The Men That I Admire Most

"Behind every great man there's a great woman."

This well-known quote implies that a great man has the support of a great woman.  I agree with the implications of this quote.  I am not going to get into a Feminist debate here, because I wish to focus on something else.  I agree that a man should have a "great" woman in his life, but I also believe that a great man should look up to other male role-models.

I started to think about this a few weeks ago when I was talking with one of my friends about who has influenced me and who I admire.  In this post, I will list some of the guys that I admire most and discuss their influence over me.

Chris Martin

Anybody who knows me well can attest to my slight obsession with Coldplay.  I really admire each of the band members, but (as any Coldplay fan will tell you) Chris Martin is the heart and soul of the band.  They wouldn't be a success without each member working together, but Chris is really the glue that holds everything together.  I admire him primarily for his song-writing abilities.  He has had a profound influence over me as a song-writer and as a musician.  I will forever be in pursuit of influencing others as strongly as he has influenced me.



Michael Westen (fictional character played by Jeffrey Donovan  on "Burn Notice")

This may sound lame, but I really admire a person that doesn't actually exist.  I am sure that there are people out there similar to him, but no one will ever be quite like Michael Westen.  If you haven't seen the show, Michael is a spy that is burned (fired) from his government job, and he is forced to stay in Miami (I will probably dedicate an entire blog post to this show).  I have been a loyal fan since season 2 and it is one of the only shows (in addition to Top Gear) that I will watch on a regular basis.  In many ways, I aspire to be like Michael.  He is incredibly resourceful, quick thinking and intelligent.  He really cares for his family and friends will do anything to keep them out of harm's way.  He also drives a 1973 Dodge Charger Rallye which is an amazing car.  Throughout the seasons, he has taken on every bad guy imaginable and he plays the consummate hero well.  He is a "man's man" and is always placing himself into the line of fire in order to save the day and protect the innocent.  I know that he doesn't exist, but he does exist as a symbol; something that all men can aspire to be.

Paul Walker

I have liked Paul Walker as an actor ever since I saw him in The Fast and the Furious.  I can relate to him because he is passionate about cars and surfing.  He appears to be a really chill guy that gets along with everyone.  However, I really admire him for the work that he does off screen.  He is active in the preserving of great white sharks and has been involved with several initiatives to keep the great white population from disappearing.  He also avoids the Hollywood scene and leads a rather simple life.  I never see him in celebrity news (not that I really watch this stuff), but I admire that he doesn't wish to be the center of attention.  In a Men's Health article, he says that he built his own home in Indonesia and he will go there for a few months out of the year and live off of the land.  I think that this is awesome!  He has made enough money to live as richly as he would like, and yet he chooses to live simply and enjoy nature.  I do not aspire to be wealthy, but if I ever come into money, I hope to treat fortune in the same way as Paul Walker.

Richard Hammond

For those of you who do not watch Top Gear, Richard Hammond (AKA Hamster) is a co-presenter on the greatest show about all things cars.  On the show, he is known as the young one and he infuses a "hip coolness" into each episode.  I admire his taste in cars, his sense of style, and most importantly his attitude about life.  In 2006, he was involved in a car crash that could have ended his life.  Suffering a brain injury, Hammond was not expected to fully recover.  Well he did recover and he continues to work on Top Gear in addition to working on other projects.  He is my favorite petrolhead and I will continue to pay attention to his thoughts about the future of motoring. 



Jason David Frank

Better known as the Green/White Ranger, from the original Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, Jason David Frank has had an influence over me since I was a small boy.  He is the main reason as to why I got involved in martial arts in the first place.  I would certainly be a very different person today had I not taken martial arts for so many years.  More recently, he has founded Jesus Didn't Tap.  It is a Christian-affiliated MMA organization that promotes Christianity in the world of mixed-martial arts.  I think that this is a really amazing endeavor.  The world of martial arts has never really been associated with Christianity and I really admire all of the work that JDF is doing in order to spread the gospel. 



Lance Armstrong

Anybody who has known me for any length of time will realize that I really admire Lance Armstrong.  I have proudly worn a Livestrong "baller band" since 2004 when he won his sixth Tour de France.  I never take it off, ever.  I keep it on at all times as a reminder of how strong a human can be.  Lance Armstrong's battle with cancer is the ultimate example of the indomitable spirit.  I may not agree with his personal choices, but I will always admire his attitude and spirit.  Since beating cancer, he has gone on to raise millions of dollars for cancer research and he is constantly raising awareness about this disease.  He has inspired millions of people all over the world and he inspired me to continue pressing on in life.  I use Lance's attitude and apply it to my spiritual life.  Paul says in Philippians 3:14, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  The Christian life is an uphill battle, but we should never, ever give up.


