Happy New Year

Looking back at this time last year, I can't believe what a complete turn around things have become in my life in more ways than one. 2004 ended in frustration with 2005 beginning with doubt and restlessness. However, now I'm starting 2006 with confidence and hope, with a lot of good things swirling about. I don't do New Year resolutions because then there seems to be too much pressure to uphold them. I've always tried to promise little and then over-achieve.
It seems that since turning 21, every year has held something completely different for me, for better or worse. I expect that to hold true once again; being in the place I'm at now, I'm actually looking forward to it...

Heck yesss!

MiamiVice InsideMan Apocalypto M:I:3 PiratesoftheCaribbean2 X3 SupermanReturns LadyintheWater TheBreak-Up

Pure genius...I'm just in awe of this million dollar homepage.

Syriana and Munich, the last two movies that I've seen, were probably the best two I've seen this year. Both featured great casts as well as superb direction and cinematography. Spielberg is, perhaps, our generation's best story-teller and Gaghan is beginning to show similar elements in his projects as well. The two films contain striking similarities(both are heavily political, both have subject matter rooted in the Middle East, both revolve around long standing struggles:Syriana-power/oil & Munich-Israel/Palestine) yet tell completely different tales. I think, throughout the film, both directors constantly force us to consider the ugly truth that violence and vengeance only begets more violence and vengeance, that such actions and policies pull not only individuals but nations into a vicious cycle of which the beginning is no longer clear and the end nowhere in sight. The underlining message presented is that everyone is complicit, albeit directly or indirectly, in such matters; that there is no clear cut "wrong" or "right" side since every side has had a hand in shady and/or illegal dealings. I'm glad to see intellectually stimulating movies like these not only being produced but receiving critical acclaim and attention. Films that force you to think outside of yourself and leave you considering the larger picture are more that just ordinary movies but cinematic experiences to treasure.

i.61:1

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, because the LORD has appointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.

phil 4.11

I am content; for the first time I can say that with full confidence.

Are there things I still hope for? Yeah.

Are there things my heart desires? Maybe one or two (for now).

But overall?

I think I've found that equilibrium that has eluded me for the past few years.

Life is full of peaks and valleys,

deserts and mountaintops,

oceans and plateaus...

For awhile there, I felt like I was standing on the precipice just waiting...

for what, I don't know...

maybe for this, maybe not.

I don't believe I've reached that place yet but I feel that I'll be fine...

a sense of peace that had been lacking before this revelation.

Maybe I'm still on that same edge waiting to dive into something

greater than myself...

only He knows for sure.

What I do know is that I'm now waiting with unabated breath,

no longer holding it in full of anxiety,

no longer consumed by frustration,

no longer feeling stuck and idle...

this new season of life has ushered in a sense of direction and motion...

still waiting on Him but no longer waiting still...

not stationary but traveling and exploring

while listening and abiding...

not anxious but eager

for the good stuff He has in store

and has prepared for me

to do and experience.

When and how does one draw the line between liberty vs. security? With the renewal of the Patriot Act looming and the recent admissions by President Bush regarding govt. sanctioned yet legally suspicious spying on suspected terrorist contacts on American soil, when is enough actually enough? Are the actions of the President for the sake of America's security a slippery slope in which the citizens of this nation will, at best, find it hard to recover from and, at worst, suffer for? A lot of people are paranoid about this and I think, to a certain degree, they have the right to do so. I don't believe our civil rights are in great peril now but if the course of action remains on this same path, it may be in the foreseeable future.
By the way, when does asking questions about your government make you un-patriotic?

transit strike

So the dedicated workers of NYC's mass transit went on strike Tuesday causing havoc that permeated every fabric of the city from the people to the economy to the traffic. Crowds of people walking across the major bridges in an attempt to get into the city, people waiting in 2-3 hr lines in 20 degree weather to get onto the Long Island Railroad, drivers picking up strangers to meet the 4 person carpool restriction to get into Manhattan....needless to say, it was insane the last few days. This morning I had to take a $10 cab to get to the train which took me to Penn station. Then, I had to walk a good 30 blocks to get to work on time and will do the same thing again to get home (I kinda got lost on the way home but thats a different story). Fortunately, the union decided to end the strike late this afternoon and I still don't really know what they got accomplished by walking out on their jobs.

