leave.the.great.indoors

After years on Windows Live Spaces, I've finally become tired of its limitations, particularly when it comes to embedding active content and rich media into blog posts.  Even though I'm going to lose all my previous posts (since, of course, Microsoft doesn't allow you to export your blog like other services...), I've decided to make the move to Blogger.  It's better now than in 10 years, right? 

I feel like I've given Live Spaces the benefit of the doubt, and when they started allowing embedded YouTube videos I thought we were in for a good change, but it just didn't happen.  So.......

From now on my personal blog will be located at:

http://leavethegreatindoors.blogspot.com

You can also subscribe to my new RSS feed at http://feeds.feedburner.com/leavethegreatindoors

See you over there!

This is just a quick, no-pressure post to let you know that Jess and I will be running the San Jose Rock & Roll half-marathon on October 5th to raise money for Team World Vision.  World Vision is a humanitarian organization that tackles the root causes of poverty by working with children, families, and their communities to reach their full potential.  They do this by providing basics like clean water, health care, nutritious food, education, and economic opportunities to those who need it most, all over the world.

If you'd like to get involved by helping us reach our fundraising goal, you can get more info here:
http://www.firstgiving.com/rianvdm

Thanks! 

Late last night, as I was watching in disbelief as John Mayer makes his guitar do impossible things on his latest live DVD ("Where the light is"), I started wondering about my obsession with his music and his story. 

I thought about the first time I heard "Room for squares" in my beat-up car driving through the streets of Perth, Australia, and how my ears almost complained about the newness of it all, like when you exercise muscles you didn't think you had. 

I thought about the enormous role his music played in my courtship with my wife, how the songs seem to embody perfectly the ups and downs we experienced in our journey to where we are today. 

I thought about the first time I saw him live, speechless after 2 hours spent watching and listening to someone who just seems to GET music and everything that's beautiful about it. 

I thought about the fact that we're the same age, and how several of his blog posts (like when he turned 30...) resonated with me so strongly.

But of course, it's none of these things, and it's all of them at the same time.  It's a deep understanding within me that, wherever I go on this wide-open planet with all its possibilities, I know that musically, John Mayer's got my back.  In his dedication to his craft, the painful perfectionism apparent in the growth we hear in every new project, I know that he's not going to let me down, I know that his music will always be a part of the soundtrack of my life.

At our Good Friday service at Home Church this year, our worship band played the Jars of Clay song "Worlds Apart" while a live painting was done on the side of the stage.  The sound isn't great, but you'll get the idea...

If anyone is interested in the ongoing fight between the New York Times and the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, here's a nice little food fight going on:  First, there's a recent NYT article saying, among other things, "Mr. Gonzalez [Director of USCIS] will soon have time to reflect on a dismal monument to his tenure: the dreams of thousands of rule-following, line-waiting, would-be Americans, signed, sealed in envelopes with large checks and money orders, delivered by truckloads, waiting in shrink-wrapped pallets, unopened." 

And then there's Mr. Gonzales's response, here.  He has some choice words of his own: "My posting today demonstrates to the more than 700,000 newly naturalized citizens that this country embraces free and open debate. It is a shame, however that a newspaper like the New York Times – which boasts with each paper that it contains all the news that’s fit to print – only values its version of a story and leaves no room for that debate or for the facts."

Me?  I'm about to submit my application for Citizenship next week, so all I'm hoping for is that the fighting makes it a little easier on us...

For those of you who might think that I'm over-reacting a little bit with my endless (and yes, I admit, pretty annoying) complaints about the Immigration process in the US, here's some bedtime reading...  The New York Times recently published an article about the process where it had this to say about the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services):

You can tell a country’s priorities from what works and where the money goes. With billions for border and workplace enforcement, the government has been rushing to impose ever more sophisticated and intrusive means to keep immigrants out. Yet it continues to tolerate a creaky, corrosively inept system for welcoming immigrants in — an underperforming bureaucracy that takes their money and makes them wait, with a chronic indolence that is just another form of hostility.

Couldn't have said it better...  You can read the full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/opinion/17sun2.html

I've finally uploaded some of my South Africa photos - you can view them all here: http://rianvdm.smugmug.com/gallery/4191271.  Below are a few of my favorites:

Somewhere over Greenland, 24 hours into a 30-hour journey from Cape Town to San Jose, is probably not the best time to start putting your mildly delusional thoughts on paper.  But with all other options exhausted, what else am I going to do?  I've slept as much as the crying babies and cramped aisles and dryer-than-desert air allowed me to.  I've read and responded to as many emails as my out-of-practice fingers could take.  I've seen all the movies, read all my magazines twice... you get the idea.

