On the road again...

Tomorrow, May 15, I'm leaving for Charlotte, NC. I'll be working on a show called I-Gospel for INSP for a week. The following Saturday, May 21, Paul and I will be headed to London! So, I'll be out of town for almost three weeks and probably not blogging. If I can get to a computer, I'll try to post from across the pond. In the mean time, enjoy life and I'll talk to you all soon!

Natalie Portman's new look...

Here's more on Natalie Portman's new look and why she did it.

Goblet of Fire...

I just watched the trailer for the fourth Harry Potter movie, The Goblet of Fire, and it is awesome! I love the books and the movies and can't wait for this one!

Latest celebrity makeovers...

USAToday has some photos of the latest celebrity makeovers. For those of you who have Natalie Portman on your Top 5 list, I think you'll be verrrrrry surprised! Ashlee Simpson is my favorite, though.

Totally random links...

Here's what's been going on in the last few days...

First, I apologize for getting your hopes up about Will Ferrell last week! It's actually this Saturday night that he's hosting.

Second, did you hear that Renee Zellweger and Kenny Chesney got married? I'm guessing their couple name will be "Renny"!! Also, I just heard that Brad + Angelina = Brangelina...that's definitely my favorite so far!

Third, Good Charlotte has an awesome new song out called, "We Believe." For those who have speculated they might be Christians, this song seems to provide more evidence along those lines!

Paul and I met with the Presleys today to get some tips about London and we're even more excited than we were before. Keep your tips coming as well!!

Have a great afternoon!!

Good times and old friends...

I've had a chance to appreciate good times and old friends lately. A few Saturdays ago, Jailbird Paul and Kamikazi Friday played a show in Franklin Springs for the first time in years. It was amazing how many of the "old crowd" came back out to show some love. It reminded me so much of my first years at EC, when the Mainstream was the place to be, and we all saw each other on a regular basis. This past Sunday night, Britt and Melissa White, Mel Fowler, Leah Snider and her fiance, Josh, and Paul and I, got together to hang out. We ate at Inoko's and then caused way too much of a scene at Barnes and Noble trying to decide if it was stealing to tear out a picture of a magazine without actually buying the magazine (we decided that was stealing, but pulling out the subscription inserts isn't...I mean, those things fall on the floor all the time anyway!). We had the best time, though. And then, all this week, we've had an Admissions Counselor reunion going on with myself, Donna Quick, Jamie and Kristi Cain, Philip and Mary Ann Bowen, and Angie Thompson all coming back to work this week while the current counselors are on vacation. It has been a blast! Man, that call room brings back memories! All in all, it has just been so nice the last few weeks to reconnect with people I haven't spent time with in a while. I'm hoping this is a trend that continues!

Emo...more than a style of music, it's a way of life

A few weeks ago, my sister, Ashleigh, asked, "Do you know what an emo kid is?" I kind of chuckled and said yes, I was familiar with the term. She said, "Well, what are they?" Paul and I tried to explain that emo, short for emotional, is actually a genre of music that's popular right now. It's good rock music with very melodic vocals, usually accentuated with a few impassioned cries throughout the song. The lyrics generally have to do with strong emotions...angst, love, hate, confusion, hurt, etc. "Emo kids," therefore, are the die-hard fans of this music. I asked Ashleigh what made her ask about them. She said that she was driving Paul's old 1987 Toyota Camry (very beaten-up, but still loved!), and our stepsister, Alyssa, said she loved that car...it looked "like something an emo kid would drive." Paul said that makes sense, because emo kids are the ones who are sort of dressing 80's now, they have the longer hair that's messily parted on the side, the boys wear girl pants, they all wear tiny tee shirts covered by blazers, they're cool with looking a little beat up (yet still pulled together) themselves. Ashleigh felt like she was starting to understand.

So, last night, I met Ashleigh in Charlotte and we went to see Copeland and Anberlin. They were awesome. Yes, Anberlin is still a little sloppy due to the increased running around on stage, but they still rocked. Copeland did a good mix of old and new stuff and the crowd was totally into it. (The Verdict and Paramour also played, and both were surprisingly great.) If you know anything about Copeland, you know that they are sort of a quintessential emo band. They don't have the steady rock stuff going, but the vocals and lyrics are 100% emo.

Ashleigh knew that we would be joining a crowd of emo kids and she was looking forward to seeing them in their natural habitat. When we got there, it was hilarious to see her sort of taking everything in. Paramour starting performing and they were very good. They were a little more "scream-o" than "emo," but still fit the bill. Ashleigh and I had had a long discussion about the emotions that go into emo music. During Paramour, she was like, "The screaming...I just feel so bad for them...it's like you can feel the anguish coming from the stage." And you really could. It was a bit overwhelming for a first-timer like her. Luckily, Anberlin (a band I wouldn't characterize as emo...just fun rock) was next, so she got a bit of a break. Then, came the clincher...Copeland.

Ashleigh has heard Copeland's music before, but didn't really know the lyrics. I would tell her some of the lyrics I thought were really awesome. Some are very sweet and some are a little sad. Towards the end of their set, they played "When Paula Sparks." It's a song about a guy wanting to spend time with his girlfriend who is in the hospital. I was telling Ashleigh the words and after the line "You'll say/Wake now, Prince/There's a brilliant sky above/And a jealous moon in love/And they are/Starved for our attention," she looked at me and said, "Please don't tell me what he's saying...I can't take anymore emotion!" It was hilarious!

I've been reading a book called "The New Faithful: Why Young Adults Are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy." Colleen Carroll, the author, makes the point that a lot of young adults are turning back toward a more traditional, more orthodox worship experience. They're tired of all they hype and are interested in something that's been time-tested, something that is deep and has deep roots, and something that offers black-and-white truth. The book is awesome, and I highly recommend it.

