Today is a day that is like many others–not much to discuss. Work went as it was supposed to–started my first project since being back and along the way, some hiccups were found with the program. I guess I can throw in a small rant. Most of you probably won’t get any of the jargon but if you read it enough, you will either finally understand it or open another tab and Google because the curiosity consumed you. I’ve digressed enough.

The laptop that is currently having a hard time functioning at its highest has programs that are close to the latest updates. I’m specifically talking about the Final Cut Suite 2. All the programs are at different versions but specifically, Final Cut Pro is at version 6 in this suite. Considering the resources we have at school, it stuns me that I have version 5 on my computer. Consequently, I’m coming across bugs in the program that should be otherwised fixed through patches or by the newer version. The annoying part is that it takes administrative power to download anything like that onto the staff/faculty computers. I do not hold that sort of power. And while the bug does not halt my process on the project, it slows my progress down–a lot.

*******

Before I started driving, I had conversations about getting lost and how fun it can be. I had my first experience tonight. I wasn’t “lost” per se because I knew where I was but my directions were a bit off.

I can remember how to get to a place pretty well visually if I’m driving and if I’m paying attention, when I’m not driving. What happens is that places that may have some similarity get mixed up which causes me to get turned around and confused. I’m sure many of you know what I’m talking about.

I was trying to get to Boarder’s before it closed to pick up a bible. I wanted another one. It was 9:05. I hopped in my car and headed toward the freeways. In my head, I had the place marked out. I knew where it was–Mission Valley. And I knew how to get to Mission Valley. I take off on the freeways, casually driving through traffic and I make way off–the wrong exit. Oh wait. I went in the wrong direction! Argh! The 8 freeways get my so mixed up. I thought it was the 8 East but it was my original thought–West. I double back on to the 8 West and head to Mission Valley.

This is where my visualization gets the best of me. I don’t remember the exact name of the exit I got off of but I’d sure remember it when I drive on that freeway again. Anyway, I get off and I am in Mission Valley but something seems off to me. By now, I’m about to pass On the Boarders across the street from the mall–I don’t see Boarders. Suddenly, it clicks. Fenton Parkway! Fail Anthony…

I turn back around and head towards Fenton Parkway. I hit the 8 East going back and get off at Friar’s West. I see Boarder’s in my head. I know it’s there. I make a right and keep traveling down the street. And I travel. And travel. And travel. My head is oscillating looking for the Boarder’s is not there. I begin fading the picture of the Boarder’s in my mind and suddenly, a picture of Best Buy and the Verizon store pop in my head. Doh! It was in Mission Valley! I was across the street! By this time, it’s 9:45 and because the street I was on does not have any available U-Turns for at least 3 or 4 miles, I made safely to Fashion Valley. Congratualtions Anthony. You made it to all the major shopping centers in an hour. Time to go home now; with no bible.

Slightly frustrated, I realized that I just learned more than half of my destinations in an hour. It turned out to be fun. It helped that I still had more than a half a tank of gas left too.

Image via Wikipedia

I love new things. They fill my heart with so much glee. When life becomes so mundane and unadventureous, when something new comes around, it brings about freshness to the air. It’s like when your car adapts this certain smell (most likely your body smell), when you put an air freshner in it, it brings about this freshness. You have an all new vigor about driving it and your passengers are just as excited about it.

That’s how I felt when I finally got my computer for work. My job got exciting all over again. The difference between this computer, which is a Mac Pro, and my MacBook is simply the OS. Tiger to Leopard. The changes, while pretty big, are fairly small when you’re not using the whole OS. Still, seeing Leopard’s default bright, pruple, glowing flare of a wallpaper rather than Tiger’s default, bland sky blue wallpaper was a nice touch.

I have mixed feelings about the screen. It’s nice HDMI screen but it’s really hard to calibrate it and I don’t have puck to help me get the color right. It’s also too dark in it’s midrange brightness and when you turn the brightness up so you can see, the colors get washed quickly.

What suprised me was the amount of programs on there. It had all my essential Final Cut programs like Final Cut, Motion and LiveType but it also Photoshop, Dreamweaver and if I have time to fool around with it, After Effects!

