A work in [completed] progress.

BikeRides in Chi-town

2008-10-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

2008-10-04T16:48:00.000-07:00

2008-08-03T17:55:00.000-07:00

2008-06-25T16:55:00.001-07:00

For Heidi.

2008-04-07T12:59:00.001-07:00

Definitely Ill Youngins'

Disastrously Intellectual Youth

Devastatingly Irresistible Yodeling

Welcome to a house, burnt down.

2007-12-28T17:49:00.001-08:00

At one point, they called me "downstairs"

Here sat the table with people so cheery
[a kitchen-once-was, now vaguely eerie]

Pretty neat view from the porch

Rust from Flame//Ashes to Dust

This was Brother's room...
but he never cared for it much anyway.

Value is fleeting...
[Catch her before she]

__F
____a
________l
_______________l
____________________________s

Location: Santiago Canyon, California
Thursday, December 20, 2007

a question:

2007-12-14T17:51:00.000-08:00

what ever happened to honesty?

come now, world - let me learn from your mistakes.
i just want to develop, and one day have errors of my own.

[in all selflessness - i'd rather not share with yours.]

so please:
teach me,
tell me,
what happened to honesty?

Things I love about after-Thanksgiving.

2007-11-24T10:56:00.001-08:00

1] Now that its over... i officially have permission to listen to as much X-mas music without being labeled and/or judged.

Let me bless you,

there is this fantastic website.

Its one of those smart radio dealies where you give thumbs up//thumbs down on songs and [through an intricate process involving some form of divination] predicts what songs your subconscious really wants to listen to.

If you type in a Christmas song - you'll get a whole holiday mix.
Ah man, life is good right now.

People I've enjoyed in the last few minutes:

Ella, Frankie, Crosby, Cole, Pres, and then some.

I've also hear about fourteen renditions of winter wonderland,
and still love it.

Oh, the holidays are here alas.

An Obsersvation of the Turkey Day.

2007-11-22T10:10:00.000-08:00

I have a question for you,
whats the big deal with thanksgiving?

Once a year - you meet up with all your family to make relatively unexciting food in honor of buckle-adorned top hats and squanto's corn growing techniques.

If you know me well enough to have grown a year in my presence, you may be familiar with my day-of-birth wishing ideologies. To me it seems ridiculous to wish someone 'happiness' but once a year. That other person, assuming they are of any consequence at all to you, should have some idea that you hope them the best daily. Same with Thanks-Day. Why would you ever wait once a year to introspect upon your appreciative side? I mean, sure, it does allot some time of intentionality - but regardless... really america?

It saddens me to see people for a once in three-sixty-five time period being gracious... then forget about it and move right on the early bird sale the morning after.

oh turkey-day.

i am thankful for the creative mind behind this tee-shirt.

Stupid Things: Part A

2007-11-18T13:41:00.000-08:00

[ or, the dumb stuff i used to wear ]

if you know anything about me at all, you may have perceived my desire for a more avant garde eclecticity.

this style did not fall upon me suddenly. with private school education comes khakis and polos for a twelve year elementary span... which only leaves one thing worth looking forward to.

free-dress-days.

Every month-ish or so, a day would be allotted to sport whatever newer/lamer sunshine bookstore apparel you could come up with. i took this day for what it was: freedom.

the following depicts one of my favorite FDD selections.

Black Wife-beat, See-Thru-Blue Hawaiian Shirt, Orange Zip-Offs.

It takes guts to sport complimentary colors in the fourth grade.

Another fav. was the black [and/or blue] jeans with sequin thread trim and the Tony Hawk bright red tee.

Oh childhood. You aren't so far off.

What was your favorite-worst outfit?
Or worst-favorite outfit?

the way i feel:

2007-11-18T13:39:00.000-08:00

hopeful______hopeful__hopeful_hopeful.

i think i'll start blogging again.

first topic: stupid things i used to do.

the things you can do in two days.

2007-11-03T21:24:00.001-07:00

Thursday, 11-1-07

5:36 - wake
6:41 - leave for school
7:05-11:28 - be educated
11:32-12:26 - mentor session with media works
1:15 - depart for john wayne airport
3:30 - fly to chicago

[cue two hour time change]

9:30, chicago time - picked up from the airport by a great old friend
rest of evening - dinner at tapas place, mini-tour, lots of great conversation//encouragement, head to hotel

Friday, 11-2-07

Tear apart the city of Chicago.

Saturday, 11-3-07

Continue tearing up city...
then come home.

I think I'll do a day by day walk through more in depth,
but as for now - i am tired.

Explanation//Exploration

2007-10-30T17:53:00.000-07:00

I need to just say this up front. No - I am not lazy, and I'm not just lacking inspiration. I just haven't put up any significant blogs in a while. I have written about five or six and end erasing them right before I post... I mostly feel like there is always something better to be saying then the things I usually write - and when I try the worthwhile things, the typically run too long and aren't worth reading.

So, ambitious blog-supporters, please direct me.

In the spectrum of life... give me something to write about.
I have a journal for the things I am teaching myself.
What should the blog be?

[ i'm thinking potential subject matter of interest.
you think it, I write it. ]

2007-10-28T18:54:00.001-07:00

Love Wins.

Dear Anxious Viewers...

2007-10-21T17:32:00.001-07:00

I am officially back from hibernation with exciting news.

Today, I completed the transaction for which I slaved through the summer at miminum wage. The camera is mine. Which leaves the question... "what does that have to do with me?"

Well, it has a LOT to do with you - duh.

My direction for this blog is becoming a lot more visual and photo-journalistic.
I'm trying to condense my writing style, so I figure pictures let the reader tell the story for themselves, eh?

Next Post: attempt of batik.

For more information on said subject, just click here.

Be excited.

Deputy Mark

2007-09-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

today was a pretty noteworthy visit to the old house of isaiah.
for those unaware - the place i am speaking of in the following blog is a paticular homeless shelter in santa ana with the accompaniment of a particular seven year old named mark jr.
i think i [mark] actually filled up like 4 pages of significant events [words bearing extreme resemblance to a fire-truck... just without the ire-tr]

here's a look.
check it out.

Top Left: I am no priest... but i think i can recognize a confession when i see one.

Top Right: I don't know if you're aware... but Mark is, to date - the youngest police officer/squadron-commander/chief of all things good in all of santa ana.
This is his latest police report. The details are as follows. Officer Johnson [ a code name... of course ] was just sitting in the security room down at the local Mc-Dee's enjoying a double-chee... when all of the sudden, some thug busts onto camera, and i quote, "The kid stoled Mc-Donalds French Fries and chicken nuggets... and some curly fries. I busted his butt."
The report was sent to official secretarial staff of inner-city-police-services [aka: jason leith] for review. The file was approved. Sentence: The man returns the confiscated potato products and is sent to the chair.
Electric... of course. Gotta keep those thugs off the street.

Anyways... on with the bottom right:
According to our linguistics interpretative analisist [jason leith], it appears to say ffuack - an Italian originated word for 'double fuack,' not do be confused with the SFB double thwack.
Either that... or it is what it looks like and Top-Left was just words of apology.

