uh...

Sorry I've dropped my blog lately. (Another tactful apology!)

If you haven't seen Mission Impossible 3, you should. Even though Tom Cruise has a reputation for being insane, this is the best MI movie so far. Very awesome.

Even though it's nearing the end of May, the last few days in East Tennessee have been like 60 degrees. Too cold.

I bought a new TV.

I hope Taylor wins American Idol.

time of change

As I write this, I'm sitting in an office at my new apartment complex. Things have drastically changed in the last two weeks. I wish I'd had more time to blog, but I couldn't manage it! I have a new job, new apartment, and a whole new me! (Okay, maybe not the last part.)

I will spill my soul more on this later. It is a time of great change.

Blak

About ten years ago, when I was in high school, a wondrous new product came out. It was called Pepsi Kona. My friend Tim and I quickly became fans of this..."unusual" new drink. It was a blend of Pepsi and coffee. At first, that sounds kind of disgusting. But, trust me. It was good stuff. We drank it as often as we could get our hands on it. Unfortunately, they only sold it in the Northeast United States. So, Tim's family in Pennsylvania would send him cases of the stuff. Soon, they quit making the experimental Pepsi Kona. My life hasn't been the same since.

Now, dear reader, there's a new drink on the market. Coke has come out with their own take on a cola/coffee mix. It's called "Coca-Cola Blak." I was excited when I first learned about it. Ah, the nostalgic days of the mid 90's Pepsi Kona!! So, I bought a six pack of the stuff to try it. Surprisingly, it's good. It has a nice chocolatey taste to it. It's not something you could drink every day. It's sort of a specialty drink. But, it's interesting enough to at least try.

There's a Blak web site here.

easter

1After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. 2Suddenly the earth reeled and rocked under their feet as God's angel came down from heaven, came right up to where they were standing. He rolled back the stone and then sat on it. 3Shafts of lightning blazed from him. His garments shimmered snow-white. 4The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were so frightened, they couldn't move.
5The angel spoke to the women: "There is nothing to fear here. I know you're looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. 6He is not here. He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed.
7"Now, get on your way quickly and tell his disciples, "He is risen from the dead. He is going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.' That's the message."
8The women, deep in wonder and full of joy, lost no time in leaving the tomb. They ran to tell the disciples.

cat and the fiddle

I did some voiceover "acting" a few years ago for a friend of mine. (Jason). He was working on a senior animation project with his friend, and he asked me to be one of the voices in it. How often does that chance come up? So, of course I jumped at it.

Now, for the first time, this glorious short film is available on the net. Jason is incredibly talented. This is an older project, but it's still awesome.

I am the voice of the cat playing the fiddle.

Click here to see it.

Catalyst 06/Benchwarmers

Wow. I just rolled home from the Knoxville airport, and I'm quite exhausted. I just had a most incredible weekend in Savannah, Georgia!!! My friend Josh Hawk is a youth minister at a church in Georgia called Calvary in Savannah. Josh invited me down to do some comedy, and "acting" in some drama stuff for a youth retreat. Well, of COURSE I wanted to do it! It was a blast.

From wednesday until today (sunday), we worked and did various things to finish the process of getting ready. The theme was Catalyst. It was great. Often, these youth retreat things can be so draining and testing on the patience and/or emotions (and this one certainly had its moments!) But, overall, I think it was the most fun I've ever had working with youth. The group there is awesome, and Josh did a great job. We had a fantastic praise/worship band called Solomon's Porch. Chris Brooks was the youth pastor. (I know Chris from my Student Life days! Is it a small world, or what?!)

It was an incredible time. I made many many new friends, and God truly spoke to me.

By the way, I'm really excited about the new "The Benchwarmers" movie. My old pal, Doug Jones, is in it. For those of you who have heard my whacky stories about this man, but never saw what he looks like, then here's your chance!!! Doug has an interview online. (When you watch the interview, imagine this man petting my face like i'm a puppy.) DOUG I LOVE YOU!!!!! Click here to see the interview with John Lovitz and Doug Jones.

ear candle

I am officially an idiot.

