Editing rant.

I'm taking a Writing for Online course online in this final semester of school, in which each of us students must maintain a blog. I'm kind of bogged down with a lot right now but I'm trying to keep up with all of my school work, part of which is reading my fellow students' blogs. I find this interesting but also extremely annoying! Why do you ask? Well, I'll tell ya. Maybe it's the writing snob in me but as interesting as some of my classmates' blog subjects might be they have a particular problem with grammar and spelling. Spelling mistakes don't bother me too much unless they're constant but wrong words and improper grammar annoy the hell out of me. For instance, knowing the difference and usage of there, their, and they're. Or your and you're. They are NOT interchangeable and since you made it to college you should probably know the difference and when to use each. I know sometimes people are in a rush and/or just overwhelmed but take a breather after you finish writing and don't post anything! After your break, go and carefully read and edit what you wrote. Hopefully you can catch the mistakes and correct them (there are programs to help with this you know). I'm not perfect by any means. I make mistakes. Some of them get past me, usually just minor spelling errors, but at least I EDIT before I POST!! Trust me, I've never mixed up there, their, or they're in anything I've ever written. That's just stupid. Sorry, it is. I'd like to assume that most of the people in this course with me paid attention in English class in their previous years of schooling, but it doesn't seem like it based on what I'm reading. And this simple shit is what makes me not want to read what they write.

I met John Scalzi

Yes, I actually found myself in the presence of the Scalzorc and lived to tell the tale. [Click on that link for awesomeness.] ;-) Seriously, a few weeks ago I went to a reading at the NYPL where Mr. Scalzi, along with Cat Valente, Lev Grossman, and Scott Westerfeld, were giving readings. This occasion was the NYPL's effort to support those who write and enjoy Speculative Fiction. The event was titled, Speculating on Fiction. Isn't that wonderfully telling? These authors all happened to be on book signing tours for their respective new releases. I've been an admirer of Mr. Scalzi's for some time now. Just recently became aware of Cat and knew Lev and Scott by name only. Cat had a really cool publicity promotion for her new book where she wrote some small essay type tales that dealt with her new book which were posted on several of the websites of the venues she stopped at along her tour. I read them all in sequence. They were pretty cool and they worked 'cause I bought the book. However, the main draw for me for this shindig was John. I've been a follower of his online shenanigans, mostly documented here. What I like most about John is not only is he an excellent writer of many things but he also is a huge fan and proponent of SF and intelligence. He showcases other writers on Whatever along with his thoughts, journeys, and insights. Cool dude. And he is a proud Geek! And a very entertaining one as well. For his reading at the NYPL gathering he decided to read a short little tale he wrote as an April Fool's joke for the world. He regaled us with the tale of how the whole thing came about. (I will not reiterate it here for it is well documented on Whatever here.) Then he read us this most epic of epic beginnings the likes of which fantasy has never seen nor will it ever again! Also of note was that he was pretty much hoarse and yet he still gave an excellent performance. And it was a performance, not a reading. This guy is super animated in a good way, he loves what he does and it shows. I like that. He was on tour for Fuzzy Nation, which I bought and will read very soon, and I also bought Cat's new book, "The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making" and Lev's, "The Magicians". The Magicians came out last year and Lev is touring for the sequel The Magician King but I figured since I was just being introduced to his work I'd start with the first one. All the readings were wonderful and all of the books were signed by the authors so I am a happy Dragun. Oh and look:

That is John Scalzi next to the Awesome Afro!

(Note the dark background. The NYPL was closing on us and they weren't playing! They shut off the lights in the middle of the meet and greet. Good thing the flash was working! I got my pic and my signatures so I'm good. I'll meet him again.)

Getting things back together. And an awesomely stupid crash.

Hello again friends. I know. I'm so inconsistent. I'm working on it. Finally went back to Aikido last Wednesday. Damn it felt good to be in the dojo again. It's been almost two years since I'd been on the mats and I've missed it the whole time but life must be dealt with and some things must suffer sometimes. I've been through a lot since then but I'm getting back on track and slowly building my focus. I will not be taking a hiatus from Aikido like that again any time soon. Along with school that is another focus of mine. Next targets are my writing and getting my money earning capabilities sharp. This job shit is just not going to cut it for much longer.

Anyways, I wanted to write about my day today, well, yesterday. Sunday morning. Woke up to a rather heated disagreement with my lady, whom will be referred to as Pixie from now on. She went to work and I just tried to calm myself and chill. She calls after a while. She forgot her socks and could I please bring them. Yup, no problem. She doesn't work that far from where we live, so, I decide to ride over there on her bike. Her bike is better than mine, lighter, faster, and more expensive. Riding downhill I let my concentration wander. How, were you wondering? WELL! Let me tell you. I realized that the volume was too low on my Zune and decided to turn it up. I looked down for only a second but that's all it takes. I looked up at the coming intersection and saw the light was yellow and realized I should slow down before I got there. This was an intelligent decision since I was moving fast and couldn't tell if there were cars waiting at the opposing lights. However, this super-efficient bike I was on was way more responsive than my way cheaper and much heavier mountain bike. So, I hit the brake for the rear tire and it starts to slew sideways, the bike begins to shake and wobble. My brain says, "Hey stupid, put your other hand on the fucking handle bars and control this shit!" But see, even though that was another very intelligent decision it also came a bit too late. I was really coasting, downhill remember, and by the time my Zune filled hand barely touched the handle bar it was already way too late. So, with this super-efficient, speedy, and expensive machine wobbling exponentially out of control between my legs, I try and control the fall somehow. We will now defer to my brain's take on the resulting event(The speed of thought is an amazing thing.): "You dumb fuck. Oh shit. We're going down. This shit is going to hurt bad. REALLY BAD!! Try not to get tangled in the bike. I can't jump clear. Oh shit, I'm going to hit that car. Turn the wheel, damnit, don't hit the car with the wheel dead on! Goodohshitthisisgonna..." BAM!!!!!!!!!!!!! "Aaaauuuggghh...." Then I laugh hysterically at myself as several witnesses to my colossal fuck up ask me if I'm okay. I hit that car hard. I tell them all, "Yeah, I'm alright," and I look to make sure I didn't damage the car, then check the bike, then feel the pain. Jacked up my left knee and my whole upper left torso, which is unfortunately an area that has been previously damaged rather seriously. However, self assessment revealed that I wasn't broken, so, I composed myself, just a tad bit shaken, and continue on my delivery of socks.