My Father- Kenneth McKee

I admire both of my parents for many reasons, but since we are talking about male role-models I will have to leave out my Mum for the moment (Mum, if you are reading this, I am sorry).  My Dad is very smart and hard-working.  He cares for his family and has provided for us through many difficult times.  He was brave enough to move his entire family to a foreign land and we have really thrived here in America.  He is an excellent runner, having run many marathons.  His level of physical fitness saved his life when a doctor told him that his left anterior descending artery was completely clogged.  His heart had actually built its own bypass and that is what prevented him from having a heart attack.  I thank God everyday that my Dad is still alive and that near death experience is a big reason why I wish to continue running and staying active.  My Dad is also a great musician and he has influenced me in countless ways.  From my taste in music, to how I play the guitar, I have been influenced my Dad.  I may not have discovered David Bowie, Thin Lizzy, or Neil Young if it wasn't for my Dad.  I hope that I can be as good a father someday.

I am also old enough to realize that my Dad couldn't have done any of these things without my Mum!  She is the reason why I am here.  She is the "great woman" behind the "great man."

My Grandfather- Alexander McKee

The original Alexander McKee (I am named after him) dropped out of school at the age of 13 in order to work full-time and provide for the family.  He has served his country in the Royal Navy and still attends Naval functions.  He has seen the world at war and has lived through extremely difficult times.  He has been married to the same woman for over 50 years.  He is a great leader of our entire McKee family.  He has a great sense of humour and he is incredibly intelligent.  I have many fond memories of sitting on his lap while he told stories of his life and I would always be amazed at the things that he has done.  I am really looking forward to being a grandfather, so that I can carry on his legacy.

On a side note, Gaga (my Grandfather) turns 80 in May!  I really want to be there, but it is just too dear.  I cannot afford it.  I am saving hard for next Summer, when I can hopefully return and spend some long overdue time with my family.

There are countless other individuals who have had a profound influence over me, but I wanted to try and keep this post short.  I have said this before, but if you are reading this blog post, then you have had an influence over my life.  I could not be where I am today without each of you.

Thank you for everything.

Spring Break 2011

2011 Spring Break was truly a great spring break.  I got some time away from LA and school.  I was able to spend time with loved ones and friends.  Seeing my parents and Julie everyday was awesome!  It really reminded me of what is important.  I also enjoyed attending my home church.  All in all, it was a wonderful week that went by too quickly.  Here is a brief summary of what went on:

On Friday, my flight left LAX at 8:15.  I wasn't charged to check my bag, so the trip was already off to a great start.  I got into Dallas around 1:00 and I spent the afternoon catching up with my Mum, Dad, and brother.  In the evening we ate dinner and watched Due Date.  Julie came over and spent the evening with the family.  On Saturday, we rehearsed for the next day's church service.  I was able to lead worship and play my Dad's Les Paul!  On Saturday night, Julie and I went to the Galleria.  Julie needed to find some clothes for upcoming events and I went along for emotional support.  Julie found everything that she was looking for which was cool.  After shopping, we met two of Julie's friends, Allison and Lance, and we had a double date at an Asian restaurant called Firefly.  It was a really wonderful evening spent in great company.  After dinner, Julie and I ate frozen yoghurt.  On Sunday, we went to church and then I spent the afternoon hanging out with my brother before he headed back to Waco that night.  The weather was awesome, so Willy and I played basketball at the local park.

Monday was a relatively chill day.  I hung out with a good friend, Parth, in the afternoon.  In the evening, Julie and I had dinner with Doug and Renee.  Julie arrived just in time for dinner.  It was great to spend some time with old friends and we really enjoyed ourselves.  On Tuesday, I hit some golf balls with Parth because the weather was perfect again.  Spending time outside was really nice because I feel like I don't do enough of that in LA.  On Tuesday night, my Mum and I went to see The King's Speech.  I hadn't been to the movies in ages and we picked a cracking film to break that dry spell.  It is a brilliant film that deserves every bit of recognition that it receives.  I cannot praise it highly enough.  I loved it!  After that, I spent some time with Julie and we planned our adventures for the next day.

On Wednesday, Julie took a half day, so I drove down around 12:30 to pick her up from work.  From there, we drove to Old City Park in Dallas.  I don't know if I should broadcast this, but we got in for free!  Technically, it costs money to get in, but nobody asked us for anything.  We walked around an old-fashioned town filled with houses, a church, a general store, a train station, a bank etc... It was quite an experience to see how people lived just 100 years ago.  It really made me think about the future.  One hundred years from now, are people going to tour houses, like the one's I have lived in, and wonder what it was like to live in such primitive times?  After Old City Park, we went back to Coppell and ate Marble Slab ice cream.  It was seriously excellent ice cream!  Julie and I then spent the evening at my house.  My Mum cooked an excellent dinner and we watched some tv.

On Thursday morning, I woke up early and had a nice run.  After that, I went to Dallas and jammed with my band, NOVA.  It was great to see Travis again and re-connect.  We played our original music and then played some cover tunes.  It was awesome to be back again and I am really looking forward to playing live shows in the summer.  By the way, if you haven't checked out our album "Love Revolution," it is on iTunes!  We are really excited about what the future has in store.  Since Thursday was St. Patrick's Day, my little event-planning girlfriend threw an awesome party!  We played Telephone Pictionary, which was hilarious!  It was another great evening.

