Daddy's Day Not Out

Tate is a happy little guy. Healthy is something he is not. I stayed home with the little scrapper today as he nursed his coxsackievirus (similar to hand foot and mouth disease). Not fun stuff. Anyway, I took him to the doctor, made Horton out of playdough, watched and tended to Lyla and played with candles. I was Mr. Mom. Here are some pictoral highlights from an otherwise unhappy day.

Tate and his 103º fever yesterday

Tate watching Cars this morning.

Tate hiding from me when it was time to get ready to go to the doctor's.

Lyla didn't want me to feed her. Since she can't talk, she told me this by hitting the spoon away each time it got near her mouth.

Heading to the doctor's.

Hey Tate, doesn't that hurt your knees?

Tate wanted me to make Horton out of playdough.

Green Horton.

I was cleaning out the garage while the kids were napping and found a box of candles that Mel had been hoarding. I decided to light all of them and place them on our counter to set a romantic mood when Mel got home. Nothing says romance like a child with a 103º fever, a daughter who won't eat, and 15 candles filling the air with a gross array of cinnamony, potpourri aromas.

DVHS Video Production

This school year has flown by. The first semester ended on Friday and it always seems like the second semester goes by a lot faster than the first. That means summer is just around the corner. Video Production class has been both a headache and a joy, depending on the day. Here is a link to the DVHS Vimeo channel and a few of the video highlights from the year thus far.

For this project the students were given actual movie scripts that they had to story board and film.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

17 Again

For this project (their semester 1 final), the students were given really vague plot points and they were asked to write a script, create story boards and film a 2-5 minute short film.

These students were given the following plot point - a doctor delivers some bad news. They have some audio issues that need resolving but the video is pretty funny.

A PSA for the Sports Medicine class.

A music video. "Brass Monkey" by the Beastie Boys.

Albums of the Decade (2000-2009)

10. "Keep No Score" - Sleeping At Last

I am someone who likes to listen to 1 or 2 songs on a CD on repeat. I pick my favorites and then stick with them. I just couldn't do it with this record. I love every song. I got this right before we (and by "we" I mean Mel) were prego with Tate and I was still want into it when he was on the way. So much of the CD (thematically) has to do with new life and it was very fitting for that season of life I was (and still am) in.

9. "Mute Math" - Mutemath

I saw these guys open for Mae and I was hooked. I had never heard of them before that night in 2006 and they blew me away. They are by far the best live band I have seen. This CD is great and it really captures what I love about this band- original rhythms and great melodies. I love this record.

8. "Like a Virgin Losing a Child" - Manchester Orchestra

This record has the potential to move up this list as the years go on. Every song is memorable. Andy Hull has a way of writing sad, thoughtful lyrics and he pumps out what seems like 1000 songs a year. I have seen these guys live a few times and I absolutely love them. Depressing at times, but somehow uplifting. This is an amazing album.

7. "Brother, Sister" mewithoutYou

I can't say enough about this bizarre band. I have seen them live a few times and they have several records that I love, but this is the one that got me into them. I saw one of their performances online from a Cornerstone festival and was enthralled. The closing track, "In a Sweater Poorly Knit," is one of my favorite songs. Their theology and way of life, though strange, is so intertwined with their sound and instrumentation that you can't help but love their uniquely idiosyncratic tunes. If being a gypsy is wrong, I don't want to be right.

6. "Bleed American" or "Futures" - Jimmy Eat World

I couldn't really pick here. "Bleed American" is the Jimmy album that I continually come back to but I have so many memories attached to "Futures." "Sweetness" and "The Middle" sucked me in and introduced me to "Clarity" (not trying for play on words here), but I think if I was held at gunpoint and asked to choose, I would ultimately pick "Futures." I got this record right before I went to Egypt and could not stop listening to it. It has a desperate, dark and unsettled feel that reflected the awkward time in America in which it was recorded and released (2001-2003).

5. "The Light of Things Hoped For" - Brave Saint Saturn

This Five Iron Frenzy side project ultimately trumped the latter band in terms of song quality and sincerity. This concept album reminds me of driving to Rocklin to visit Nick. I would start the record and let it play straight through (as I mention before, this is a feat for me). "Estrella" may be one of my favorite songs ever and this album is full of many more that are dear to me. A very nostalgic CD for me that I love to come back to.


