David B. Calhoun’s Blog

I remember after having drinks (see yesterday’s post) with his fellow philosophers, we went back to Brian Onishi’s apartment and somehow Jeremy Finzel challenged him to a wrestling match. Brandon took off his shirt, and being a lot bigger almost hurt Jeremy in the process of winning. We got pictures (SOMEONE has them) and it was funny.

I remember after Spanish class, talking with him in front of the Flour Fountain about life and future plans. He talked about how he was disappointed with philosophy, how he wanted to focus more on spiritual development for the time being. I remember him driving to and back from the Sushi place by the grocery store and coming back with some pretty tasty-looking food. I would never have tried that place if it wasn’t for him.

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News stories
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LA TIMES

Motorcyclist is killed in ricochet accident
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
June 15, 2007

A man riding a motorcycle was killed Thursday after hitting a sports car and a tractor-trailer, authorities said.

Brandon Garcia, 23, of Irvine was switching lanes heading south on Beach Boulevard about 7:45 a.m.

His handlebar struck the tractor-trailer and he veered into a Mercedes-Benz, witnesses told police.

The motorcycle bounced off the car back toward the tractor-trailer, which ran over the man. He died at the scene.

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OC Register

Friday, June 15, 2007
Motorcyclist killed in Buena Park crash
Irvine man, 23, was splitting lanes of traffic on Beach Boulevard when handlebars caught semi.
By KIMBERLY EDDS
The Orange County Register

BUENA PARK –A 23-year-old motorcyclist splitting lanes of traffic during the morning commute was run over and killed by a semi truck after catching his handlebars on the truck.

Traffic was heavy along Beach Boulevard about 7:50 a.m. when Brandon Garcia of Irvine tried to cut into a lane with the big-rig near Artesia Boulevard, Buena Park police Sgt. Gary Worrall said.

Garcia’s handlebar caught the side of the truck, sending the motorcycle veering into a nearby Mercedes-Benz.

Garcia’s motorcycle bounced off the Mercedes and back in front of the semi. The truck driver, David Bonilla, 38, of Santa Ana, ran over Garcia, dragging him along Beach Boulevard before coming to a stop.

Garcia was pronounced dead by paramedics.

Under California law, motorcycles are allowed to split lanes but only under certain conditions - where there is a broken white line and when traffic is either at a stop or close to a being stopped. The motorcyclist can only be going 10-15 mph faster than the traffic they are passing.

According to the California Highway Patrol, 29 motorcyclists died in Orange County traffic accidents in 2005, marking the fourth highest total in California that year. An additional 630 motorcyclists were injured that same year.

Buena Park police traffic officers are investigating the crash. Neither the truck driver nor the driver of the Mercedes, Andrew Campos, 48, of La Mirada, were cited.

Contact the writer: kedds@ocregister.com or 714-796-7829

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Comments on OC Register article
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Let me share a little about Brandon. One of Brandon’s Life goals was to be a great youth pastor. And to be sure, he far exceeded that goal. He actually shared his own obituary, what he wanted people to say about him when he was gone, the Tuesday before he died. But even before that it seemed without even knowing it, he was preparing us for this, as it all becomes clearer we can see how maney people he effected. He recently gave his testimony about refinding the father that left him, and that has driven a hundred and counting to make good with there parents, or to find God. He started a growing mens ministry at Biola called the Journey. He poured his heart, soul, and blood in verything he did. he has accomplished more at 23, than some will in there life. He always said, like Jesus did, that heaven is here, now, you can experience heaven in this lifetime. And boy did he live that! Now he gets the full deal. I hope this helps some people. thanks.

skip - Jun 16, 2007 09:18:06 AM

I was an eye witness to the accident. My car was right behind the truck and sadly I saw everything. Traffic was stopped at the red light at Artesia. The front of the semi truck was only one car behind the intersection while the motorcycle was on his left about 4 or 5 car lengths from the intersection in between the truck and a car. When the light turned green the truck was able to start moving first. The motorcyclist must have realized he was running out of room quickly as the truck accelerated on his right. Eventually the truck clipped him or the bike and the way the bike spilled between the truck and the Mercedes threw him under the truck. I watched in horror as the truck accelerated across the intersection with him getting tangled underneath. He ended up being dragged until someone was able to flag down the truck driver. The truck driver did not feel the hit or realize what had happened until he was stopped by another witness when it cleared the other side of the intersection. From my perspective this was just a horrible accident and no one was at fault. I haven’t been able to get the images out of my head since it happened. I was especially saddened to learn it was someone so young. My heart and prayers go out to his family.