On two or three different occassions, I've had various friends and/or aquaintances tell me about a "revolutionary new" ear cleaning treatment. They described the process. You take a candle-like object, that you can purchase at most drug stores. You stick one end in your ear, and light the other end. It then, according to my friends, creates a vaccum that pulls all the "impurities" out of your ear.

The gross part is, after this process, you can (allegedly) cut the candle open to see how much impurity has been extracted from your ear. Then, you can see just how effective it has been!!!

So, today I went to a local CVS drug store. I looked around, and saw no such "ear candle." I asked the woman behind the counter about it. She replied, (imagine thick country accent) "Oh, well, you'll have to go down to that 'all natural' place down the road. They might have 'em." So, off I went. To the "all natural, herbal" medicine place.

Sure enough, they had these ear candles. I took them home, and used them.

The experience was pleasant enough. There was a weird crackling sound. I didn't feel much going on in my ear, except a light crackling. Afterward, it certainly appeared as if many, many impurities and ear wax had been extracted from my ear. But, could this really be? My ears didn't feel any cleaner.

So, I got on the net and searched for the truth about these ear candles. As it turns out, I am a first class idiot.

I can't believe I fell for this idiotic scam. What made me believe that lighting a candle and lodging it in my ear would somehow magically suck out all the "dirt" and "impurities"? I'm an idiot. The truth is, the wax from the candle melts, and appears as ear wax on the inside of the candle. So, what you're looking at is NOT your ear wax, but candle wax.

In order for a vacuum to suck out impurities from your ear, it would have to be incredibly strong. Strong enough to destroy your eardrum. Ear cleaning should only be done by doctors, and trained professionals.

This is the part that makes me angry. Not only is the candle thing a scam, but it's dangerous. I read testimonies on the net of people who burned their ears. Hot wax dripped into their ears, and one woman even reported having a damaged ear drum. She had to go to the hospital and have the wax removed.

The OPPOSITE of what she was trying to do! I can't believe I feel for this snake oil. What kind of idiot am I? I'm like one of those people who buys the super-vegetable-steamer-metal-polisher at 3 AM from some infommercial.

I'm warning you. If you hear your friends raving about this new product, stay away. My ears still ache. And, so does my pride.

functional tree house

This guy I know, who lives in North Hollywood, lives in this...compound. He's lived there with a group of friends for a year or so now. (Maybe longer. Not sure.) He's in a band called The Scene. You can visit their myspace page by clicking here. Anyhoo, Ward wrote me this email today:

"Hmm..I live in a gated, 2 house duplex-type spot we call The Compound,nestled in the mexican ghetto of North Hollywood. We run askateboarding company, two clothing lines, 3 bands, wardrobe stylingand set construction companies out of it. 2 houses, one garage, skateboard halfpipe in backyard, screenprinting press room with a dude that built a shed above it to live in, dude used to live IN the ramp, oneguy in the attic, one in the old laundry room, 2 guys in the loftsabove the garage.. and 3 in real rooms. I used to live in the garageloft room. About 6 months ago, another of our buddies needed a placeto stay so i got the crazy idea to fulfill a childhood dream and builda treehouse.. to live in.WELL.. the link below will show you pictures of me and some budsbuilding it from scratch in a huge tree in the front yard of the gatedCompound. I apologize for myself and other friends lacking qualityappearance and/or having fatrolls but fight through it.. its worth it"

Click
here for the link to see the pics of Ward's tree house.

day off

Well, in staying true to the blog "journal" form, I suppose I'll tell you what happened today.

I rolled out of bed this morning. I came downstairs, ate breakfast. I watched the first 45 minutes or so of Back to the Future 2 (part of one of the best movie trilogies ever made!!!) Then, my dad came home for lunch. I watched George W. on Fox News, live. It was very interesting. Then, I ate a small lunch.