Who doesn’t like to fool around with new stuff?

*******

It’s good to be thankful for things you have even though they may piss you off at times. This goes for anything. Today I experienced a moment where I had to make myself thankful.

Because my computer hasn’t been in, my boss and I have been digging for ways where I can progress in my projects despite a lack of editing programs. Today, we came to a wall. In response to the wall, she gave me a project that had absolutely nothing to do with my job description–after I had already gotten my computer hooked up and running. What did I have to do? Find the names of all the faculty in every college and get their names. Originally, I was supposed to find out if they had Twitter profiles but after searching about twenty names, I came to the conclusion a mass e-mail would be a lot more effecient. Can you imagine trying to find the Twitter profile of someone when there name is “John Anderson?” How do you know which one is which? Let alone, how am I supposed to know if “so-in-so” is the right person?

This led to strange rage inside of me. I told my boss when my computer was setup, I could start working out the brainstorms I went over with her earlier in the day. Well, there it was. Pretty too. The first program I open up on this computer was not Final Cut, not Motion, not Photoshop–no–it was Microsoft Word. My job description is all video related. If you have used Microsoft Word, it is certainly not video related. Then again, neither was this project.

I could go into the details about my attitude toward the project but let me sum it up for you: bad. As I’m working, God tells me get happy. Not because I have to do this work but because I have work. He reminded me that He didn’t have to get this job for me and even though I’m not doing something I remotely enjoy, I am getting paid. That woke me up. It wans’t an easy transition to PO’ed to bursting with joy but eventually, with a little help from the All Michael Jackson station on AOL Radio, I straightened up my ‘tude.

Moral of the story, be greatful for what you have.

********

DistinguisheD

Tomorrow is the big concert at the Del Mar Fair. I think it’s big at least. It is the fifth annual Gospel Fest and while DistinguisheD is not going to be on the grand stage as I thought we were, we are still going to bring the Spirit to the people. With bass thrusted, joyful songs to our soothing yet strong worship, God will move on the people as he tears open their hearts. We ain’t messing around.

People will be led.

If you live in San Diego and you’re going to the fair, check us out at 4:00pm. I’m confident you’ll smile and maybe even dance a little!

There’s nothing that can be said in a dozen words about what happened today in the entertainment world. Today was a sad day.

To a lot of people’s sadness, Farrah Fawcett, one of the Charlie’s Angel’s of yesteryear, died of a long battle with cancer. I must admit, it was a headline I skimmed over. I knew very little about her outside of Charlie’s Angels and from what I’ve heard, she wasn’t much sweat off of anyone else’s back either.

Her headline would be quickly stolen later in the day with Michael Jackson’s death–which was no speculated occurrence. I was sitting in my office watching a video with my giant studio headphones on. I was in my own world until two words: “Jackson” and “died” caught my attention. I don’t know how my enveloped ears heard those words but it sparked my attention. The great Michael Jackson–dead? Impossible. Not according to TMZ who reported the incident first.

I work with six girls and I’m the only guy. All I hear is chatter about this unfortunate, and at the time, unconfirmed event. After it was confirmed he was dead, it was a shocking, tough pill to swallow.

The greatest pop icon, whether you liked him or not, is now dead. Unfortunately for fans of Ms. Fawcett, she may only be remembered as the woman who died the same day as Michael Jackson.

I don’t know what category this blog entry will be. It’ll end up being a mixture of rant and biblical thoughts which probably doesn’t create the sweetest blend of mentail stimulation but it certainly provides some sort of mental stimulation.

Checking my cell phone’s instant messenger application every five minutes to see if someone new popped on doesn’t seem to pass the time quick enough and after finishing up all the work I’ve been able to finish up, I wait in my chair browsing various websites that I haven’t visited in ages while my stomach ferociously growls at me. My one hour break could not come any sooner.