For proof that said information is, indeed, a result of the mighty deputy himself, i had him autograph the bottom left picture, circled in digi-highlights:
Mark Jr.

Oh... how rude of me to skip proper introductions.
This is the notebook in which the above was documented.

He rides along in not-back pocket anywhere i choose to go.
We have been through a lot together.
I think i will do a follow-up series.
Ride deserves some time in the spotlight.

Perspective

2007-09-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

Today was essentially good | Most stressful morning ever

I got to open today | 15 minutes late
Made like six bucks in tips | It was pretty slow all morning
I talked to some lady for a few minutes | Her cousin just died
I think I encouraged her | Why so much pain?
The clouds were so nice | I'm stuck behind a counter
I read through Habakkuk | "Why do you make me look at injustice?"
Had a great conversation with Josh | About how sucky everything is
My mom got Wendys for lunch | My mom got Wendys for lunch
Put together a sweet play list | To bad I don't have an iPod
I should ride my bike | I'm pathetically out of shape
My mom let me borrow her iPod | She kept her headphones to herself
Stopped before to get my own pair | Took three stores to find any
Journeyed the best bike trail ever | That was gone fast
I feel free without a shirt | My backpack makes my shoulders itch
It love the sky | It says "you're welcome" with sunburns
Down a hill | Up a hill
I should call Jared | I forgot to call Randy
Jared's house is close | My house is far
I stopped by to say hello | Not to watch more stupid football
We talked about college | We talked about paying for college
He taught me about bike gears | I'm just about eighteen years old

Getting home was a solid workout | Up a hill

balance.

2007-09-09T20:07:00.000-07:00

typically when i operate on this computer thing that i am typing at, i prefer to be accompanied by my friend mister music. i usually rely on itunes for partnership. sometimes it becomes habitual and i forgot that music is playing. when this happens, occasionally following will be a bombardment of cacophonous noise due to a multitude of opened myspace pages.

every once in a while though - something incredible happens.
a phenomenon i like to call a dual-overlayed-synergy.

its sensational.

right now i am listening to Andvari by Sigur Ros
with Transatlanticism by Death Cab.
its unbelievable.
i love when this happens.
but i haven't heard this.
its perfect.
i even capitalized their titles.
thats how good it is.

has this ever happened to you?
if so: enlighten me as to what songs work best.

[ oh my gosh - i can't believe how good this is. i think Jesus may have just come back. i bet when He made the earth and stuff... he listened to this for inspiration.

totally blasphemous.
clearly joking. ]

anyways... if you haven't please try it.
usually it just sort of happens - but i'm sure trying wouldn't hurt.
key components typically include a mostly instrumental ambiance with a vocal driven simplicity.

the result should be phenomenally sensational and radically mind blowing.

i find it so incredible to see beauty in cooperation.
cosmos in chaos.
symmetry in entropy.

i find that 'living and active' really is alive and actual.

actual threesome.

2007-09-08T22:58:00.001-07:00

actual conversation:

typical-church-goer: hey... aren't you that guy from summer wilshire?
self, my: uhm... ha, no - not really.
not at all, actually.
tcg: oh.

this further goes to prove the alleged twin ship of myself and david hughes. from further conversation - i discovered that apparently he had mistaken me for 'that drummer guy.'

actual photograph:

location: iris hotel, rwanda.

actual word:

seriatim \sir-ee-AY-tim; -AT-im\, adverb:
In a series; one after another.
- - -
Mr. and Mrs. Kenwigs thanked every lady and gentleman, seriatim, for the favour of their company.
Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickelby

its about that time again.

2007-09-01T13:19:00.001-07:00

with summer excitement coming to a close and school right around the corner - i decided i should kick the year off with some productive writing habits... so alas - i am back.

i don't really have too much to talk about.
thats something to talk about.

it would be a trifle affair to bother and
recap the noteworthy events of summer.

lets talk about work.

have you ever seen those cool little three-fold table top deals?
usually they consist of various advertisements and announcements.
well, being as i have an innate need to partake in every bandwagon's followings [joke]... i decided to give it a shot.

i've been making/collecting many things for moxie lately. yesterday - cole, jackie [who just got hired this morning], and i found some really neat things at goodwill including a multi-functional bar stool and fully authentic radio-flier tricycle.
observe diagram 1a... only a lot more weathered, and one hundred percent - pretty cool.

diagram 1a.

i plan on taking it apart and reassembling it in such a way that it could be hung from a wall.
or something like that.

i think we are really starting to find the potential in that store. in case you couldn't read the print in the blue section of the tri-fold device... go find some x-ray lenses and follow the instructions hidden underneath the music card.

"have a seat,
stay a while."

* * *

word of the day.
Egregious \ih-GREE-juhs\, adjective:
Conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible.

Land of a Thousand Hills

2007-07-30T20:41:00.002-07:00

words and pictures could never do justice in explaining the last 15 days of my life.

i may post a few follow ups with highlights.

God does stuff like this...

2007-07-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

I'm sure if we have any sort or relationship at all - you have already been informed of my departure for Rwanda tomorrow. I just learned something crazy. As part of my preparation - i've been reading this book.

Yeah, I know - the cover is cheesy. I actually gave way to the old proverbial sayings and judged this entire book by the lame eagle/sepia tone combo... but I decided to read it anyway. So i'm on page nintey-eight, I'm gonna power through the rest today, and I just found out that the entire narration in this book takes place in the exact city that my team is going to.

Absolutely insane. All these places she writes about and the lake that her house once had a great view of before it was burnt down... thats all right were we are headed. It totally blew my mind, I was reading - and she said something like "I never imagined all of these horrors coming to Kibuye."

Blew my mind.

27 hours...

Something Fishy is Going On... V-1.0

2007-07-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

And I'm not talking about any tuna casserole. Or even salmon dumplings for that matter... Maybe a Tod's boat, though.

[that was entirely relevant - i'll explain later.]

I am beginning to think more and more that I might be sharing a split personality. Or I am being incredibly selfish with half of it... or something. The entity I am speaking of lies in the host body of this guy.

Immediate Evidence of Multiple Person[s] in Harmony Syndrome - [MPHS... not to be confused with MVHS]
a. Same name.
b. Near identical musical interests.
c. Similar humor style.
f. Common appreciation for the above three items.

I know- its an f. Deal with it.

Lets go back for a minute... Circa 2007 - first week of July. While conversing with this apparent distant twin, [perhaps an immediate cousin, or some other polar extreme], the genre of Hanson came about. [Yes - Hanson does in fact possess His own genre... and pronoun.] I mentioned that Hanson was my first DBB [defining-boy-band] and PMI [prominent-musical-interest]. He said it was his too, so I gave him a test.

You know how everyone acts like they don't know any of the names of Pokemon but say they used to love it? Quit fooling yourself people - I'm sure you know all about gym battles and rare-candy coast sailing expeditions. Sixth slot? Pokemasters - you know what I'm talkin about. Oh, anyways - typically it goes like this.

Pseudo-fan: 'Oh yeah! hanson, [lowercase is evident in articulation] - dudes with the girly hair who sang, you know, like mmm-bop, shoo-bop, shoo-bop, WOO!'