Eye Witness - Jun 15, 2007 09:35:17 PM

WOW, you people are all NUTS It was a miss judgement and it cost him his life Theres bad riders and bad drivers This world is not a perfect world Im sorry for this kid Im sure he will be missed

lostlakegirl - Jun 15, 2007 04:25:31 PM

Everyone who reads this story should be concerned with one thing - a young man died, leaving behind a grieving family. When someone dies, it is not a time to debate about who did what wrong - it is a time to be respectful to those who are affected by that persons death - debate can come later. My son died as the result of a motorcycle accident 4 years ago - my condolences to his family.

Char - Jun 15, 2007 01:56:46 PM

Brandon was a great young man with a heart dedicated to Jesus and helping others here and abroad. He always had a positive attitude and a smile on his face. It is our loss that he was taken. We could all benenfit from trying be a little like Brandon. Prayers for family and friends.

Bill B - Jun 15, 2007 01:10:19 PM

you’re absolutely right! Brandon was such a great man and all of us who knew him were definitely blessed.

anothergrieving friend - Jun 15, 2007 12:46:58 PM

From what I have read, it sounds like this rider made a simple clearance error. He though he had enough room to go between vehicles and his handlebar clipped the truck. Rider error. It happens. It’s unfortunate. I think we should leave it at that. However, there are a few factual errors with this story that should be noted. A motorcycle, and any two vehicles actually, can !share! any lane as long as there is sufficient room to do so safely. Lane sharing can be done at any speed. Traffic does not have to be stopped or near a stop - these are actually the most dangerous conditions to ride between traffic. Motorcycles can go between traffic at whatever speed is reasonable and safe. No greater than 10-15 mph faster then surrounding traffic is a good guideline, but it is not law. Of course, a motorcycle can not break any actual laws while going between traffic.

Jeremy S - Jun 15, 2007 12:46:53 PM

Honestly I am saddened by all the hostility between drivers and riders. I came to this site to help me process the death of a good man. He was a man who invested his life in building up and encouraging others. All of you who are angry at one another would have benefited in knowing this man who chose to love instead of hate.

GrievingFriend - Jun 15, 2007 11:54:15 AM

Southern California is very dangerous for motorcyclists because of the heavy traffic. I stopped riding years ago because it was just too scary. With cell phones and traffic people do not pay attention. Although motorcycles consume alot less gas so for the environment it would be nice if we had more riders! Oh well.

Sheri - Jun 15, 2007 10:16:30 AM

RESPECT the motorcycle. It is just that simple.

CalCarGuy - Jun 15, 2007 10:09:42 AM

Bev,so your saying more motorcyclist violate the law that cars or trucks? I don’t think so. Do you know how many of you people put your face on while your driving? And every morning I see people shaving there face, eating, reading a book or magazine, using there lap tops, having head phones listening to there i-pods, whatching movies, and talking on there cell phone while driving? Don’t be blind. You people violate the law way more often than we do. I don’t usually agree with The Monguls, but I have to agree on this one. I can’t wait for the next guy who cuts me off on my streets. We’ll be ready!

Hells Angels - Jun 15, 2007 09:56:27 AM

I agree with Russ Brown. He has represented me in court before. I was on the 210 East Freeway and traffic was going about 5-10mph. I was splitting lanes on the carpool lane chugging along around 20mph. I’ve could have gone faster but the area has a lot of CHP. There was another bike in front of me about 30 feet in front of me. The bike in front of me gets cut off by a silver F150 truck, the bike had to swerve to the lane next to hime to avoid the truck. Now I’m coming up next to the truck, the driver and passenger where laughing while they look at there rear view mirror and side mirror. I attemted to pass the same truck and he veers to cut me off. I kicked his door in as a reaction to what happend and I get pushed into the car next to me. I was not hurt bad since traffic was moving around 3-5mph at this point. In court the truck driver was charged with wreckless driving thanks to the witneses statements. There are alot of Motorcycle haters out there and a lot of the motorcycle community knows this, and a lot of us are now prepared.

Anti Anita Bike - Jun 15, 2007 09:22:30 AM

Brandon was my friend. Anita, you are cold-hearted. Brandon has a mother and sister that will miss him dearly, not to mention all the people he affected.