Delivery made, Pixie happy, I make my way home. Shower, clean and patch my knee and make my way to Aikido!! I still went for two reasons. 1: I said I would make it and I honor my word. Sunday's are a relatively new addition to the schedule and attendance is the determiner of Sunday classes. 2: I have just rededicated myself to the pursuit of Aikido and nothing is getting in the way of that. Not even very recent minor injuries. The only pain I felt was my knee, because it really did get hurt. I think the pedal rammed against it, or more accurately my knee jammed against the pedal and tore it up a bit. But aside from that, class was awesome. The two black belts there, Steve and Jesse, did me the honor of going over all of the basic moves I learned so long ago and a few more that would most likely show up on my next test. I was immensely humbled and pleased. I really like Aikido.

My knee is sore and my left shoulder and down the back on my left side is not quite killing me but it hurts. I'm good though. Aikido tonight. I'll be ready. That was most of my day. Met Pixie as she got off work, we went home, talked, I crashed, she made dinner and woke me up in time to eat and go to work. I like my life. It could be better and it will be but it really could be a lot worse. Enjoy your life my friends. This one my be your best.

LAterz.

I saw KODO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and Pharoahe Monch!!! for my Bornday!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(This is late but I had to finish it.)

So, here's the deal. I've been a fan of the music group/Drum troupe KODO since 1995. They've been around a bit longer than that but that's when they jumped on my radar. They're awesomeness stood out to me in a film full of awesomeness titled, 'The Hunted'. This was a modern film dealing with a samurai/ninja feud with a gaijin thrown in the middle.



I LOVE THIS MOVIE! And in this awesome movie is an awesome scene in which KODO is playing a live performance in the park. And they are playing a piece which to this day is still my favorite, Irodori.


(A different performance of the same piece.)

Pure awesomeness! [I know I keep using that word. However, it does mean what I think it means. Trust me. ;-)] So, after witnessing that awesomeness I HAD to 'hunt' (hee hee) down the score/soundtrack to this movie. And what do I find?!!! Not only did KODO have that piece in the film that they performed live but their music WAS the score of the film. I must say it again. PURE AWESOMENESS!!!! So, needless to say, I've been a fan since, tracking down albums and getting new ones as they are released over the years. Now I've always wanted to see them perform live but they do world tours periodically. Oh, it is understood that they're Japanese right? Okay, just making sure. Oh, and they're style of music is centered on the traditional Japanese drum, the taiko? They're based on Sado Island in Japan. The name KODO means two things: 1 Heartbeat and 2 Children of the Drum. How awesome is that?! Anyway to learn more about them visit their website here.

SO, they were touring the States again this year and near my Bornday, so I said, I AM GOING! I'd only ever seen them perform on video and this was an opportunity I couldn't miss. Especially for my Bornday!! One word: AWESOMENESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There are few things as awesome and satisfying as watching people perform fully focused on what they are doing. I am a huge admirer of live performance and just love watching people who love what they do and are fully dedicated and focused on it. To watch Flow is simply amazing and the KODO players at Lincoln Center that night were Flowing and on point! I was glowing for days after that. Shit, I'm still glowing from the memory!

A few days later, MORE AWSOMENESS!!! I go see Pharoahe Monch, a most prolific, intelligent, and excellent Emcee! He had just recently released his new album W.A.R. (We Are Renegades) and was having an album release concert. I had already been listening to the album for a few days so I was ready! The album is pure awesomeness justincaseyouwerewondering. Opening the show was a new kid on Duck Down from New Zealand, I can't remember his name. Then Skyzoo came out and tore the damn stage down! Kid is mad nice on the mic and he knows how to rock a crowd. Needs way more shine than a lot of the punks out today. Anyways, BOOM!, it's Pharoahe time! Pharoahe is mad nice!!!! The album is tight, stage presence is tight, DJ and backup singers are tight! The show was off da hook! Had special guests bless the stage, Immortal Technique (Mad nice!), The Ghost Styles P (D-Block!!! mad nice!), E-40 was in the house just to pay respect to Monch, and of course JEAN GRAE(supa-dupa mad nice!!!!!)!!!!!!! I had a great time. Of course Pharoahe closed the show with one of the biggest club bangaz in rap/Hip-Hop: Simon Says! C'mon son! Everyone in the spot was jumpin' and hollerin' along! I didn't have no voice after that show, which is the way it's supposed to be.


(The first video from W.A.R. Awesome!)

The day after my Bornday I hung out with my bestabuddy, my spirit-brother, David. We went to a whiskey bar called The Whiskey Ward. They have an entire menu of single malt whiskeys, and other things as well. But we were there for the single malts and boy did we partake! Great time.

This is one of the more awesome Bornday year's I've had. [Here's pictures!] Two awesome concerts with my Pixie and hanging with my best friend. Few things are better. Enjoy yourselves!

LAterz

Caaa li for ni aaaaaaaaa!!!!!! Days 2-5

[Current date is 4/12/11. I began this chronicle quite some time ago as you can see on the post date. I decided not to change it. A reminder to myself to keep up with this blog. Thanks for bearing with me. On to it...]