At this moment, our tech guy is working on installing my co-workers new computer and after he’s done with that, I will inherit her old one. Don’t feel bad for me, it’s a powerful Mac. I’m just a little curious to see how Final Cut Pro will manage on this computer that doesn’t have the Duo-Core Intel Processor. That’s what my MacBook runs with and it lasted fairly well up until something unknown began to waste my precious laptop away. Photoshop and video editing software is completely different beast. That’s putting it gently.

As I sat here, the Spirit began to prompt me to give some time to Him. No doubt I wanted to since I finished all my other work but I felt sort of wrong for doing so since I am actually using the “company” laptop–no idea what sort of online boundaries that entails. Then I realized, I’m on MotorTrend right now… As logical as I am, sometimes things just don’t register fast enough. I’m going to shift the blame and put it on the relentless hunger. Of course, the first thing I read is when Jesus was in the desert for 40 days and nights and afterward “he was hungry.” Alright. Stop looking at me like that. I have no excuse.

The scripture I want to focus on is in Matthew 5:14-15 which, in a nutshell, talks about being the light of the world. The Spirit has poking me about this. It seems it’s not for the reason that I’m not shining my light but I believe it’s simply a greater understanding, personally, that I am a light. Or at least I am the body that the light shines out of. Even still, Jesus says right there in the beginning, “You are the light of the world.” He did not say He was the light of the world. He said I am. That light won’t shine without Jesus, we know that, but how would people see that great light? It’s got to shine from somewhere. It’s out of me.

Later in verse 15 God says, Let your light shine before men. How? I guess one way would be by doing good deeds since He continues on to say “…that they may see your good deeds…”

After reading that bit of scripture, I looked inwardly and thought to myself I’m a light. I’m sitting in this office right now a light. The question I raise to myself is how bright I am but nevertheless, I am a light.

Ever had that random person come to you and begin talking to you? They saw a light in their spiritual peripheral vision and was gravitated to it. Ever had that homeless person who walks by everyone else only to stop at you and ask for money? They saw a light. Ever had the peer in class ask you to randomly be their study buddy cause you kindly gave them a single sheet of paper? Yeah. It’s that light.

Now as I sit here, I contemplate the ways I can improve my attitude around the workplace despite it being so hard to act with a little more exuberance. Even if it’s looking like I’m being productive (because you won’t believe how much downtime I have because I get things done quicker than they expect) or coming to my boss to make me do something else or whatever, my light must shine.

It will be a lot more obvious that there’s a Christian in the workplace since I’ve gone to biblegateway and it will be even more obvious that it was me because I’ve been using this laptop for the last two and a half hours. That’s fine with me. I’m not supposed to be covered up.

Good news for those who have been paying attention–I am now working again! It has been a long time coming and while the excitement was there, the reality of the job quickly set in.

Image via Wikipedia

I have these fantasies about working at Gamespot’s video game headquarters; joking with fellow co-workers as we vigorously work, talking about any thing that pisses us off in a given moment and generally keeping things interesting. It’s a job that is similar to mine. Closed quarters, also close quarters, respective desks for each of us and if you’re high enough in the pyramid, you got your own room. I happen to be sharing one with someone but that’s good enough for me. It didn’t take long for my fantasy to be squashed.

The woman I share an office with is the most bubbly employee and I thank God for that. What sucks is that she still doesn’t talk and it’s too frightening to start a conversation because the silence is seeminly something that is to be kept sacred. My boss walked into our office to talk to Kim, the fellow co-worker, and their attempt to keep quiet was agitating. Y’know when two people are trying to be quiet but they do not choose to whisper but instead attempt to control their right above what would be a whisper? To me, it seems like a harder chore to do than to whisper. But they tried and failed miserably.

My boss doesn’t help the working situation either sometimes. She’s very nice, very knowledgeable but she also makes me very nervous. Her natural demeanor is as if she is walking on egg shells with people. I have never known a personality as such and while I am quiet, I am also upfront with my information and consequently, I’m walking on egg shells when talking to her. But I know that’s not how she asks but that’s just how her personality comes out.

I am now resolving to become a clown in the office but not in an obnoxious manner that would send me home with no hope of ever returning, but to add some life into what I would consider something that should be a lot more exciting.