Sports review

Like I predicted, Reggie Bush did take home the Heisman. Now, SC just has to beat undefeated #2 ranked Texas to take home the championship for an unprecedented 3rd year in a row. I'm sticking with Reggie on this one as well. And I'm taking Notre Dame over Ohio St. in the Fiesta Bowl...its a long time coming for the Irish.
Who is hating on my boy Kobe and his Lakers now? Bryant just dropped 62 on the Mavericks last night...in 3 quarters! No one has ever done that in just 3 quarters...ever. He posted 30 in the third period alone...could you imagine if he went thru the 4rth as well? 100 points, anybody? If that doesn't get him respect then I don't know what does. By the way, LA is 14-11 which is 7th best in the West. The Heat with all their star players are only 15-11...who is under-achieving now? And the Lakers will have the better record after Kobe beats Shaq on Christmas. Oh yeah, don't forget about Phil Jackson vs. Pat Riley. No wonder nobody cares about the NBA Finals rematch of the Spurs vs. Pistons earlier that day.
All Yankee haters (Adam and Mike), listen up b/c I gots bad news for you: good ol' Johnny Damon is now a Yankee. Yup, after cutting his hair and shaving his beard , JD will be playing centerfield for New York. What now, suckas? Heres their potential explosive line-up next season: 1. Damon 2. Jeter 3. A-rod 4. Sheff 5. Giambi 6. Matsui 7. Cano 8. Posada 9. Williams . Who the h wants to pitch to that?

SNL 8

This week's show was the extravagant Christmas special, and it held up to all the hype. Jack black killed it up there from his opening King Kong song to his surprise Tenacious D performance to playing Santa. There was an awesome rap video by Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell about the Chronicles of Narnia. (You gotta check it on the video section here on SNL .) Weekend Update was really strong with a cameo by Tracy Morgan (with whom I met after the show). Material-wise, this was the best show of the season.
"WEEKEND UPDATE"
AMY POEHLER -- "Quick reminder: There are just seven more shopping days till 'Holiday.'"
POEHLER -- "A new report shows that ten percent of drivers like to talk on their cellphones while crashing."
POEHLER -- "In an interview with NBC News, President Bush said that he does not live 'in a bubble' and that he is well aware of what is going on outside the White House. Then he stepped outside the White House and exclaimed, 'Oh my God! What the hell is going on out here?!?'"
TINA FEY -- "Hundreds of thousands of Gulf Coast families, hoping to rebuild their homes by using low-interest government loans, are facing high rejection rates and widespread delays. Said President Bush, 'The what in the who?'"
FEY -- "Ashlee Simpson collapsed after a performance in Tokyo Thursday. Simpson spent Friday in the hospital, although her show that night went on as scheduled without her."

My special ability take tests and finals never cease to amaze me. It think it is largely due to to my incredible short term memory capability...seriously, I have an uncanny 24-48 hr photographic memory. A lot of people procrastinate and wait until the last minute to cram everything in but I really have to wait until the night before or else I won't retain anything. Then the next day I just do a full mind dump and its all good after that. I mean, I'll sometimes recall the actual page the info was on...I can see the the photo on the page, the way the paragraphs were constructed, the outline of the text; its kinda weird now that I think about it.
This is one of the reasons why school always came easy for me. Our society loves to assign success and intelligence based upon tangible results and, I guess, some of my strengths are tailored for that type of evaluatory process. On one hand that type of grading system is unfortunate and, sometimes, dangerous because it is so limited in its scope; there are so many other "intelligences" that can't be measured, at least not by pen and paper. On the other hand, I'm not complaining too much since its perfectly suited for my "skills".

good and faithful servants?