For those just checking in, this is an entry of part of my trip to California 7/28-8/5. No it wasn't my first trip out there. I used to live there years ago and still have friends and family out there. Here is the first part of the trip. Now we will continue:

So, Kristof warns me right before we crash that he's got several alarms that will go off and he doesn't always hear them right away, so don't kill him. ;-) Okay. So, we go to sleep and the next thing I know I am awoken to some really strange foreign language music. I crane my neck around and see that he is not waking up. Okay. I carefully extract myself from this freakin' hammock, step over to the bed, and tap his foot. He wakes. Hey. Hey. He turns off that machine, I carefully crawl back into the hammock. Slowly drifting back into la-la land then suddenly, more music! I turn and look but this time his eyes pop open and he stops that one. Drift away. I slowly drift back into reality to the beat of what seems like techno house music but is actually the sound of a real annoying alarm clock. The BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP kind. I turn and crane again. He ain't wakin' up this time. Quick contemplation: I get up I ain't gettin' back in this damn hammock. I'm already comfortable, I don't want to move. Wait...He still ain't movin'! Shit! I proceed to extricate my long form out of the hammock once again, I turn his super fan away from the bed, then I crawl into the other side while simultaneously shoving him awake. Hmmm, thanks man. You're welcome. He turns off the the offending machine, we drift again. The next one goes off. He woke up finally with that one. I vaguely acknowledge that he is actually up and moving around, getting ready for work. He asks me something and we converse for a few then I drift off and he goes to work. When I wake up a few hours later I think, What a hell of a morning.

I get up and get a beer out the 'fridge and park myself at the desk to check facebook. A few beers, cigarettes, a tea, a coconut water, some links, articles and blog checks later Chris calls me around noon. I think. Might have been a bit later. But not by much. Don't stay on the phone for long because, you know, I'm in Cali already, so I get the new address and get ready to hit the road. Don't remember if I mentioned this yet, but, I really really like my new iPhone4! Between that and Kristof's computer I mapped a route to Chris' house. He made mention that I might find the area familiar and he was so right! It is the same exact exit I used to take to get to the hospital that Veronica used to always go to, except in the opposite direction. He was back in the I.E., that's the Inland Empire for you non-Californians. I called Kristof and let him know that I was on my way back to the IE to see Chris. I left the address on the desk so he could come out, too. I pack my stuff up, grab some drinks out the 'fridge, no beer of course, and go get Bumblebee. Traffic in Cali is still as fucked up as it was when I used to live there, if not worse. Here is where I discover that the map app on my iPhone has a built in GPS. Reeeeeally?! I was so stoked about this and still driving that I didn't have time to fully figure out how to work it but I was really happy. Driving on 91 I see there are quite a lot of new buildings and developed areas along the freeway and it just drives home how long I've been gone. Doesn't take me that long to get to Chris', pretty much a straight shot on 91, so, I pulled into his driveway in no time. Chris comes out of the house as I get out of the car. I don't even think we said hi, we just hugged each other. Ever hugged someone and had a complete conversation within the hug? Yeah, one of those. Pulled away looked at each other grinning big and hugged again. Yup, we're friends in the truest sense of that word.

Continued in next post...

Caaa li for ni aaaaaaaaa!!!!!! Day 1

[Current date is 4/11/11. I began this chronicle quite some time ago as you can see on the post date. I decided not to change it. A reminder to myself to keep up with this blog. Thanks for bearing with me. On to it...]

So, the last week of July into the first week of August I went back to California. The reason for the trip was to see friends and family not seen for some years. Except for V's Mom I haven't seen my Cali peeps in 3 years. Long overdue trip. (I was thinking 5 cause that was a fun time. 3 years I go I went for a quick trip 'cause V died. I don't think I've written about that yet.) SO, needless to say this was a fun trip. [I'm sure I've forgotten some details but not a lot.] So let's do this from beginning to end.

A while ago I decided I needed to go back to Cali. I missed my
friends. And I needed a break from NY. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE NY! NY is HOME! But I'm a bit older now (just a bit) and I've, actually, been around the world, so I don't really want to live in NY anymore. It's just convenient for now. Anyways, I call Kristof and let him know I'm comin'. "Cool,' he says, "just call me right before you come so I'm ready." Not ready in preparation just that he's busy and he forgets so I literally called him the day before to remind him. No problem. I flew on JetBlue 'cause 5 years ago, when David and Lisa got married, they flew Jetblue and David said it was a nice flight. Ever since wanted to try 'em. So I did. Nice flight, too. In the airport I wound up buying some noise-cancelling headphones after consulting with David. He'd bought some for his recent trip around the Mediterranean and had nothing but great things to say. Right again. If you travel and have the means I highly suggest you get some. Wonderful! And they were compatible with the plane system so I didn't have to buy the cheap airline headphones for $7. They actually had satellite cable and xm radio on the plane. One of the first times I stayed awake for a whole flight. I was watching Natl.Geo. and Anim.Pla., and VH1. I actually watched the Behind the Music for Courtney Love. It wasn't that bad. Flight went well. Took a lot of pictures in flight for those who've never flew or flew cross country before. Interesting and big country we live in. Most people just don't know.

So, I land in LAX and call Kristof from the plane and he's basically already waiting for me at the curb when I come out of the terminal. Love that dude. We find our way to Hertz for my rental car. I had registered online for a Pontiac G6. I like those. They drive really nice. Got a ticket in one once. But while waiting in line I see they are advertising they have the brand new 2011 Chevrolet Camaro for rent. Uhhhhhh yeah. I think I might upgrade ;-)! But the damn line was so long that by the time I got to the counter I forgot about it, I just wanted to get my car and go. The Customer service rep. asked if I wanted to try out the Camaro. Oh yeah, I said, I meant to ask about that. We have red she says. Nah, what else you got. She clicks some keyboard keys, Yellow. Hmmmm, me in a yellow car? She laughs. I can see that, I say. But any other colors. I was hoping for a nice charcoal grey. I really like that colour on cars. Alas there were no others. Yellow it is. At this time the big robot didn't occur to me. (If you don't get that, you will soon.) I get my paperwork and proceed to leave. Oh wait, she says, I forgot to tell you I gave you the satellite radio for free, and she tells me how to access it. Cool bonus! It pays to be nice and smile with people who are helping you. I been on the other side of that counter, good customers so make a difference. Out to THE CAR. It is SO beautiful in the warm bright southern California sun. I immediately whipped out my new iPhone and began taking pics. And sending them out. My Big Bro was the first to send me a response reminding me of what this car is (remember I mentioned a big robot?): BUMBLEBEE!!!!!!!!!!