[if anyone can name that song pseudo-fan was mistaken with, i will seriously kiss your feet.]

I won't go to in depth to Hanson in this entry... but ultimately - he answered the question correctly. We karaokied through a few verses of such songs including: Weird, Thinking of You, Middle of Nowhere, Yearbook, Pictures, and so on. He is the first of the male species I have come across with the same completely nothingtobeguiltyabout-pleasure.

I think thats enough evidence. Case closed.

[mostly - I'm just trying to cut back on blog length. keep your eyes open for part two.]

now check this out... potentially the most widely versatile use of nineteen-ninety television editing effects.

Oh - and about that Todd's boat thing... thats just a piece of sushi. We split on about a month ago - so there.

I use brackets way too much. I must like Sigur Ros.

I can't not put this here... another perfect example of the brilliance that is Hanson - and the ingenious of His videos.

three highlights.
1. zach's totally pop-star mic
2. isaacs wifebeat
3. closeups on the acoustic...
there is no acoustic in this song.

Seven.

2007-07-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

Check out the calender, today is a very exciting day. The seventh day of July, which is the seventh month, seven years after the millennium. To commemorate this once in a life time day - i decided to compile a list of all the greatest theories as to the significance of this day.

1. from 'Da Piff Community' - online hip hop message board interface
- 2Pac is coming back

2. from Fermier, author of a French guide to numerology
- the ultimate day of good luck, for the number seven is the union of four - the symbol of matter, and three - the symbol of spirit.

3. three times the average couples are tying the knot and an additional thirty percent in tuxedos are being rented out for the weekend.

4. ancient egyptian hieroglyphics explain seven also as the sum of three and four, three being the sum of the first two intergers [clearly significant] and four representing the four winds [thats actually what the original number line was based off of... meteorological patterns]

5. from Kristen Garret - New York Times journalist
- Seven is sacred.

6. apparently seven is God's number - so we should be getting raptured any second now...

7. Marlboro's summer campaign is based off 7/7/07. Printed on all the boxes is '7.7.7. - a big summer is in store.' Rise and shine Marlboro, summer starts on june twenty first. [maybe its some kind of double meaning thing attempting to portray the negative affects on the psyce due to smoking - the first being major memory loss... conspiracy - eh?]

[seven trivial pieces of information in regards to the number seven]

1] In Japanese mythology, there are seven gods of fortune.
2] A ladybug has seven spots.
3] Seven celebrities who will turn 77 in 2007 are Sean Connery, Gena Rowlands, Joanne Woodward, Gene Hackman, Don Shula, Ross Perot and Buzz Aldrin.
4] The city of Rome was built on seven hills.
5] There are seven dominant colors in the rainbow - [maybe moses is coming back].
6] Seven is viewed as the optimal number of hours of sleep for a human.
7] Wool is the traditional gift for a seventh wedding anniversary.

one two three
four
five - six
[seven]

Debrief: Day One

2007-07-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

They say that the simplest solution is usually the correct one. Hundreds of books were published about JFK conspiracy theories... still the solution remains accepted - just a pissed of guy with something to prove.

Simple, eh? Sometimes our imaginations don't like to settle for simplicity.

[don't worry - this isn't going to become a conspiracy theory update site... just my blog]

So as to the subject of this entry... today was my first real day of work. By myself. The Moxie is a very imaginative place - things go down constantly there. Music, art, blood drives, shoe drives. There are even rumors of ghosts and other spooky spectacles... plenty to make stories about.

"The First Day" can be pretty stressful. Am I gonna know what to do? What happens when I get an order wrong? What if my manager is secretly spying on me and has implanted microphones into all the coffee cups!? My imagination was at its beak on the ride there... but like I said - simplicity is sometimes hard to grasp.

In my entire 11-3 shift, I had seven costumers. This may seem like a lot - but on a four hour shift, thats barely two people an hour... and actually one of them was there when i got there. He was eating a muffin and workin on his computer.

[Oh ya - Moxie has free wireless... yet another reason to stop by]

I didn't really do anything for him. He gave me his plate and fork when he was done... I think I did a pretty adequate job rinsing them off.

Costumers 2 through 6 where all in the store at the same time. The middle four consisted of my mom, my sister, a friend of my mom, and a friend of my sister... simple enough. The first lady got a mocha frappe... the most generic drink on the menu.

Simple.

Number six was my boss... who actually gave me the most complicated order ever. I think it was a non-fat-iced-apple-caramel-spiced-chai-latte.

Thats like... three different drinks in one - a little nervous now. I suppose she anticipated this, she walked me through the whole thing. Simple.

Now, number seven. Oh - mister seven. Apparently he works at vons. Apparently von's workers get a discount. I was unaware of this. He walked me through the cash register process... embarrassing - but simple. All he wanted was two shots of espresso and some non-fat milk.

Gross... but simple.

Overall - the stress level from day one was entirely overrated. I spent the rest of my time listening to sufjan and mika on repeat [ i guess i didn't bring enough CD's... four hours is a lot of music... good thing i'm friends with tali] My fellow co-worker/human being Sarah came in at about one. We sat down. She left at about three-thirty. It was wonderful.

Day one: Simple.

Look what i found... i am certain that his shirt says moxie.
thats probably the most exciting thing I've seen all day.

Editors note: Apparently he started a magazine during his stay at Hope College named Moxie.
There you go.
Thanks again to Tali for even more useless trivia.

Uh-oh...

2007-07-02T10:30:00.000-07:00

today is my first legitimate day of buisness.

training is over - time to start for real. four hour shift - by myself. i dont know if i'm ready.

i'll let you know how it goes.

2007-06-29T12:09:00.000-07:00

[t-minus fifteen days]

i don't know if i can wait that long.

Mox-Tea [and java]

2007-06-27T14:23:00.001-07:00

So we just went through some major reconstruction at the mox. the whole place is basically flipped around. its always good to start training and learn where everything is, then come back the next day and realize that everything is moved around.

difficult at first - but i am quite fond of it.

among the many various moves, we put our teas in a drawer, instead of sitting out on a counter. i thought to myself,

"gee - if i was to come here, i would sure be curious as to what kind of teas they had... and i don't think i would ask to come around the counter and look."

well - in the updated words of Mahatmas Gandhi, "You must be the change you wish to see in [the coffee shop]."

ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages - i give you...

[The Menu]

Thirsty yet? Stop by, have a drink. If you've got time, sit down and have it in a mug. Delicious beverage in a delightful demitasse.

[ i am getting better at condensing my blogs. now you have no excuse not to read them]

...mostly joking
but seriously...

little known facts:

2007-06-25T22:08:00.002-07:00

[spanish. chemistry. history]

i love building book covers. i get super excited when old ones rip and fall off - cause that means its time for creation.

[only problem is... then it gets a lot harder to actually open the book cause you are busy looking at the cover.]

side note: book socks ruin creativity. so many opportunities to make great covers. so much potential thrown down the drain.
stupid elastic-strung convenience.

the spanish one never really got finished. i re-drew on the pencil a few times, and it kept rubbing off, so i figured it wasn't worth it.

the middle one is some paint pens and sharpies and such. thats kinda my signature thing, i guess. the tree with a box head.

the last one took forever. i started out weaving together newspaper and gluing it on. at the very end... it looked totally stupid. 'i spent two hours on this?' after school the next day, i was showing it to lan, and got kinda embarresed - so i started ripping off the newspaper. the finished result: major improvement.

over the course of the next few weeks - i start detailing all the gaps. theres a different design in each one. def my favorite.

book covers are great.

got any good books that need to be covered?

