Last night Christy and I got a chance to get out and see Children of Men. Amidst all the very strange trailers we saw a few months back for weirdo movies like The Fountain and Apocalypto, this also strange yet somewhat intriguing trailer stood out with its interesting concept of a future where everyone is infertile.

I already received several comments on my last post saying things like “What is Children of Men?” or “I’ve never heard of that movie…” so in order to help you out, I found an unofficial site that has some interesting articles and reviews on it. It’s worth looking at if you want to learn a little about the film. Additionally, here’s the official movie site, just for kicks.

So here’s the deal. Mike didn’t like it. He said he was on edge, the film made him uncomfortable, and he wanted to walk out. Knowing his views, I probably was a little more prepared for the intensity of the film than he was. Nonetheless, I loved it.

It is one of those films that absolutely captivates you. From the very beginning the viewer is left thinking, “What is going on?” but not in a bad way. There is enough exposition and back story to get into their world, but not so much that the movie is at all predicable. Alfonso Cuaron does an absolutely brilliant job of creating the environment of the movie, and communicating the emotion and grittiness of the state of the world. The movie is filled with exciting twists and turns, and is able to maintain the unpredictability and intensity all the way until the end. My mind was constantly reeling and filled with wonderment (that’s a Ricky Bobby word).

But the thing that I think Mike missed, and quite possibly a few people have missed, was the true message of the movie. The movie was not about the journey of a guy trying to get the first pregnant girl in 20 years to a safe environment. It wasn’t about the accomplishment of that journey, or about what the future would be after that happened. The movie was not about the lead characters life, or about a valiant heroine or evil antagonist.

This film was about hopelessness.

This film was about dispair.

This film was an amazing and potentially accurate display of what our world would look like if all of us were left with absolutely nothing to live for.

This film was about devaluing human life, and what happens to us when we do that to each other. It was about the darkest place of our humanity–the place we hope never comes to the surface.

It was…terrifying.

I have to again give props to the director for the very detailed and broad scope of the world he depicted in Children of Men. As I watched the events of the movie unfold, I thought, “Wow, this really isn’t all that far out. It feels like we’re just a few steps away from this if we’re not careful…” and I’m pretty sure there are many places in the world where the horrible things we saw happen in futuristic Britain, are happening today. Obviously, I’m not talking about the infertility, but I am thinking of the despair that much of the world must feel (the 2/3 world, I mean).

Here’s the bottom line (almost), if you’re not completely offended by the F word, it’s absolutely worth seeing. I almost feel like the whole thing is an allegory–but I can’t really figure that all out, so I’m not convinced…but regardless, it was amazing.

One example:
Clive Owen’s character goes to visit his rich brother that works for the British government (the whole thing is set in Britain-they’ve closed their borders and boast being “the last union still alive” or something) and as he’s traveling there he is being driven through some of the worst areas, filled with desperate people. He goes through all kinds of gates and security and such to get to his brother’s house. His brother’s house is filled with art and servants and is so completely removed from the rest of society that it is quite the shocking contrast. After dinner, Clive Owen asks his brother, “Why do you have all of this stuff, when in 20 years no one will be here to look at it? How do you live like this?” and he so callously responds, “Well Theo, I just don’t think about it.”

Geez. I kinda feel like that when it comes to the hurting that goes on in our world. One company estimates that Americans spend over $400 billion on Christmas presents every year, and it would only take $30 billion to end extreme poverty all across the globe. Yet, here we are, mostly just ignoring that the rest of the world is hurting. It convicts me a little bit. I feel like that jerk of a brother from the movie…

For more info on that, you can visit one.org

So yes, I loved the movie.
Go see it.

Yeah, I always get the skinny on what’s goin’ on at The ‘Bucks (see The Office, Season 1, Episode 6–”Hot Girl”). I walked in today and saw they had just installed ovens, and my brain went, “Hm…ovens…what in the world are they doing now? Making pizza?” but it turns out that in the next few weeks they’ll begin serving hot breakfast sandwiches and will be able to heat up your favorite bagel, muffin, or whatever…we’ll see how it turns out. I, for one, am always excited to see what the Geniuses at corporate have come up with next–and I mean that in complete and total seriousness. Those guys are truly geniuses. SIDE NOTE: Starbucks is one of the Top Ten Globally Trusted Brands. Yeah, Globally…