Kevin - Jun 15, 2007 09:00:42 AM

Stop being ignorant. If your going to talk about the law then make sure you have all the facts. California allows motorcycles to share lanes also known as lane spliting. This law was mad in effect so that CHP motor units can ride side by side in the same lane. Motorcycles ar also allowed to go in between lanes at traffic lights because it is safer for them than being stopped behind a car or truck. Most motorcycle accidents are caused buy motorist crossing the double yellow line at car pool lanes which is illegal. motorcyclist could only go 5mph faster than traffic but cannot exceed the speed limit while sharing lanes. Bikes sometimes clip your side mirrors because you are not paying close attention to your driving duties.

Russ Brown Motorcycle Law - Jun 15, 2007 08:55:21 AM

I hope auto drivers will not think badly of cyclists. I know splitting is not popular with auto drivers, but please remember, that is one less car that is in front of you. Please try and help make splitting as safe as possible, give a rider room when you can. Thanks.

Chris - Jun 14, 2007 11:42:19 PM

Sorry about my last post, which was pretty depressing. I am getting better now, albeit I’m still anxious about the future. For some reason it really got to me during the time I wrote the post.

I’m writing this post in memory of my friend Brandon Garcia, fellow philosopher who graduated with me. In fact, since I was a December grad, he was the only other philosophy major graduating with me. I sat next to him the whole time. I remember when he joked about the medallion Dr. Cook was wearing around his neck - he said “Dr. Cook’s got some nice bling!” And I remember when we botched the proceedings a bit by standing up at the wrong time (to wait in line to get diplomas), then abandoning our row and waiting a while with no place to go but to wait for our turn.

I remember him going out with a group of us philosophers at the semester’s end and we were off contract. We went to a pub and had a drink over discussion. Brandon had a drink that he named in honor of some philosophical theories, and it was hilarious. I forgot the first part of the name, but the second part ended with “…With a Proper Functionalist Twist”.

I also remember talking to him in Spanish class - and I remember him talking about the girl that sat in front of me, how pretty she was and how he wanted to get to know her more.

I remember him showing me his new motorcycle - that’s the very motorcycle he died riding.

Brandon was pretty involved with his church and with spiritual development projects in general. He created this spiritual development thing for men, called The Journey. He was the youth pastor at his church. He wanted to go to Biola school of Spiritual Formation. He was co-authoring a book with his friend Ryan, who I know because he also graduated with a degree in philosophy and was in some of my classes.

Death isn’t a thing to be taken lightly, even if there is life after death, as I and other Christians believe. Death is a paradox: it is at the same time the worst thing that could happen to you, and also the best thing. It is the worst because is ceases your current life, and your friends and contacts here lose contact with you and mourn your loss. You lose contact with them as well. But death is the best thing, because this is what we’re all headed towards. Our destination isn’t something on this world, but in another.

There are times when life here on Earth is so stressful and depressing that some want to speed up the process and kill themselves before their time has ended. I have certainly felt this was many times in my life, and even recently.

Brandon is the first person I know of who I talked to, was friends with, and yet who inexplicably died before his time. He had accomplished so much more than I have so far, and stands as an example of how to live life fully. Again death is paradoxical - one’s death creates the urge in another person to live, and to live more fully.

He was taken before his time, before he could accomplish all he could have. I feel responsible on my part to try to make up for his loss - to contribute at least as much as my share and his combined for the better in this world.

And I’m sure all who have lost a loved one know that life is precious. Life is not a thing to waste, or to spend being anxious or depressed all the time. Cherish even this very day, because tomorrow we could literally be gone, just like Brandon.

We will miss you man. Much love.

“Behind the world in which we live, far in the background, lies another world, and the two have about the same relation to each other as do the stage proper and the stage one sometimes sees behind it in the theater. Through a hanging of fine gauze in seems as it were, a world if gauze, lighter, more ethereal, with a quality different from that if the actual world, Many people who appear physically in the actual world are not at home in it but are at home in that other world.”

-Kierkegaard, The Seducer’s Diary

I already quoted this before, but it’s such a good summary of the way I’ve really felt my whole life. I have never felt a part of this world. I have never really fit in.

There was a time I was really optimistic and sure of myself, and I thought I would use this to my advantage. All my pains of utter loneliness - perhaps they could be used for the good. This is the time when people really shine - this is the time the best books are written, the best poetry is written..

I only wish I could shine like this. I know I have it in me, if I put my mind to it. But it’s so maddening staying here in the world and being disappointed so bad. I pray for inner peace.. for release from anxiety.. but this has been happening so long, that maybe it’s something I’m doing to myself, or maybe God has truly cursed me. I am worthy of nothing, but I pray that God is merciful. God has no obligation to act for my benefit, but I pray for it, now more than ever. I’m either going insane or I am really at the end of my rope.. if God doesn’t help me now, then there will be no other time for Him to help me.