I took my bike out of the garage and rode it a few miles around Athens, TN. I wish I could somehow document how many miles I go on that thing. I need to get one of those measure things that tells you how many miles you've gone. Anyway, I went down this windy backroad until I got to this small brick Baptist church. It was in the middle of a cow field, pretty much. I looked around for a minute, then continued down the road. The scenery was nice. By the time I got home, my legs were definitely feeling the ramifications. I'm kind of out of shape.

I watched the rest of Back to the Future 2. I went to Wal-Mart and bought Capote on DVD. I want to read some of his books. I came home, ate dinner, went to church. There was a woman there tonight talking about missions in Brazil. It was very informative. Did you know women outnumber men 5 to 1? Or so she said. I knew some Brazillian guys in high school, and they were kind of crazy.

Then, I came home and watched American Idol. (I think Chris is going to win the whole thing.) Then, I got on this evil box and sent a couple of emails. Now, I blog.

Hm. That's about it. That's my day off. I'll try to be more productive in the future.

Overview:
1. Watched Back to the Future 2
2. Watched W
3. Got a great deal of exercise
4. Bought Capote
5. Learned a little about Brazil/missions
6. Watched American Idol
7. Blog
8. Watched a few more hours of my life slowly drain down the toilet

Okay, everything except number 8.

bike/school

Last night I bought a Schwinn mountain bike. Today, just now, I took it for its first test-spin. It was awesome. It's fantastic exercise, and it gets me out of the house. I'm looking forward to finding some bike trails in the Smokeys this spring/summer.

I recieved a very special delivery in the mail today. It was an application to Graduate school at the University of Tennessee. As I looked the information over, I realized this is the perfect time of year to begin the application process for next year. As I looked everything over in my living room, a very happy feeling came over me. This step in my educational progression could be just what I've been hoping for all along.

different stuff

Last night, I saw a wonderful film called Capote. I was stunned by Phillip Seymour Hoffman's performance. I've never been a big fan of his. And, since Jack Black came along, I lost total interest in P.Hoffman. However, I gained new respect for him with this film. It's an enthralling story, and I recommend it for everyone. I didn't know much about Truman Capote before I saw this film (I'm an ignorant clod!) But, it was very enlightening.

The weather here in East Tennessee has been very favorable lately. Finally, it has warmed up, and the sun has come out. Also, it's beginning to get dark later in the evening. Personally, I love it in the summer time when it gets dark at 9:30, even 10:00. I like day light!! And, I like this weather we've been having lately. It's reminiscent of California.

mountain

The way I feel right now used to inspire thorough and thoughtful blog entries. These days, however, the emotion just sort of draws me into an awkward blank. My mind is kind of floating, with inspiration, but without the means to grasp the right words. It's kind of an outline for how my life in general is going.

I have actually begun the process of applying to be a mailman!! Isn't that weird? You never know where life may, or may not, take you.

I went hiking a week or so ago in the Great Smokey Mts. It was a beautiful trail that led to an equally beautiful waterfall. The whole experience was very wonderful. The view from the top was expansive, panoramic, and humbling. I felt so small in the face of the hills and mountains. I went with my friend Tiffany. And, yes, I'm wearing a Michael Jordan shirt from 1990.

CRASH!!!

There has been quite a buzz about this film, Crash. One of the overarching critiques of this film is that it is a "love it or hate it" film. I have been reading and absorbing every critical review of this film I can get my hands on, as I had the opportunity to watch it yesterday, for the first time.

I have to admit mixed feelings about this film. One element that no one seems to contend is that the acting is fantastic. Terrance Howard, Matt Dillon, Sandra Bullock, Branden Frazer, Ludacris, and others have churned out fantastic performances.

The controversey, however, is in writer/director Paul Haggis. This film is ultimately his brainchild, and born of his imagination.

I know I didn't grow up in Los Angeles or anything. However, I did live there for a little over a year. I was somewhat surprised to see the resaurant, Carney's, that Matt Dillon's character is in near the beginning of the film. This restaurant was less than a mile from my apartment, and I remember seeing the sleazey-looking payphone in the corner that his character uses.

