movie. Great summer pop-corn, action flick. 7.5/10.

– Million Dollar Baby – Clint Eastwood directs and stars in this drama about an old boxing coach who revives his coaching career through a down-and-out 30 yr. old waitress (Hilary Swank) who wants to be a boxer. Morgan Freeman co-stars in this Oscar winning film that I thought was great. I would definitely recommend it. 8/10.

– The Proposal – romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock as a hard-core boss who ends up faking an engagement to her assistant (Ryan Reynolds). Cute movie, great for a date, pretty funny as far as romantic comedies go, so overall I would recommend it – especially to girls hahaha. 6.5/10

TV

LOST, a show that captivated audiences for 6 seasons has come to a close. Check out my previous post to  get the details and my take on the climactic ending.

American Idol comes to a close this week, poising Lee DeWyze and Crsystal Bowersox to face off in the season finale. Although it’s been a disappointing year in comparison to Seasons 7-8, Lee and Crystal are definitely deserving of the top 2 spots and should put on a great show for the finale. I don’t really care who wins this year, however.

The Office is still plodding along. I try to watch it every week, but honestly the show doesn’t amuse me nearly as much as it used to. I still love Jim and Andy as much as ever, but for some reason just haven’t found the show to be as captivating or witty as it is typically known for.

One new show I have been watching lately is Modern Family. They actually just had their season finale last week, but if you haven’t seen the show now is a great time to catch a few episodes and give it a shot. Basically it shows the diversity of the typical American family structure. The show features 3 related families. I personally enjoy the show for it’s clever writing and humor. Probably not for everyone but I don’t watch many shows so this is one I felt was worth mentioning.

Sports

In basketball, the Boston Celtics are currently up 3-1 on the Orlando Magic. The Celtics only need 1 more win to return to the NBA Finals. The Lakers are currently tied 2-2 with the Suns, so we could have a rematch of 2008’s NBA Finals.

In hockey the Pittsburgh Penguins have been eliminnated from the playoffs and the Stanley Cup finals is now set with the Flyers playing the Blackhawks. I could not care less who wins hahaha.

And in baseball, the Boston Red Sox continue to have a mediocre season thus far, though they have had some big victories recently. They are currently in 3rd place in the AL East behind the Yankees and the Angels.

Music

Not much to report here as far as new music. I would recommend this past week’s Glee episode for the performance of Les Miserables’ I Dreamed a Dream. It features Idina Menzel alongside cast-regular Lea Michelle. Fantastic performance here – Also, I was able to attend a concert over the weekend headlining Mayday Parade. They put on a great show and I would definitely recommend the band if you’re unfamiliar with them. They’re a pop/punk group, slightly emo but not whiney.

Like I said before, I’m going to try my best to write more, especially this summer, I have  started to be involved in another writing opportunity which I will go into detail about later, so some of my efforts will be channeled through that instead of the Weezer Rant itself. Anyways – thanks for reading, peace ->

Weez

RoadBLOCKS

By now you’re probably less than surprised that it has been more than a month since my last “Weekly-ish rant.” This is partially due to me being a slacker at times. The main reason, however, is when you have as little going on in your life as I seem to (or think I do) right now, you have to wait a while to save up information hahaha. Anyways, in all sincerity, once I pull my life back into the fast-lane again I will be sure to post more. This of course does not include “Special Edition”, random rants which will hit the presses as they hit my brain.