Also, for the past few weeks Starbucks has been trying to make their “for here” cups more visible an option for customers. You will notice at the front counter a mug tree with the three sizes. Well, I went to do my devotions this morning at Starbucks, and decided to go ahead and get my grande nonfat Caramel Macchiatto in a”for here” cup. It was awesome.  The drink seems much larger due to the fact that the mug is very large–and for people that love their foam and caramel drizzle, it is a win/win. I really, really loved it. Oh yeah, and you get 10 cents off…I love it. I think I’m going now…

Dinner and a movie tonight with the wife. Got a gift card for the restaurant and free movie tix–way awesome.
Going to see Children of Men. Mike hates it, but People and EW love it. We’ll see…

Well, I don’t know if this will post before Christy says all of this stuff about me, or after…but nonetheless…

So last night a salesman came to the door selling a cleaning solution. And yes…I bought it. Thirty-five bucks for a cleaning fluid concentrate. But here’s the deal…I’m a sucker for salespeople. I am a horrible person for saying NO, I really have a hard time doing it. When we were first married, I bought a water tank and water service. I just bought like a zillion dollars worth of sea salts and scrubs and lotions for Christy for Christmas from a really good salesperson at one of those kiosks…I think I have a problem…

I think it all goes back to my days as an elementary kid doing fundraising for good ole MLCS. We had fundraisers several times a year to raise money for our school. Between the years that I was in sixth grade to about tenth grade, we had pretty fierce competition to see who could sell the most stuff (whatever it was). I would work my butt off to win the prize for top seller–standing outside of Twain Harte Market trying to get people to buy candy bars and stuff. Well, most people said no-and it would really bum me out. I was that much further away from being the top seller! So I vowed as a child that whenever I would come across such a soul as mine, I would buy what they were selling—because THOSE people made my day.

So I guess that explains it. I can’t say no. So keep me away from those salespeople!!!

“Those that look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.”
Psalm 34:5

For some reason this verse is sticking with me. I keep going back to it. There is something about the idea of looking to God, and having His radiance reflected in your face that continues to draw me back to this passage.

My heart goes out to the Midway-ites out there that are going through the “looking-for-a-new-worship-pastor” process again after only a year. It is really easy to get disillusioned to think that God is failing or the church is failing because someone comes and goes–and leaves you hanging–again. I’ll admit, the process isn’t easy–on either side. It’s not easy for those of us looking for jobs, and it’s not easy for those that are looking to employ. And don’t get me wrong-it’s somewhat traumatic. I know people didn’t ever really expect us to drop the a-bomb of “we’re leaving”. But change is a part of life. Just make sure that you don’t place your faith and trust in any one person or position rather than God himself. This is why when I announced that I was leaving, I read a super-appropriate scripture from Hebrews:
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

Don’t fix your eyes on the problem, or the person. Don’t fix them on your disappointments or anyone else’s failures. Fix your eyes on Jesus–and when you do, your faces will be filled with radiance that only comes from looking to him.

We could stand to use a little more radiance in this gloomy world.

So I saw this sign in the front of a local church the other day, and I just thought to myself, “That is a really stupid sign…”

So what is this academy, anyways? Is this an academy for Christians only? Or Singing Christians only? Or does the academy itself sing? and is Christian? Does the academy have anything to do with music? Or is it just an educational academy for people that are Christians and sing?

PEOPLE-You have to be clear in your marketing!

Oh geez…it was so ridiculous that I had to swing back around the block again, pull over, and snap a shot with my digital camera. The church it was in front of was looking pretty shabby, also. The whole thing is very sad…oh boy…

This post is not to make fun of anybody or church in particular, but rather to teach us all a lesson about being CLEAR when you advertise. Or heck, when you write anything, or SAY anything–just be clear.
BE CLEAR.

I’ve tried a lot of stuff at Starbucks. Every time new drinks come out, I’m there. New pastries? Bring ‘em on. I’ll try most anything they’ll sample–whether I think I’ll like it or order it ever again doesn’t matter. I love sampling it.
Today I decided on a whim to get a grande nonfat sugar-free Cinnamon Dolce Latte, with foam and caramel on top (it was basically a Cinnamon Dolce Macchiatto). I LOVED it. I’ve only tasted one other sugar-free drink, and it was gross, so this was a risk–and it paid off. It is tasty, and I’m pretty sure three other co-workers of mine came up to me today and said “Hey, have you tried the sugar-free Cinnamon Dolce Latte? It is SO good!” I’m not exaggerating–three co-workers. Needless to say, it’s worth a try.