I’ve been using BBClone as a web counter for several years now, and it’s always been very useful and fun to watch. The biggest catch is that your pages must be in PHP format in order for the counter to function. However, with the latest releases, supposedly you can now monitor your webpages via your Apache htmlaccess logs.

Anyhow, I have finally gotten around to upgrading from version 0.4.3 to 0.4.9a. All I had to do to upgrade and transfer over all my old web stats was the following:

1. Save a copy of the old installation. Always keep backups, especially before you make big changes! All I did was rename my bbclone directory to bbclone_old.
2. Transfer the new files over.
3. Make the entire directory (and subdirectories) writable. If you don’t do this, BBClone won’t be able to save its data! Technically I suppose you could just make the bbclone/var directory writable, but I haven’t tried that and I’m not sure if it would work.
4. Transfer your old web stats files from your backup directory into the exact same location in your new directory. There are two files: 1) bbclone/var/access.php and 2) bbclone/var/last.php. Simply move/copy them into your new bbclone/var directory.
5. Test it out! This should be all you have to do to get it working!

I’ve been really anxious lately, and it’s come to the point again where I’m completely disabled by it.. to the point where the day is wasted because I can’t get myself to focus. This is why I have so many unread books - I try to read, but my mind is so heavily weighed down by other things. It’s a curse.

Why do people have hopes for worldwide peace when even a person alone in their own room can’t be at peace with themself?

I’m going to bed early.. maybe tomorrow will be better.

Two posts in one day!

Anyhow.. just a quick note that Kierkegaard is living proof (living??) that being single doesn’t mean someone can’t accomplish much and have a powerful influence on the ideas of the world. He alone ought to give anyone hope. Although he did die young..

One of the biggest objections leveled against the existence of God has been the “problem of suffering”. This is a derivative of the more general “problem of evil” objection. It goes something roughly like this: if God is truly all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving, then why does he allow people to suffer (or why does he allow evil in the world)? After all, since he is all-powerful, he could completely eliminate evil and suffering, and we could live in a practical paradise.

First I want to say that there are good arguments for the existence of God that are independent of the problem of suffering, so this one objection alone shouldn’t suffice for us not to believe in the existence of God. At this point I think we should take up the course of study that posits that if God really exists, then he must have good reasons for allowing evil and suffering in the world. There is a lot of fruitful discussion that comes out of this philosophically, but ultimately there is no trump card explanation of why there is suffering in the world.

However, there are some very good explanations that account for some cases of suffering. For instance, there is one argument that goes something like this: if Person A hadn’t suffered through that experience, he would never have developed to be so strong-willed and driven as he is today. That is, there are some cases where a person ultimately benefits from the suffering, because it allows them to build a character trait that they otherwise wouldn’t have developed. Certainly this is true in many cases.

I’ve been thinking about this - and I really can’t think of cases where people develop character “for fun”, i.e. where there is no necessity for it. If I encountered someone like this I would be suspicious of them being crazy or of developing their character for some undisclosed purpose (maybe they have a big ego, and they want to build what are genuinely good character traits, for the wrong reason - to build up their ego, for instance). I’ve come to the general conclusion that most humans do things out of necessity. It’s only those brief brilliant flashes of insight or those spontaneous actions that are perhaps not driven out of necessity - and we praise these types of actions for their ingeniousness.

I’ve always been suspicious of terms like “character development”. These things were taught to me in school as if I could grow in character with the flip of the switch, on my own will. Another similar term was “self esteem” - this was taught to me and my peers with the hope that somehow someone suffering from low self-esteem could, after being taught about self-esteem, flip a switch and all the sudden be all better. In recent years some educators have given up on this entirely. Let’s give them drugs, a la Brave New World. Depressed? Low self-esteem? Your answer: prozac. Hyperactive? Unable to restrain yourself? Your answer: ritalin.

But I have hope that there is really a thing such as “character development” - although it might look much different from what we’ve been taught. Getting back to my main thought - it seems to me that most of genuine character development is initiated by involuntary events. For instance, social relationships gone bad, great physical or emotional trauma, great losses, etc. These are the types of things we wouldn’t wish for even our worst enemies - these are the places in life where people hit rock bottom. But they’re involuntary, and they have no control over them. It’s not the tragedy itself that defines a person - it’s living and coping with the tragedy that defines a person. And it’s the actual character development that results from this that changes lives for the better, and as it turns out, often times this cannot occur first without a tragedy. It cannot occur without suffering and evil.