First things first – no, I still don’t have a job. I have been able to pick up some side work recently from Upstate Precision Lawn Care, LLC hahaha, which in all seriousness has been fun and a great help. I actually got a job Saturday, only to have it taken away 23 hours later by a former employee who just happened to call up the owner looking for work, at which point the owner gave my newly-acquired job to that guy. Boo. So it’s going to be really interesting to see where I actually land when I find a job, having applied at such a wide variety of places. Free time does, of course, have its advantages (though I’d say the ability to support one’s self financially trumps all of them). I’ve been able to catch up on some more movie watching, play my guitar A LOT (yea, there are actually a few songs I can play all the way through, from memory, and make them sound like they’re supposed to), and have entirely WAY too much time to think. I have been going to the gym on a regular basis now, supplementing that with a dose of Ab Ripper X and solid eating habits. Grace Church has continued to go well. The downtown location is now around a month from moving to the new campus. We’ve started a new series in Deuteronomy (a book I learned to love while in seminary), and I am now signed up to serve weekly on the greeting/info/hospitality team – PUMPED about that. The toughest aspect for me in life right now has nothing to do with worrying about surviving, as in how I will afford necessities. My struggle is in just wondering why I have had so many roadblocks in my pursuit of God’s will for my life. And, in addition to that aspect, it’s frustrating at times to watch others around you diving into and enjoying the careers that they’ve studied and worked towards, while you’re still stuck in “yea I’ll take any job the pays around $10 an hour cause I’m still a poor student” mode. I’m certainly not trying to complain here – I’m just being honest and transparent. This blog, regardless of whether anyone reads it, exists for me to have a writing outlet and to hash out whatever the heck is happening in my brain.

This week’s message at Grace really hit home with me in my current situation. Matt Williams taught out of Deuteronomy 7, in which God is reminding His people, through Moses, that the reason why Israel was chosen and would inherit Canaan was no consequence of their own actions. It was solely because of God’s love and mercy to them as a small, otherwise insignificant people. Matt then showed passages where the New Testament mirrors this concept. 1 Peter 2:9-10 details how Christians are the same as Israel. We were chosen by God, based on no merit of our own, and have now received mercy. According to Ephesians 1:4-6, (and this is one of my favorite phrases and passages in the Bible) to the praise of His glorious grace God chose us for adoption through His Son, that we should be a holy people just as Israel was to be a holy nation, a priesthood and example to their world. How does this apply to me right now? The point is – God moves first. Without Jesus, I’m a corrupt, backwards enemy of God who spat in God’s face and stamped his own ticket to hell. Good thing I’m not the one who had to initiate my salvation, huh? In the same way, God has to move and orchestrate my future. Sometimes it’s super difficult to restrain myself from trying to rip the starting whistle off God’s neck and commence the race myself.  But that’s another point – you don’t begin the “Christian race” only after attaining a degree, a spouse, a mortgage, a (insert idolized possession). My responsibility lies in accepting those realities and living “to the praise of His glorious grace” under the circumstances He sees fit to put me in.

Categorical Rundown time (oh boy) – you’ll find the movie section fairly extensive.

Sports

The Pittsburgh Penguins are currently sitting at 2^nd in the Eastern Conference and have locked in a spot in the playoffs. Sidney Crosby is tied for the lead in goals and is 3^rd in points. Repeat? We’ll see.

The Boston Celtics have secured a spot in the playoffs, but have been a little inconsistent this season. They certainly have the talent and the experience to take the title, but some big obstacles stand in their way.

Also, might as well mention the NCAA March Madness has narrowed down the field to the Final Four. Duke will play West Virginia and Michigan State (looking to return to the Finals for a 2^nd straight year) will meet Butler. Personally, this year’s tournament has meant little to me, other than keeping up with it as a general sports fan would. I will be cheering for Butler and against Duke, but don’t care too much.

TV

Both of my favorite shows are now in full swing. American Idol is now down to its top 10, all of whom have now earned the right to tour with Idol this summer. While I have enjoyed Ellen’s contribution to the show, this season has been a big letdown. I guess it’s not fair to assume each season is gonna keep getting better. Seasons 7 and 8 were SO good talent wise that this season seems pretty lackluster in comparison. I enjoy Big Mike, Crystal Bowersox, and Casey James. I also really liked Lacey Brown, and she certainly deserved to stay into the Top 10. Some other contestants have had their moments, but there’s definitely no stand-out performers like a David Cook or Adam Lambert. However, I will continue to watch because the basic elements which I have always enjoyed the show for remain.

LOST is now halfway through its final season. I’d have to say that up to this point I am fairly disappointed with the show, though after last week’s episode I have no doubt that the rest of the season will make up for it. The problem has been that the show is so reluctant to give answers that every character we have come to love is getting drowned out by short, inconclusive scenes. The only person on the island who REALLY knows what’s going on is MIB/Locke, so instead of having answers and plot points revealed or characters developed, we have filler and fluff. I do, however, thoroughly like what I’m seeing back in LA after the plain DOESN’T crash. Everyone seems to be working out their issues and it’s been great to watch that pan out.