Freshan Frenz-Three

2007-06-24T23:38:00.000-07:00

Freshman Frenzy: Success

In honor of my thirtieth blog entry, I decided to write thirty highlights of the day.

...only teasing - how about just three?

1. At one point early on in the day - my team was given a free block during the rec-games. Odd number of teams, I guess. About twenty seconds into the break, I turned around to see that all the guys off my team where missing. Then I heard them. Without even me pressuring them into it or anything - all the guys with a few recruits from other teams where all playing on the rocks. Climbing. I felt like a proud father. Those are some real men. I took a picture to forever remember it.

2. My first ball in bowling - I threw it a little too hard and it flew right into the gutter. I walked back to my seat... throughly humilated by my teamates, and was greeted with a...

"David, LOOK!!"

The ball had somehow jumped out of the gutter and gone back into the lane. I caught a brief glimpse right before it knocked em down.

Thats right. All of them. Hands in the air for the unintentional strike.

3. At the close of the day, we where riding to some gym to go play kill ball, and these three girls in my van started asking questions. Most of the questions of the day had been silly - mostly just quality would-you-rathers. They wanted to know what high school was like. What I learned. What I wasn't prepared for.

You know - all the things I wish I would have asked.

It served as the perfectly profound ending to a rather outrageous day.

Oh, shoot - I have a fourth highlight - but we can just call it three-point-five.

Roller Skating.

[no explanation necessary]

good words.

2007-06-23T12:14:00.000-07:00

"God is creator.
Man was made in the image of God.
Therefore, man is - whether we recognize it or not, creative."
Alanna

"No thing great is created suddenly"
Epictetus

The Body.

2007-06-21T22:51:00.000-07:00

In the Bible, there is talk of the Christian community being a body, all made up of seperate parts working together as a whole and stuff.

I think sometimes it is like a starfish.

I am in no mood to blog right now.

Go wiki starfish.

They fascinate me.

on telemarketing,

2007-06-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

you know, it has always struck me as odd the way people interact with telemarketers. Christ followers in particular. something about the idea of 'loving your neighbor' to me means not being abrupt and rude - followed by an immediate hangup. if this statement correctly identifies yourself - please continue reading this. i may be able to offer you a more positive alternative to make these phone calls more then a meaningless transaction between two frustrated human beings.

so every six months, i get a phone call from this place that sets up focus groups down by the spectrum. basically - they have clients, clients have products, products need reviews, so i come in - and review them. last time, it was a taste test. i got payed 75 bucks to try a bunch of junk food. the time before, i answered questions about backpacks and messenger bags for nike, and made 150. legit, eh?

it works like this: they call and ask a bunch of seemingly incoherent questions, pick out the few they needed, and tell you if you qualify or not for whatever product it is in need of review. for this one - seeing as that i do not own a playstation two or nintendo wii, i did not qualify. bummer too - i would have made seventy five to go play video games for a couple hours. dragonball z, actually.

during the conversation - the lady on the phone, in a rather aged voice, started to express her recent frustrations with lack of costumer response. she claims everyone things dragonball z is 'stupid.' i told her its just not as mainstream. she said that means its 'stupid.' i told her i thought the concept may be perceived as dorky - flying around through space shooting ka-may-a-mayas and stuff. she said dorky and stupid are synonymous... and expressed her frustration a little bit more.

she was nervous - cause it was her job to get 10 teens to come do this study, and so far she had none. you can't just tell a client that there game is stupid... that is called poor business. i told her i thought it didn't make much sense to think in such black and whites. just cause not many people have heard of something or cause it gets a bad rap - that doesn't mean it was a waste of production.

'wow - you are an incredibly bright young man. well - thank you for your time... i'll just call a dozen more kids i guess. keep it up with those thoughts of yours - i hope you end up with a great education and make tons of money.'

[this is where the alternative ending comes in.]

i couldn't just blow it off. i know thats not what i wanted.

"actually ma'am. thats not really what i am shooting for - but i appreciate the thought."

"What... you don't want to be rich and have a good life? What else would you do?"

"I don't know. I was thinking about going to live somewhere. Maybe Africa, or Thailand or something... just love the people and stuff."

"But... but - why would you do that?"

"I... I guess I would rather change the world then just sit back and enjoy it."

This statement put her in a brief shock. I waited for a moment.

"Well God bless you with that."

"Hey, thank you! Maybe now I can bless someone else with that."

She said a few superficial things, like - oh, we will get back to you if we really need someone else, and is your contact information still...

"You know son. I don't know what it was, but something about you just gave me - a sixty two year old woman the will to keep going. I don't remember ever feeling a hope like I felt during this conversation before... I mean - I wanted to change the world... But now, I'm stuck here calling kids about Dragonfire B games... or whatever they are called all day! I don't know where i went wrong - but you have to keep going. I thought it was over, but you, young man, have just reignited this poor old lady's will to live, even if it is just for a year or two more, so for that - I thank you."

---

With this, we said our excited goodbyes, and hung up the phone to go on with our separate ways. Doesn't really need much of a re-cap. I tried loving my neighbor.

It just happened to save her life.

"If hope where not so... I would not choose to exist."
[Bradley Hathaway]

2007-06-17T18:17:00.001-07:00

[yet another]

etched on scratch board.

[ this is the original - that whole before and after thing. ]

three things

2007-06-17T10:59:00.000-07:00

1. another piece.
[charcoal on newsprint]

2. got a job yesterday. moxie java - recently renamed - 'the moxie.' start on tuesday.

3. i read a great quote yesterday.

"don't ask yourself what the world needs.
ask yourself what makes you come alive - and do that.
because the what the world needs,
is people who have come alive."

go life.

where did we go wrong?

2007-06-15T18:48:00.000-07:00

some time today, a little shy of an hour ago - i decided to go for a walk. this idea quickly evolved into a run, changing into a bike ride, and ultimately devolving down to a razor stroll.

i spent about an hour and a half sitting in a tree writing/drawing in my notebook. i learned a new way to climb down from trees. this may not work for all trees - but it did work for this particular kind, i believe they where birch. the branches on this tree jut straight out from the trunk, and get a lot thinner and more flimsy as they go. if you are standing on a firm part and jump out to the skinny side, the whole branch will lower - at a much slower pace then jumping - and gently place your feet at the base of its mighty trunk.

pretty neat, huh? i felt like mary poppins going green, floating out of trees and all.

on the way home - i imagined an entire confrontation between myself and a police officer on the side of the road. i pictured myself sitting on a tree at the corner of and intersection, and the patrol man stopping his car.

"you're gonna have to come down from that tree, son."

