5b4

Friday, March 31, 2006

"Specter"

Grim the outlook this foul night

For hearts constrained in vaults of stone

This tangled web prevents me now

With years of poison ivy growth

And as for you, these cold grey lips

Crack beneath my fingertips

The parasites have come again

And sucked the emotion from your veins

The only tears these glassy eyes

Will cry are tears from clouds of sky

Falling upon your weathered face

And corroding your skin without a trace

Of any blush or any flush

And cheeks unyielding to my touch

Your shoulders sag like crumbling walls

This chest a hint of imperial halls

Once filled with sparkling jewels of passion

Replaced now with broken bones and ashen

Alas, my young man! My aged relic!

I know that for you tears are cried by angelic

Beings in paradise, mourning your suicide

Your stifled affections laying dormant inside

This rotting old heart, this silent gray tomb

Filled with hopes deferred and finally doomed

For the sun does not rise to embrace your skin

But only to parch your soul from within

So here we are now, your death and my life

Oh, what can be done to your mettle revive?

With bleeding red lips I shall kiss your pale orifice

Rejoice dear specter, for I am your savior.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Alas, For the Great City!

This is the culmination of a heart expanding and ready to burst.

My heart is heavy for the church of Jesus Christ in the United States of America. We are religious, meaning we have knowledge of God but no power to back it up. We punch it our time cards every Sunday, "putting in our time" in the house of God, leaving the same way we came in, returning to the same sins, masquerades, and terrible attitudes of the week before. Unchanged because the presence of the Holy Spirit is not there. Where are the miracles existent in the early church of the Book of Acts? Where the "having all things common," the miraculous displays of love and selflessness for each other? Where the unwavering commitment to God, to the point of laying down one's life for the Gospel? Instead, the divorce rate in the church is the same as the divorce rate in unchurched peoples; we bicker and fight amongst ourselves in the form of demoninationalism; and Christians engage in the same sins as the disbelieving world around us.

I unloaded all this on my girlfriend the other night. She furthermore mentioned the corruption in many churches that is the object of ridicule in the press. I expressed that it must be that ministers simply do not teach the Word of God; people are not taught how to live for Jesus. I asked her, "Well how is God going to fix this?" Her reply was that she thought we will see a church operating under the Chi Alpha model. (Chi Alpha is a campus ministry we are both involved with, which stresses discipleship, small group meetings where worship, prayer and Bible study are preeminent, and students are active in the community.) Specifically, she said that discipling of individuals will rise. "Just like the Book of Acts," I replied.

Today my friend Jacob and I were discussing denominationalism. I reached a fervent point of discussion where I bashed denominations, declaring this is not what Christ envisioned for his church. He created one church, not a Lutheran church, a Pentecostal church, a Catholic church, a Nazarene church, a fill-in-the-blank church...Ephesians 5:27 says he is returning for a holy church without spot, wrinkle, or blemish. ONE church.

Of course, then you get to the problem that while there are individuals in each denomination serving God, combining them all into one will not work. Enter conversation with my good friend John, sitting next to me as I type in my dorm room right now. I am not happy with "charismatic" churches because of the ostentatious nature of worship in which there is no reverence for God but merely a "show" where people can be entertained. Nor do I approve of liturgical worship services where the ritual of the mass or the preprinted program/liturgy replaces the vibrancy of the Holy Spirit. (For example, in the Book of Acts, there was much "laying on off hands" in prayer. The apostles were never so determined upon the order of a church service that they could not break from the normal flow and allow the Holy Spirit to spontaneously move. What comes to mind immediately is the man lowered through the roof of a house in which Jesus was preaching. Jesus did not say, "Get him out of here, I'm busy preaching!" He broke from his sermon and prayed for this man's healing.)

So I turned to John and cried out, "So what is it going to take for God to bring this whole thing [his church] together?!" John said something that will stick with me for the rest of my life. He simply said, "Maybe what needs to happen is for everything to fall apart, to break down."

Wow.

I pondered this for a moment without speaking. Get the import of this idea. The whole modern religious system must fall apart. Denominations collapsing. The separation of the real from the false. Churches becoming filled with heresy so that those who truly want to serve God come out of organized religion into what we see in the Book of Acts: Acts 4:32ff, "Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold. I see no evidence of a Vatican, a deacon board, or any other manmade, synthesized government structuring the church, but simply people abiding by the Word of God.