Movies

So you MIGHT think, “Wow, this guy watches way too many flicks”, and that MIGHT be valid, but in my defense, it has been a month since my last post, so this really isn’t that much. Anyways, here it goes – brief synopsis/review.

–          Philadelphia – a homosexual lawyer (Tom Hanks) is terminated from his job shortly after learning he has aids. He then hires another lawyer (Denzel Washington) to represent him in a case against his former company. Solid movie with a fantastic performance by Hanks. Tough subject matter, so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it across the board. 6.5 outa 10

–          The Usual Suspects – difficult to explain the plot here, but basically it’s about 5 common crooks pulling off a job. Stars Kevin Spacey and several other fairly well known actors. Pretty cool movie, but not my favorite. 6 outa 10

–          The Hurt Locker – this year’s Best Picture winner tells the story of a bomb squad in the modern day war in Iraq. While the movie is definitely well made and has some pretty tense spots, there’s no way in the world it tops Avatar for overall movie achievement. Avatar was groundbreaking. This was just a decent drama/war picture. I’m only giving it a 5.5 outa 10

–          The Matrix Revolutions – yea yea, I know – it’s a sequel and it’s old news. Well after the blunder that was The Matrix Reloaded, I put off watching the 3^rd installment. It took months of unemployment plus a free download from Netflix to bring me to the point of watching this movie. After watching, I know why I avoided it for so long. Total waste of time – bad story/acting etc. Effects were fairly cool, but that was expected. 3 outa 10

–          Shakespeare In Love – Romantic drama following the life of William Shakespeare. He is forced to quickly throw together a play (what would eventually be titled Romeo and Juliet), and the story focuses on how one girl affects the direction he takes his new work. I also avoided this movie for some time, angered that the Academy gave it Best Picture over Saving Private Ryan. I was surprisingly pleased with the movie, finding it original, well written, well acted, and easily keeping my attention. I would caution that there is SOME unnecessary sexual content, but overall it’s a really good movie. Better that Pvt Ryan? HECK no. 7 outa 10

–          Alice in Wonderland – the newest collaboration between Johnny Depp and visionary director Tim Burton takes us back down the rabbit hole for a revamped version of the classic Disney tale.  Coupled with beautiful scenery and great casting, the story kept me interested and left me satisfied. Not the best thing ever, but a solid film, for sure. 7 outa 10

–          Valentine’s Day – I should 1^st clarify that I went to this movie out of desire to hang with some friends from out of town. I had considered seeing it earlier, but after poor reviews I had decided otherwise. That being said, I did see the movie and am afraid to report that the reviews were correct. While there are plenty of good actors and even some funny lines, the movie is cluttered with so many characters weaving in and out of each other’s subplots that the viewer is left disconnected from anyone. On top of that, the movie dragged on for a full 2 hours – far too much for this type of film. 4.5 outa 10

–          Schindler’s List – a classic, critically praised film that I can’t believe I hadn’t seen yet. I want to say up front that this movie is intense. The subject matter is harsh but real, and director Steven Spielberg leaves little to be imagined (thus, be cautioned about some graphic content). Set in the holocaust, a German man uses his factory to harbor Jews from a worse fate. This movie is not for everyone. I must say that it is unlike any other move I’ve ever seen. Shot almost entirely in black and white, it feels almost like a historical documentary, though it has a plot and storyline which would appeal to the average viewer. While I wouldn’t consider this move to be in my own personal favorites list, to give it low marks would be denying how good it really is (for what it is). 9 outa 10

–          District 9 – a very unique film set in the future when an alien craft floats idly over a European city, causing the humans to isolate the area. It is then inhabited by the aliens and used to do research. The movie feels like a documentary at times, but transitions to a sci-fi action flick. Pretty cool movie, definitely recommended if you like that kinda thing.  7 outa 10

–          The Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day – the long-awaited follow-up to the cult classic, Boondock Saints 2 had some big shoes to fill. I regret to inform you that, in my opinion, it absolutely sucked. The good: decent actions scenes and a decent story. The bad: in short, the movie tried so hard to duplicate the raw humor of the 1^st film that it went way over the top. The acting was some of the worst I can recall. 3.5 outa 10