That being said, I feel that Paul Haggis' interpretation, and/or atmosphere of the L.A. region is far too dark. I mean, I know that bad things happen in L.A. (Prostitution, crime, racism, etc.) However, I didn't feel that his dark atmosphere was realistic, but rather manipulative. And, some of the dialouge/situations were so absurd that I nearly laughed out loud.

Now, I know what you lovers of this film are immediately thinking. "But, Evan, it's not supposed to be realistic! It's a parable, it's just a story that makes a point!" But the problem is, if it's not realistic, then anyone can make up anything to make a point, and it doesn't have to be rooted in reality.

Another title for this film could've been "Dumb People Doing Dumb Things". What?!? Oh, no, he didn't! Oh, yes. Yes, he did.

Then, we have the other side of the coin. The positive side. I've already mentioned the acting. But secondly, the film's characters, and their ideas, genuinely made me think. I thought about it a great portion of the day yesterday. Every character was guilty of racism, but equally a victim. That aspect was interesting. Many of the thoughts Ludacris' character had about "conspiracy theories" against black people were thought-provoking, and similar to things I've heard people say. I had a very productive, and interesting conversation with a co-worker yesterday night about this movie. And, it was well-worth the viewing just to have that conversation.

Bottom line? I recommend that you see it. But also, I warn you to watch it with a grain of salt. I mean, look: I lived there for a year. I met all races of people. I met all religions of people. The ideas of this movie are relevant. I just don't know if that instantly qualifies it to be a fantastic movie. So, I'm kind of on the fence about it.

Oscar schlock 2006

There's less than one week until the Academy Awards airs this sunday. Certainly, I will be watching the ceremony. But, it seems like an off year for the Oscars. It feels like the Academy is off base this year. Not only that, but 2005 was a fairly weak year for movies.

I've done a fair amount of complaining about this in the last month, since the nominations were announced. Since that time, I'm not quite as cynical about the Academy's intentions. But, the outlook is still not that great. Let me explain what I mean.

What message, exactly, is the Academy trying to send by nominating Brokeback Mountain for 8 awards? This is a movie that they're obviously trying to promote by lavishing it with praise and attention. I have no doubt that this movie is probably artistically high quality. But, it's an obvious ploy by the Academy to boost ticket sales and push propoganda. Politically, it's the same with George Clooney and Good Night and Good Luck. And, Woody Allen's nomination for Matchpoint. Allen has been an "Academy darling" for many many years. So, anything he touches turns to gold. It's all political. This is the most highly political Oscar year in recent memory. And as a result, it's mediocre.

But enough of my political griping. Among the heap of schlock, there are a couple of gems. I'm vaguely interested in The Squid and the Whale. Regrettably, I missed it when it was playing here in the Knoxville region. I am also fascinated by Phillip Seymour Hoffman's performance in Capote. (Another one I missed.) These nominated films are half-interesting.

Now, my predictions:

Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Best Actor He will win. By a landslide.

Reece Witherspoon - Best Actress She will probably win. (she did her own singing, alright?)

I don't care about the supporting actor/actress awards.

Brokeback Mountain - I predict it to win Best Picture.

I'm not so certain about any of the others, so I'm afraid to make guesses. I will be watching, and noting political statements that come from the ceremony. Expect a politically charged show this year!

Iraq war

The war in Iraq is an odd and touchy subject. Personally, I think it's sad that we have troops over there fighting and dying daily. It is a nasty battle field, and the line between good and evil may not be so clear. I, as many Americans, am unclear on many issues facing the war in Iraq. I am sadly uneducated on the matter.

That being said, there are many things I believe strongly about the war in Iraq that anti-war people should consider:

1. It seems to me that we have been engaged in conflict with "terrorists", and middle eastern terror cells since the early 90's. So, this war in Iraq has been coming for a long, long time.

2. Terrorist attacks struck U.S. soil before 9/11. The Oklahoma City bombing happened. During the Clinton administration, President Bill Clinton was soft on terrorism his whole 8 years. Read a fantastic article about it here. And, you can read another article about Clinton's failure with terrorism here. This second article is a bit more biased against Clinton. Yet, fairly accurate nonetheless.