Time magazine has just announced their person or persons of the year, in this case. Bill and Melinda Gates and Bono received this year's exclusive honors and deservedly so. I'm not really interested in what any of these people do professionally but whenever light is shone on what they do socially, its amazing to see the effects they have on the world. Now I know you can't just throw money at a problem and have it go away, but the Gates have donated massive amounts of money (I'd give the dollar amount but I don't think it would do any good. A number that huge just can't be fully comprehended.) to various charities and disease preventing projects which have produced fantastic results. I've talked about Bono before...his vision of actually eradicating extreme poverty in our lifetime is incredible. Its cool to finally see the church listening to him and beginning to help shoulder some of the burden that it has neglected through out the last couple of decades especially in the area of AIDS in Africa. Its interesting to note that it isn't those from the "church" who are seen as world-changers but those from the "secular"...I don't think its about lack of recognition but more so due to lack of contribution. It would seem as though the church is following their example instead of leading its own...but how can it lead when it has been bogged down by trivialities like getting "Intelligent Design" taught in our schools and protesting gay marriages. The world is dying out there, and we allow the minor things to eclipse the major things...

In case you haven't heard, theres are strong possibility of a transit strike by MTA workers starting tomorrow. Now, I won't even get into the politics and numbers of the whole thing b/c, personally, I think both sides are at fault but I'll stop right there. All I know is that about 7 million people use the subways and buses on an avg. day; throw in the holiday season and you can imagine the havoc a city-wide shut down will have on everything from schools to work to the economy. How do you accommodate the displacement of millions of people? Mayor Bloomberg had the nerve to encourage people to walk or ride bikes if they can...are you kidding me? Theres gonna be a huge snow storm tomorrow morning and you want people to be outside for more than 20 minutes? This is gonna be so bad...I didn't bring my car out here, and I can't walk to Manhattan. I am glad my finals are finished and school is reasonably close enough, I guess. The entire population of NYC is holding its collective breath, waiting to either exhale easily or let loose profanity.

FRIGID

I had never known cold until today...I had always though arctic blasts were isolated in the Arctic region but I guess I was wrong. Smokes, it was flippin' freezing! I so fully appreciate Bay Area weather...You'd think that was bad enough but no, let me tell you the bad news my friend: it ain't even technically winter yet in New York! What the h?!

THE WEEKEND / part two / SNL 7

Saturday
After getting our tix at 7am which actually came out to be 1,2 and 3 since Arlene took Dress Rehearsal, we all headed home for some much needed sleep. At around 5, we hooked up at the Met. They had an exhibit displaying a large number of drawings by Vincent van Gogh which I had been wanting to see. That place is ginormous...we got lost trying to find our way out.
When we got to NBC studios, I introduced the guys to Louis and Jamie(who are essentially the SNL reps to the public). Aaron got taken up first which made everyone uneasy as we had to wait some more but eventually Adam and I made it into the show as well. The two of us had great seats; unfortunately Aaron got the Jimmy Fallon seats (translation:horrible view). It was a great show nevertheless...Alec Baldwin was stupendous especially in the final elf sketch. I didn't care too much for Shakira...halfway into her "performance", Adam whispers to me," I'm embarrassed for her." I think the majority of the studio audience and beyond shared the same thought. Horatio was funny as Gene Shalit, and Weekend Update had a great "Brokeback Mountain" joke. After the show, we hung out a bit so we could see the cast. The super cool Will Forte came by and talked to the 3 of us for a few minutes. I got sweet photos of us with Will and then with Amy. We saw Dan Akroyd earlier, and Will Arnett was at the show again. To do all that with Adam and Aaron made this show the best ever.
Sunday
Kristie came in from Philly to meet us for church at the 411. It was cool for me to have them be a part of the experience and community there that I truly love. After that, we made our way to Union Square to hang out in the East Village before everyone had to get going. On our way to the train, we saw James Gandolfini chillin' next to a garbage bin talkin to a little girl. (It was the oddest sight ever which caught me off-guard more than usual when I see a celebrity.)
Aaron took off for his flight at 3:30 and Adam and Kristie left for their train at about 4:30. And I was headed home to get ready for the Karoake Christmas Party at the 411 which turned out to be a terrific end to an awesome weekend.

