The World According To Chris Brewer

On November 20, 2003, my family endured one of the toughest things it had to go through when my grandmother suddenly and unexpectedly passed away four days before Thanksgiving.

The hardest part about it for me was that I was in the Air Force, stationed at Lajes Field at the time and had no way of knowing about it for hours because I was shooting a concert for a newscast that would air the next day. I got home at around 11 PM (4 PM Pacific Time), and answered my phone to the horrible news. My day had been going so well, and all of a sudden everything collapsed.

I notified my boss, who then sent an email to everyone in the station and granted me emergency leave to go visit the family. I remember flying home from Lajes to Baltimore, a good five hours, then from Baltimore to Las Vegas, then the final leg from Vegas to Portland. I think it was the first time I ever visited home, that no one was in a joyful mood, because of the gravity of what had happened. It was tough to bear. My aunt and uncles from my mom’s side came from across the US to attend the funeral, and even though it was good to see them you could tell the death weighed heavily on them too.

It was abnormally cold the morning of the funeral, and I remember looking outside and seeing snowflakes falling hard and fast.

Snowflakes. In November. That never really happened where we lived in Oregon.

But it did on the day of my grandmother’s funeral. She would have wanted it that way.

Looking back and writing this today, time has healed all of us a bit as it can and does, but it’s a tough memory to remember nonetheless. But, going into this holiday season, I’m sure Oma (as all her grandchildren called her) is enjoying the best feast possible up in heaven.

And I’m sure she has a giant Scrabble board up there and has beaten about ten of the twelve disciples by now.

I don’t know if it’s simply because it’s late and I’m a bit tired or if it actually is pretty comedic, but there’s this YouTube user named Buffalax who takes foreign music videos and subtitles them in English — only they’re not translations, but they’re actually literal phonetic interpretations of the lyrics, according to him. The result is hilarious.

Witness one clip that’s hilarious in and of itself because of the content of the video and song — then watch the subtitles and it makes it all the better. Notice how it’s a blatant rip of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” as well. After you watch this, you’ll definitely be pumping Ovaltine or Salty Shanty’s One Shot Tea.

Just remember that when “Joe” or “Melissa” from a call center in India isn’t sitting on the phone with a hopeless American customer, they’re probably out making a music video like that.

A few points of order:

Last night I blogged about how frustrated I was after seeing Oregon lose 34-24 to Arizona, thus removing my beloved Ducks from the short list of teams competing for a national football championship.

Well today, that frustration has turned to sympathy and respect for Dennis Dixon, our quarterback who went down awkwardly on his knee and didn’t return to the game. As it turns out, he has a torn ACL and will require surgery:

Dennis Dixon completely tore the ACL in his left knee in Oregon’s win over Arizona State on Nov. 3, and convinced Oregon’s coaches and doctors to let him try and play in the Arizona game last night. After leaving last night’s loss in the first quarter when the knee faltered again, Dixon will now have season-ending surgery, bringing his UO career to a close. That was the word on a conference call featuring UO coach Mike Bellotti and team physician Dr. Bob Crist this evening.

Dixon convinced the staff to keep the severity of his injury from the public and even his teammates. Doctors were encouraged by the lack of swelling in the knee after discovering the torn ACL in an MRI on Nov. 4, and Dixon was able to practice despite the injury. He was allowed to play last night with the understanding that he would be pulled from the game if he experienced further instability.

If you saw any of the game last night, it was amazing to see what Dixon was able to do given the circumstances. The guy ran for a 38-yard touchdown on a torn ACL. He nearly had a second, when his knee gave out for good.

The only reason I can think of why someone would continue to go all out with a significant injury like that, is for their teammates and fans. Dennis Dixon knew the national title was within reach and wanted to do everything he could to ensure everyone who loves the Ducks could enjoy a title run.

Now that run, and Dixon’s career at Oregon, is over. We got to see him play for two good years, and even though he faltered down the stretch last year, it’s an amazing story how he was able to come back, put the team on his shoulders and put a team that was picked to finish no higher than 6th in the Pac-10 into contention for a national title.

I’ll tip my hat to Dennis Dixon, and while doing so, realize the season is not lost and we have a legitimate shot at the Rose Bowl.

Go Ducks!

Tonight I dreamed that Dennis Dixon was injured in the Oregon Ducks’ football game against Arizona early on, and the team never recovered — losing by about ten points and all our national championship aspirations being torn to shreds with it.

Oh wait.

That actually happened.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

As everyone knows, I have a very different taste in music. I tend to enjoy more electronically-based music, even if it’s not flat-out house music. Electro-rock is one of my favorites, and even downtempo lounge music is great as well.

That being said, what are some of your types of music you enjoy that might be considered a little bit different? It could be a specific artist, a different genre, or you may be like me and completely have an off-base musical preference.

Hey, God did create us all unique, all the way down to our music preference.

So in the spirit of my post, I will share with you a track that is a bit rare to find on the Internet — one of my personal favorites ever since he released it in 2002 — “Relax” by French electro artist Etienne De Crecy. The way he blends the guitar wail through the song with some rather interesting sounds, and keeping it all together as a chillout track, is just amazing.
[audio:http://www.chris-brewer.com/showreel/etienne-relax.mp3]

I’d like to take this opportunity to say hello to a bunch of my friends new and old who have recently stumbled upon my website for the first time. Welcome guys, and hope you enjoy what you read. Hello especially to my friend Andrew from work, who wanted me to shout out to him on the site so I’m doing so.

Here’s a nice little music video from the Chemical Brothers to start your day. Gotta love the ingenuity of “Star Guitar.”

“That’s unpossible!”

Actually, due to the wonders of Photoshop and trick photography, last night I was able to stand out in the fog outside my house and take a photo consisting of three incarnations of myself. Here’s the result…

I guess the group of veterans includes me, since I did serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

What I did over there was peanuts, compared to what most other people over there are doing. I remember going out on convoys and being so scared the first time I went out under the cover of darkness — in the lead vehicle, no less. One night we even saw an IED explode about a hundred feet ahead of us, and it was absolutely amazing how it lifted the pavement about twenty feet into the air. My ears ring every time I think about it.

Anyhoo, about the only thing I ever did over there was shoot video with my right hand, and brandish an M9 with my left hand crossed over my right arm. I did some crazy things like shoot video from the gunner’s position during a convoy, and during a drive across Baghdad Airport Road, I opened the back door of our SUV and shot footage out the back of it while someone held my feet down.

All in all, I’m here safe today and I wanted to return the gratitude of everyone who thanked me for doing what I did from November 2005 to May 2006.

Looking back, I could have got drunk of my keester if I would have paid repeat visits to local VFW halls. Good thing I refrained.

Changing gears, let me wish my younger brother from the same mother (Jason) and my sister from another mister (Evin) a very happy birthday. They both turn the big two-oh on Monday, and the odd thing is Evin beats Jason out in age by a mere thirty minutes. I’m sorry I didn’t have anything to get you guys but when I get more money in my pocket I’ll buy you each a square meal.

Kids these days grow up so fast.

I am a firm believer in the fact that God helps those who call on His name. I am also a firm believer in the fact that God’s way of helping some people is simply to extend his hand to us after we have fallen, and then prods us to go help ourselves.

Well, this week I will start helping myself and try to improve my life a bit. I’m gonna break out of my shell a bit and use some newfound motivation to make my life more meaningful. Some of which includes:

And that about does it. See you all tomorrow.