"but sir, i'm only sitting, enjoying earth and all."

this dialog went on for about two more street blocks, when - as odd as it may be, the same sort of man vs. nature conflict actually arose. i was zipping down the hill on my scooter, trying hard to remain a constant speed of slower. the main technique for this is to wind down the hill in a zig-zag motion, and occasionally sweeping into side streets or other forms of flat ground to do a quick roundabout - which usually cuts your speed down by three quarters. i was implying this technique using mostly driveways on this particularly outing - when i received a rather unexpected reprimand from a rather unprecedented authoritative voice of an... lets guess eleven year old boy.

"HEY! Don't ride on our driveway!"

i was stunned. my speed cut down to zero, and i stood - motionless, looking on at the flustered child. his arms where up in the typical frustrated touchdown position that moms sometimes use when somebody cuts them off... that "who do you think you are?" kind of thing. I didn't know what to say, so i just reverted to a redundant cop-out.

"i... i was just riding."

the boy shook his head at me, almost with disgust, and turned to finish his game of lightning with the other neighbor kids. to put the cherry on the tragedy, i glanced up the hill at what i assumed where the boys parents. his dad looked at me with a piercing, almost ripping countenance. i don't think i am telepathic... but i could have sworn i heard him think - "thats right... you tell him son."

it was one of the most depressing confrontations of my life. it might seem silly to you - just a stupid kid, right? well, to me, it was much more - and he wasn't a stupid kid at all. observe the title of this entry... where did we go wrong? where was it in this kids life that he was indoctrinated to scold intruders? when did he learn that a person on your driveway meant trouble? what is it that makes me such a bad person? i just needed a place to slow down, and his driveway was a rather convenient spot, had i missed it - i could have flown down the hill risking bumps, scrapes, or other horrific injuries.

now - i know i am not the only one who has ever questioned such idealogies. a poet by the name of robert frost once wrote in "the mending wall,"

good fences make good neighbors.

there is something about this people - something about the human condition that lacks trust. it is innate - to some extent. we can't let other people on our property because we fear them. we can't ask our neighbors how they are while they water their plants and wash their cars. ipod listening joggers can't smile at a kid on a scooter as he jesters politely with a wave. i don't understand what it is we are so afraid of - why human interaction is such a foreign thing.

i have nothing left to say about this.

i'm going to read a book now.

[ west germany ]

eight-thousand

2007-06-15T15:38:00.001-07:00

memories

2007-06-13T21:46:00.000-07:00

i just had the most brilliant idea... well, actually - it didn't really go anywhere, so i guess i still have it.

i have been thinking a lot throughout the course of this year about memories. have you ever seen that movie, everything is illuminated? great movie for what i saw, [although i had to leave before it finished]. it really got me thinking about remembrance.

it is the story of a man - he collects things.

nothing extravagant - like stamps, or coins, or old books... thats just another silly hobby.

no, he collects memories. my favorite part of the entire movie was when this guy asks the collector what he is doing... it was something like this.

foreign chauffer guy: "so vhat iss eit you aer choolecting ahnyways?"
[artistic license fully taken advantage of...]

the collector: "memories. things from the past."
foreign chauffer guy: "bhut vhyever vhold youu doo sauch a thaing?"
the collector: "...so i dont every forget."

at this point in the movie, i zoned out for about four or five minutes, just thinking about what he said [and how funny people from... whatever country it was sound.]

he was afraid of forgetting, so he gathered all sorts of trinkets and compiled them together. one thing for every memory.

now - even before i saw this movie, i was doing the same thing. a few years back, i found this red box. i also found some silly trinkets. wristbands from concerts, void disneyland fastpasses, chocolate coins, playing cards... all sorts of treasures. from anyone elses perspective - it is just a box full of junk... but to me - it is my life.

the entire year is in that box, i have stuff from everything. i think i will write a seperate blog with pictures about that year. it was a wonderful year.

anyways - so back to this grand idea that i have. i did this presentation in my history class a few weeks ago where i first person narrated the life of michael harrington - american socialist/author. harrington was a journalist for the catholic worker - and when i was looking for a costume, i grabbed a notepad - figuring it was something practical a journalist might carry around.

after i finished the presentation - i was left with this mighty fine bound journal - and i wondered... 'i guess it makes sense why they carry these. they just don't want to forget things.'

so - after digging through my house for the last 45 minutes, i finally found an adequate journal to fuffil the same purpose. it is one of those little, flip up, one-page-at-a-time kind that you can get for 15 tickets at palace park. i know what you are thinking, "why didn't you just use the book from your presentation, dummy?"

well - it turns out i needed a new chemistry notebook, and that one was far too big to carry around anyways.

this is getting far to elaborated.

basically - i have this new journal. it has this neat picture on the front.

i am going to carry it in my pocket tied to my waste by a string at all times. "but what will you write in it, david?" to answer you, really anything noteworthy. already i have, "my car was locked in the garage just now - but the windows were down... so i climbed in to save getting my keys."

i will be capturing all the significant things of my days from now until this trend dies out - i'm sure i will have plenty to blog about.

Photo of the Day

2007-06-12T20:05:00.000-07:00

This guy has impressive flying skills.

On an . . . e n t i r e l y_d i f f e r e n t_N O T E

school is almost over.

"Un believable"

I don't really have much of AnYThiNg to write about.

[ just making sure you know i am still alive. ]

... and in case you were wondering,

the swelling went down.

and i am feeling fine.

Holy Freakin Swollen-ness

2007-06-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

I got in a fight with some punk... in the pit... sure showed him.

Just a little chin definition... botox, you like?

Bee sting.

[ No Biological Relationship]

okay, fine... i got my wisdom teeth out.

Surgery: Pros and Cons

2007-06-09T17:12:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: I am still extremely under the influence of vicoden - so if anything in this blog doesn't make much sense, i take full responsibility and will do whatever I can to right my wrongs in the next life.

So yesterday, after a few months in waiting, I had the wonderful pleasure of a night on the town with the scalpel. Well actually, it was in the morning, and it wasn't really much of a date... unless you call someone ripping out all your teeth and sewing your mouth back together romantic.

[And I'm pretty sure me and Dracula aren't really talking much anymore - so that statement shouldn't appeal to anyone I know.]

Yes - thats right people, I got my wisdom teeth removed yesterday. Yet another joy and privilege of my adolescent years. It was actually pretty simple - after 8 hours of not eating, I got to the dentist's place at 8:30, walked into a room, got an IV in my arm, and woke up 6 hours later on my couch to my mom trying to feed me scrambled eggs... and me almost ending my life with a tragic choking incident. I had lost a lot of blood - so pretty much every time I stood up, my knees locked and I massively blacked out [its actually pretty exhilarating, blacking out.]

I spent almost the entire day lying on my couch with frozen bags of peas all over my face watching movies... so this is when you start to see the significance of the title.

Pro number 1: Minority Report. Great movie, flimed quite remarkably - very much enjoyed the art in this movie just as much as the storyline and everything else. Highly recommended. Plus - it is the first action type movie I have seen in a long time that was actually surprisingly clean as far as content goes. This might just be because it was on TV - but I still appreciated it.

Pro number 2: Gladiator. Totally intense - really liked it a lot. Did anybody else want to reach into the TV and strangle the new emperor during this movie? Sometimes I forget that these people are just actors - I get pretty emotionally attached.