–          Finding Neverland – I had sort of seen this movie years ago, but remembered nothing about it so I gave it another go. It tells the real-life story of J.M. Barry (Johnny Depp) and the events that inspired his greatest work, Peter Pan. Kate Winslet co-stars as the widowed mother of four young boys who take quite a liking to Mr. Barry. With outstanding performances by the lead roles (and really everyone else involved), the movie has a great feel about it, almost as if it were made 25 years ago. Definitely a movie worth watching and is for any age. 8 outa 10

–          Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – another movie I had seen but remembered nothing about, this film follows a down-and-out man (Jim Carrey) who recently ended a relationship with his girlfriend (Kate Winslet). After learning that she had a procedure done to erase him from her mind, he opts for the same procedure. This movie is very cool and very unique. Great performances by Carrey and Winslet keep the viewer laughing but simultaneously caught in the dramatic web of a relationship within a mind that is disappearing right in front of us. 7 outa 10

–          Band of Brothers – while technically not a movie, it still lands itself in this category. Originally a mini-series aired on HBO, BOB tells the story of Easy Company, a group of volunteer soldiers who have joined the newly formed airborne division of the US Military. Set in World War 2, these men parachute into Normandy, France on D-Day. The 5-disc series chronicles their journey across Europe as they bond in their fight for freedom. First of all, the series is helmed by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks who are no strangers to WW2 history and film-making, so this automatically makes the series something to consider. At first you may find it hard to connect with the characters, as there are a lot of the in the company, but as the show moves on and highlights the different men, you’ll begin to recognize faces. Overall I thought the series was fantastic, doing a great job at portraying the war and the lives of those involved. Everything was top-notch – from the acting to the story, even special effects, sound, and score. I won’t give this a rating like the typical movie, but BOB is DEFINITELY NOT a series to miss out on.

That’s all I got for now. Like I said before, I’d love to blog more. Writing is a blast, SO hopefully more eventful circumstances and topics present themselves. Until then, God Bless, Peace ->

Swallowed in STATIC

Yes, I still exist. Yes, I’m still keeping up with this blog. And yes, though I don’t actually have a terrible amount of information to report about MYSELF, I felt obligated to chronicle what little HAS happened. Maybe it’ll be more than I expect . . . here it goes ->

Hard to remember where I was last time I blogged (and yes, I realize I could just go back to my last “weekly-ish rant” post and check, but I’m not lol), but let’s see . . . . I think I had just gotten into RTS and had 3 weeks to get a job before that started. Well I didn’t get one. OH – and before I forget – none of this is supposed to sound like a boo-hoo whine-fest, these are just facts. I realize it is called the “Weezer RANT” but I’m not complaining, just recapping. ANYWAYS – I have some good leads on jobs at this point, but wasn’t able to nail one down before seminary started, so I will be sitting this game out. No big deal though. I’m pretty effective in the stands, anyways haha. But this way I can pay off the little debt I have and save some cash for later. SO this has left me with a lot of free time, aside from working on getting a job and the occasional day of random work. So I have caught up on a lot of movies (which we’ll get to later), re-polished my frisbee golf skills, unpacked a few old video games, and helped work at church. Ah yes- that’s actually a positive update – so Grace Church has 3 locations right – and we’ve always wanted to visit the downtown one, especially now that I live 5ish min from it. So the one week we visit they unveil a church building that’s been given to them via a dwindling church looking to merge. The building is on McBee St, right next to CBH, and is over 150 yrs old. We’re talking old-school white church w/ steeple, big steps out front, pillars, pews, a pipe organ, and a wrap-around balcony. So with this new building comes plenty of new opportunities to get involved – very cool considering I had been frustrated with trying to get re-involved. Anyways, so all I have to do now is get a job. Living at the Tucker residence is cool. Plenty of freedoms and a laid-back lifestyle. Thankful for friends who give me something to stand on while I put my limbs back on. Here’s the cool things though – I was in so far over my head in Cali that this situation hasn’t even phased me. At least I know people here, and people who care and love me. God got me through that, so I think I can manage this. My biggest problem is not being angered by my current state of inactivity, dwelling on the “what ifs” of the past. I feel like everything I’m trying to accomplish, for whatever purpose, is on hold, and all I’m trying to do is break free from a static I’ve been engulfed in for far too long. The scope of this feeling goes a long way sometimes. However, I know God knows what He’s doing, but living like you really believe that can be tuff sometimes.