Image via Wikipedia

My Macbook too–I had to use that for work today and the state of that computer is “to be determined.” Final Cut Pro, the video editing software I use and another converter program I bought, are the only programs that open ip on my computer. Thankfully, those are the only programs I need to get by but if I want to do some quality work, I need them all. By the grace of God, I am able to use their computer to work which I will get tomorrow. During my internship, I had to use my equipment and now I see why people would be disappointed with my job for making me use my own equipment–it totally runs your stuff to the ground. I thought I was going to have to buy another laptop way before I wanted to but it turns out I’ll be to hold off on a new Macbook purchase. The plus side is that I still get the student discount being a staff member.

A lot of preachers and motivational speakers say that if you can envision something, you can make it happen. Well, my fantasy of being able to work enjoy working with my co-workers as Gamespot’s co-workers do is still there. The environment is there. The people are there. Now it’s time to loosen things up a little.

Just Listen!
I spent most of the day practicing for the concert tomorrow at the Jazzpel fest in Del Mar. It was the most productive practice I’ve had in a very long time and I learned a lot.

I got to work on everything. Swing rhythms, triplet rhythms, grooves, techniques—I covered it all. It was definitely a gruesome experience but it paid off. In the rehearsal today, I felt confident, my grooves were funkier and I felt like I said some “headroom” which is what John Riley, a professional drummer. talks about when you’re playing better than the band. I wasn’t necessarily playing better but I definitely kept up with them which is a huge step up from last weeks practice.

God also gave me a revelation about my playing and how to play with more flare while keeping the pocket, or the beat. I normally tend to pay attention to the rhythms of the instruments when playing the drums, which is what I’m supposed to do but that’s the only thing I pay attention to. When there are vocalists involved, I try to play according to both but what I realized is that I was listening wrong. I would still mostly pay attention to the instruments while only garnering the feel of the singers. God challenged me to listen to the rhythms of the singers instead and play-along with those.

Completely opened my playing up. A lot of what troubled me on my phrasing doesn’t anymore. My playing is a lot more exciting too!

Key revelation: Listen! It’s true in drumming and it’s true in life. Just listen and you’ll be able to phrase things nicely—just like in drumming. Let the learning begin!

The Highest Praise
After a productive, gruesome rehearsal, Gwen and I set off to get me back home. On the drive back, she mentioned that she was going to attempt to carpool to the fair tomorrow but she scratched the idea. Figuring she’d driven me to and from church and to other various places so many times, she went back and forth from Riverside, spent much money on gas, I figured I’d pick her up so that way she didn’t use her car. What happened next was something I wish I could have recorded.

I’ll try to paint the picture as best as I can. If you know her, this will be a lot funnier.

We are on the freeway at this point. When she heard me say that I was getting my car tomorrow, her head jerked straight up, her eyeballs went wide and she began to steer hysterically. So hysterically that she needed to pull over. She popped on her emergency lights, hopped out of the car on the shoulder of the freeway and began shout dancing—for a at least a minute and a half!

After she finishes shouting, she hops back into the car and lowers her head down and basks in the joy. She sits here like this for about three minutes going back forth from head down to resting back in her seat. Even one points where she screams “Glory!” or at least I think it was that. I don’t remember. It all seemed like she got released from something. I couldn’t stop laughing. It was funny to watch but I’m glad I wasn’t the only one rejoicing about getting this vehicle.

My friends, this was true Hallelujah praise—the highest praise. If I could have got it on video…

I Got Wheels!
Yes, I finally have wheels of my own with insurance to boot. Here’s the story.

My mom came down from L.A. with two purposes, to see my grandpa who had hurt his back (which he is doing better than either of us expected) and to give my car.

Early in the morning, we drove to the DMV in El Cajon and transferred the pink slip to me. It only took about 45 minutes and that was mostly waiting. It was great feeling to have that pink slip but most importantly, I was looking to get insurance.