Pro number 3: The Last Samurai. This is one of my all time favorites. [Maybe its something in the anesthesia, but for some reason I was really in the mood for some blood and guts, hyper-masculine type of movies.] Again - great movie as far as a combo of artsy and storyline.

Con number 1-3: Cellular. This is that one movie that everyone saw the commercials for a few years back with the girl who gets kidnapped and ends up calling some random guy trying to get help - that movie that everyone thought looked awesome, but nobody actually went and saw. One of those, "I'll just check it out when it comes on to TV" type of flicks. Well, it was on TV, so I decided to check it out. Most misleading commercial ever. This movie did not in the least bit stand up to the bar it advertised itself at. Huge disappointment. The supposed-to-be-huge-plot-twist in the movie was totally obvious. They had one of those - make-you-think-its-the-huge-plot-twist-but-its-actually-not kinda plot twists... but anyone who fell for it must have an IQ somewhere between a goldfish and a feline of sorts. Completely stupid - don't see it.

Okay - I am going to return to the couch now. My face hurts.

Prom-tastic!

2007-06-03T14:16:00.001-07:00

[ Me and Prom Date ]

role of prom date played by: Nicole Lalague

So over the course of the last few semesters... after intensive internal battle with questions of cost, and money, and price, and dollar bills - I decided to go to prom. If you know too much about me, or if know nothing about me - you may know that I am not much of a big spender. I actually prefer not to spend. I [meaning Landon and I] actually invented a word for this. We call it freegan. Its like a vegan or a politician... only it has nothing to do with animal rights or democratic instruction, it soley has to do with the fact that we prefer things to be free.

[I'll write a seperate blog about freegans later, we are talking about prom here.]

Instead of going into great detail about all the fun things we did - I will just make a list. It is easier for you that way.

-----Prom-lights of 2007-----

1. Spending under 45 bucks on my entire get-up.
[Goodwill + slight amounts of cash = Great Prom]
2. Wearing old, freshly polished white shoes.
3. Getting dog poop all over my white shoes five minutes into picture
[they put those blue bags in the park for a reason you careless dog-owning jerks.]
4. Spending more time on my hair then my date did.
5. Walking downstairs after doing my hair and my mom asking if I just woke up, and as we leave - my sister checking to see if I was gonna be doing my hair in the car.
[I am misunderstood.]
6. Saving eighty bucks on a limo by taking my moms mini-van.
7. Delish cream puff desert after our only-ten-dollar meal.
8. Talking to/becoming friends with the driver of the limo that I did not partake in driving in.
[Dean - you are a champion.]
9. Commenting on enormous, batman style spotlights in the sky on the drive there
10. Realizing that the spotlights were coming from our dance grounds.
11. Having the dance at a Buddhist school
12. The actual dance floor being in the student art gallery.
13. Watching my friends sweaty backs bump into and ruin student art.
[Whoever decided to put uncovered charcoal drawings in a dance floor seriously needs to grow some brain cells.]
14. Hearing Chase giggle as he got patted down by the security guard at the door.
15. The fact that the security guard was a girl... making it even more awkward... making it even more hilarious.
16. Finding an entire wall plastered with names of financial contributers to the school, most of whom where of Asian descent.
17. Playing the 'funny name game.' You close your eyes, point to a random name, open, and read it. Whoever had the funniest name wins.
[The ultimate winner was a guy named... get this - Fukuda Usho.
Try saying that ten times fast.]
18. After party at Hayden's house, complete with personal catering by Momma-Gee.
19. Reminiscing all night about funny people who do funny things.
20. Doing an instructional lecture on the little lad dance.
21. Reading the "Alphabet of Manlieness" with the guys all night
22. Feasting on delicious bacon and waffles at Alanna's house in the morning, after about 3 solid hours of sleep.
23. Finishing out a great time with some kick back time editing photos and writing this blog.

Oh prom of 2007, you will forever hold a special place in my cerebral cortex. Thank you for your showerings of memories and evening filled with the joyful embrace of togetherness.

Dinner Table Challenge!

2007-05-25T22:56:00.000-07:00

Okay - so me and my friends like to try this fun thing sometimes while we are dining at restaurants and stuff [ex. Denny's, taco bell... Denny's]. Some call it absurdity - we just know it as humor. Every time we go out somewhere, which - being a relatively new tradition, has only been a few times, we like to try and add some spice to our waiter/waitee relationship. We choose a word - or a genre of words that must be Incorporated somewhere in the oderers order, and then you see who can make the best ones and give all all sorts of phony awards at the end.

This tradition was invented on new years day, 2007, at some place off crown valley. After staying up all night cracking Mitch Headburgh jokes all night long, [not saying his jokes... just making jokes out of his name and how funny it is.] we decided to find some way to incorporate "Mitch" into our order. It wouldn't really be to humorous if I expanded and went into great detail, kinda one of those 'had to be there' type of funnies.

But tonight - we decided to play again, this time with the theme: countries on planet earth. With so many to choose from, we were bound to get a laugh or two - maybe even some salt and pepper trophies from some of us. Here are some of the winners.

"Can I have the grand slam breakfast... and can I get those eggs African Poached?"
Landon - Most Absurd

"Hmm... I think I'm gonna go with the New England clam chowder. I am feeling very all American tonight."
Myself - Most Patriotic

"I was gonna get the Turkey sandwich, but after Peruzing the menu a bit more I think I am gonna go something with French fries, as long as they are not to Greecey."
Chase - Most Brilliant

"I think I'll have the Turkey sandwich? Actually... I'll just have a water."
Emily - Most Redundant

"I Rwand-a Bolivia of Chili. Kenya maybe go as the waitress? I never Chad it before and it looks pretty delicious."
Group Effort - Most Punny

"Yeah Chase - you better not be getting anything to fatty, its all gonna drop straight to Djibouti."
Landon - Best Burn

"Dang, this food costs like a Brazillian dollars! Iran here to catch up with all my friends and must have left my wallet at house in all that Russian. Can someone go grab that Can-a-da change from the van?"
Myself- Most Not-Wanting-To-Pay-For-My-Own-Meal-ish

Denny's does breakfast... the fun way.

Well... that's all I can recollect from this particular expedition... but tell me, if you were sitting at that table tonight with us, what would you have said?

Quote of the Day

2007-05-23T15:34:00.000-07:00

"It has come to my attention that poets have become

mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese"

Jeff Baker

Happy Mothers Day

2007-05-15T18:18:00.000-07:00

This year - mother kept telling me that she has always wanted me to make her something nice - some art that takes a long time and has a piece of me in it.

Well, I decided to make her this. Its a piece of charred wood with some sheet music and crayon drippings on it - and that photo, of course.

Well, that's all I have to say about that...
What did you do for your mother?

Perspective

2007-05-13T19:33:00.000-07:00

A lot of people look at Picasso's work and get really pissed. At first glance - its just a bunch of random shapes plastered on a canvas... but when you really start looking at it, its actually super interesting. Its like you had a room full of people - and gave each one a little view finder, and told them to paint exactly what they say. When you start looking at each angle individually, you get a taster of what this person [as abstract as it may be] actually looked like.