HERE’S the rest ->

Music

Only thing to report here is last night’s FACING YESTERDAY concert, in my opinion, was thier best yet. They released their EP, A Different Shade of Night – solid performance all around. Glad to see Tucker as the newest member of the band, utilizing his talents for back-up vocals, keys, and hopefully some upcoming violin action.

Sports

Not a lot happening right now. Olympics are going on and I have never cared less hahahaha.

TV

Well TV, for me, is now in its prime. LOST and American Idol are in full swing. This week on AI we’ll here the first round of the Top 24. The final season of LOST is in full swing, slowly but surely SORT OF answering a myriad of mind-bending mysteries we’ve been submersed in for years.

Movies

Ok here’s the loaded section – like I said, a lot of free time has led to a lot of movies, but I’ll keep it brief (ish).

– Shutter Island – been pumped about it for months, since it was supposed to come out in Oct. It’s about an investigation of an escape from a high security mental institution for the criminally insane. Without giving anything away, let me just say that the previews are a bit misleading. This movie is NOT a horror flick. Think mystery suspense drama with some tense and spooky moments. Really good flick, not great – DiCaprio is excellent, as usual, and the story easily entertains and keeps the audience interested. 8 outa 10.

–Book of Eli – pretty good movie, really cool Biblical themes, Denzel is solid. It’s about a guy with a unique book who journeys through post-apocalyptic America. 6.5 outa 10

– Memento –first big movie by The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan. Really good, unique film. It’s about a guy who loses his short-term memory. Impossible to guess the ending. I have never had to pay closer attention to a film. 7.5 outa 10

– The Time Traveler’s Wife – romantic drama following the wife (Rachel McAdams) of an involuntary time traveling man (Eric Bana). Pretty good movie, McAdams is beautiful and does a great job. 6.5 outa 10.

– The Life of David Gale – solid movie. It’s about an activist against the death penalty (Kevin Spacey) who is eventually convicted of a rape and murder. He then details his story to a journalist (Kate Winslet). Really enjoyed this movie – great acting and story. Warning – some graphic content is involved in the murder scenes. 7.5 outa 10

– Taxi Driver – older Scorsese movie with Robert DeNiro about a mentally unstable Vietnam War Vet who picks up a late night taxi job in NYC. Not a terrible exciting movie, but is pretty good. I would NOT recommend it to the average movie-goer. 6 outa 10

– Heat – mid-’90s Michael Mann flick with DeNiro, Al Pacino, and Val Kilmer. REALLY long movie about a professional detective chasing a professional thief. Pretty boring movie, has one or two tense scenes. Didn’t care for it at all. 4.5 outa 10

– Gosford Park – a british murder mystery film that had pretty high reviews. I watched it for an hour and was so bored I turned it off. Literally nothing happened.  2 outa 10.

Up next on my movies to see list: Law Abiding Citizen, Unforgiven, Raging Bull, and a few more

Well folks, that’s all I got for now. Pray I get a job soon (and, now that I think of it, get back in the gym). God Bless – Peace ->

Get Back, Get Back

. . . Get back to where you one belonged. (Thank you, Beatles)

Broadcasting LIVE from sunny (not compared to SoCal) Greenville, it’s the premiere episode of the 2010 edition of the WEEZER RANT. For all of you who have been DYING to know what happens next, this is the episode for you. Once again, it’s been about 6 weeks sincem y last post. I really am hoping to make it a more frequent blog, complete with different articles other than my awesome monthly “rants on varying subjects.” Buckled in? Alright ->