On Friday, the three McKee's in Coppell loaded up the van and drove down to Waco.  We had all registered to run the Bearathon 5K on Saturday morning.  The proceeds from the race went to fund student scholarships, so we thought that it would be a great way to give back and get exercise.  I was also hoping that this would encourage me to continue running in my free time.  On Friday night, we met up with Willy and Emily, his girlfriend, and we went to Pei Wei.  After loading up on carbs and nearly killing ourselves laughing on the way back from the restaurant, we spent some time at my brother's apartment.  We watched Land of the Lost, which was actually pretty funny.  Mum and Dad and I then went back to our hotel and tried to get some sleep.  I didn't sleep very well because I was anxious for the race.

6:30 came early on Saturday morning.  We ate a light breakfast and headed over to Willy's apartment.  From there, we walked to the starting line.  I had been training a little bit, but not nearly as much as I wanted to train.  I was aiming for a time of 24-26 minutes, which would have me running an 8- 8.6 minute mile split.  Willy and I decided that we would run together and our strategy was to start out fast, settle down, and then kick at the end.  Well, we approached the starting line and took our place near the front of the pack.  It was a beautiful day and there were people cheering everywhere.  The gun went off around 8:12, and Willy and I took off at a pretty fast pace.  About half a mile in, I thought that the pace was too quick, but we kept at it.  We were in about 15th and 16th place.  We took turns taking the wind and we started to pass other runners one by one.  With about half a mile left in the race, I told Willy to kick and try to catch some other runners.  I was running on fumes and he looked strong.  He pulled away from me and passed two more runners, finishing with a time of 21:44 (a 6:58/mile split)!  I came in shortly after with a time of 22:36 (a 7:15/mile split).  Willy finished in 6th place and I finished in 9th place out of 449 runners.  Not bad for very little training!  Dad came in a couple of minutes after me with a time of 25:54 and Mum ran the 5K in 35 minutes even.  I have always been really proud of my family, but I was even more so on this day.  It was awesome to have the entire family get out there and run a race!  Bring on the next one!  I think that Dad and I are going to run the LA Marathon someday!

Here is a link to see the official race results for the McKee family:

http://www.cadencesportsonline.com/raceDirector.cfm?raceid=374

Saturday afternoon was spent eating Gut Paks at Vitek's and recovering from the race.  We said "goodbye" to Willy and drove back to Coppell.  I spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch, falling in and out of sleep while watching Top Gear.  Saturday night was another amazing meal and then Julie and I watched Paranormal Activity 2.  It was pretty scary, but we preferred the first one!  On Sunday, we all went to church and then I spent the afternoon packing.  It was tough to pack again because I felt like I had just arrived.  Julie came over for a while and we got to spend some time together before I had to leave.  I ate my last meal in Dallas (an English roast, which was out of this world amazing) and then it was time to go to the airport.  I got back into LA really late and my uncle graciously agreed to pick me up from the airport.  I got back to my apt and reality sank back in very quickly.  I went to Ralph's to buy some essential grocery items and then I called it a night around 1:15 AM (3:15 AM, Dallas time).

Like all of my previous trips home, this one was much needed.  It was perfect and I couldn't have envisioned it going any better.  I was able to see a lot of my friends, spend time with family, and see Julie everyday.  I came away reminded of how truly blessed I am.  In about seven weeks, I will be back again.  But this time, my stay will be closer to three months as opposed to just three days or three weeks.  I am really looking forward to it!

Goodnight and may God bless you.

The Petrolhead Goes Green

Hybrid and electric cars get a lot of grief amongst petrolheads.  They are viewed as uncool.  They are viewed as wimpy versions of their gas powered equivalents.  They are viewed as... a threat.

Nissan ESFLOW

Yes, that's right... a threat.  The one thing that car enthusiasts will admit is that they truly feel threatened by the thought of a motor vehicle that does not rely on internal combustion.  And I used to fit into this category.  I was all for the powerful V-10 engine that cranks out 500+ hp and propels cars to 200+ miles per hour.  Up until a few years ago, I believed that the hybrid car was a threat to the pure, unbridled joy of driving a sports car.

Well, as anyone with doubts would do, I began to research and dig deep in order to figure out what hybrid cars were really about.  I chose to tackle this particular subject matter for a presentation in my sociology class during my senior year of high school.  What I found really made me think about what a car should do and what we as a society should do in order to protect the environment.

Now before we really get started, let me just say: I am not against gas-powered cars.  I still love Aston Martin's 4.3 V8 and I still adore the V-10 that gets placed in every Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera.

The first thing that I really wanted to tackle was the fact that so many hybrid cars looked uncool (this was back in 2006, before hybrid cars really stepped it up).  In 2006, there were not nearly as many hybrid cars as there are on the roads today.  The Toyota Prius was the most accessible and it didn't look that great at all.  There were a few other car manufacturers starting to get into the market, but the Prius was definitely the front-runner.  As a petrolhead, I was immediately turned off by the looks.  Yes, it had (and still has) amazing fuel economy, but that was the only great quality that I could find about it.  It was around about this time that Ford, Chevrolet, GMC, and Lexus were going to start offering hybrid versions of their current models.  This would definitely help improve the "looks" department.  I would definitely have an easier time buying a hybrid version of a car that already looks good.