Despite predictable expectations - i actually am not going to draw some extended life metaphor out of Picasso's work. Everyone knows that you should look at life in different perspectives... nothing new.

I actually want to present my commentary on a rather immediate level. Lately i have been trying to incorporate Picasso's vision into daily situations. I have found myself repeatedly asking teachers to sharpen my pencil or blow my nose, just so that i can turn around when i get there and see what the class looks like from behind, or beside, or whatever. Sometimes i imagine myself still sitting in my desk - what i would be doing, what i look like. It is really intriguing. Everything looks totally different when you position yourself differently.

For those of you who are students, I would like to challenge you with this. Tomorrow in any given class, get up for a second and look around. Then, come back here. To those in the workplace - take a look around your office [or whatever other work environment you may be in] and do the same thing.

I am curious as to what you saw - something you never really noticed before. Example - in my math class, i never really noticed how small my class was until i stood in the back of the room. The person to chair ratio is probably 1:3 - but from my desk in the front row, i never really noticed that.

Lavish me with your revelations.

"Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world."
Arthur Schopenhauer

Peculiar Foods

2007-05-12T20:59:00.000-07:00

So the other day, whilst i was sitting outside with my family eating a dinner of carne asada with a side of salad and corn - i observed something... something quite peculiar.

I came this revelation immediately following the skewering of the sides of my corn cob with the little corn cob skewers, and raised it to my mouth to undertake in the consuming of the first bite. My teeth sunk in to the raw little kernels, and my cob returned this rather barbaric favor [if you are talking in terms of personification] with a surge of juice right up the fragile corridors of my naval passageway.

...it squirted juice up my nose

i found this to be quite a harmonious mix of oddity and hilarity, considering this was the first time, since approximately 2nd grade, that i actually ate the corn from the cob instead of just cutting it off and taking my time at it.

it made me laugh.

out loud.

i decided therefore to compile a list of all the uncanny characteristics of various food items.

1. On the subject of corn... isn't it ridiculous how simple watching a movie with a little snack could leave you with kernels stuck in the back of your mouth, right behind those back to molars where its just far enough that if you reach... you know you are gonna puke? You sit there for a few minutes nonchalantly trying to retrieve the morsel, always with the same unsuccessful results... then a few hours later - you feel something move and find it sitting on the tip of your tongue. Ridiculous.

2. Its funny to me how blow-pops will completely change the colour of your tongue... whereas plain tootsie pops barely do more then grace your taste-buds with a simple mix of chocolate and flavored sugar. I at a blow-pop on Wednesday after school, and at least a good forty-five minutes later, my mom walked in the room and freaked out to see that my mouth had under a dramatic change in skin tone. That ever happen with a tootsie-pop? Doubt it.

3. Isn't it weird how you can totally taste the difference with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich between the top and the bottom of the sandwich on on the first bite? As strange as it is, people completely do have a preference - i have witnessed first hand friends at lunch taking a bite, swallowing with a look of confusion, then investigating their sandwich to see if anything has changed... only to have their superstitions confirmed when they realize that the jelly was on the wrong side. I have found an easy solution to this problem that also keeps your bread from getting to squishy - you put peanut butter on both slices and jelly in the middle. Consistency is key with PB&J.

4. Algebraically speaking: asparagus + urine = death.

5. Does anyone else think its silly that God made the artichoke with only a tiny bit of consumability at the base of each leaf? You basically eat the whole thing to get to the heart - which then you have to basically perform a triple bypass in scraping off the little bristles even to take a bite. Artichokes are the most complicated food ever.

6. "i just like the fact that grapes are about the funnest food to eat." - Like St. Hilaire
Luke, I concur - grapes are extremely fun to eat. Especially when you through them way up in the air and catch em in your mouth. Or, have you ever peeled of the skin? The inside looks crazy!

I'm sure i will consecutively be adding on to this list as time goes by - but tell me,
what do you find curious in regards to food?

Love-Mark

2007-05-08T18:55:00.000-07:00

I made this bookmark to commemorate my new career of book-reading.

[Here's to literature]

Rewind: The Horse and His Boy

2007-05-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

Okay - so you may remember from the previous post inquiring of what book I should undertake in the reading of. Well, I don't remember if I stated or not, this is the one that I chose.

I decided to get the best out of our temporary block scheduling for state testing and fly through this book. I made it through 2 chapters last night and 58 pages immediately following testing today, and honestly I cant conjure any better way that I could have spent my time... [except for maybe reading Allison's blog, but I did not have internet access nor a computer to aid me in this venture]

This book was absolutely brilliant. C.S. Lewis is absolutely brilliant. One of the most amazing things about his literary style is that although it was a Biblical allegory, therefore revealing the more obvious plot events, he still finds a riveting way of capturing your attention - and as cliche as it may be, [thus... the link], I really couldn't put it down!

Its so great too, having been that the last time I even touched one of these books was in like 3rd/4th grade, I did not nearly have the literary analysis skills that i now possess. There is so much art to the way he writes - things that stood out to me that previously i never would have noticed. There are so many brilliant sub-text pieces of foreshadowing and explanation that are just absolutely... brilliant!

Thank you C.S. Lewis for your contribution to the expansion of appreciative and creative spectra's of boys and girls all around the globe, and beyond.

Next book: Down and Out in Paris and London

[Brian, I am sorry for not finishing or returning this book to you any sooner - some how i got sidetracked and had to put it on the shelf, but this time i promise i'm gonna read it.]

Pirrana Peace?

2007-05-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

I seem to be running low on descriptive words begenning with a "p."

maybe its time to start writing a new word...

Any suggestions?

Phono-Portfolio

2007-05-05T12:49:00.000-07:00

Okay - so here's whats going on. Next year at school, i am taking a portfolio art class. Basically - you spent the entire year creating a collection of like 20-25 pieces, then at the end of the year you send it off and it gets graded on the same scale as an AP test for college credits - and they send your grade with slides of your work to various schools and such for scholarships.

Well - the portfolio is divided into three parts; twelve focus pieces on one paticular motif (ex. fruit, hats, transportation, traditional culture, etc.) Following this are twelve more of various assignments and genres like inking and watercolour and surreal and stuff, then five more at the end of like your all time best pieces. Everything has to be totally original - you cant use anything from pictures, unless you took them.

So this is where you come in - for the focus section, i decided to use telephones as my motif. I am going to try and span through time periods with different kinds of phones and people using them dressed accordingly. Its kinda like communication through the ages.

Here are some ideas i have so far.

One is gonna be one of those old two piece ones from the late 1800's, probably with some sweetly dressed housewife talking on it.

I was thinkin of doing like a row of airport payphones with some interesting focal point - like a kid sitting on the floor, or someone calling home to say they miss them... whatever.

A few more are gonna be along the same idea - just various phones with random ideas behind them.

One that i think is gonna be really sweet - im gonna make like, an old fashioned fifties bilboard looking picture of two little kids, a boy and girl talking to eachoter sitting across eachother on tin cans. Cute, hey?