"Weekend Update"
POEHLER -- "The National Zoo in Washington, D.C. has seen a marked increase in merchandise sales and visitors since the birth of their new panda cub, 'Ka-Ching Ka-Ching.'"
FEY -- "The movie 'Brokeback Mountain' opened this week. The movie is making history as the first western ever where the good guys get it in the end ... That joke was sent to me by my 72-year-old father, Don Fey."
POEHLER -- "A judge in Oregon has told Sam Buck that she cannot call her coffee shop Sambuck's, because it violates the trademark of Starbucks. This does not bode well for my new coffee shop named after my yellow lab Dunkin Dog Nuts."

THE WEEKEND / part one

Wow, what an incredible few days it has been...easily the best days here in New York thus far. You can't beat good times with good friends especially in a place like this.
Thursday
Last weekend started Thursday night when Aaron flew in. After some time wandering around the Upper East side for awhile, we found the hostel which was aptly named "The Wanderer's Inn". After a tour of Times Square and Rock Center, we hung out at Scruffy Duffy's for some food and spirits and a hot bartender chick.
Friday
I got three hours of sleep before I met up with Adam Friday morning at 6:30. It was snowing pretty heavily as we hooked up with Aaron in Manhattan. After they got settled in their hostel, we checked out St.Patrick's Cathedral. I was glad we woke up in time for Mass which was really cool to experience. (Let me just stop here and say that throughout all our travels and destinations this weekend, we always take into account periods of sleep.)
Then we headed to Times Square to stand in line for Broadway show tickets. We wanted to see "The Producers" but halfway in line, this chick comes up to Adam and starts telling him about this other play called "In My Life". I was only half-listening because I hadn't heard about this particular show before. So, Adam turns and starts to explain to me that the show is about a guy with Turretts who falls for a girl who is OCD. As soon as I hear Turretts and OCD, I burst into laughter...I mean, tears are coming down...the whole thing sounded hilarious. The chick continues to expound on the play which further incites laughs from the 3 of us. Needless to say, it sounded right up our alley and we were sold.
The MoMA had free Friday evenings so we hung out there for a bit. I didn't know this but they have the actual "The Starry Night" by Vincent van Gogh there. I was absolutely blown away...this is one of my favorite pieces of art and it was right there!
The show started at 8 but we get there a little early. Heres a bit of advice for you: front row seats at a Broadway show isn't as good as front row seats at other venues. We had some very interesting seats but I was glad we got to move to some better ones. I thought the show was brilliant and amazing but, being how it was my first Broadway show I don't have any point of reference regarding this sort of thing. I was thrilled that we stuck to our guts and chose this one(besides the other show we wanted had sucky seats).
It was over about 10ish. We proceeded to get in line for SNL at around 10:30. There was only one person in line(Arlene) and so we were number 2,3 and 4 which was pretty sweet. A little while later, Jerry Seinfeld came out. Now, I don't like the show at all but Aaron loves it...so it was funny that I saw him and he didn't. (Thats what he gets for liking Seinfeld.) Oh and earlier in the morning, we saw Conan walking down NBC studios as well. (Well actually, Adam and I saw Conan. Aaron missed him too. Again, thats what he gets for liking Seinfeld.) Bill Hader came out to talk for a bit...we said hello to Tina and Jeff as they left...Seth and Amy were trying to stay undercover as they got into their get-away car. This was the shortest line this season mainly due to the cold weather but I wasn't too cold...my feet actually felt like they were on fire inside my sleeping bag...hahaha. Everyone told me that the wind was killer but I didn't notice anything in my "cocoon of warmth" as I like to call it...hahaha.

let the good times roll

My good buddies from back home are flying into NYC to hang for the weekend. Aaron is arriving in tonight, and Adam tomorrow morning. He has been here before but its Aaron's first time to the Big Apple so needless to say, there probably won't be any new posts for the next few days...