I was going to be driving Bumblebee around for a week! SWEEEEEET!!!!! Couldn't believe I forgot that. However, I was very excited to see my friends so I may be forgiven my lapse of geekiness. In a very controlled manner I drive to the exit and pull up next to Kristof. He grins big. Sweet!, he says. Oh yeah. So we stop at a Bk down the block for a bite to eat. When we come out an actual bee is on the car. By the time I get my damn phone out to take a pic it flew away. I really mention this little detail because it happened several times during my week in Cali. Several! Not once did I get the pic of the bumblebee on Bumblebee. That would have been so cool! Ah well, I have the memories and my mind is sharp. Onwards, I follow Kristof to his apartment. Familiarly comfortable. I have stayed there every time I have visited since I left. [He really needs to buy a house, but he is super picky. But so am I ;-)] I like that little aparment, though. Kris has to go back to work, so he gives me the key and he's gone. I walk across the street to the equivalent of a NYC bodega. It's a liquor store as well so even better. I buy a bunch of stuff I figure I need for a few days of crashing: a bunch of teas, coconut water, chips, ramen soup bowls, a six pack of Dos Equis Dark and a 375ml JW Black Label. Always wanted to try it and figured the pint would be too small for a week. I drinks :-). Didn't really do much but lounge around and unwind. Now here is where the uncanny luck of my charmed life begins to kick in. I didn't really prepare and plan this trip out. I didn't have an itinerary. I just came out and wanted to see my friends. My nimrod ass didn't actually call anyone prior to arriving except Kristof. Oh and Oui on facebook. But that's it. SO, later that afternoon I decide to call Chris. No answer. I leave a message hoping that it is still his number. I then proceed to send an email, again, hoping it is still active and used. [Been a few years, remember?] Much later, he calls back and I'm ecstatically bouncing around Kristof's tiny apartment. He's out with the family and on vacation this week. He will call me back the next morning. No problem! I am a happy dude at this point. How lucky am I that not only is the number still good but he happens to be on VACATION the very week I show up out of the blue?

Anyways, Kristof is working late, which has become a habit of his I find out for the last few years, and a reason for him telling me to thank god I don't work in Acctng. and Finance any more. Done. So, Beersingh calls me up. His name is Chris too, but when speaking about him he is referred to by his last name. One, there are just too many Chris' in the crew, and two, it's a cool name. And easily used to humorous effect. [He's a New Yorker, like me, though, so I wouldn't suggest that last unless you really know him. ;-)] Beersingh comes to pick me up. He wants to show me his new house. It is nice. And he still keeps his protections close at hand, also like me. We chill and talk. His brother starts playing a game but quickly turns it off and we flip some channels until we settle on The Best of the Best 2. Cheesy movie but I like it. Some decent fights in it. (The first one is classic.) Eventually Kristof shows up. He chills a bit but he is tired so we leave not long after he arrives. Back at Kris' we talk while drinking a few beers and smoking cigarettes. And eventually crash for the night. Now Kris used to have a futon but now he has this indoor hammock contraption. Once you situate yourself properly on it it's actually not too bad to sleep on.

That's day 1 of being back in Cali. I was going to write the whole trip in one blog but my visit with Chris and his family truly deserves it's own post. So take a break, then on to the next one.

More Bumblebee!!! And ME!!!!!!

The Starshine - In the Beginning

Some know the tale of The Starshine and many do not. I've regaled many an enraptured listener of how I came to be the human companion to The Starshine but never set the tale down in written form...until now.

I was called to The Starshine from afar. I was stationed in Arizona and had received orders to report to California. I was in the Air Force. It was 1997. My good friend Kim F. and her fiance were stationed in California as well. I had expressed the desire for a pet. They had retrievers and were familiar with the places in which to acquire a pet. I had been in Cali for about three months at this time. At that time I would have preferred a dog but I knew I would not have the space or time to devote to a dog. Not the kind of dog I'd be happy with. [A bit of background: My childhood years, there were dogs. I liked them and they liked me. Never really liked cats. The first cat I ever knew was my Nannie's cat, Biafra, a jet black cat. An EVIL fucking cat. Biafra like NO ONE. Except my Nannie. Never stopped me from trying to make friends though. I was a baby really and they're all stubborn as shit. Dummys. So, yeah, all my following cat experiences weren't all that good either, until I met my Spirit-Brother David. David had a cat at his house named Tiger. For a house cat, he was a tiger. I affectionately called him a house lion because he was solid muscle. Not many house cats are built like that. And Tiger liked me. Tiger is the reason I felt comfortable deciding on getting a cat instead of a dog. Now back to the tale of The Starshine.] SO, I decided since I couldn't get a real dog because I only had a one bedroom apartment, and didn't want to leave a dog in said apartment all day, day after day, I'd get a cat instead. Kim and her fiance, Tim, took me to a local animal shelter. I already knew if I was going to save a kitty from a shelter I was going to get a new one, not an older one that may have damage I wasn't ready or willing to deal with. All the kittens were kept in a small room all to themselves. No older big cats. So into the kitten room I went. I am instantly barraged with a cloud of mews and almost meows. I am assaulted by a multicolored moving carpet armed with needles. I kneel down and play with the separate components of this moving carpet to see who I see and who sees me. Well, as I kneel among these needle-armed furballs a race begins. A race of ultimate endurance and strength and perseverance. Quite possibly a race of life and death. A few of these needle clawed puffballs decided it was a good idea to climb this new obstacle, toy, scratch post that was me. In the lead was a white and gray not-so-puffy ball of fur and lagging behind in second place was a determined tiny, tiny, multicolored ball of fluff and then a few kids who just really wanted to play with no determination to win. Now I'm laughing and wincing at the same time: laughing 'cause a whole room full of kittens is just fun, wincing 'cause these little fuckers literally have needles for claws. And I am fascinatingly amused and enthralled at the herculean efforts made by these two kittens to climb the Everest that is me. The ghost puff is on my left side and the rainbow puff is on my right side. The ghost on my left reaches my shoulder but kind of slides off to the front. I grit my teeth 'cause in the effort to catch himself the needles come out fully and slip right through the flimsy fabric of my shirt and right into the flesh of my shoulder. That slight set back gives the tiny rainbow puff the advantage she needs to crest my right shoulder and carefully begin her climb to the top of my head. What is still to this day amazing to me is that in that final leg of the climb, though she did use her claws, she didn't scratch my head at all. Not a single nip to my face, ear, or head. And that little rainbow puff did make it to the very top of my head. So I brought her home.