The last piece is supposed to be like, super crazy fantastic - so im gonna try to paint like a big open space, a meadow with some mountains off in the backround and huge sweet clouds - all pretty earthy colours, with one of those bright red london phone booths [see below picture] right in the middle of the field. I think it'll be pretty sweet... but enough of me, i need your help!

I want to try and get started on this right away, and im looking for good ideas. Anybody got any? Concepts? Pictures for inspiration?

Parchment Peace

2007-05-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

[organic squid ink on papyrus]

Are you tired?
Worn out?
Burned out on religion?

[Come to me]

Get away with me and you'll recover your life.
I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.

Learn the
unforcedrhythmsofG R A C E.

I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.

Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.

[ matthew 11:29-30 ]

artists note: okay, so its not really squid ink... and its not really on papyrus. its really just graphite on paper, but if it were otherwise - that would be legit. i just turned up shadows and took down the highlights to achieve the tinted sepia look.

Enjoy.

A Few Thousand Words.

2007-05-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

[1000]

[2000]

[3000]

[4000]

[5000]

Editors Note: I did not create any of the above items. I simply appreciate them.

Wax On...

2007-05-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

Wax Off.

[ Coloured Pencil and Charcol on Paper ]

Postal Peace

2007-04-30T21:04:00.000-07:00

So there is this new scene going around at my school, some call it stickers, others governmental infrastructure, but I call it art.

I wont bore you with the details, but here is one I made today. Obviously - it has been a little photoshopped, it became extremely pixelated when i scanned it, but i didn't really add anything. The original is ink and coloured pencils on a priority mail sticker.

Enjoy.

[ Isaiah 2:4 ]

He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.

In regards to life, Part 1.

2007-04-28T23:19:00.000-07:00

Look at Me.

No - not just to Me.

Really, look at Me.

Stare deep into My eyes,
straight down through my pupils and
down past my corneas down to the very depths that
you didn't even know existed...

[ but make sure you close yours first. ]

Cause its always the worst, distractions and stuff like that

And i know you think your really tough, but sometimes that's just not enough.

To say your a MAN and hold it all in, emotions bottled up behind this paper thin facade

~

Sometimes you walk, and you talk, and I watch.
You move and sing and DANCE to the beat of natures simple love song, acting like its all okay - every thing's 'sweet.'
not the sweet like the candy... you know - that other kind, or - whatever.

but inside your hurting - and dying to let the crying commence to wash a way your soul burdened with the most unfortunate of circumstance(s)

L o o k - a t - m e - j u s t - f o r - a - s e c o n d .

See - sometimes you go on these rants about how you're on FIRE and you just wanna make a difference,

all the while completely indifferent to those
drought stricken tear ducts.
Hollow and dry with nothing but evaporated dew collecting on the sides of this deep, dry, well that I call you.

Too busy waiting for the rains to come - busy pretending to the point where you can't even really notice this massive crater in the earth, hole in the dirt.

Cracking, chipping, decomposing as the breath of the wind brushes across the surface, trying to get in deep enough to collaborate and and stir up life. A call for the clouds letting them know that is where the rain is needed most.

You know - I gave a lady water one time, you remind me of her.

broken, C o N F u S e D, scared, ashamed, and ultimately searching for TRUTH to quench your thirst.

But look here.

--------> At me <--------

I want to see you're eyes and have you see mine and then you might find what you're really looking for.

I have everything you need, just reach our your hands and run blindly - towards me. Stop rationalizing with compromises and self made broken promises.

I will take care of you, follow me.

Come and find rest in the shadow of my wing with a burden - easy.

[ Please, look at me ]

Love, Jesus.

Authors note:

To some, this poem might come across as a little confusing - even arrogant maybe, so I would like to take a second and explain it to clear up any potential misunderstandings. I have been thinking lately in terms of what Jesus might be saying about certain life situations, and this is a glimpse of what I imagine He is thinks about me sometimes.

Often in life, we get so caught up in what we are doing and so busy being a 'Christian' that we forget who God really is, and it leads us to disregard ourselves and our feelings. It is along the concept that you have to know how to love yourself before you can authentically love your neighbor.

A majority of the inspiration for this poem came from Matthew 6, where it talks about seeking the kingdom of God and letting Him worry about the little stuff.

We just need to stare into the eyes of Jesus - and he will take care of everything else.

The House of Isaiah

2007-04-27T22:31:00.000-07:00

So tonight i have the wonderful privilege of venturing fourth into the great unknowns of Santa Ana... well, actually where i happened to be was greatly known [at least by those who already know about it]

It was a little place that most people call, "Isaiah's House"

Isaiah's House is a community house [homeless shelter] where a bunch of kids and parents go to live while they work on finding a job, place, etc.

I decided to piece together some of the best highlights of conversation that was both participated in and eavesdropped by myself... here they are.

[ two mothers giving parental guidance to their 11 or 12ish year old daughter ]

"You know what baby, it really doesn't matter how big or small your boobs are - you just gotta know how to own them and work with what you got."

editors notes: funny... if only they had replaced the boob part with something a little more worthwhile - they could have really spoken some great hope into this girls life. All she has now is a new sense of affirmation for her underdeveloped breast tissue.

[ Rachael teaching kids how to play duck, duck, goose ]

Rachael -"Oh - he beat you back to your spot. Now you have to go in the mosh pit."

David - "You mean the mush pot?"

Rachael - "Oh yeah - whatever..."

a few moments later...

Rachael - "And this his how I jigallo, jigallo, jigallo."

David - "Uhm... Rach - I'm pretty sure you are singing that song wrong, because I am pretty sure that a jigallo is a slang term for a male prostitute"

Rachael - "Oh. Jigallo - bungalow... whatever."

[ On a more positive note - Dora, a newly arrived 19 year old with a pretty crazy life. To much to write it all - but this was by far the best part ]

"Yeah - they have all these statistics saying that some people just get stuck in the stream of poverty and never really get out - and that 95 percent of homeless teens never graduate college. Well you know what... I am not gonna be another number in the majority. I am gonna be the five percent - I am a bunch of classes right now and working myself really hard, but I will graduate from college. I won't just be another number."

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
~ Gandhi

book club

2007-04-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

okay - so you might be looking at this page right now thinking... gosh - what a sorry blog.

well - i am trying to change that - and am inviting you to partake in an excellent new adventure in the world of blogs... my cyber book club.

[ no, its not an actual club - but just bear with me. ]

anyways - i have prepared a list of books that i am potentially going to be reading, and i would like a community vote on which one is most worthwhile.

[ Down and Out in Paris and London - George Orwell ]

[ The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis ]

[ This Present Darkness - Frank Peretti ]

[ Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling ]
( not necessarily this one - just Harry Potter in general... )

[ The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis ]
( again... just in general )

All right - if you have any suggestions, if you see any previous favorites of yours - let me know, i am very indecisive by nature, so any assistance would be much appreciated.

reinvention

2007-04-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

hello dear friends, and on behalf of myself - i would like to welcome you back to the blog of david ulrich.

you may recognize me from such blog(s) as 'profound ramblings...' or maybe you have just seen me on myspace.

i figured it would only be appropriate to start the day with a picture - get some fresh inspiration, a new outlook on life, you know what i mean.

i am feeling very good this day, yes.