My research then gravitated to what was powering these hybrid and electric cars.  Hybrid cars, by definition, run on both battery power and gasoline.  The batteries used are typically Lithium-ion batteries.  At low mph, the battery component is used and the car functions without consuming any fuel.  As speed is increased, the battery component switches over to the internal combustion engine (this switch typically occurs around 35 mph).  So, in turn, your fuel economy is improved because you are not using any gasoline in the city (which is primarily stop-and-go traffic).  To this day, I think that this is a great idea.  It makes so much sense to conserve energy, especially in heavy traffic.

However, the thing that really floored me about hybrid and electric cars was the concept behind regenerative braking.  Regenerative braking allows the battery to be re-charged by the energy created whist applying the brakes.  The Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) uses energy that goes to waste on cars with conventional braking systems.  The whole concept still blows me away, but it is a genius idea.  After researching for several days, I started to change my opinion of these cars.  I realized that these car makers are using state of the art technology to change the motoring world for the better.  As I continued to research, I found several interesting developments in the form of the first hybrid sports cars.

I was excited to see that car manufacturers hadn't forgotten about car enthusiasts!  I found these particular cars to be very interesting and a great way to bridge the gap between the average car owner and the petrolhead:

Ford Reflex Concept

Tesla Roadster

These cars are filled to the brim with the most advanced technology that saves on energy usage.  The Tesla, for instance, is all electric and it gets 245 miles per charge!  However, the best part is that this car produces 0 tailpipe emissions.  I quickly began to warm-up to the idea of hybrid and electric cars.  If we can help the environment and still enjoy the thrill of motoring, then we can truly please everyone.

Porsche GT3R Hybrid

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the 2010 LA Auto Show and there was a marked increase in the number of "green" cars:

Jaguar C-X75

Fast-forward to 2011.  I have matured a great deal when it comes to cars.  Yes, I am still working on my car lust, but I am starting to realize why cars were built in the first place.  They were built to carry people.  Looks were not important back when the car was first built.  Henry Ford was quoted as saying, "Any customer can have a car painted in any colour he wants, so long as it is black".  Henry Ford is the reason we have mass-produced cars.  His goal was to help everyone.  And I think that many of us have lost sight of that.  So in this new mature state, I now present some of my favorite hybrid/electric cars (some of these are concept cars and may never be produced).  These cars are for everyday use and will help the general public get from place to place whilst saving the planet.

GMC Granite Concept

GMC Granite Concept

Nissan Elure

Nissan ESFLOW

Porsche 918 Hybrid

Lotus Evora Hybrid

Okay, so maybe those last few weren't daily drivers, but it just goes to show you that even hyper-cars can be hybrid.  I saw the Granite and the Elure at the LA Auto show and they are truly the future of urban transportation.  The seats in the Granite can be folded and moved in order to accommodate a full-size bike!  In addition to the daily driver cars, Lamborghini have announced that they will jump into the hybrid arena and Lotus will offer a hybrid version of several of their new models.  If companies like Lotus, Porsche, Lamborghini and Jaguar create hybrid and electric cars, then I feel that it is our job as petroheads to support these fantastic companies.  They haven't forgotten about the joy of motoring and they haven't forgotten about us. They are just now starting to think about the environment as well.

Goodnight.

(500) days of Julie (-497)= Valentine's Weekend 2011

 
Julie came to visit LA for the third time this past weekend.  The schedules worked out really well and it was the closest weekend to Valentine's Day, so everything seemed to come together perfectly.  It had been a little over a month since I last saw Julie, so I was definitely ready see her again!

Julie flew in pretty late Thursday night.  I picked her up from the airport and then took her back to the apartment.  We exchanged gifts Thursday because Julie had packed my gift, but didn't wrap it, so she was afraid that I would see it at some point during the weekend.  This worked out well because I had bought her present several weeks before and I was dying for her to see it (or them, in this case).  I bought her pink sparkly TOMS and she seems to like them (if there is any doubt, then you should just check out her blog).  She bought me a shirt from J. Crew and a pair of J. Crew boxers.  The shirt is green which is awesome because I don't have much green clothing!

At the Grove

On Friday, I had a normal school day, so Julie chilled at the apartment while I went to rehearsal.  After rehearsal, I took Julie to the Grove.  The Grove is an outdoor mall and farmer's market.  It is a really cool place and we enjoyed walking around all of the expensive stores.  I even manned up and went into the American Girl store with Julie.  I have never seen so much pink before in all of my life!  The farmer's market is also pretty cool.  You can buy local produce and basically any other kind of food of which you can think.  After walking around for a couple of hours, we went back to the apartment.  I cooked a Caribbean stir-fry and then we went out for the night.

James Beach!

Bars aren't really my thing, unless I am playing music in them, but we decided to go to James Beach in Venice.  It is a really cool bar with a great SoCal vibe.  The real reason that we wanted to go there is due to the movie, I Love You, Man.  In this movie the main characters go to James Beach and eat the "best fish tacos in the world."  This movie has become a favorite of ours, so we couldn't pass up this awesome opportunity to go to the place where they actually shot that scene.  I invited my neighbors to come along and we had a great evening.