4. "Deja Entendu" - Brand New

This one should earn me scene points or perhaps I will lose some for being cliche. This album preceded another great Brand New album (The Devil and God...) but I feel this has a lot more staying power. There are so many amazing songs on this record that bemoan the painful process of growing up. The quintessential emo album (ok, maybe my number one record would better fit that bill) and a must own for any Smiths-loving, pop-culture hating/loving, scenester, emo kid. From song one to the acoustic closer, this record is incredible.

3. "Suicide Medicine" - Rocky Votolato

I couldn't decide whether or not I wanted to include "Makers" or this record at this spot in the list. Both records are amazing, but this one ultimately contains more songs that I love. I had the pleasure of hosting a house show for Rocky this summer and it was surreal hearing him play songs off this record with a group of my friends. Truly an underrated artist, this is one of my favorite records ever.

2. "The Everglow" - Mae

It was tough deciding between this record and Saves the Day for my number one of the decade, but I will explain that in a bit. I anticipated this record months in advance and was not disappointed in the slightest bit upon its release. I think I am a sucker for concept albums. I love the story and the artwork and the way each song blends seamlessly into the next. The piano and instrumentation is amazing. I have seen these guys a hundred times and have listened to this record at least twice that, and I never grow tired of it. I love this record.

1. "Stay What You Are" - Saves The Day
This record is my number one of the decade because it is and was so influential as to what I listen to today. Saves the Day was my segway out of the pop-punk world, into something more thoughtful, dark and melodic. Conley's lyrics were strange, uncomfortable and yet familiar. From beginning to end this record is full of songs that established a foundation, for better or worse, for the kind of music I listen to, write, and love today. Thanks Saves the Day!

Well, that's my list. This entry has taken me a few weeks to finish and here are a few more that could have easily made the cut into the top 10 depending on the mood I was in on a given day. They are in no specific order.

Honorable Mention:
"From Under the Cork Tree" - Fall Out Boy
"Makers" - Rocky Votolato
"Hot Fuss" - The Killers
'We Have Cause to Be Uneasy" - Wild Sweet Orange
"Oh, Gravity" - Switchfoot
"The Beautiful Letdown" - Switchfoot (this one should probably be in my top 10...woops!)
"Illinoise" - Sufjan Stevens
"Tell All Your Friends" - Taking Back Sunday
"Bullet" - Mat Kearney
"Give Up" - Postal Service
"Vheissu" - Thrice
"How to Start a Fire" - Further Seems Forever
"The End is Near" - Five Iron Frenzy
"Brushfire Fairytales" - Jack Johnson
"I'm Only a Man" - Emery
"A Collision" - David Crowder*Band
"Emotion is Dead"- The Juliana Theory
"Hell or High Water" - As Cities Burn
"Define the Great Line" - Underoath

Book of Eli & The Hurt Locker

I saw The Book of Eli on Friday with Tony and Ben and watched The Hurt Locker last night on Blu Ray with Tyler. The Book of Eli was constantly on the verge of being quite good but ended up just kind of being ok. It was shot pretty well and Denzel was pretty good but a lot of the movie just sorta seemed forced. It also was a little too similar to The Road. Ok. It was pretty much the same story except Denzel was carrying the Bible and Viggo was carrying the fire. I kept waiting for Denzel's character, Eli, to pass The Man and The Boy on the road (both pushing shopping carts and toting pistols mind you) and say hello-or shoot each other. In Eli, nothing was very understated and it didn't really leave you with questions, which can be a good or bad thing. I can't really articulate why I didn't love it. I just didn't. It quoted scripture and had an interesting twist but it felt like a lot of what I have seen before with a splash of God. The Hurt Locker was another story (literally and figuratively). I was at Blockbuster and saw it on the shelf. It is a movie I have been wanting to see as it is in theaters still in some places. It is about the Iraq War and takes place in Baghdad in 2004 and follows a unit of bomb-disarmers (this is an actual Army unit who gets called in when an IED is discovered). The movie was super intense and the acting was great. It wasn't very propaganda-ish either, which movies like this can often be. I don't want to give too much more away but it is definitely worth seeing. It just won the Critic's Choice Award for Best Picture and Best Director and the past three Academy Award Winners for Best Picture also won the critics award so this film has a good shot of taking the Oscar. It was great and makes me so glad I am not and never was in Iraq. Scary place. Here is the trailer.