Last time I wrote, the epic return-trek was 4 days away. Assuming you read the 1st sentence of this post, you’ll notice I made it back. The trip went REALLY well. Took 3 days, 2400 -ish miles, and a lot of music/podcasts. I stopped at hotels outside Albuquerque and Little Rock. Turns out, with a working alternator and coolant reservoir, the 626 is a fully capable, cross-country towing, warrior of a machine. The trailer gave me little trouble, other than me having zero skill in the BACK UP A TRAILER category. For those wondering, YES, I stopped at the very 1st Zaxbys I saw and fulfilled a long-awaited desire. I was able to arrive back a day earlier then planned, allowing me to surprise my family Sat night and surprise my friends at church the next morning. Over the next week, I made my rounds catching up with everyone. My close friends were kind enough to plan a welcome back party, which rocked. Christmas this year was spent in Delaware with my Mom’s family. That 11 hour car ride up there felt like nothing – a testament to the ridiculous amount of driving I’ve subjected myself to recently.  Biggest thing that’s happened since I’ve been back (aside from what’s detailed in the following paragraph) is me moving. Tucker bought a house back in Oct, and haas been saving me a room in it. I moved in 5 days ago. Loving it so far – the house is big, and has a ton of potential. We are slowly fixingit up. The kitchen is well underway. Now, the big news:

Funny story time – SO as I said last time, I enrolled at BJ Seminary for the Spring semester. A few facts: I have been at BJ since I was in K-5 (that’s 17 years of school). I was definitely excited about enrolling there for seminary, but more because I knew they had good classes/teachers; I was not looking forward to being under the system again. Nothing I couldn’t handle, but getting a degree from somewhere else, getting a fresh, different perspective, and avoiding some minor inconveniences were all things that excited me about being at TMS. I had looked at another school, Reformed Theological Seminary, while I was in CA, but their prices were more than I could handle and couldn’t compete with the huge discount BJU gives its undergrads to enroll in the grad program. Now the story: Last Thursday, I was talking to Mitch Miller and he was detailing some things that happened at BJ this past semester that really got me discouraged about being back there again. Same day – I’m out to eat before the BCS Nat’l Championship game, and Davey McNight is telling me about RTS and reasons I should look into it further, one of which is a potential financial option I was unaware of. With the approval from everyone at the table, and later my parents, I scrambled all over the place on Friday, filled out everything, called everyone, faxed, emailed, requested all the necessary you name it’s. I also had a sweet convo with Ben Fetterolf, who put to rest all my doubts and fears on the matter. That was Friday. Monday morning I drove up to Charlotte w/ Davey and visited RTS. Really liked what I heard/saw. SO in basically 2 days, with the approval of my pastor, former pastor, Oasis friends, parents, and friends – enrolled in ans was accepted to RTS. I’m pumped about pursuing the ministry there, learning about God, and growing in faith. The class system is cool because it will allow me to commute up there 1-2 days a week, and there are several guys in Gville who do that, so we can carpool. Only thing left to nail down is the job . . . . God is good.

Categorical rundown time (yay) ->

MOVIES  – I’ve seen 3 movies in theaters this holiday season, so we’ll look at those.

1. Invictus – not a whole lot to say here, but the movie was good. Matt Damon and especially Morgan Freeman give great performances. The story was good, well written, and for the most part, kept me interested. Definitely not a GREAT movie, and certainly far from my favorite Eastwood flick.

2. Sherlock Holmes – I was really looking forward to this movie. It turned out to be exactly what I expected – an action packed, at times humerous, fun movie. Again, certainyl not a GREAT film, but really well acted (particularly by Downey, Jr) and  just an enjoyable, good time. And (couldn’t avoid mentioning) it has Rachel McAdams in it. Love her. Definitely a recommeneded movie from my take.

3. AVATAR – These 3 movies were all in a “must see” category for me. Avatar was probably the one I wanted to see the most. 12 ish years in the making, $300 – $400 million dollar budget, the biggest advancement in movie-making technology in at least a decade, and James Cameron – the self-proclaimed king of the world. All votes are in, and almost unanimously agree that Cameron has done it again. Avatar received high marks from almost all major critics, none of which weren’t blown away by the jaw-dropping visuals. Now I’ve seen Avatar 3 times at this point (one in regular, twice in 3D). I want to emphasize that THIS IS NOT A MOVIE TO WAIT TO SEE UNTIL IT COMES OUT ON DVD. I don’t care how good BluRay looks, you need to see it on the big screen. If the movie was silent, it would still be worth going to. The 2 hr 45 min film flies by, keeping you, with little trouble, entertained and engrossed in the world of Pandora. I’m not saying it’s my favorite movie, but it’s a GREAT film.