Last week, Fox had the audacity to premiere season six of 24 right before my huge impending deadline. Did this stop us from having a huge 24 party on both nights of the premiere? No way dude. We partied on, Wayne (party on Garth) on Sunday night and Monday night, complete with taco salad, apple crisp, and brownies and ice cream. Yum. For this big bash, Heidi made CTU badges and Lanyards for all attending, including Nathaniel and Noah (who went to bed promptly–we’re not THAT bad of parents). But I’ll just have you know, Nathaniel and Noah have not stopped wearing their CTU lanyards. It’s pretty cute.

We had a very relaxing night last night. I’m pretty sure I went to bed before 10PM. Christy was doing homework and studying and I just snuck into bed. HEY! I deserved it! I need to do some resting after 2 weeks of constantly working. I’m hoping today is another relaxing day, I have very few plans and am just going to get caught up with some dumb little things I like to do around the house.

You’re probably not hearing from Christy because she has a huge final on Tuesday night and is studying and finishing her project that is due.

Oh, and a weird thing happened last night-I had a dream. I don’t mean I had a dream like Martin Luther King Jr had a dream, I just mean that I normally don’t dream at night when I sleep and last night I did. It was a weird dream with bugs and mythical happenings…and I think the MLCS gymnasium was involved as well. It was bizarre, especially since I can’t really remember the last time I dreamt at night. I guess that’s what happens when you get like ten hours of sleep…

EDIT ADD:

You know what’s ridiculous? The thousands and thousands of people that try out, don’t make it, and then say into the camera, “This isn’t the last time you’ll see me” or “You’ll see my name in lights” and so on and so forth. I can’t believe the people that come spewing out of that room blurting out expletives, and saying that the judges don’t know what they’re talking about. I can’t believe how surprised they are that they suck! PEOPLE.

Listen folks. Excellence in anything takes hard work. You want to accomplish anything in this life? It’s going to be difficult. Being a musician takes dedication. You can’t just sit around and expect that all of a sudden you’ll be great. I can’t walk into CEO of Apple, Inc. Steve Jobs’ office and expect that because I really think I should “get it” he’ll give me a job as one of his top executives. But everyone else says I’m great? But, I just loooove Apple so much? I’ve owned like, two iPods, and two computers? I mean, what is he thinking telling me that I can’t come up with a new marketing plan for selling Apple’s products in Germany. I can do anything I want! Well! That’s not the last you’ll hear from me! Steve Jobs!! I’m a GREAT marketer and business man…

NO

I’m NOT. Know why? I DON’T KNOW HOW TO DO MARKETING. I HAVE NO EXPERIENCE OR TRAINING. And what if I did have a little experience, but was just bad at it?

This is the weird thing about music. Everyone thinks they can do it and do it well. They also think they have the right to be the next American Idol, because “my friends say I’m good…” or whatever. It’s just so crazy. What are you thinking? Music is a skill. Performing is a skill. These are things you learn, and not by osmosis or by listening to Queen.

I’m certainly not going down to NASA and telling them I should build the next rocket ship to outer space because I’ve been building them all my life at home. They’d laugh in my face…
UGH.

I feel like 2007 has been a complete blur. I’m pretty sure I’ve lived at least 6 weeks worth of life in the past 2 weeks. I feel a little bit like Commander Riker, who kept waking up every morning feeling like he hadn’t slept a wink (yeah, it turns out he was being abducted secretly at night by aliens). I also feel like I just been constantly working. Working all day, and working all night. Working because I have to, for so many reasons.

If you’re reading this, chances are you know I finished the Piano and Vocal run through (along with accompanying mp3 demo) for a meeting I had last night with the current director, producer, and the former music director of the show. This meeting was huge, because we were basically presenting our show to the guy that had created and written the show for the past four years. Wisely so, the leadership thought it best to seek out his feedback on what we had done so far. They wanted us to get input on some things that he had encountered in the past and hopefully gain some insight for this year’s show. It is a smart thing for them to ask us to do, since the three of us (director, producer, and I) are in these roles for the first time.

I worked hard to make this deadline. I basically did a months worth of arranging in two weeks. I strung 38 songs together, connecting mp3s with transitions I wrote and other good stuff like that. Several times, if I couldn’t use an mp3, I just played and sang it into the computer (Christy helped too). Then I wrote out a piano part and vocal parts for about 1300 bars of music (approx 35 minutes worth). I finished the mp3 demo, and formatted the parts, making a finished product to look at and hear last night. So…in essence, the show is done. Now I just need to add the orchestration, which will be quite fun.

Here’s the cool thing though–I went to this meeting not really knowing what to expect. I have some relationship with the former director (which is why he asked me in the first place) but he doesn’t know my abilities all that well. I just didn’t know what he’d say once he heard it all. I didn’t know how much he would want us to change or fix, and so on…so I went in completely open and ready to hear whatever, hoping it wouldn’t be too bad.