Anyone recall scriptures about the "great falling away"? About Jesus "separating the sheep from the goats"? As John reminded me of these things, into my mind popped this scripture, which seems an indictment against the religious system in America: II Timothy 3:5, Having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"

So there you have it. God is going to rescue his weak American church by bashing in our comfort zones, our incorrect theologies, our manmade rituals and traditions.

The more John and I talked, the more something else took the forefront of my thoughts. I have had a recurring dream over the years of the church in America becoming persecuted for its testimony. In many other nations, Christians are killed and persecuted for their faith. I believe that persecution will eventually come to this country (and be worldwide) before the return of Christ. Look at the Book of Acts again: every time the apostles are persecuted, the church grows even more. I believe this is it: the church needs to suffer. We have lost the meaning of taking up and carrying the cross of Christ. We no longer understand the glorious value of our salvation. Jesus must allow us now to partake in His sufferings so we can draw near to Him.

In the Switchfoot song, "The Blues," lyrics like these come to mind:
There's nothing here worth saving,
Is no one here at all?
Is there any net left that could break our fall?

It'll be a day like this one
When the sky falls down and the hungry and poor and deserted are found
Are you discontented? Have you been pushing hard?
Have you been through and down this broken house of cards?

It'll be a day like this one
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in

Is there nothing left now?
Nothing left to sing
Are there any left who haven't kissed the enemy?
Is this the New Year or just another desperation?

Does justice ever find you, do the wicked never lose?
Is there any honest song to sing besides these blues?

And nothing is okay
Till the world caves in
Till the world caves in
Till the world caves in
Till the world caves in
Till the world caves in
Until the world caves in
Until the world caves in
Until the world caves in
Until the world caves in
Until the world caves in
Until the world caves in

[bold text, emphasis added]

Maybe what we need is for our world to cave in.

And then our conversation wandered to the downfall of this country. There is a prophecy in Revelation 17-18 about a certain "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." It is obviously not a city literally named "Babylon," as there is no great city named Babylon on earth today, though apparently this city will have same characteristics of the ancient Babylon of Bible times (which God judged similarly). (See also Jeremiah 51, which is a direct parallel to Revelation 18).

Basically, upon looking at this chapter, the United States of America is the only nation that could fit the profile of this "city" in Revelation 18, whose eventual destruction is prophesied. There are allegations in the chapter that this "Babylon" is the economic center of the world, an integration point for immoral acts and entertainment on an international scale, and a political unit that has influenced all the other rulers of the world. Sounds like America to me. See for yourself:

REVELATION 18

1And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

2And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

3For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

4And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

5For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

6Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

7How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

8Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

9And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

10Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

11And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

12The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

13And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

14And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

15The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,

16And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

17For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

18And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

19And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

20Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

21And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

22And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;

23And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

24And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

[emphasis added]

Call me a "doom and gloom" prophet if you will, but these are the words of God, not mine. Like Gandalf says in The Fellowship of the Ring, many who live to see such dark times wish they had not been destined to live then...but all we can do is to decide what to do with the time that has been given to us.

I believe that God had a purpose for me being born on August 5, 1986. God has a purpose for me to fulfill in calling his church back to Him. This isn't about hate. It is everything about the love of God, Jesus wrapping his arms around his people once again.

For what purpose were you born?

More Poetry [as promised]

Eyes that came at me like guns blazing

And bullets that pierced my heart

You and I making tracks on the landscape

Reinventing the rules

Writing the formula

Making a story of our own

Clutching love like an artist with a paintbrush

Spreading it around the canvas

So that everyone will know

Every eye will see

The burning and white-hot glow

In the eyes of the lovers shown.

Monday, March 27, 2006

SWITCHFOOT + ATHLETE

Okay, here is the concert review you've been waiting for. Last Friday at the House of Blues on Decatur Street in New Orleans, my friends and I had our faces rocked off by the bands Athlete and Switchfoot.

I had heard very little music by Athlete, so I didn't know what to expect. I was shocked at how much I enjoyed this Brit-pop quartet. Ingenious. I almost enjoyed the opening act they put on than the later Switchfoot gig, which is what I came to see. They sound like the bands Keane and Coldplay intertwined with an added kiss of electronica to spice things up. Lots of piano, synthesizers, turntables, and this weird tube like thing that you can rub your hands around and it makes squeaky noises. (A poor description I know). The singer's voice was incredible; it has at times an almost stubborn sound to it that usually blends into a sort of crooning in the choruses. There were moments of guitar frenzy and more mellow riffs. All-in-all it was beautiful rock n' roll, and I missed these guys as soon as they left the stage. (They even called a security guard up to "play" the "squeaky" thing to show the audience how easy it was!) They played about a 30-45 minute set.

