First off, some of you might have noticed that my website has been down the last couple of days. I recently transfered my site to a new server (with some help) but it wasn’t without a few kinks. However, it seems that everything is in proper running order again.

So, I finished listening to the final audio book of Harry Potter as well as watching the complete first season of Heroes. I won’t spoil anything though most of the people who would actually care probably finished long before me anyhow. I will say that I think they both came to satisfying conclusions. Usually I feel a sort of sadness when I come to the end of a book, especially a series since I know the story is pretty much over and while I can read it again some time, it just won’t be the same. I get the same feeling of loss when I beat a really good video/computer game, which makes sense since most good games are essentially interactive stories. However, for Harry Potter I didn’t experience this feeling. Perhaps I am becoming more detached from the stories I read as I grow older. On the other hand, I was in no way disappointed, I felt like it was time for it to end and it ended in just the right way.

As far as the stance of many Christians that HP is not something believers should read, I think some of the arguments are well founded and some are on the ridiculous side. Let me just say this, HP does deal with the occult and I can see why that would set off warning lights in the minds of concerned Christian parents, especially if there is truth to the claims that some of the ideas in the books are taken from real-life occult practices. Magic or no, I wouldn’t let my children (supposing I had some) read the book until they were at least high school age. The stories are usually light, but do have some very dark parts, especially in the later books. However, as far as I can tell, the books do not promote immorality but instead depict evil as evil and good as good. At its heart, the Harry Potter series is a fictional story about friendship, courage, and love. Nevertheless, I would encourage anyone who felt unease about it to do a little research and use some discernment to decide for themselves how to treat the books.

(wow, I had no intention of doing a short review and yet, it seems I’ve done one)

I had to laugh when I learned of the Relevant Podcast people’s response to hearing about HP selling more copies than the Bible: here. Gotta love their references to Penny-Farthing bicycles, The Onion, and handlebar mustaches on the “unoffical fan site.” They’ve got some crazy cats over there.

As far as Heroes is concerned, I enjoyed it immensely. There were a few things about it that I wasn’t terribly fond of, but they were minimal. I’m looking forward to next season.

All this is to say that while I definitely don’t believe all good things must come to an end, I would agree that many good things do and should come to an end. After all, some things must end in order to make way for even better things. This is a necessary part of moving forward. But that my friends is a whole ‘nother spool of yarn.

Have you ever had moments in your life that felt like something straight out of a movie? I’ve had quite a few. They can happen anywhere: at a school play, in a church, driving home late at night, or in the back of the checkout line at Albertson’s. Just about anything can trigger them: an instant message from a friend, hearing something you never knew before about your family, or merely a face that stands out in a crowd. These cinematic moments are often accompanied by strong feelings: sometimes elation, sometimes unwavering hope, and sometimes bitter anguish.

Events like these have a air of importance about them, often mixed with a kind of irony, giving them an almost scripted feeling. During such times a change usually takes place: a new discovery is made, a decision is made, a new way of thinking is achieved and/or a turning point is crossed as doors to the past are forever sealed and new posibilities for the future are opened.

Perhaps I am wrong about the whole thing. Maybe it is not life that is imitating film, but film that is imitating life. Isn’t it true that the greatest movies are those that connect with our own experiences and in that manner stir something deep within the very core of our being? Whatever the case may be, I find a certain fulfillment in these moments for though they are not always pleasant, they are signs of progress, growth, plot development and I am reminded again that life is happening before my very eyes and I sit a little closer to the edge of my seat, waiting to see what will happen next.

As a kid, I always made myself the main character in my many imagined adventures. And the imagined people in my fantasies never had a problem with me being the protagonist. Well, the bad-guys didn’t always like it, but they were defeated in the end, so they didn’t matter.

But now that I look at my life, I see myself as more of a side character, not unimportant, but also not the main focus of the plot. A right hand man, a brother of Moses, a Robin, a Pedro, a Mike Wazowski. It’s not all about me, but I’m fine with that. I don’t need the spotlight, the trophy, or the front page in the newspapers (people still read those right?). Like any sidekick, I make my share of mistakes and blunders from time to time. But I’ll come through faithful in the end. I’ll do what it takes, I’ll play the second fiddle if that’s what is needed to complete the song.

I realize more and more how much I’m surrounded by that which is more weighty, more significant than myself, the Principalities and Powers of this world and beyond it. However, I am not excluded from these things, I’ve been given a part in them. I must train, preparing as much as possible for the moments when my part comes, so that when they come, I’ll be ready. But this is no theatrical performance, it is victory or failure, life or death. Sill, I’m not too worried. I know things will work out for the best in the end. And besides, being a sidekick really ain’t all that bad when you’ve got the best Hero on the block and His master plan is a perfect one.

I’m interrupting the regularly scheduled blog with a report on what could be the only summer vacation I actually get this year. It turns out that I ended up getting two days off of work due to the whole SIGGRAPH event and there not being a need for me to come in the second day.