On Saturday, I had to teach a few lessons in the morning, so Julie relaxed in my room and I taught lessons in my living room (which also doubles as my private lesson studio).  My last lesson ended at 11:30 AM, which was awesome because it meant that we had the rest of the day to go the the Getty.  The Getty is an art museum just north of UCLA in the mountains.  The views of Los Angeles were unbelieveable.  It was incredible to see the entire city from nearly 1,000 feet up.  Julie and I enjoyed walking around the gardens and taking pictures in front of the scenery.  We walked around several of the exhibits as well.  The art was really cool and the place was so huge that we could have definitely spent all day there.  We stayed until the sun started to set and then we went back to my apartment.   Tonight was to be the night for our Valentine's celebration, so I cooked dinner (tri-color pasta with a bolognaise sauce, salad and some sour dough bread).  After dinner, I manned up (again) and watched The Notebook with Julie.  It was a very nice evening spent in each other's company.

A Beautiful Day at the Getty

 
Sunday was an interesting day.  Going into the weekend, Julie and I both knew that Sunday was going to be a little crazy.  And it didn't disappoint.  The thing was... I had a concert at 4:00 PM with a 3:30 PM call time.  Julie's flight didn't leave until 5:50 PM.  Our original plan was to go to church in the morning and then spend most of the afternoon exploring downtown.  Well, my concert got in the way of things, so I had to drop Julie off at the airport three hours before her flight!  I felt terrible, but there was literally nothing that I could do about it.  On Sunday morning, I decided to show Julie around the downtown area.  For the most part, it is just like any other downtown area.  Shady areas, lots of tall building, crowded sidewalks, tons of traffic, and an incredibly beautiful park.  Yes that's right... in the middle of the chaos rests a small wedge of land called Angel's Knoll.  It has been made famous by being in the movie (500) Days of Summer.  The park is one of the main character's favorite places.

So I decided that Julie needed to see this place before she left.  It really is beautiful.  Right in the middle of this concrete jungle is an oasis.  It was really quiet and peaceful (there were a few homeless people sleeping on benches and one patch of grass smelled like booze), but Angel's Knoll didn't disappoint.  We took some pictures and sat on THE bench from the film (there is a plaque on the bench marking the one that they used for the movie).  After enjoying the serenity, I took Julie down to Pershing Square and then along Broadway.  After walking around for a while, I wanted to show Julie the Staples Center and LA Live.  The only issue was that the Grammy's were taking place there that evening and we couldn't get anywhere near the Staples Center.  It was kind of cool to see all of the limousines driving around the downtown area.  So after a failed attempt to get to the Staples Center, we went back to the apartment and Julie and I had lunch.  At this point it was pretty close 2:30 PM and I had to take Julie to the airport.  It was really unfortunate that things had to turn out that way, but everything happens for a reason.  I dropped Julie off at the airport and then I just made it in time for my concert.

Overall, it was another great weekend.  I really enjoy showing Julie around Los Angeles.  The "City of Angels" will always be a special place to me because it has served as my home.

However, the things that we did this weekend may not have been as spectacular had the weather not cooperated as it did.  The weather was beautiful... really beautiful.  It was so clear and it was warm.  The sun shined every day and there was a light breeze.  We got up into the lower 80's on Saturday and it was perfect.  All weekend, we kept overhearing people's conversations about how amazing the weather was and how it hasn't been this clear in a long time.  So, Julie really did pick the perfect weekend to come out here.

British Classic Cars- Lotus Esprit

This is my sixth post in a series entitled, British Classic Cars.  For those just tuning in, I have been writing (since October) about the cars that have made Britain one of the best car-building nations in history.  It is with great national pride that I try to "summarize" the high points of each car and state its place in the motoring world.

For post number six, I have chosen a car that is quite different to the cars about which I have written previously.  The first five in the series are certainly considered classics, simply because those models are not produced anymore.  The interesting thing about the Lotus Esprit is that it has been around since the 70's and hasn't really gone away.  Sure, Lotus stopped making them in 2004, but a newly updated version is scheduled for release in 2013 (I have actually seen the 2013 model in person).  So, this particular car marks a real turning point in my series of blog posts.  I will start featuring cars that we can call "future classics."  I have borrowed the term "future classics" from Top Gear.  Sometimes a petrolhead just knows when a car is destined to become a classic, and my writings will help to contribute to this list of future classic cars.

Enough of that... now let's talk about the car.



The Past

This car is the first mid-engined sports car that has been featured in my series.  To clarify, mid-engined sports cars have their engines just behind the driver/passenger seats.  This equals better weight distribution.  Better weight distribution equals better performance statistics.  Here is a list of famous mid-engined sports-cars: anything Lamborghini, Audi R8, Ferrari F40, F50, Ferrari Enzo, and the 458.  I could keep going, but you get the point.  A mid-engined car is purpose-built for one thing... speed.