How The Starshine came by her name is a much shorter tale. The aforementioned David was in college learning the mysteries of the Chinese language, Mandarin. He gifted me with a name, part of which the english translation was, you got it, Starshine. Though he told me the more literal translation would be more like Star Glow. So, anyway, I figured since this little calico kitty and I had formed a bond I might as well name her after myself, kinda sorta. And there you have the tale of how The Starshine and I came to be companions and she got her name.

I'll stop the tale here but more will be coming. Next will be The Starshine's early adventures in her new home.


This is the oldest pic I can find of The Starshine.


LAters.

It is Father's Day

For those of you out there who really celebrate this day as well as all the other manufactured 'holidays' you may not want to keep reading. I'm not going to rant and rave or anything but I don't go in for most of the so called holiday's. And, because of what today is supposed to be, ironically that's because of my Dad. Pop (that's what I call my Father) was never into holidays. So, there were never any Father's Day cards or stupid ties or other gifts. To this day. (At a very early age he stopped doing christmas. I'm pretty sure he only did it in our apartment the first year I came to live with him. For a few years during my childhood he was into Kwanzaa and that was really cool. I don't think he really strictly adheres to Kwanzaa anymore either but I am sure he still believes in or at the least supports the Nguzo Saba, the seven principles which Kwanzaa stands for. I ain't listing them here. I do know them but if you want to know look 'em up here. I still believe in them, too. At least I know the origin of Kwanzaa and it's purpose. There's nothing ambiguous in it's beginnings and it's not overly commercial like x-mas. It doesn't pretend to be a religious holiday. Whoops, I'm drifting. Back to point.) Pop taught my brother and I to be proud of ourselves and to know our history and, most importantly, to THINK! It is amazing to me how so few people are capable of real thought. So, if I were to thank my Father for anything it is the strong sense of self he instilled in my brother and I and for cultivating the ability to take in information, process that information, and come to our OWN conclusions. Thanks Pop.

Visitations

I loves when my Mommie comes to NY for whatever reason. I may have mentioned this on the blog before but I really really like hanging out with my Mommie. We don't even have to go anywhere and do anything, just sit back talk, watch tv or a movie, drink and smoke cigarettes. :-) My Mommie is the nicest person I know. Just don't cross her. Anyways, she's back in NY for various reasons and she brought my niece, Naziya, and my sister, Kiara, 'Ziya's mommie. The morning they got here, Tuesday, the whole family went to breakfast: Nannie, Mommie, Kiara, Naziya, Uncle Tanja, Cousin TT, my sister's boyfriend Cornelius, Marty, and me. We went to IHOP. That was really cool. Got pictures. Have 'em up over on facebook soon. Drank a bunch that night and slept it off on Wednesday. My Nannie wanted to go to Empire City up in Yonkers so we went Thursday night. Nannie, Mommie, Roxy, and Me. All they have there is slot machines. That's not a real casino. If you don't have gambling tables, ie. Roulette, Craps, Blackjack, Poker and such it's not a real casino. But they make money so whatever. I'm not big on gambling and especially not slot machines but I had fun. Mostly 'cause I was there with Mommie and Nannie and Roxy. They actually have a decent food court there. They actually had Franks Red Hot hot sauce in to go packets like ketchup. That kind of raised the venue's status for me. I love Franks Red Hot. (You know I took two handfuls, right? Now I can have some Franks when I travel.) So, they had Mommies favorite slot machine, Jackpot Party, I think it's called. It's actually a pretty decent and fun game, for a slot machine. I showed it to Nannie and she fell for it, too. We were there for a few hours. Had a good time. Couldn't find parking when we got back home. It was 3 in the morning but still, it was ridiculous. We dropped Nannie and Roxy off and me and Mommie drove around for about an hour before we finally decided on this way far away freaking spot. I walk Mommie to my uncle's house and he's like he's been waiting for us so he can take the car. Jackass. We could've been home! I had to show him where the car was. Then I got home. Mommie called to make sure I got home safe, which was why I walked her to my uncle's house. It was kinda fun driving around though 'cause me and Mommie were complaining about all the damn fire hydrants and no parking zones. Then Friday afternoon Mommie and I went down to Hustle USA (125th St) for some shopping. That all for now.


I always take mad pictures of Naziya when I see her. Byproduct of not having very many pictures of myself as a baby. I took a massive amount of pictures of my sister, too, as she was growing up.


The Fam. Some, not all.


Oh yeah. Mommie bought this t-shirt for me. I was not there when she did. See why my Mommie is so cool? I likes this for obvious reasons.

BLAH!!!!

I am in another depressive state. Don't really feel like expressing the exact details of why that is here but just the consequences. I have no real desire to do anything. Especially the things I NEED to do or things I WANT to do. Classic symptoms of depression, no? For instance, I like my classes in school. I like the instructors and class conversations. However, I have been insanely shirking the required work for each and every one of my classes. Most of which is writing. Which is something I happen to like doing and am particularly good at. I actually did the required research, reading and/or thought processes needed for each assignment, I just haven't sat down and written anything. I mean, I KNOW I'm a procrastinator, but this is ridiculously pathological or something. I have these moments, like everyone else I'm sure, but they don't usually last this long. And I am literally running out of time. The semester is almost over. How the hell did it get to the end of April so fast?! I just celebrated my Bornday on April 1! So, I'm sitting here at my easy ass night job STILL avoiding having to do my assignments! How retarded am I?! I've had fun for the last couple of weeks but the serious stuff I've been avoiding. Some of the stuff floating around in my head (that I'm not going into) I thought I came to terms with. I now realize I have not and unfortunately it is affecting other endeavors, i.e. school, and that is just not acceptable. April is always a good month for me, it IS my birth month, and I usually have fun the whole month. That just might be a part of my problem. I don't like to do anything I don't want to do in this month. It's mine. (It's an old habit.) However, that has not usually affected school. I'm trying to remember if I had the same problem this time last year. My memory is not reliable and I haven't been keeping up with my journal, so I really have know idea.