MUSIC – Only one thing to report on here – I finally got ahold of the new Casting Crowns’ album, Until the Whole World Hears. I haven’t listened to it too much yet, but there are some really good songs here. CC is at the top of it’s genre for a reason.

TV – not a ton to discuss here, but a few things of note. I have failed to keep up with The Office since I moved back, so I’m not sure what’s happening there. American Idol premiered Tuesday. I was pumped about seeing Ellen Degeneres on the show, but she wont be on until the Hollywood weeks. Instead, they’ve recruited several singers to be guest judges for the auditions. Finally, I am continuing my re-watch of LOST. I’m currently a couple episodes into Season 5, and with regular nightly watching with the roommates, should be caught up by the premiere of the last season, TUES, FEB. 2nd.

SPORTS – In college sports, Clemson finished off its football season with a win over Kentucky in a minor bowl game. CJ Spiller caps off one of the greatest careers in Clemson football history. It was also great seeing Tim Tebow finish his unparalleled career with an exclamation point. Tebow had nearly 500 yds passing and multiple rushing and passing TDs in FL big win over Cincy.  The Nat’l Championship turned out to be a bit of a let down after TX QB Colt McCoy went down on TX opening drive, leaving TX to rely on a true Freshman QB to lead the team. He did an ok job, considering, but AL came out on top. Personally, I think from what I saw a zero experience QB do to the AL secondary, McCoy would have tore them apart and TX would be the champs, but that wasn’t to be. Congrats, Bama.

In pro sports, the Steelers, for the second straight time, failed to make the playoffs the year after winning it all. Unreal. The Penguins are skating on thin ice recently, losing 7 of their last 10. Not sure what their deal is, but they have the talent to be on top. Finally, the Celtics continue to be amongst the NBA elite, despite a few disappointing losses.

Alright people, I’ve been ranting for quite some time, so we’ll wrap it up with this – This verse of a song has been weighing on me recently, especially during the Christmas season, and surrounded by the wild ride my life has taken this last month:

What wisdom once devised a plan, where all our sin and pride/ Was placed upon the Perfect Lamb who suffered, bled, and died? / The wisdom of a sovereign God, who’s justice will be shown/ When those who crucified Your Son rejoice around Your throne.

– The Glory of the Cross Sovereign Grace Music

If God can orchestrate the greatest celebration of all time out of the greatest tragedy of all time, He can take care of you and me.

Til next time. we’ll see ya.   Peace ->

Marching On (right,right,right,right left)

. . . . . Yea, I know – it’s been more than a month. I posted a Christmas Season Movie Guide, but that was something I had already made up for myself, so I guess it doesn’t count. Anyways – I’m back and writing. Once again, assuming someone other than me reads this, here we go ->

As far as my life goes, things have been pretty routine. I go to school, scrounge up whatever work I can find, and try to maintain (some) sanity. God provided MORE money in a variety of ways, including giving me consistent weekend work with Mike doing tree work, and occasional spurts of work at Ram Board.  The road to Thanksgiving wasn’t an easy one; I had a huge Hermeneutics paper and several Hebrew challenges as well, but God was good and I’m alive. Thanksgiving was SO great this year, I got to spen 10 days in AZ with the Oasis of Truth Church team. Most of Chris’ family joined us Wed and stayed for 5 days,  so even more familiar faces were around than normal. The meal itself was amazing, and the rest of the weekend was filled with hanging out, playing games, ping-pong, video games, movies, and more food. Needless to say, I was super bummed about leaving, but I knew I only had a week and a half of school left before going home for Christmas. And yea . . . . about that . . . .