The Lotus Esprit deserves a massive series of posts for the number of versions that have been built over the years, but I only wish to provide an overview, so I will keep things brief.  Lotus nearly named this car the Kiwi, but they decided to name the car the Esprit (all Lotus cars follow an "E... naming format).  The first model was dubbed the S1.  It produced 160 bhp and had a 2.0 litre engine (the same size engine as my Lancer).  This was the engine previously used in the Jensen-Healey (I will post on this car later).  The S1 had the looks of a sports car and is considered to be the best handling of any Esprit built since then.  The S1 garnered international attention by appeared in the James Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me.  In that film, the Esprit transforms into a submarine following a lengthy car chase.  Check it out on Youtube if you haven't seen it!

S1 as a submarine!

The S2 and S3 came out several years after the S1.  A number of improvements were made on these cars and not as many were produced, so finding one in good condition can be quite difficult.  In 1980, the Esprit received a hearty performance boost in the form of a turbocharger.  This version of the car is referred to as the Essex Esprit because of the strong ties to F1 sponsorship.  The turbo kit brought the Esprit's engine up to 210 bhp.  Two Essex Esprits can be spotted in another Bond film, For Your Eyes Only.

So, in just four years, the Esprit found itself in two Bond films and available in seven different versions.  It became one of the first British supercars.

The Peter Stevens' Esprit Turbo

The Esprit is also one of the only supercars to go through several design changes.  Peter Stevens (known for designing the McLaren F1) created his version of the Esprit in 1987.  This car had Kevlar reinforcement for roll-over protection and was built using a Lotus patented process called Vacuum Assisted Resin Injection (VARI).  This Esprit was faster than the previous models due to an increase in horsepower.  This version also went on to become a movie star by being featured in Pretty Woman, Basic Instinct, and The Rookie.


Another redesign was performed in 1993 by Julian Thompson.  This Esprit became known as the S4.  This was to be the last of the Lotus Esprit, but all in divine timing, a canceled project for a front-engined car left Lotus with a V8 and no car to fit the engine.

2002 Lotus Esprit V8

The Lotus Esprit V8 is arguably the most well known version of the highly esteemed sports car.  It features in the dream garages of petrolheads all over the world.  The Esprit V8 has a twin-turbocharged all-aluminum V8 that originally produced 500 bhp, but had to be limited to 350 bhp horsepower in order to prevent damage to the gearbox.  The gearbox is made by Renault (the French can't get anything right).  Despite the gearbox, the Esprit V8 goes 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds and possesses a top speed of over 175 mph.




The Future

2013 Esprit

As mentioned before, the Lotus Esprit is the first car in my series of posts that has never really stopped being made (I don't count the new MINI's because they are made by BMW).  The future looks very bright for this car.  In 2013, the world will get to experience the Lotus Esprit all over again, but in a new way.  There will be a V6 and a V8 version offered (both with twin-turbos).  Within the V6 option, there will be several engine sizes to choose from and the same goes for the V8 option.  This new Esprit will also be offered in an environmentally friendly hybrid version which will have a KERS regenerative braking system.  Early figures state that the Lotus Esprit V8 (with a 4.8 litre engine) will have close to 600 hp and will go 0-62 mph in 3.4 seconds.  Lotus also state that the Esprit will have a top speed of 205 mph (making it one of the fastest production cars in history)!

The 2013 Esprit looks stunning!

Lotus plans to re-invent itself and surely everyone must view the Esprit as the figurehead of the new fleet of vehicles.  The Esprit is truly a working man's sportscar.  From the Renault transmission to the Jensen Healey engine, the Esprit was built using whatever parts could be found.  From the beginning, the Esprit has always been about getting the most power out of small engines.  The Esprit was never the fastest car, but it has always had a certain "spirit" about it.  The Esprits built before 2004 can now officially be called British classic cars because I am now stating that the 2013 Esprit is a "future classic."  The world is ready for a British company to give Porsche, Lamborghini, and Ferrari a run for their money.  Even though I am a little bias, my money is on the Esprit.

Goodnight and I can't wait to see you in 2013.  

2013 Esprit seen at the LA Auto show 2010

Esprit V8 that I saw at Cars and Coffee Irvine!

Cars and Coffee and... Idolatry?

For the past few months, I have been attending Cars and Coffee, a weekly gathering of car enthusiasts.  It is quite a trek, but I didn't mind at first because the cars that I would see each week would make me forget waking up at 5:30 AM and driving 40 miles.

This past Saturday started just like a typical C&C Saturday.  I woke up at 5:30 AM and headed down to Irvine, CA.  The sun was rising and there was nothing good on the radio, so I started to feel philosophical.  I began to reflect on why I make this journey each week.  I started to think about the amount of fuel I consume in driving 80 miles round-trip.  I came to the conclusion that I am spending a fair amount of my money, time, and energy on a 2 hour meeting in a parking lot filled with pieces of metal and rubber.

As you can probably tell from my previous posts, I love cars.  I have always been fascinated by them and I will continue to be fascinated by them.  It is truly amazing how far cars have come in the last 50 years.  It blows my mind to think about what we will be driving 50 years from now.  However, when did cars become such a status symbol and why are we labeled based on what we drive?  The first cars were built purely as a functional tool.  Henry Ford built the first mass-produced car and made it affordable for everyone.  The Model T only came in one color (black) and was purpose-built to move people across great distances.  Fast forward to the 1950's where cars began to have huge wings and larger engines.  Is this where the car became a status symbol?  I am not sure, but I know that by 1950 people began to idolize cars and a car culture was formed.  People began to customize their Chevrolet Bel-Airs and Porsche released road-legal sports cars and Mercedes-Benz defined luxury and on and on we go. 