Another byproduct of my depressive states is that I do not eat. I don't starve myself in the extreme sense of the word but I don't eat nearly enough to properly nourish my body. Which leaves me with not a lot of energy which means I really do not want to DO stuff! Stupid vicious cycles and shit.

I need to do my work for my classes and I want to go back to aikido, so, I have to find a way out of this really really really soon. Done ranting for now.

So what's your answer?

I always liked the show "Inside The Actor's Studio." I'm just really curious about people, even the people most other people are way too interested in, ie. actors and other film people. I'm a huge admirer of films and movies so I have a real interest in how they think and do things. Well usually at the end of every show the host asks the guest the following ten questions. My spirit-brother David answered them on his blog so I figured why not follow suit. Here goes:



01. What is your favorite word?
Defenestrate. Sounds nothing like what it means. I love that.

02. What is your least favorite word?
Can't

03. What turns you on?
A beautiful smile with a beautiful mind behind it.

04. What turns you off?
Rigid minded people

05. What sound or noise do you love?
A well played guitar or piano

06. What sound or noise do you hate?
Fake crying or whining

07. What is your favorite curse word?
Fuck in all its variable forms

08. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Musician, particularly a Rock Star

09. What profession would you not like to do?
Nothing that has me going underground.

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
Either, "Ready to go again?" or "See, what had happened was..."

Just playing around.

I was playing around with my various technological gadgets and figured I'd let ya'll know about it. A little while ago I was trying out the web browser on my Playstation 3. I am not really that impressed with it. However, I realized it's really cool to read blogs on. You know, because it's on my big ass tv screen? But for surfing and checking stuff out, not so much. Even with my wireless keyboard. Which I'm using right now. Pretty cool. Also, I'm still using my big ass tv as a moniter because I plugged it into my laptop. I am sitting on my bed typing, and using my bluetooth mouse, while my computer is on the other side of the room. I'm being a lazy ass web surfer today. ;-) I took a picture with my camera but I don't feel like getting up. You know, 'cause you gotta either plug the camera into the computer or switch the memory card from one to the other. Oh, I can take a pic with my phone and send the pic via bluetooth to the laptop. I am such a lazy genius. Oh yeah, almost forgot to mention, I am still using my Playstation 3. It is now being used as a stereo. I plugged my external HD, that has all my music on it, and am playing music that way, since my PS3 sound is routed through my home theater system. This is just so cool. Oh, and I'm eating too. I am the ultimate!!!!!



Here's the big ass tv with my blogpage up.



Here's the wireless keyboard and bluetooth mouse. And right in the bottom left corner you will see the end of my spoon sticking it's butt in my picture.

And I haven't moved an inch. ;-) I'm gonna move in about ten minutes to put my God of War game disk into the PS3 and then hit the bed again and kill shit. Gotta kill Ares. All for now. LAter.

Some slight catching up

Well, once again, it has been a while. I've been in a really lazy mood. For a while. So, in my efforts to combat my laziness, I decided to compromise with myself and do some video logs. :-) So, I write a little then you get to see my handsome face and hear my totally pleasing and soothing voice. ;-)

So let's get to it:

First up is Christmas 2009.


I don't think I need to type anything extra for this one.

Next, my sister Jocelyn and her husband Jay's Wedding Reception:


As I mentioned in the vid I had a great time and it was great seeing everyone again. I'll have pics on my fb page later. I'll link 'em.

And Finally Two cool nights back to back! The second night being THE COOLEST NIGHT EVAR!!!!!

First The KGB Bar and David Anthony Durham:

Fun Night. Pics over on fb.

And the finale, Imani Coppola!!!!!!!!!!!:

About the fourth time recording this! Kept talking too long. Couldn't help it, it was such a cool night! Thanks Imani and friends!!!!!


Two sexy people!: Imani Coppola and I: Click the link and buy some great music.

Eye of the Beholder

(This is going to be stream of conscious, so, no purposeful offense is meant.)

All right! Beauty. Pretty. Oooooh WEE you good lookin'! Many things make up what one finds attractive. Attraction is more than just the physical. For some that's all it is but most people realize that there is more to attraction than what the eyes see. Some people have very set criteria and do not stray from that. That may seem shallow to some, and in most cases it is, but we like what we like. I have no criteria, however, I am very aware of the attributes that I find most attractive in the opposite sex. And as an adult looking back I know where my mind picked up those attributes as most attractive. When I was damn near still a baby is when the physical attributes began to set. Before I continue, let's list them:
Tall - (well I was really small so of course all women were tall)
Slim - with long legs!
Smooth Chocolate skin -(from brown to dark chocolate)
Balanced proportions - meaning can't be all T no A or all A no T. Gotta have both in nice proportion.
Pretty Face - this one is very subjective, I know, but so is this whole post really. Look, I gotta be able to look at you in the morning. I don't need to be flinching when I see you when I first wake up. (Go' head and laugh, but you know I'm right.) With a pretty enough face I can forgo the proportion thing, too.

Real simple. The obvious example of these three attributes was the first woman I ever knew; my Mommie. She had a sister, my aunt, who used to take me everywhere with her. At that time she also embodied these attributes. Then when I went to live with my father, the woman he was with was also the perfect amalgam of those three attributes. And also one of his oldest friends who was around quite a lot in those early years. Naturally my mind assimilated this information and attributed these attributes to the girls my age as I grew.