A semester of intense changes and learning experiences is winding down, and the big decision stares me in the face even more. Ya know what the best advice I got was regarding what to do next semester? My Bible study shepherd told me that the next 6 months of my life is not that big of a deal. Maybe this huge decision of where I’m at school or even IF I’m at school is over-shadowed by a bigger choice – my choice of who to serve on a daily basis. The minute you lose sight of your daily walk with Jesus, then every other decision you face is being seen through a foggy lens. That being said, I will be moving back to Greenville next week (12/10/09) with the plan to continue my degree at BJ Seminary.  YES – once again the trailer of Sheol will be hitched to the 626 as I trek across the globe. PLEASE pray for me as I drive. I have driven long distances before, but not alone.  The job situation is still a big ? , so prayers are appreciated. I’m PUMPED about coming back, seeing my friends and family, furthering my education for ministry,  jumping in at my church, and CHUGGING Zaxbys, but my personality doesn’t like change – so I will still be sad to leave. Cali has treated me better than I deserved, and there are multiple people here I will truly miss.

Alright, now that we got the serious section out of the way, haha, categorical rundown time ->

Movies

– Please see my last post to check out movies to see this Thanksgiving / Christmas Season. I did have the opportunity to catch a couple flicks over the break, so we’ll talk about those. I had already seen the new Star Trek film this summer in theaters, but had the chance to watch it a couple more times. I must have been sleepy or something this past summer becuase the movie was actually much better than I remembered. From a guy who never watched Star Trek but just knew the basic facts, it’s a solid and entertaining action sci-fi flick that MOST people will enjoy. Second movie I checked out was Angles and Demons. Having never seen/read The Davinci Code I was clueless as to what to expect. To those in the same boat – you don’t actually have to see Davinci to understand A&D. The only things tying the stories together are the same central character(played by Tom Hanks) and the general idea of religious conspiracy. I found the movie kept my attention very well, playing out like an Indiana Jones/ National Treasure race against time to find the next clue sorta setup. Not the best movie in the world, and nothing to RAVE about, but totally worth watching.

TV

– Only a couple things to mention here at the moment: 1. I have been continuing to re-watch LOST. I am currently about to start Season 4. The difference between watching a summary of 1-3 and actually WATCHING 1-3 is drastic. I can’t wait to re-watch 4 and 5 and pick-up on tons of little things. 2. Still keeping up with The Office. I haven’t been as impressed this season, but I am loyal enough to the show and to certain characters to continue watching.

Sports

–  Lets see here . . . too sum it up 1. Clemson is currently playing for the ACC Championship. I know he probably won’t win, but Clemson fan or not, I have a problem saying that anyone else deserves the Heisman more than C.J. Spiller. The guy is ridiculous. Overall we had a pretty good season, other than losing some close games early on and then eventually losing to SC. 2. The Steelers are struggling. Having lost 3 straight, they now have to REALLY pick up their game to make sure they can secure a wild card spot in the playoffs. Luckily, the remaining schedule SHOULD be fairly mild. 3. The Penguins have suffered a discouraging load of injuries, but still prove to be one of the best teams in the league. Imagine what they could do if everyone were healthy??? 4. The Boston Celtics struggles for a few games, but have one 7ish in a row and boast the best record in the league. #money

Music

-This may be a longer section than normal, but I recently got my hands on a LOAD of new tunes. Plenty of new albums came out recently, so here’s my take on those select records:

Adam Lambert “For Your Entertainment” – REALLY good album, REALLY bad cover hahahaha. I like almost all the songs; they’re catchy, melodic and capture the full range of Adam’s ridiculous voice.

John Mayer “Battle Studies” – I haven’t listened to a ton of his other stuff, but from what I do know about it I can say that any Mayer fan should be pleased with the new record.

Mayday Parade “Anywhere But Here” – if you haven’t checked this band out, you should. This album in particular is my favorite. Solid tunes

OneRepublic “Waking Up” – really enjoyed this album. Not my favorite group, but there are some really good tracks on here, one of which is credited with the title of this blog entry

I also got All Time Low, Dashboard Confessional, and Daughtry’s new albums, but regrettably haven’t listened to them anough to state an opinion

FINALLY – my favorite Christian group, Casting Crowns, has a new album out entitled Until The Whole World Hears. To my shame, I do not own this album yet, but from what I have read/heard/ know about the band – you will not be sorry for checking it out.

Alright – that’s it for the “weekly-ish rant.” Next time you get one of these, we’ll be broadcasting from SC. woohoo. peace ->