So, you can criticize the Bush administration where you want as far as their reaction to terrorism. But here's the important thing to remember: At least they're an administration that has a reaction to terrorism. At least they're looking out for American people's best interests, rather than their own political glory. (Ok, that last sentence was a cheap shot. Sue me.)

With these opinions stated, I still feel somewhat "out of the loop" on the whole war in Iraq. I still feel like I'm not fully informed on what's going on, or how the war is going. I vaguely think we're winning. I vaguely understand that it may take a long time.

I also feel torn from a theological standpoint. Can God approve this war? Didn't Jesus say He who lives by the sword dies by the sword? Is God using this war, or is it an instrument of evil, and death? I don't know, and it bothers me.

tortured artist

Working at Target has afforded me the opportunity to see many "old chums" from former lives that I haven't seen in years. For example, the other day I saw a married couple with a small child. I vaguely recognized them from college, but couldn't remember their names. I probably hadn't seen them in nearly eight years. As I observed this completely typical, stable, normal couple with a beautiful baby, it was hard to fathom that they are my age! I felt a little embarassed to be standing there in the Target uniform, with my low budget name tag.

I also saw, just the other day, a woman I went to high school/college with. She just finished law school in Memphis, and now she's visiting her family after taking the bar exam. There were moments of awkwardness and struggle when, upon asking me what I had been doing since I graduated from college, I stammered for a cohesive answer. This woman, and her mother, seemed understanding. However, the sting of pride was still very clearly on my face.

With every development in my life, I continually fight to find a balance between materialism and responsibility. Responsibility, being that I make a certain amount of money, pay the bills, work hard and avoid laziness. On the other hand, I have to fight materialism in the sense that I can't measure success based on a cookie cutter idea of career success.

And, please allow me to be corny. I feel, in part, like I have many tendancies/characteristics of an artist. And, most artists I know are not inclined to pursue material gain (unless they're in Hollywood!) Rather, they're more interested in creating, expressing, letting themselves be true to who they really are. (Yeah, all those cliches!) Though I haven't completely bought into a starving artist lifestyle, I am constantly on the brink of giving in to these romantic flights of whimsy. The artist lifestyle beckons, tempts, and calls to me in a deep emotional way. At the same time, I don't buy into it completely because of urges to be financially responsible.

But don't get me wrong. I don't walk around all day with my head low, like a "tortured artist." I really love interacting with people, and I want to do something that impacts the people around me.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, you have gotten your blog money's worth today. I wasn't really planning on whining on and on like that, but, what can you do? Sometimes blogs get away from me. Plus, it's therapeutic. Sue me.

On a side note, check this out: MC Hammer has a blog. No, seriously! It's really him. Check it out,but I warn you: you can't touch it!

fairly boring

Sorry I've neglected my blog for a while. That tends to happen. I go through phases, and sometimes my poor li'l blog takes a back seat.

Today I watched Corpse Bride. I put some things on sale on E-Bay. I watched American Idol. Overall, it was a fairly boring day. I didn't work. I find the internet is becoming more and more a source of wasted time. But, I'm working on a script just for fun, and I'm trying to stay creative.

path of potential?

I type on this keyboard, searching careerbuilder.com for career opportunity. Blankly, I browse numerous jobs for which I am not qualified, nor interested in. Emotionless, irritable, and without a single stirring in my soul, I continue to go through the motions. Like a child swimming aimlessly through the rolling waves of the ocean, my meandering search continues.

It's not a job I'm searching for. This, I've learned recently. Being offered a job, I am second-guessing myself now. It's something more. I guess I'm searching for a career with meaning. Something I'm genuinely good at. Something I can be proud of. Weary from the pressure I put on myself, I am ready to lay down this heavy sceptor of mediocrity and plunge into something passionate. And, if it leads me to the path of destruction and humiliation, then I can say hello to my sincere destiny. Punching through, and forcing this big thing to happen is simply not working. I need to let go, and allow the tide to take me where I should go. Maybe that will start me down the path to reaching my potential.