So anyway, Jimmy Eat World's song "Dizzy", which has stealthily crept into my consciousness as the unlikely soundtrack of our 4 weeks in South Africa, is playing too loudly on my life-saving Bose QC3 headphones, as I try to make sense of our trip.  And I don't mind telling you that my head is spinning a little bit from the effort (probably as much from the airplane food as anything else though).

I've just been sorting through the thousands of photos we took (I'll upload a "best of" sometime over the weekend...), and in reliving this collection of moments I know that this has been a great trip.  Most importantly, we spent a great deal of time just visiting with my parents.  That was the main purpose of the trip for me.  It's amazing how, as teenagers and even into the independent twenties, we can't wait to get out of the house and away from the authority of our parents.  And even more amazing how, now that I'm getting older, I long again for their company, for continuing to learn from their wisdom and the way they love each other.  I am glad we were able to do that.

But the trip was also different from previous visits.  Jess and I learned a lot.  About the country, ourselves, our plans for the future, and all those things you start paying attention to only when you're not in the regular routine of work-eat-sleep...  But as much as I'd like to be profound right now, I'm just a little to airplaned out to think of anything but one thing: why, oh why, if they have so many business class beds open, can't they spare a couple for Jess and I to rest our weary eyes?  Sigh...

Oh, and here's the chorus of "Dizzy" which became a metaphor for the conversation we had with Africa during our trip...

Respectfully, some honesty I'll ask you now
Do you hear the conversation we talk about?
We'll back away to the safety of a quiet house
If there's half a chance in this moment
When your eyes meet mine, we show it.

I'll post photos soon, that's a promise...

As I write this, I am sitting outside on the porch of the Whispering Whale, a self-catering cottage in a tiny town called Jacobsbaai ("Jacob's Bay") on the desert-like West Coast of South Africa.  I am looking at the ocean, listening to the wind and the quiet, and I know I can sit here for days and not get bored.  But just 20 minutes away is the large town of Vredenburg (Dutch for "Peace Burg"), and when we stopped there on our way I couldn't wait to get out of the loudness and the busyness of that place that feels as if no one is there by choice.

And this, after all, is Africa.  The chaos and the beauty so close to each other, often within the same place and the same moment.  It's not for the faint-hearted, and the decision to live here, especially if you've lived elsewhere in the world for a while, is made for reasons that transcend the traditional Western values of consumerism and security. 

You live in Africa because you can't get it out of your blood.  You live here because you are placed here to make a difference.  You live here because you are compelled by the red earth and the redder sunsets to make a small contribution to the ongoing effort to save this place from itself, to preserve both the chaos and the beauty so that it can co-exist in harmony.  And you do it not for yourself, but for your children, and for generations to come.  You live here because you believe that Africa is not the dark continent it is made out to be, that it cannot be written off, that it is too precious and too fragile and too robust, that the world is making a big mistake if it thinks African countries cannot be successful, peaceful democracies.

And so I've had several conversations with my country in the past few weeks.  We're still fighting with each other, not coming to an agreement about my future here.  But I'm ok with that for now.  Because I know Africa will never retreat, never stop talking, never condemn me for taking so long to come back.  Make no mistake -- I know that Africa does not need me.  But I need it, desperately.  I need it to blow life into my calloused, Bay Area-rized bones.  And I need it because I was born here.  I am an African.

Jess and I have been back in South Africa for just over a week now, and it has been truly amazing so far.  We spent the first week in a tiny beach town called Kleinmond, and it's exactly what our souls needed after an extremely long and stressful year.  We spent our time sleeping, going for long runs, lying on the beach, swimming in the river, hiking in the mountains, walking on the beach, reading, admiring sunsets, window shopping, appreciating good wine, barbecuing, and drinking severe amounts of coffee.  Now tell me if that doesn't sound like the perfect vacation...

We are now back in Stellenbosch, the town I grew up in, where it is inhumanely hot at the moment, so we're mainly hiding inside so that the sun doesn't kill us.  But that, too, is a good way to spend a day or two.  It's weird not having any plans, anything we have to do.  In a way I feel more comfortable during the year -- I know I have to get up and go to work.  Here every day is new and fresh -- of course it's great, I'm just saying it takes some getting used to.