This idolizing of cars continues in the present day.  We often are identified based on what we drive.  In high school I drove a "beater."  It was a 1997 Dodge Intrepid.  It was huge, it had several dents, and smelled of gasoline.  But none of that mattered, because I loved that car.  Yes, I complained at the time because it was not an Aston Martin or a Porsche or even a new Dodge, but it got me from Point A to Point B.  It drove me back and forth to High School for two years and it drove me to my first day of college.  It accompanied me to my first gigs and it even managed to handle some long-distance driving.  As a car, it did everything that I asked of it.  It kept me safe in all types of weather and it kept hundreds of passengers safe as well (including my 70 year old grandparents who wanted a ride).  It didn't need to be flashy or expensive or fast for me to enjoy that car.

I thought about all of these things as I was making my way south of Los Angeles, passing through Anaheim.  What was I really going down to admire?  Not just a bunch of cars, but status symbols.  I was driving down so that I could try to talk to a smug looking guy with bleach blond hair standing next to his $300,000 limited edition Lamborghini, just so that he could turn around and say that it was his daily driver and it looks great parked next to his Porsche 911 GT3 and his fully-restored 1965 Ford Mustang GT350.  Please, do not misunderstand, I am not bitter.  There are some car owners who work very hard and put countless hours into fixing up old, beautiful cars.  But this is just my point.  Why spend so much time and invest so much energy into something that will eventually breakdown or rust?  This, my friends, is idolatry.

It is the longing for something that will not satisfy.  And I came to this conclusion as I was pulling into Cars and Coffee.  I have made cars into an idol.  I could not wait to drool over the cars that I would see gathered in that massive parking lot.  I would fill my heart with longing after looking at the hundreds of pristine cars and I would start to fantasize about owning my own beautiful car someday.  But I have forgotten that I own a beautiful car right now!  It is a 2006 Lancer ES and it has driven across the US in order to bring me to LA.  It is a wonderful car and yet, it would not be allowed into a C&C meeting.  Why not?  Because it is plain.  I think that we should celebrate our cars that get us safely from A to B.  After all, that's the sole reason why cars were built in the first place.  To help people, not to go 0-60 in under 4 seconds.

Again, I am not bashing sports cars, I just think that we place a little too much of our hearts into these things.  I still really enjoy reading about cars and I will continue to work on my "car lust."  I still want an Aston Martin... and a Porsche... and a 1973 Dodge Charger Rallye...

I am realizing where I need to keep my hope and trust and consequently, I have decided to only go to C&C once a month.  This will save some money and help focus my heart and mind on what really matters.

In conclusion, let's be thankful for the cars in our lives that make life easier.  Let us remember the car's basic function.  And let us remember these words:

"In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die
Where you invest your love, you invest your life"- "Awake My Soul" by Mumford and Sons

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."- Matthew 6:21

1997 Dodge Intrepid

2003 Oldsmobile Alero

2006 Mitsubishi Lancer ES

2010 in Review

Wow.  I really do think that I need to write in this thing more often.  I don't really do the whole resolutions thing, but it is definitely a goal of mine to keep this thing up to date.

I am going to dedicate my first post of 2011 to looking back into the past and reviewing 2010.  I am going to try and keep this brief, even though it is arguably the most eventful year of my life thus far.  Enjoy.

I started the year 2010 by moving back home.  I began student-teaching in North Richland Hills in January and I thought that a commute from Coppell was better than from Denton.  I also used this semester to try and save as much as I could because I knew that I would be moving in August.  I got the opportunity to work at North Richland Middle School and Richland High School.  In the beginning I was dreading the student-teaching process.  Band directing was not my career objective and the thought of "working" four months as a band director didn't exactly thrill me.  Well, it was tough at first, but I warmed up to the job and the students.  It was the students that made everything worth while.  I got the opportunity to work with some of the best kids that I have ever worked with (especially at the high school).  They were enthusiastic and made my job enjoyable.  It was an eye-opening experience and I will treasure my time there forever.  My student-teaching experience made me realize that band-directing would not be such a bad gig.  Also, I got the opportunity to work with excellent staff.  Bill Watson, Jason Bird, Brian Lowe, Melodianne Mallow and Jessica Maus were exellent mentors to me.  They encouraged me to become a better teacher and musician.  I am indebted to each of them because they made me a better person.

During the Spring semester, I was also traveling to four different schools in order to audition for graduate programs.  It was tricky trying to do this while student-teaching, but my mentors were understanding and allowed me some time off in order to make audition dates.  Each audition went well and I learned a great deal from each of the professors.  Just for grins, here is how I ranked the schools following my audition: UCLA, University of Miami, SDSU, and USC.  I really wanted to go to UCLA and USC was always at the bottom of my list.  However, once the offers came in, I changed my tune.