I have not just stuck to those physical attractions as I've grown up though. I've dated and been with women who do NOT fit those attributes in any way. That's also another way that I know what I find most attractive because when I'm with someone that doesn't have one or all of them I am quite aware of it. It's not a distracting or detracting awareness, it just is. There are those who would argue that the physical ultimately doesn't matter, and about .02% of them really mean it. The rest of the people who say that are LYING to themselves. Physical attraction DOES matter! It is not the most important thing in a relationship but it does matter. With that said, for the longest time I was not attracted to any big girls whatsoever. Not physically. Just wasn't going to happen, no matter how nice she was or how well we got along. That was when I was young though. I've since grown a bit in the last couple of years. ;-) I'll be completely honest and tell you exactly who changed my mind about big girls: Jill Scott. She was so damn PRETTY! And that VOICE! That combination made me look past the size a bit and realize that not all big girls are fat girls. Jill was a big girl but she wasn't sloppy looking. She looked healthy and carried herself well. Talk about a personal revelation. So when I see a woman now that doesn't automatically fit into the slim category, I actually pay more attention to how she carries herself. Some people are just built to hold weight. Can't help genetics. However, if you know that's the hand you're dealt, deal with it. A big girl that carries her weight well, is healthy and can keep up with me is no problem. I do have a problem with a girl being fat and lazy with it. (Well I have a problem with anyone, not just girls, being fat and lazy but that's just...forget it.) That shit is just not attractive to me, period. It amazed me when I found out there's guys who find fat/obese women attractive. I know there's supposed to be someone for everyone, but that still makes know sense to me. Oh well. I know there's going to be someone who says you just don't like big girls 'cause you can't handle one. Wrong. I can and I have. On more than one occasion. but that body type is not what I find attractive. Now, I have family and friends that are big or fat or a little overweight and they know my position. They don't hold it against me. This isn't judgement, and I hope no one reads this as such. This is just a catharsis of what I like in women.

Which leads to the non-physical attributes I like, which are harder to lay out in words. Personalities are made up of so much and there's an unlimited combination so there's nothing perfect in this arena. Close for some but not perfect. I will attempt to make a list here:
Confident - can go against the grain with no problem. What other people think doesn't matter.
Aggressive - this goes with confidence but is a bit more. Not masculine just a bit more forward in action.
Feminine - Have to list this because of the previous two. I'm not into butch girls. I like tomboys that still know how to be ladies.
Unafraid to try new things
Unafraid to try ordinary things - If you can't go swimming 'cause of your damn hair, stay the fuck away from me. Silly shit like that just pisses me off. I'd understand if you JUST got it done but other than that, get away.

See, it's harder to list non-physical qualities because there are so many intricacies when it comes to personalities. But personality is more important than physical attractiveness. At least for me it is, which is why I've been able to date women who, if you were just going off of looks, I would never date. I was this way even when I was pretty young. I dated a girl in 7th grade that all my friends were all like, "WHY?!" It was simple, I liked her and she liked me. Physically, not my preferred match, but who she was was more than that and that was enough. (Funny, I just realized this was way before my Jill Scott revelation. I guess I must have regressed a little bit since my teenage years. Thanks for bringing me back Jill.) One thing I must add is that you have to like yourself. If you don't like you how in the hell do you expect someone else to like you. I mean to have a healthy relationship. That's the only way to have a truly healthy relationship. Can't think of any more right now. I may edit this later or just do a continuing post. All for now on this.

Oh yeah, one more thing: Here is an example of the physical attributes I find most appealing.(click the pic to view it larger)



(Please be careful with any comments in reference to the young woman in this picture please.)
This is Veronica. She was 5'8", 34C-26-35. And a nice smooth chocolate. Yum!

Aikido

I've been interested in aikido for a number of years and finally found the time and a dojo/sensei I felt comfortable with about a year ago (I am actually a bit embarrassed that this is my first post about it). What really intrigued me about aikido is that it is a martial art that emphasizes balance between defensive and offensive combat. It is not about meeting force with force. To look at and, to be honest, practice, most other martial arts are mostly offensive combat arts. Understandably so if you know anything of human history, know matter what culture you explore. But aikido, looking at and practicing, is very defensive. However, the martial aspect is very present. Just look at some early Steven Seagal movies. Though the main focus of aikido, at least to me, is to redirect the aggressive energy from an opponent back at that opponent with as little violence as possible, you realize that in properly controlling the energy of the opponent you actually control the opponent physically. And with that control you can really do some damage. Now I have no problem with a straight up fight but I don't really like to and if there is a better way to put someone down without damaging myself, which is more likely meeting force with force, then I'm all for it. And by redirecting their force and putting them down I can choose to hurt them or not. I like the control and the choice. And I'm a bit obsessed with balance so this happens to be a perfect martial art for me. I've done others but this is by far the most comfortable fit for me, though I must say I'm actually glad of my previous martial arts experience. Recent situations and my current school schedule have made it very difficult to go and I SO miss practicing! My only available time to go to the dojo is Monday and I really need to start going again even if it is only one day a week because I really miss it (I did it last fall semester so I'm just being a bit of a slacker this year. I suck.) Anyways, the reason for this post is my sensei, Gary Snyder, posted a short documentary on fb about his dojo/art gallery space. I've told anyone who'll listen about how super cool this space is and the documentary shows the space and how super cool it is, so now you can SEE it. I'd like to also add that if you live in NYC and you are interested in aikido let me know and I'll give you the info on the dojo so you can come and check it out. Watch the documentary below.



See! Very cool! You even get a glimpse of Shuji Maruyama sensei, the founder of Kokikai Aikido, the style of aikido I am learning. He taught Gary sensei. My very first class that I participated in was instructed by Maruyama sensei himself, which I took as a very positive sign that I should stick with this dojo! Maruyama sensei lives in Japan and only travels to the States once or twice a year so my very first class was kinda special to me. I've since been on the mat with sensei a few more times since and let me tell you first hand, he is NO JOKE! Tossed me like a ragdoll. Interestingly it is rather fun and uncannily hysterical to be thrown by him. I assume it's his energy. Even when he's manipulating your body like a puppet there's no aggression or negative energy. He just radiates so much positive energy that when you're picking yourself up off of the mat you find yourself laughing. Trust me, it isn't just me. It happens with everyone I've seen him demonstrate on. Even Gary sensei.

I need to go back.