So as for what's on the agenda this week, I'm not sure.  We'll keep going to the beach, we'll also catch up with friends, go wine tasting, go to the movies a few times, go shopping, and just be on vacation.  Nothing too exciting, but that's what we want...

I've taken way too many pictures already, but since Internet access is a little slow and expensive here, I'll leave you with just one for now, to sum up how we feel about being on vacation in this beautiful country...

We just watched what is now my favorite movie of the year: Once.  I was completely mesmerized by it.  60% of the movie is music -- brilliant, heartbreaking, authentic, real music.  This is a beautiful story told in such a simple way that just really connected with me.  Like Jess said: "The music sounds like the story."  These aren't actors who can sing, these are real musicians who can sort of act, and the result is truly amazing.

The music is fantastic -- you can download the album here.

Below is a scene from the movie, just to give you an idea of what this is about.  I love this song, how it's in 5/4 timing, completely non-linear and not formulaic at all...

One of the causes I am really getting behind is Hillsong United's The I Heart Revolution.  A call to forget about ourselves for a little while and take care of those around us.  As simple as that.  This is something everyone can get involved in, and, if I can be honest with you, what I think Christianity is all about.  Check out the trailer below, it's really good stuff.

And if you're on Facebook, join the Cause!

The new John Mayer single, SAY, is now available on iTunes.  What can I say, it's another stroke of fresh brilliance from the man.

"Walking like a one man army, fighting with the shadows in your head..."

Lyrics don't get much better than that.

I was on a business trip in Germany last week, and the stars aligned so that I was able to go visit my brother and his family in Bamberg where they are living for next 3 months or so.  It was a whirlwind 2 1/2 days, but it was wonderful to be there and we had an amazing good time.  Below is a collection of my favorite pictures from the weekend, and you can also view the full gallery at http://rianvdm.smugmug.com/gallery/3861013.

I can understand if some of you don't like Jimmy Eat World.  Most of you probably know them from their 2001 breakout self-titled album (also known as Bleed American).  With an album tailor made for radio play, songs like The Middle and Sweetness got played to death, and that's probably when you decided to give up your temporary fascination with the band, and you proceeded to file them in the "ignore forever" file in your brain.

Well, in 2004 they released Futures, which was in my opinion a much superior record to Bleed American.  It had overtones of the early raw sounds of albums like Clarity and Static Prevails, but with a little more sophistication.  (Let me also back up and say I have some very fond memories of Clarity -- Jess introduced me to this album and it was a major fixture in the CD player all throughout our roller-coaster courtship.  So that's my disclaimer -- I'm a little biased in their favor...)

Ok, skip to the present.  I bought their latest album Chase This Light, without listening to any of the songs beforehand.  It's one of those bands where I feel like I don't have to do that -- I know what to expect.  And well, it's been on repeat ever since.  I'll know take your questions:

• Will I like this album?
  • That depends
• That's a stupid answer.  Can you be more specific?
  • Well, I don't think they're going to get a lot of new fans from this album.  If you like the band, and especially if you like their earlier stuff and have some good memories, you'll eat this up.  It's easy to listen to, and the melodies are dripping with emotion (just like the lyrics), so it's a melancholic's dream come true, in other words.
• Would you say this is a reinvention like, say, Green Day did with American Idiot?
  • Hmm, no.  I definitely see some more maturity in the music (for one, they're becoming better guitar players, and someone definitely sat down with them and worked with their guitar tones, because it really, really rocks...).  But it's still them -- over the top emotional, anthemy, easy to shout along to at the top of your lungs, you know what I mean.
• Should I buy it?
  • Yes, you should.  Because seriously, who doesn't need some simple, in your face rock and roll every once in a while?
• My name is Garrick and I don't like them at all -- you suck for wasting your money on this album
  • Garrick, I have 2 words for you.  Motor Ace.  If you like them (and I know you do, we went to one of their shows together), you have to like Jimmy Eat World...

By the way, you can see the video for the first single here.

Ok, get ready for a pretty lengthy photo and video post...  I had the opportunity to go see Genesis in concert last night.  No Peter Gabriel, but with Phil Collins on vocals (not that other dude) and Chester Thompson on drums it's exactly the line-up I have dreamed about seeing for so many years.