We sat down, had the usual small talk, and got into the show. Our director read a little bit of the script, and I sat there with my laptop and just pushed play…we listened…listened some more…silence…thumbing through the 115 pages of sheet music…listening to the songs…silence…we all sat in silence as the music played…until I finally broke it. I had to sing in the part for “Maria” from Sound of Music. I know–it’s normally nuns that sing it—but we were going to be funny and make it all guys…so right before my voice comes out, I say, “I had to hire this next soloist. He was really expensive…” and then my little voice comes in “How do you solve a problem like Maria…”

Laughter. Yessss…

We stopped the music real quick to chat. Here’s the good part. He thought the show was brilliant. Yah, he said those words–brilliant. And the compliments flowed on from there…more listening…went on to the 2nd act…some chit chat about “I love this song…” and stuff like that. I was completely blown away. He said the show was solid, he was expecting to come in and give us a lot of pointers and such…but was impressed and had a few insights about the actual night itself, but mostly, I was free…all of that work? PAID OFF.

Wow.

It’s times like those that I am completely convinced that God has me on this earth for a reason, and it’s also times like that I am even more convinced that I am nothing.
It’s quite the paradox.

So I bring you to Psalm 33:3
“Sing to Him a new song, play skillfully, and shout for joy”

That’s what I want to do.
Play skillfully.

I need some sleep…

I finished my project. The rough demos and vocal/piano score for the entire show is done. I have a meeting tonight with some folks about it and I’m excited. The first act is 886 bars long (approx. 20 minutes) and the second act is 437 bars long (approx. 14 minutes). Additionally, there is an encore song I have yet to arrange, and there will be some lines in the show as well. All in all, I feel quite relieved. I don’t think I’ve ever worked as hard on a project before. I think I have sores on my patoot from sitting for SO long at my desk at work and then my desk at home. As it has come together, I’ve become more and more proud of it. I am thankful for this great opportunity!

In other news, 24 rocks!
These first four hours were absolutely exhilarating. What a great start to a promising season. I have to say, that although some good shows were on in the fall (Studio 60, Heroes, Lost, Battlestar Galactica) I think that this winter, the return of shows like 24 and American Idol is going to radically change Television. People like me are going to wish they had time to watch all that cool TV, but instead will drop shows they had previously been watching to tune in to some of TV’s biggest people-magnets.

You know what though, all that aside, Jack Bauer is the coolest. Major props to the team that created and produces 24, and major props to Kiefer Sutherland, for being awesome.

This pic is my new laptop wallpaper.

Well, I guess more accurately, there was snow in the Inland Empire today (Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside, etc…). This is pretty remarkable, considering the last time it snowed in Azusa was when my mother-in-law was a little girl. Several of my coworkers experienced the snowfall this morning at their homes and on the way to work. You can read more about it here or watch a brief news release here. I’m pretty shocked. We did not experience any snow here in Covina, but Nathaniel was sure hoping we would.

I’m deep in the midst of arranging for the Concordia GALA event. This is my biggest project so far. I am enjoying it immensely, and it is challenging me greatly. I have to finish a complete vocal and piano score for the entire 40-minute show by Tuesday, January 16th for a meeting. This deadline is pretty intense, but such is the life…in this business, if you don’t make a deadline, you don’t work again. Period.
End of story.

It’s actually a really good thing that I’m working this hard on it now, instead of dragging it out over a long period of time. After the meeting on the 16th, I’m sure we’ll make a few minor adjustments, and then I just need to orchestrate it–which will be the easy part. Anyways, I’m thankful.

I also just received an offer to tutor some professionals on LOGIC PRO. This is the software program that I use to write all my arrangements with, and basically am a semi-expert at it.  I mean, definitely enough to teach the basics to someone that wants some help with sequencing and small stuff. I know most of the capabilities of LOGIC–I HAVE been using it for approximately eight years–but there is so much you can do with the program I would really be a fool to think I know it all.

Knowing my own schedule, and how busy I am, it seems silly to take something else on. However, check this person out. This is no struggling artist. These connections would be great to make, so I am considering it and praying about it. In every great opportunity, one must ask themselves not “Can I afford to do this?” but rather “Can I afford not to do this?”

We’ve been potty training Noah. It’s difficult because of the autism, but not impossible. It’s quite the hilarious adventure, and I’ve kept my camera handy. Check out the new (and censored) photo album on my page. You will die laughing.