2000's continued

Thank you, everyone, for responding to my "I love 2000's" blog entry. It seems to be a subject that strikes a chord with people, because I've gotten quite a wide response. And, that has provided for a lot of good and interesting conversation. It's probably the most response I've ever gotten from one other singular entry.

Here's an exerpt from an e-mail a friend of mine, Matthew, sent me on the subject. I thought it was blog-worthy, and could be added as a comment:

"...One thing that's happening right now is indie music going mainstream. These bands have music that seems so tangible, because it sounds like anyone can jump in their garage and do it. As appealing as that is for some people, it also may be its downfall. We need music that is created by musical geniuses so we don't get bored. Don't get me wrong. I'm digging a lot of new music that's out there, there just seems to be so much to sift through..."

I wish I could be as insightful about our present decade as some of my friends.

Another thing to keep in mind is that this decade is barely half over. So, the next few years could bring any kind of change in pop culture. We may encounter the next George Lucas, or new Michael Jackson (you know, early 80's Michael Jackson!!!) that may usher in a new pop culture era. I'm sitll optimistic that our music can improve.

I also thought of some new distinctly 2000's trends:

1. Some of you have already mentioned reality TV. More specifically, I think American Idol and Survivor will be distinctly 2000's.

2.I think automotive Satellite directonal systems (GPS) will become more previlant, and we'll wonder how we lived without it. Already, car DVD players are more and more common.

3. I-Pods are definitely a 2000's trend that we will look back on and laugh about.

4. Eminem may be remembered as a 2000's thing, even though he started gaining popularity in '99.

5. Build-A-Bear (existed in the 90's, gained popularity in the 00's.)

6. Blogging

7. new Star Wars trilogy (maybe...?)

I don't know, it's an interesting subject I can't help but ponder it. At the end of the day, though, it's probably healthiest to just enjoy the decade and not spend too much time analyzing. (As I tend to do!)

Thank you for your insights!

I Love the 2000's

So, I had a discussion with a friend of mine a few months ago about the present state of pop culture.

If you look back at the past few decades, a few things stand out in light of pop culture. For example, the 60's brings distinct images of The Beatles, the type of rock that was popular, political upheaval, and a certain type of television. The 70's, it was more of the hippie decade. Things got happier in pop culture, the music is very distinctly 70's. Star Wars came out in '77, Saturday Night Live started in the mid 70's.

Then, of course, you have the wondrous 80's. We all know, thanks to VH-1, the details of this decade. Saturday morning cartoons, cable television, MTV, Michael Jackson, Atari, and the list goes on and on. Music, movies, television are all distinctly 80's in that decade.

Enter the 90's. Grundge, Nirvana, Beavis and Butthead, Gangsta rap, Bill Clinton, Starbucks, the dot com boom, etc, etc, etc. So many things are distinctly 90's. Great changes and movements in the 90's gave that decade a distinct personality, in pop culture terms.

Now, you may be wondering what the point of this blog is, but hang with me. Now, enter the 2000's. Um...I don't quite understand what differentiates the 2000's from the 90's. To me, it just seems like (strictly from a pop culture stance) the 2000's are just a mediocre continuation of the 90's. Nothing has really happened in pop culture to push things forward.

Politically, this decade has been HUGE!!! Beginning with the whacky 2000 Presidential election, the Bush presidency, Sept.11, 2001, the Iraq War. These political shifts are very distinctly 2000's.

But, come on! Where's the FUN stuff of the 2000's? Is it going to be the XBOX 360? Playstation 3? Blogging? Gay cowboy movies? Advances in CGI effects in movies? What movies have come out this decade that are even worth mentioning? Where's the good music that will define the 2000's? It's 2006, and I haven't seen anything really defining this decade. Everything that's come out so far just seems like stuff that could've come out in the 90's. Maybe I'm just missing it. Maybe you can help me out. Maybe I'm just getting older, and I'm not as in tune with pop culture. Any ideas?