It's hard to explain to someone who grew up in America the significance for someone like me to go to a concert like this.  When big-name shows aren't as easily accessible as it is here, you spend hours and hours debating with your friends in college about the 5 concerts you want to see before you die, and why.  But you talk about like you would say "I want to be a millionaire and drive a Ferrari one day" -- no clear expectation that it's actually going to happen, you just hope for the best.  Well, Genesis was on that list for me, so it was a really important and meaningful experience last night.  You might not be a fan, but you can't argue with the intense emotional kick you get out of seeing one of your dreams come true...

The concert was fantastic, of course.  I am amazed at how comfortable they still are behind their instruments, how they can switch between different time signatures 3 times in the same song and make it look like no big deal, how they let the music do the talking, how they give each other room to breathe and shine, and most of all, I am once again amazed at the power of music to lift the soul and make you feel like everything is going to be all right...

I have A LOT of pictures -- you can view them all here: http://rianvdm.smugmug.com/gallery/3625292.  Below is a selection of my favorite shots and some grainy YouTube videos that will hopefully give you some idea of what the experience was like...

First song, Turn it on again:

Home by the sea:

Major guitar solo during Firth of Fifth:

Favorite song of the night -- Mama:

Turning the camera on the crowd during Tonight, Tonight, Tonight:

A little audience participation before Domino: 

The always entertaining Drum Duet:

Fireworks at the end of Invisible Touch to end the show:

Nice view of the stage layout before the encore:

I can't dance...:

There's not much more I can say about this.  I have now seen 4 of the 5 concerts that are on my "see before I die" list.  I am truly blessed...

Chris Matthews is out promoting his new book Life's a campaign, and last night on The Daily Show Jon Stewart gave him an interview that Matthews described as "the worst interview I've ever done in my entire life."  Stewart trashed the book, and it's only about half-way through the interview that Matthews seemed to realize what was happening.  I've always been a fan of Jon Stewart's ability to cut through the BS and speak the truth, and last night was no exception.  Watch the interview below, it's quite brutal and powerful...

http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/index.jhtml?ml_video=104548

Also read this interesting commentary on the interview.

I was quite intrigued to see that Rotten Tomatoes made a list of the worst-reviewed films of all time.  They make you work quite hard to get to number 1, and I finally got there, so being the conscientious legend that I am, I thought I'd share this piece of gold with you so that you don't have to spend your valuable time wading through the countless disasters out there.  So, without further ado, the worst movie of all time is:

Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever

Have you heard of it before?  Neither have I.  But apparently we're not missing much.  Here are some of my favorite things reviewers had to say:

When a movie is widely regarded as being inferior to its own Game Boy adaptation, you know "worst movie ever" is not only apt, it might actually be an understatement.

In addition to sporting one of the worst titles in recent cinematic history, "Ballistic: Ecks Vs. Sever" also features terrible, banal dialogue; convenient, hole-ridden plotting; superficial characters and a rather dull, unimaginative car chase.

I'm guessing the director is a magician. After all, he took three minutes of dialogue, 30 seconds of plot and turned them into a 90-minute movie that feels five hours long.

Whether it's the worst movie of 2002, I can't say for sure: Memories of Rollerball have faded, and I skipped Country Bears. But this new jangle of noise, mayhem and stupidity must be a serious contender for the title.

In other words -- don't put it on your Netflix queue.

This is the funniest thing I've seen in a long time...

I enjoyed Kevin Roberts' thoughts on the Rugby World Cup.  I couldn't agree more with his point of view:

I’m a big believer in sport as a liberator for smaller nations and as a way to build sustainable self-esteem and wealth in smaller, underdeveloped countries. I’m also a big believer in countries hosting world-class tournaments.  There’s lots and lots of talk about the costs of these tournaments to host countries, but just look at the way cities and countries can be transformed by a major sporting event. Auckland’s waterfront was developed and made world-class by the America’s Cup; Barcelona was dragged from average to the grooviest city in Europe through the Olympics; South Africa was brought back into the world by the 1995 Rugby World Cup; and the Beijing Olympics will, I hope, bring transparency to China. To top it all off, London’s East End will at last be developed and modernized through that city’s own upcoming Olympics.

Let's never underestimate the link between sport and unquenchable patriotism...