My mom is running on two hours of sleep because they were cleaning my car the night before. I won’t get into that, that’s another story. Because she is running on two hours of sleep, I am debating whether or not we should do the insurance tomorrow and she take a nap or today and she has Friday and Saturday to sleep and do whatever she wants. She decides that we’ll go to AAA to get a quote so I decide that we’ll just get this over with and I’ll do the work so she can map if she wanted to.

After we leave AAA, we head to my grandpa’s house and I begin to finalize my insurance. Over the past few days, I brought the insurance choices down between two companies. Of course, my mom, being a mom, wanted to triple check the quotes I had been staring at for three days—I knew them all and I knew which ones I needed to deliberate between. But we got caught up in another insurance companies “low quote” and thus, delayed the inevitable company I was going to go with. Turns out the “low quote” was more than what I would bargain for later.

At the end of the day, I got my insurance but I won’t be driving until tomorrow since my mom has to get around. When my dad comes Saturday, watch out world, there will be a Holy Spirit PT Cruiser rolling on the streets of San Diego!

Contracts…
My boss is confident that I will start work Wednesday. Once I get through the Live Scan background check Monday, it should only take a day and then I start Wednesday. The excitement was quickly sobered from an email my boss sent me:

I wanted to make sure you were aware of the contract period. When Human Resources offers you the position, you will be offered a three month contract. At the end of the three months, I will see if we have the budget to renew you for a longer period. As you may know, the state and SDSU budget is not in great shape. We may be facing staffing cut backs over the next year. For that reason, I can only offer you short periods of employment. I wanted to let you know this in case it impacts what future plans you may make.

There was more fluffy words to make me feel better before and after this statement but certainly, this changes a lot. One thing I am happy about is that I immediately turned to God. I didn’t start saying I would be broke or anything else negative, I accepted the words and I asked God to handle the rest.

In the natural, I do wonder if anyone else is under this three month contract thing because if they are not, then getting laid-off isn’t far from me. The best thing is, God’s favor surrounds me. God overturns any natural circumstance.

Almost Back On the Job

I have an uncanny way of going to talk to my boss the day she emails me. Every time I went to talk to my boss, in person, to get updates on my status, she sends me an email and I’m on my way to talk to her about the very thing she emailed me about.

The bad news is that I won’t be starting at any point this week. Apparently the job requires background checks on all new employees. In and of itself, this is fine. It works my patience simply because it pushes back my start date even further. In order for me to get a background check, I have to go to the SDSU police department and get a Live Scan done. The earliest appointment they could take for that was Monday morning. That’s more days taken off from work and I only get paid once a month. Argh!

The good news is that I should start Wednesday. Of course, they told me I would start June 1st also…

Detailing the Car

I am really trying to contain the overabundance of excitement I have for my car. My mom is apparently driving down tomorrow and we will be changing all the information on the car and my driver’s license at the DMV and then Friday, finalizing insurance—which means I should be driving the car either Friday or Saturday of all goes well!

Random ARC rant

People at the ARC basketball courts are so dramatic. Today while playing, this tall white guy and a medium sized Muslim fellow begin to go at it because one of them began pushing each other down in the post on rebounds. It happened to the point where the Muslim fellow began to start a little fight. We broke it up quickly but shortly after, our “point guard” was complaining that he kept getting slapped! I said to them, “This is basketball. There will be contact! Suck it up!” The guy who I was checking the ball to showed me his scratch to prove the point that it’s a contact sport. Suck it up. Another guy on the court mockingly shouted “Don’t touch anyone! Whatever you do, don’t touch anyone!” The next play one of our guys drove to the lane and he jokingly said to his teammate “Don’t touch him!”

I don’t understand why people get upset about getting hit in a game where there is contact. I got popped in the nose yesterday. Four days ago, someone stepped on my foot. Three weeks ago I got popped in the eye. I didn’t complain about any of them. I expect it. Especially from players at the ARC.

Answer a fool to his folly, I guess…

Quick Enough

One of the things I was looking forward to after graduating was working. God has been good and hooked me up with an internship at San Diego State making promotional videos for incoming freshman. Knowing I was going to need a job after I graduated, since I was being cut off from my parents, I knew I needed to start looking. I didn’t need to look very long because the internship offered to hire me on as staff a week before I graduated. I was certainly going to take that opportunity. That opportunity couldn’t come quicker though.