Enter Switchfoot to deafening cheers. I had been waiting a LOOOONG time for this moment. My friend and I were convinced they would open the gig with "Stars," the rock monster single from their latest album Nothing is Sound. Surprisingly they open with none other than the soft, beautiful and barely audible ballad "The Shadow Proves the Sunshine." It was amazing, because Jon Foreman started off strumming his acoustic and of course the song builds to a crescendo. That way he worked the crowd into a frenzy into the next song, none other than "Stars." The setlist went something like this:

The Shadow Proves the Sunshine
Stars
This is Your Life
More Than Fine
Happy is a Yuppie Word
Lonely Nation
The Blues
Easier Than Love
Politicians
Awakening (new song)
Dare You to Move
Bob Dylan song
On Fire
24
Gone
We Are One Tonight
Ammunition

Daisy
Meant to Live

What can I say, other than the band lived up to its much hyped-up live performance I've always heard so much about and salivated over. They go between moments of great tenderness and extreme frenzy, i.e. Jon jumping off the bass drum and Tim jumping around with his bass. Jerome alternated often between the keyboard on the side to joining his brothers armed with guitars to rock out to the likes of a "Meant to Live" or "Politicians." Jon is a much more soft-spoken guy than I anticipated but does his fair share of yelling, joke-telling, and crowd-walking. Very emotional live performance without the stigma of "emo." It's what I expected from listening to all 5 of their albums, which I own: music and lyrics without fluff, that get to the heart of deep-seated thinking, theological and philosophical. Good music you can close your eyes and feel surging through your veins.

I jumped around and pumped my fist a lot, bumping into the irritated guy behind me a lot. I, like all the other fans, did my best to drown out the band by faithfully singing the lyrics I knew so well. One awesome thing is the way the guys both achieve effects from the album in a live setting and rework the songs live, as well. For example, in "This is Your Life," Jon bent over and sang into his electric guitar to create a weird voice-effect in-between verses. "Lonely" Nation had an extended atmospheric intro. "Awakening," a new song, included lyrics like "I want to wake up kicking and screaming...bleeding", it sounded like a comparison of natural birth to a "new birth" Christian experience. This song had a "The Setting Sun" country feel to it, as Jon played electric guitar and blew his harmonica simultaneously. "Dare You to Move" was all acoustic until the second verse. "On Fire" was a little more "rock-ish" than the album version. "We Are One Tonight" was probably the best song they did...very impressive. "Ammunition" had the most rock n' roll quality to it. "Daisy" was beautiful in the encore, followed by the mandatory "Meant to Live," which ended with Jon coaxing the audience to softly sing "We were meant to live..." as Jerome played the keyboard.

An amazing show, two great bands. I must say the House of Blues' ambiance was nice as well. The light show was brilliant. Hooray.

Friday, March 24, 2006

Communing with the Heart

I tried my hand at writing a little poetry for the first time in months. This was a couple weeks ago. I ended up writing a monstrous 18-stanza poem. Below is a snippet of it. I may post more later on if you guys like this at all.

From whence it came I dared not question

But a colloquy of various sentiments

Within my heart all agreed

The cold was undeniable

And the emptiness had come


Hope, wicked and cruel bestirred

By a newfound force external

To my chest and yet within

Something I never knew was missing

Till the diagnosis came


The physician, with import, did declare

A rare disease yet one quite clear

Had taken hold upon my heart

The throbbing pain was no condition

But a lack thereof, something missing

Why so sudden and why so strong?

Why so acute and why so long?

An independent life I’d lived

And suddenly restlessness unknown

I must the cause of this be shown!

The answer, I knew, lay within my chest

And with the truth my God has blessed

This soul of mine with what I sought

And thus I communed with my own heart.

Karaoke Fling

I did karaoke to Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" in Highland Cafeteria two days ago...solo. I also did a duet with Danny Hotard to Smashmouth's version of "I'm a Believer." Apparently the whole campus was doing karaoke. I stopped by the dorm lobby and they were doing karaoke there...so I soloed again, this time Smashmouth's "Allstar," I couldn't sing the verses right, so I freestyle rapped. It was foolish indeed. And great fun.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

A Dose of Rock

Wow. My friend Cody and I saw Anberlin live tonight at House of Blues New Orleans. Meriwether, a band from Baton Rouge, played. They weren't anything special. What a rock show. I mean, a good and sweaty gig is always appreciated, but this has got to be one of the best modern bands in America. Their second album Never Take Friendship Personal won my heart over. Now that I've seen them live, I'm even more in love.