These two experiences together, the emo kids and the new faithful, have gone a long way toward letting me know I'm not alone in crisis. Apparently, there are a lot of people who are in a similar place. I think that's why emo music is so popular now...kids and young adults are reaching out to a genre of music that is honest about struggle. It says, hey, we all go through times that suck. Let's talk about it, let's sing about it, let's identify with one another and get through it together. Really great emo music (like Copeland) says, let's look to the One who offers hope in the midst of hard times. Orthodox religion says, hey, life is going to be hard, maybe confusing, often changing...why not turn to something that is simple and steadfast? It acknowledges the struggle, but offers a solution in return. It was just neat to see those things sort of go hand in hand.

For a funny take on hardcore kids vs. emo kids, check out Bradley Hathaway's poem, "The Annoying Hardcore Dude Who Goes Too Far."

5 years and counting...

Today is Paul's and my fifth year wedding anniversary! Can you believe it??? Lucky us, we get to attend Dr. Hopkins' retirement dinner to celebrate! :) Seriously, though, we're going to London in two weeks (!!!)...I think that's celebration enough!

EC Memories...

Because several EC bloggers have been recalling all the good times of yesteryear recently, I've been thinking a lot about some of my own favorite memories. A few that stick out the most are...

...the infamous H Girls Dance Party (crashed by Patrick Figueroa and Cornelius Freeman)

...hours and hours in the Admissions Office

...Tonya, Bird, and myself riding in the back of Scott Beck's truck shouting out the lyrics to "Fat-Bottomed Girls" all around campus

...singing the quote wall

...trying to quietly get in bed every night after I thought Alexis was asleep, only to find 15 bags of peppermints hidden between my sheets!

...Jailbird Paul, Jailbird Paul, Jailbird Paul

...and, of course, the burning of King Street A (now Melton Hall)

Please post some of your own favorite memories here as well. It's like Ashleigh said, you think you remember everything until someone else starts talking. I can't wait to read about fun stuff I've already forgotten!!

In the news today...

Will Ferrell will host Saturday Night Live this Saturday!! I can't wait!

Bright Eyes sang a song of protest last night on the Tonight Show. The lyrics are pretty strong, but interesting. I suggest not reading them if you are easily offended.

If you haven't already heard, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are dating. USA Today has two articles regarding the relationship, one with the details of how they met and their first date, and one about Tom Cruise's past relationships. What is the deal with nicknaming celebrity couples? Apparently Tom and Katie have been dubbed "TomKat." Is it really that much easier than just typing out their names?

ABC airs their special, "Fallen Idol," tonight. The show will look into claims made by former contestant Corey Clark that he had an affair with Paula Abdul.

You can listen to the new Dave Matthews Band cd at VH1.com.

Texans are putting a stop to suggestive cheerleading. I have to agree with one person, though, who questioned the state's priorities.

Have a great day!

Chronicling "Narnia"...

The official site for Disney's "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," coming out in December of this year, is awesome! It has tons of articles (including a really good one from USA Today with several new pictures) and some neat Q & A sections. I can't wait for this movie!!

It's spreading...

Just wanted to let you all know that the current number of known EC Blogs is up to 34!!! And the girls outnumber the guys by 2. :) Wow, I just wish I knew how many blogs were out there, because we have to be making some kind of dent! It makes me wonder...will the world become a better place with so many EC'ers blogging???

You know you're from...

North Carolina if...
* Saying "y'all" isn't just a cute expression; it actually means something.
* You still see Dale Earndheart tributes on cars.
* Your annual church fundraiser always deals with bbq and potato salad.
* You can tell the difference between cotton fields and tobacco fields while driving.
* You know the difference between a "redneck" and a "hick".
* You own at least one surf shop or seafood restaurant tee-shirt.
* The Coca-Cola 600 is as big as the Super Bowl.
* You know pastry is a chicken stew, not a dessert item.
* In summer you have home-grown tomatoes with every meal.
* Your folks have taken trips to the mountains to look at leaves.
* Your school classes were cancelled because of a hurricane (Hey, it was Hugo!).
* You have actually uttered the phrase "It's too hot to go to the pool."

South Carolina if...
* You think sweet tea is appropriate for all meals, and you start drinking it when you're two (or younger).
* You know there is a Dairy Queen in every town with a population of 1000 of more, except for Orangeburg which has Dairy-O.
* You know that going "barefootin" is one of the great joys of life.
* "Vacation" means going to Myrtle Beach.
* You've taken a road trip to South of the Border - and it wasn't Mexico.
* You buy your groceries at Winn-Dixie.

Georgia if...
* When a waitress asks what you want to drink and you say Coke, she asks "What kind?"
* You call Atlanta "The City."
* You know the one way to be killed in .5 seconds is to talk about somebody's mama or talk bad to somebody's mama.
* Krispy Kreme donuts are the only kind of donuts you eat.
* You know what a 'dawg' is.
* The directions to your house include "turn off the paved road."
* Your whole town completely shuts down for 1 inch of snow or just the threat of snow.
* You know at least three streets named "Peachtree."

But maybe I'm biased...

Jailbird Paul rocked last night!!! It was perhaps the best I've ever seen them. Their energy was way up, technically they were awesome, and the crowd was lovin' it! JBP played some old favorites - 89, Take Me, Illusions, On My Face, Psalm of David, and some others - and debuted a new song, Killing Me. They ended with the last chorus of Twilight ("I...am...not myself when I am yours..."). The crowd's energy was what made the show, I think. Both the "old crowd" and current EC students were excited and responsive the whole time. The band fed off of that and didn't let anyone down. It was great to see them having so much fun and putting on such a great show!

Now, if only we could get them on tour... :)