Arizona 2006

I was able to add the full Arizona Outreach video from 2006 to Vimeo. It's an odd time of year to put it up but why not? Here you go.

Almost Live

Oh the good old days. When everyone went to their local TV channel to obtain information about the goings on in their area. In 2003-2004, one such source of pertinent local information was Cal State Hayward's very own weekly news show, Almost Live. Ok, the show was a joke but we had a lot of fun making it. These videos (and more to come) were actual assignments from college for a Broadcast News class I took. Other students, who sought careers in broadcast news, took their news shows very seriously. My group did not. Enjoy.

This episode was in response to the outcry from the other students in our class who said we "did not take things seriously enough." This video was our "serious" episode.

This episode was the 10th and final episode we made at CSUH. It features Grammy Award winning artist James Locke (not a joke) and myself. The outtakes are hilarious.

Rocky Votolato House Show Videos

Another highlight of last year was hosting a Rocky Votolato house show at the Perry's ranch on August 10 (only 10 days before Lyla was born). The show was an amazing experience to share with a group of good friends. Here are the 14 songs he performed that night. The audio quality from the camera is surprisingly good. Enjoy!

White Daisy Passing

Makers

Where We Started

True Devotion

Red River

Suicide Medicine

Lucky Clover Coin

Father and Son (Cat Stevens cover)

Tinfoil Hats

Spiritual (Joshua Radin cover)

Sparklers

Silver Trees

Fragments

Holding Onto Water

The Entire Playlist (it plays straight through)

Best of 2009, volume 2

Best of 2009

TV
Most people think Battlestar Galactica is for nerds and I tend to agree with them. However, I joined this brotherhood of geekdom this summer and watched the entire series in 10 weeks. It is a series that is just as much about religion and politics as it is about space (actually more of the former than the latter can be found in the show). I watched some of it with Nate Darnell who was already a fan, but the legion of nerds grew as Tony and Travis also became believers in BSG. My wife, Justin and Mandie have recently become fans as well. The show ended in the Spring of 2009. It is amazing. Watch it!

Books

I had been told by many people to read this book. It wasn't until I had to teach it for my Lit through Film class (senior English) that I actually read it. I finished it in 3 nights. If you haven't read it before, stop reading this right now and go buy it or check it out at the library, quit your job, drop out of school and read it. I know I am about 4 years behind the curve on this one but I am so glad I read it before I saw the movie. It's amazing. I also enjoyed Blankets by Craig Thompson (a graphic novel), A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller, and The Road by Cormac McCarthy among others.

Movies

I see a lot of movies and sort of justify it by saying I teach Video Production and Lit through Film. These are some of my favorite movies from this year (in no particular order).

(500) Days of Summer, Avatar, District 9, Adventureland, Star Trek, Up in the Air, Away We Go

Tate and the beautful tree...

Well, 2009 and and Christmas are behind us (I will post my last 2009 list by the end of the week) but I thought I would share a final Christmas video of Tate from my cell phone. I caught him playing with the Christmas tree ornaments and talking to himself. I had him repeat what he said to my camera.

Biggerest Snow 2009

Tomorrow I will post my last "Best of 2009" entry. Until then, feast your eyes on this piece of cinematic brilliance. I am in the process of trying to purge my computer of old video footage so I am sort of in an editing spree. I hadn't yet finished last year's MSM snow trip video so yesterday I dove into it and got it done. This year's trip is February 26-28. Should be fun.

Shaving can feel like losing a friend...

Shaving one's beard can be like losing a friend. Deej knows this all too well.

Dan Gillette bet his wife that he could go 6 months (until the end of 2009) without shaving. He won. Today he shaved his beard. My father and I have also experienced such a loss. Video proof can be seen below.

Deej's day of reckoning.

Removing my baby boy beard.

My father shaving his mustache.