The fans knew the words so well and sang so loudly that most of the concert it was hard to hear the lead singer or even the instruments. Plus, the sound in the place was pretty bad because of the acoustics of the room we were in...but it was an intimate gig, where I was able to reach out and touch Stephen Christian as he jumped around. Cody and I were right in front of the speakers and were temporarily deaf after the concert. (As a matter of fact, as of this writing, he is still experiencing a bothersome ringing in his ears.) I lost my voice, of course, as well.

Talk about a great live show, these guys are so talented musically and rock hard, and just have so much energy it's unbelievable. They've got the image, but the great music to back it up as well. The crowd was out of CONTROL. The moshing, the crowdsurfing, etc.....everyone in the crowd seemed to know every word. Stephen Christian's voice is incredible. I definitely would say it's imperative that you see them if they do a live show in your area. They're very crowd-sensitive, too. They're one of those bands that openly professes their faith but see their music as a profession so don't preach from the stage. But interestingly enough right before they took stage, a clip of the song from the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack of that song "As I went down to the river to pray..." played. It seemed like a preface, a declaration of who they were at heart...before they took to the stage and just played great music.

They played every song from their second album, except the slow ballad "The Symphony of Blase." I was right about one thing: they played "Dance, Dance Christa Paffgen." It's a 7-minute ballad and my friend didn't think they would play it. I insisted they would...and wow I loved the song before, but now it's so much more amazing. Definitely the best part of the show.

Plus I got to hang out with Amanda and her best friend Betsy and Cody afterward...we all went down to Cafe Du Monde for beignets. Amanda bought me a cute little yellow monkey that says "Someone from Loyola New Orleans loves me." It is now hanging from the ceiling in my room...it's awesome, I love it!

Oh yeah, sorry, back to rock n' roll. I'll be back at HOB next week for a Switchfoot concert...

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

this is an audio post - click to play

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Down at the Waterhole

A few pictures of me cutting up Saturday at the Chi Alpha retreat in Woodworth, Louisiana. The water was cold. It was a blast.







Sunday, March 12, 2006

3 Quotes

3 quotes that have got me thinking over the weekend:

1. From the song "Fell in Love with the Game" by Blindside
Topic: Wrestling with God (see also Genesis 32)

And we both stand tall on the table

You take me by the hand and I grab you by the throat
And we come crashing down through the window
On the dirt ground below
And we wrestle in the mud and the blood and the beer
Break my jaw I don't care
Just stay with me, stay
Lock my arms I don't want to move
Hold me still teach me how to weep
If it's ok with you I think I'll stay here
For a little while

2. G.K. Chesterton (I think, from Orthodoxy)
Topic: I'm not sure, but it's got me thinking...

People did not love Rome because it was beautiful, Rome was beautiful because people loved her.

3. Eli Gautreaux at Chi Alpha retreat (not sure if this was him quoting someone else or original)
Topic: Understanding God

Stop trying to get your heaven into your mind. That will cause your mind to explode. Get your mind into heaven.

Friday, March 10, 2006

What folks are saying

In addition to such extremes as being told I look like a frat guy, look like a little kid, (by a professor) that I'd be hired on the spot, "hot, "different," "preppy," "sexy," "tall," Keanu Reeves, etc., here's what the general public thinks:


Jen Stevens wrote
at 11:51pm
I WILL be on the lookout! I can't believe that I looked straight at you. That's so funny. ( I apologize ahead of time if I still don't recognize you). Take it easy, Josh!


Michael Sigur wrote
at 4:50pm
oh no what happened? it's all gone


Julie Ginther wrote
at 3:52pm
Well I went to class but I didn't see you! :(
Oh well next week. Oh and I didn't even recognize you in your picture you look so different with short hair and no goatee!



Antoine Jefferson wrote
at 9:56am
Do you know how excited I was to see you with less hair, it was amazing. Now if only Cody would cut his as well, we'd be in BUSINESS! ~!Antoine!~


Like the new do !!


Laura Post (Loyola New Orleans) wrote
at 9:12am
yes, i'm going this weekend! it's gonna be awesome!! i can't wait to freak out over your hair in person lol!