As of right now, I have not been working. A long story short, in order for me to work as staff, I was to submit a resume and fill out some different paperwork–and I did. Then, my boss sends me back my resume saying I needed more “jobs” that I worked. I’m thinking to myself “You want me to make up some stuff?” I ended up giving her freelance stuff that I did as that was the only thing I could give. It has been about three weeks. Up to this point, I have turned everything I have needed to turn in and now I’m waiting on Human Resources to finally give me the go ahead to begin working. It honestly couldn’t come quick enough.

Preparing For the Show

DistinguisheD, an up and coming gospel group, will be performing at the Del Mar Gospel Fest and Jazzpel fest. The Jazzpel fest is on the 20th and the Del Mar Gospel Fest is on the 27th. I will be the drummer for both events.

I have been doing the most practicing and preparation I have ever done in my whole life and I still feel heavily under-prepared. John Riley, a drummer, talks about having more skill than the band you’re playing for so you can feel relaxed and play the drums the way they should be played. He calls this concept, “headroom,” which actually is a car concept. You car people know what that is. Either way, I do not have enough headroom at all. We practiced last Saturday and the practice, for me personally, was a major disaster. My fills were clunky, my intros were garbage and overall, I was not ready and it only frustrated me because I had been practicing so much—more than I have ever have for anything. I’ve been giving God my most excellent practice that I could give and in and of itself, it still isn’t enough. Just got to keep working at it.

Fasting

It’s about that time for another media fast. So, no video games or internet. I’ll be checking my e-mail or writing blogs just to keep everything current but no Facebook, no Gamespot, none of that leisure browsing stuff. I’m cutting off so much that I have no choice but to get in the word. I love it.

Getting A Ride

I have a ride—but it is in L.A. That will change soon. As of yesterday, I was searching high and low for car insurance and the search is winding down fast. Not only that, my mom wants to get the car of the driveway and into my hands before the end of the month and before she has to pay another insurance bill.

The projected date of my wheels in San Diego is June 25th. It might be the 27th because the 25th is a Thursday but perhaps I can talk my mom into getting me the car by then. If things work out really good, I may be able to get the car this weekend since she has to make a trip down here to visit my Grandpa. It depends on how quickly I can get my insurance. If it was up to me, I’d have it tomorrow but I want to use my mom’s wisdom in approaching this stuff. Better safe than sorry.

2 Kings 19:17-19

¹⁷ "It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. ¹⁸ They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by men’s hands. ¹⁹ Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God."

I love this passage cause it keeps things real. I don’t know the extent of the whole story as chapter 19 is the middle of the story but I do know that King Hezekiah was going to be attacked by the kings of Assyria—he already destroyed four or more kingdoms and King Hezekiah’s was next on the list. Doing what any man in trouble should do, he prayed to God.

I simply love the faith exhibited here in his prayer. This was a distressing moment for the king and he acknowledged it to God. He knew what the Assyrian kings had done to those other cities and their false gods that those cities believed in. But King Hezekiah knew that God he served and worshipped and asked Him to deliver them from the evil.

Plainly, when in doubt, this is what we need to do. Hezekiah saw the circumstances surrounding him and bleak as they were, he knew God could deliver him. We have circumstances that are very bleak in our lives—financially, physically, whatever. These things are, in a sense, true. But God’s word remains truer. There may not be enough money in the bank to pay the coming bills. This is true. However, God will supply all your needs according to His riches. That is absolute truth. God’s word overrides any natural circumstance.

Faith in what God says is not denying that something exists, it is acting on what He says. King Hezekiah believed God would deliver him. You don’t say “Now, O Lord our God, deliver us…” without having faith behind that. He basically told God to deliver Him. But why? So that they may know that He is real and truly those other gods are fake. God came through in the end. King Hezekiah expected no less. We should be that way also. We should expect God to come through for us, based on His words.