Tuesday night I drove back to my place (ok, so it’s really my parent’s place) in San Diego, dropping off Jasun at his house on the way. Our Italian coworker, Federico (or Fed for short), spent the night at my place. We ended the night with an enjoyable game of Through the Desert. Fed won by enclosing a good chunk of land with strategic camel placement that would have been met with approval from Laurence of Arabia. We began Wednesday with a viewing of The Princess Bride followed by a delicious lunch at Bonx Pizza. Then the three of us traveled to the San Diego Convention Center to scope out the big event and meet up with some other coworkers. I was surprised at how many people I ran into there whom I had known from my previous job or from college. It was really cool actually. I would have liked to see more but time and the limitations of my convention pass did not allow it. I did manage to pick up a couple of new shirts and a few other free things throughout the day, so no complaints there. Afterwards, we attended a couple parties where I chanced to meet up with some more of my former colleagues and I even did a little dancing (crazy, I know). I had the honor of being the designated driver, something I’m always glad to be since I’m not much of a drinker. None of the people I drove home were really all that sloshed anyhow. By the time I got to bed, I was exhausted and more than ready to let fly some Zs.

Left to right: Jasun, Fed, and Duane

On Thursday we started things off right with a breakfast at Anna’s Kitchen where we discussed things ranging from interesting ways to use fire extinguishers to our future in the industry. Then we drove to a beach in La Jolla where we went whomping, something I’d never done before. Whomping is body surfing except it’s right on the edge of the water so it’s a bit more risky. I had the opportunity to discover first hand what it means to get whomped as I was picked up by a strong wave and thrown down stomach first into the rocky sand. Talk about rough treatment. It probably didn’t help that I pretty much had no idea what I was doing out there. It wasn’t until a little while later that Fed pointed out a decent sized gash in my side which was emitting blood. At that point, I decided it would probably be a good idea to give the whomping a rest for the day. I would have preferred to avoid the injury, but I still had a good time and am now in the process of healing (though I have considered therapy). After that we went to watch a talent show that Jasun’s daughter was in. There really wasn’t a whole lot of talent going on but it was nice to see the kids having fun up on stage while their parents and fellow students cheered them on. However, if I have to listen to Fergalicious one more time, I just might actually need that therapy. I did have a chance to clean up the open wound a bit. That evening we went to Fudruckers, the restaurant with enormously good burgers and a name that could be problematic if mispronounced. Then we watched The Bourne Ultimatum before heading back to LA. I didn’t find the plot as intriguing as in the first two movies, but the action was definitely on par. All in all, I had a grand old time and I found myself at the end of my short summer break with a wounded side and a smile on my face.

A few thoughts ranging from partially related to completely unrelated:

-I’ll be going to SIGGRAPH with some coworkers come Wednesday. SIGGRAPH is not only a long and slightly broken acronym for Special Interest Group on Graphics and Interactive Techniques, it’s also a computer technology convention put on by another acronym, ACM (Association for Computing Machinery). I went two years ago as a reporter and enjoyed it quite a bit. I had a full access pass (which made me feel kinda special) and attended a different party every night that week (thus staying up well past midnight). Last time when I went for the whole week I was nearly dead with exhaustion by the end. In fact, I almost passed out the following day while at Magic Mountain. That was the closest I’ve yet come to passing out and I hope to keep it that way. This year, the folks in charge at my work gave everyone not already working at the conference a free one day pass. I’m looking forward to it and I think one day and one party will be more than enough for me.

-I’ve noticed that seven times out of ten there is a man walking down, or up, or up and down my street with no shirt on. I should also mention that it’s rarely the same man and four times out of seven he’s talking to, shouting at, or dancing with no one in particular. I’ve come to realize that this is perfectly acceptable behavior for Venice Beach.

-I’ve been thinking of getting a new guitar for a while. Or maybe I should say I’m thinking of getting a guitar since none of the guitars I play or have played were really mine in the first place. Long ago, I had this crazy idea that some skilled musician would one day just walk up and give his priceless guitar to me (perhaps out of a desire to help a fellow guitarist or maybe just out of pity) but so far that hasn’t happened and my expectations for it happening have greatly decreased since the day that thought was conceived. All that to say, some time this year I plan to buy my own guitar. I’d name it Lucille, but I doubt B.B. King would approve, and it’d probably decrease the likelihood of him just walking up and giving me one of his guitars.

-I’ve been catching up on the show Heroes. After finishing an episode I’m often overcome with an inexplicable desire to dodge bullets, fly, transcend space and time, and give some bad guys a good thwomping. Maybe that’s why I love the show so much, it excites the imagination and makes me feel like a kid again.

-Last weekend I went to Brian and Rhonda’s engagement party. It was the first engagement party I’d ever been to and it was very nice. I was reminded how much I like hanging out with large amounts of people, as long as it’s the right people and not too often. People have the opportunity to be very funny in large groups, perhaps not any more than in small groups, but it’s more likely to be appreciated and encouraged in a larger group. That being said, look for the emergence of Triadthalons some time soon in your local crime-ridden Chinese neighborhood.

-At the engagement party I came upon a strange sight. Well, it was strange considering that I wasn’t in LA when I saw it. It was a man in a small boat. If that wasn’t odd enough, he was rowing the boat backwards so that the pointy front of the boat was facing opposite the direction he was moving and the flat back end of the boat was pushing though the water. I figured he was either out of his mind or trying some new exercise technique. Still, he really could have saved himself a lot of trouble by simple turning the boat around. I think I’ve approached some problems in life the same way as that man where I obstinately push on in frustration when all I really have to do is take a little time to set things right, turn the boat around, and move on. That or wait for someone else with the knowledge of proper boat operation to come along and tell me that I’m going about it all wrong.

Well folks that’s all I’ve got for today, until next time TTFN.