New Orleans Mission Trip

I am so excited about this! Next month, from January 12-16, I'll be going on a service trip with a NYC church called the 411. We'll be doing whatever we can to help some local churches down there get back on their feet especially at a time when most of the immediate help has gone away. This trip means so much to me...its hard to express in words its significance. Not only will I have the opportunity to radiate love in such a distressing and seemingly hopeless situation but I know that, upon seeing such devastation and tragedy and perseverance, it'll change my world view as well. And taking part in a compassionate venture such as this will only strengthen my faith and stretch me as a person and as a follower of His. Also, having the chance to serve with a community that so desires to glorify God thru not only teaching and music and fellowship but social action as well has been such a prayer of mine since arriving to New York. I can already feel the subtle changes something this incredible is having on me...and I can't wait for that part of the journey to begin.
All of us on this little adventure welcome any and all support from you. We are asking everyone to pray for us as we get ready to go. Your prayers and encouragement are much needed and appreciated. If you are able to contribute financially, its important to know that every little bit helps. (You can email me, and I'll provide further details with regards to that.)
As I prepare personally, I find God's heart in the prayer of St. Francis:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive...

absurdity abounds

Now, we can't even call a Christmas tree a "Christmas" tree? We're calling it a "holiday" tree? What the h is going on? The official "Christmas" tree that is lit annually in Boston had its name changed to the "holiday" tree this year. What? Look, I can somewhat(by trying very hard) understand schools changing Christmas break to winter break a few years ago but c'mon, its a flippin' Christmas tree! The word "Christmas" is intrinsic to the overall name of the darn thing to signify not only the appropriate time to have one but to properly describe what it is you are flippin' looking at, people! The faulty reasoning behind this madness is an attempt to not "exclude" and "offend" people who don't share the Christian faith...do you really think Christians cling to Christmas trees as objects of our belief? That we hold these things in awe and reverence? No, they have nothing to do with what we believe. In fact, I don't know anyone who assigns any religious significance to the trees at all. The word "Christmas" used in conjunction with tree is meant to symbolize a particular seasonal tradition, not denote spiritual relevance. I don't have a Christmas tree because I follow Christ; I have a tree so I can put lights over it, a star on top of it, and gifts under it. So, as a follower of Christ, if I don't designate any Christian meaning to a Christmas tree, why do you?
If we follow thru with your "logic" of naming it a "holiday" tree, why don't we light the darn thing on the Fourth of July as well? You see, by applying a broad term such as "holiday", theres no proper time specification for the tree any longer. If thats the case, let's have a tree ceremony at every holiday since we don't want "exclude" and "offend" the other holidays, now do we?

SNL 6

I was so glad I caught Dane Cook in action...that guy is flippin' hilarious! His opening stand-up act really surprised alot of people who've never heard of him. Needless to say, he's gonna sell more cd's after that performance. I had never heard of James Blunt before that night but I found myself mesmerized during his two songs. His music was so full of emotion that I had to buy his cd the very next day...its incredible. The sketches were great tonight along with the "holiday" open and "Weekend Update". Oh and I saw a bunch of celebs too: Jack Black, Kim Cattrall, Matt Lauer, Tom Brokaw, The White Stripes...I got a picture with the amazing Will Arnett aka Amy Poehler's husband aka GOB as well. Ahh, its tough to beat free entertainment like this!
"WEEKEND UPDATE"
AMY POEHLER -- "In conjunction with the President's speech, the White House released a 35-page document titled "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq.' Wow, 35 pages. Apparently, they think Iraq's problems will be three times easier to resolve than a Nancy Drew mystery."
TINA FEY -- "A new study suggests that middle-aged adults who go on periodic drinking binges may face a heightened risk of dementia later in life. The study is titled 'National Strategy for Victory in Iraq.'"
POEHLER -- "A new poll reveals that 56 percent of Americans think Wal-Mart is bad for the country. While the other 44 percent work there."

To see this thing in person is amazing. The tree is ginormous! There were people everywhere...any step I took, I was in the way of someone's photo.

I got to see my very first snow fall in NYC this morning.