Zechariah Brewer wrote
at 1:24am
WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!?!??!

Bean's hair WAS one of the more excellent non-Jesus-related parts of his entire sentient being! But now it's gone!


Lauren Shaw wrote
at 12:56am
Josh..I love the new look and the 52 photos of just yourself making ridiculous faces. Keep up the good work.


Jonathan Puckett wrote
at 12:56am
New hair looks slick man. I'd stick with it.


Laura Weems wrote
at 10:29pm March 8th, 2006
Loving the new look!!


Pamela Bartz wrote
at 10:17pm March 8th, 2006
Josh, who is that guy in your pic???


Amber Fontenot wrote
at 8:50pm March 8th, 2006
OMG! I was looking at my friends and I was like Josh Clayton? Who's that? Because I know you as "Josh" with long hair. I didn't recognize you!


Reid Tepfer wrote
at 8:39pm March 8th, 2006
Josh, I think you're at least 80% more suave now, and that's a conservative estimate.


Jen Stevens wrote
at 7:41pm March 8th, 2006
JOSH?!?
No wonder I couldn't find you in class today. I love the new haircut!


Laura Post wrote
at 7:23pm March 8th, 2006
Who is this guy?!?!?!


Nicole Augustin wrote
at 6:23pm March 8th, 2006
I have always told you that you would look fantastic with short hair! Muy guapo :)


Derek M Naquin wrote
at 4:19pm March 8th, 2006
Well Bean looks like you can't do any fun stuff at the cafe anymore, we'd probably get charged on child labor laws and all. Don't forget that your curfew is 10 o'clock.


Karla Ajin wrote
at 3:47pm March 8th, 2006
OMG OMG! Josh you don't even look like the same person! I say keep the head hair, grow the facial. But you look great. hehe


Matthew Clayton wrote
at 3:44pm March 8th, 2006
I'm finding myself at a lost for words...


Emily Byers wrote
at 3:40pm March 8th, 2006
Ay, mi amigo! Que guapo eres!


Deanna Bell wrote
at 3:28pm March 8th, 2006
still shocked


Lacey Flores wrote
at 2:02pm March 8th, 2006
BEAN! Oh my goodness! It looks wonderful! I didn't even recognize you! Very handsome! ;)


Carl Scogland Jr. wrote
at 1:28pm March 8th, 2006
i seriously thought i was viewing the wrong profile...lol

it looks good man, you should keep it like that


Tabatha Utech wrote
at 1:25pm March 8th, 2006
WOW! You look like another person. lol


Derick Brumley wrote
at 1:07pm March 8th, 2006
So Josh - I think you should totally keep the hair short and keep the goatee!!! You have too much of a puppy face without it!!!! Maybe when you are 30, but when you are young ... the goal is to look older remember?


Laura Springer wrote
at 1:05pm March 8th, 2006
Look at you, Mr. G.Q.! I like it.


Jeff Weltman wrote
at 10:27am March 8th, 2006
you.are.amazing


Matt 'Miles' Davis wrote
at 10:22am March 8th, 2006
hahaha, that's amazing


Kenji Kuriyama wrote
at 9:50am March 8th, 2006
oh no....what happenned to you...


Jennifer Broadwell wrote
at 12:25am March 8th, 2006
Wow I totally forgot how you looked without hair. Trippy...


Zechariah Brewer wrote
at 12:05am March 8th, 2006
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NOT THE HAIR NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

dude you look like a freshman again!


Nick Stringer wrote
at 11:50pm March 7th, 2006
you look so different har har har

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Residual Self-Image

One barbershop, two clothing stores, several inches of head and facial hair loss and a superb fashion consultant...all in 5.5 hours...Bean version 2.0. It's called a complete and extreme makeover. In all, I paid just under $190 for a haircut, 7 polo shirts, 3 pairs of pants, a pack of undershirts, and a pair of sunglasses. I have to give Samuel "Cody" Berry credit for being the fashion consultant there every step of the way. He did an awesome job, in all seriousness. So below is a sneak peek at the process of transformation....note the gradually disappearing facial hair. I was a little sorry to part with it. But, hey, I get to look like I'm 16 again.

I must say one other thing first, before we view the photos. I am experiencing what Morpheus calls "residual self-image," the mental projection of how I expect myself to look. And looking in the mirror is a slightly frightening (yet invigorating) affair now...














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