I graduated from UNT in May with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education and a minor in Professional Education.  I also passed my certification tests and I am now certified to teach music in the state of Texas.  It was an exciting time in my life because I had a diploma from a prestigious music school and I was looking forward to where I would be going next.  At this point, however, I had no idea where I would be going in August.  My number one choice, UCLA, would not be accepting Master's students for the 2010-2011 year.  This really upset me, but I knew that God was in control.  Miami wanted me, but did not offer any money.  USC offered me a very nice scholarship back in March and I had to ask for two extensions in order to deliberate further my decision.  I was waiting for SDSU to come back with a counter-offer.  At the end of May I got the offer from SDSU.  They offered me a tuition scholarship, a teaching position, and a tuition waiver (which granted me in-state tuition).  I would be paying next to nothing for a Master's Degree!!  On paper, the decision seemed easy.  Go to San Diego State.  However, I felt that God was directing me to LA (read my first blog post for more information on that).  Even though the offer from SDSU seemed incredible, I felt that there would be more opportunity for growth as a musician in LA.  I finally made my decision in early June that I would attend USC (isn't it funny how God works?).  The next step was to get ready for the big move.

Throughout Summer of 2010, I was teaching guitar lessons, working at my Mum's office and rehearsing/gigging with my band RealEyes.  I spent most evenings with Julie, knowing that our days of being in the same state were numbered.  I had a really wonderful summer and I didn't want it to end.  In July, my Mum and I flew out to LA in order to check out apartments.  We spent two full days traveling all over LA!  At the end of two days, I was really conflicted.  The apartments that were in my "price range" were not that safe-seeming and didn't feel like places where I wanted to live.  I finally made my decision and chose to live in a really nice apartment just north of campus.

When August rolled around, the excitement and enthusiasm that I was feeling dissipated.  I was finally realizing that I was leaving home.  During my undergraduate years, I did live in dorms and apartments, but I spent most of my weekends at home.  I never had the chance to "fend for myself" and I was realizing that I would be on my own for this next phase in life.  The month of August was full of goodbyes (actually I prefer "see you soon") and it was tough.  In my final week home, I played my last gig with RealEyes and we also completed some studio sessions.  It was really hard to say goodbye to a band that I had helped to create.  I hope to tour the world with this outstanding group of musicians someday.  On August 11, I spent my last night in Coppell by packing up everything that I needed from my room.  This included most of my clothes, my instruments and my bed.  The place looked empty when I was done.  It was really weird to see my "entire life" fit into one mini-van and a small car.  Julie came over to help me and it was so nice to see her that night.  Our "goodbye" really was a "see you soon" because she was coming out to visit at the end of August!

On August 12, my parents and I began our journey across the country.  We arrived in LA and my parents stayed with me for a few days in order to help me get situated.  It was so great to have them with me in order to ease the transition into living on my own.  They left to go back home and I started school on August 23.

Classes, rehearsals and lessons were excellent!  I also managed to get two teaching jobs and an accompanying position which really filled up my time.  I began recording my own music with a friend from high school, Grayson Palmer.  He has also helped me to get involved with a few other projects which is really exciting.  I began attending Pacific Crossroads Church and I have found a great body of believers there.  I leave each Sunday feeling spiritually refreshed and energized.  I have also managed to get in touch with another really great high school friend.  Clayton and I hang out every now and then and reminisce about old times.  It is great to have a close friend living in the same city.  My Mum came out to visit at the beginning of October.  It was awesome to spend time with my Mum and she also made some truly incredible food (seriously, it was so good).  We went to Malibu and I showed her around my neighborhood.  She also came to church with me.  My dad also came out to visit at the end of October.  He displayed some seriously machine-like abilities by driving all the way to LA from Dallas by himself!  I think that he drove close to 18 hours in one day!  He spent close to a week here and it was awesome to have him here for my birthday.  We had a great time setting up speakers and a mixer in my room.  Now I can practice singing with a microphone.

During the Fall of 2010, I was visited twice by my beautiful girlfriend, Julie (again, you can read earlier blog posts in order to see what we got up to).  In November, I was flown home for a weekend.  Julie paid for my airfare as a Birthday/Christmas gift to me.  It was an unforgettable weekend.  I spent Thanksgiving here in LA with my uncle and two cousins.  It was so nice to spend time with family and I am very thankful that they live nearby.

In December, I wrapped up my finals and headed home for a three week Christmas break.  It was very busy, but I loved every second of it.  I played at Julie's office Christmas party, attended Julie's Tacky Christmas Party, went to see TSO, played a benefit concert with my brother, provided music for many Christmas services, spent time with high school friends, spent time with Julie, and helped my brother move into a new apartment in Waco.

Well, there it is.  My 2010 in review.  Actually it was more of a play-by-play.  I am so sorry for mis-leading you and I hope that you are not thinking that you have wasted your time.  If you have read everything up to this point, I want you to know that you are an important person in my life and a big reason of why I am still here.  It is you, my support system, that keeps me going.  I could not have made it through 2010 without you and I wish to thank you with all of my heart.

Here's to a happy and healthy 2011.  May God bless you.