Astrology

Just found out a new friend of mine, Mike's, Bornday is Sept. 3, which makes him a Virgo. I now know why him and I get along so well. I'm not a new wavy super duper astrological freak or anything, however, I do think there is more truth than not in the reading of the stars and planets. Here's my minimal proof. I have a rather strong bond to my mother. Before you scoff and/or laugh, know that not everyone does. I know, a few are friends of mine. Anyways, my parents weren't together at any point in my life really. My father had the bulk time of raising me. Fortunately for me my parents remained very good friends throughout my life and so I've always spent time with my mother growing up without much drama. My earliest years were with my mother and her side of the family. It wasn't until I had been on the planet a few years and my features formed enough that it was undeniable I was my father's child that he took responsibility for my existence. My mother was okay with this. We've since had conversations about it obviously. WELL, most of those early years with my Pop I was constantly wishing to be with my mother. Pop was strict! As an adult I see the necessity for me being with my father. Both parents are best, obviously, but things don't always work the way we think they're supposed to. Anyhows, because my focus for so many years was to be with my Mommie, whenever we were together was just the most funnest time ever and the spans of time were so brief that I'd developed a very strong emotional tie to her. To the point of this post, my mother is a Virgo. Next: During my teenage years, specifically the summer before high school, I met the person that would become one of the most important people to me outside of my blood family. My spirit-brother and best friend, David. I really hope you've figured out that he is also a Virgo. Him and I have been friends JUST over 19 years now. There's very few people I hold as close to me as I do David, blood or no. There's been a few other Virgos I've met over the years and I'm still friends with all of them. Not to say I'm only friends with Virgos but I usually have a strong connection with them. Which brings us back to Mike. It's been almost exactly a year since we met. New job. He happens to be one of the most level headed and responsible people I've ever met and the fact that he's so young and that balanced is amazing to me. I know adults older than me that aren't half as good at life as Mike is. Over the last year we've talked a bit and knowing more of his background I can easily see how he pieced himself together into the young man he is. BUT he also could have went a completely different way, too. I think the fact that he chose the path that he is currently on is so cool. Reminds me of David a lot actually. And that's why when I found out he was a Virgo, especially an early Sept. Virgo, I was like no wonder! Mommie and David are both first week Sept. Virgos as well. So with that, HAPPY BORNDAY! to Mike, Mommie and David! Also to Melinda and Michelle!

Movies: District 9 and inglorious Basterds and other things

Well it has been about two weeks since the last time. I know you missed me. Anyways, I've been to the movies twice in that time. Saw District 9 and Inglorious Basterds. I enjoyed both immensely while I was watching them and immediately afterwards. They are both very different films and therefore cannot truly be compared, which I will not do, however I did like one more than the other. Let's get to it:

District 9

I really, really liked this film. The story was good, the FX were wonderful, and the action was great. My Sci-Fi geek was completely satisfied. My action junkie was totally pleased. My social conscious was not so easily appeased. And my social conscious is a rather strong part of me so I couldn't even switch it off while I was watching the movie. The most I could do was put it as far back in my mind as possible and let the other two enjoy themselves.
First: The aliens looked GREAT! The CGI used for them was absolutely phenomenal. Their social behaviour not so much. The story begins after they have been on earth for twenty years. A bit of backstory in the form of interviews tells how they got here and were established on the land alloted for them, designated District 9. Well after twenty years these aliens seem to have become the stereotypical sloppy, nasty, uneducated, and violent inhabitants of a slum. (Being an american of African descent these stereotypes strike a particular soft spot. Not so long ago the collective white populace thought this way about all non-whites. Some of 'em still do.) It's inferred that they were just workers on the ship they came on, so, I guess that is the reason for their apparent unsophistication. Personally I don't buy it. I don't care if they are just workers, they are workers on a SPACESHIP! That alone, to me, tells me they are more advanced than us. This intelligence I know should be there is exhibited in three of the aliens. THREE! And one of them is a child. These three for the entire twenty years were the only members of their race stuck on this planet trying to get off. For real?
Second: The humans were shown pretty much the way they needed to be with one exception. The Nigerians, the human criminal element among the aliens, were stereotypically and quite offendingly completely uncivilized. To properly explain this I gotta reveal the main movie plot so, you know, SPOILER ALERT for those of you who haven't seen this or don't know the story yet. Basically the main character, Wikus, is supposed to get the aliens ready to move to a new location. While going in and out of their 'homes' he finds something of interest in one of them with some liquid in it. Moron sprays himself with it. Begins turning into an alien. For the majority of the movie the extent of his transformation is his left arm has become an alien arm. And here's the rub. The aliens weapons are basically genetically coded so only they can use them. The company Wikus works for is private not gov't and they want to dissect him once they prove he can fire the aliens' weapons. Typical corporation. He gets away. Only one place to go. Distrct 9, of course. Things happen while he is hiding out. He needs weapons, goes to the local criminal element, the Nigerians. His arm is discovered. The Nigerian warlord wants to cut his arm off and EAT IT to grow one like it so he, too, can use the weapons. DOES THIS MAKE ANY FUCKING SENSE?! Now, to Neill Blomkamp's (screenwriter and director) ignorant credit, he ESTABLISHES this scenario a bit earlier by showing the warlord taking the advice of his, I guess, female spiritual adviser/witchdoctor and eating killed aliens raw to absorb their power. Oh realllllllly asshole. Don't get me wrong. I know those beliefs existed and still do. BUT this is a man who runs a rather SUCCESSFUL criminal enterprise, has the presence of mind to stockpile a cache of the aliens' weapons even though he can't use them, just like the big evil corporation, so there has to be some above primitive intelligence here, yes? And when his solution walks right in his front door, UNLIKE said corporation, his solution is to eat the arm. WHAT THE FUCK? You couldn't come up with anything MORE INTELLIGENT than that. I came up with a very usable and more intelligent solution as I was watching the damn movie and was DUMBFOUNDED though NOT surprised at what was used. Real simple: cut the arm off, hollow it out, and use it like a glove. I mean COME ON! Wouldn't that have been more intelligent not to mention more FUCKING BELIEVABLE! I mean, it's not like the warlord was going to achieve his goal anyway, right? He just gets to blurt out his intentions before they get thrashed, right?! So where is the harm in making the man sound just a little bit intelligent as befits his status as a warlord running a SUCCESSFUL CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE! Can you tell I'm completely disgusted about this? (Don't get me wrong. I understand that people like this probably exist but it wasn't necessary to put them in this supposedly intelligent sci-fi flick.) I shouldn't be surprised as this tale comes out of and was filmed in the land of apartheid. I'm not saying Neill Blomkamp is a bigot or racist, but certain stereotypes and old cultural norms have a hard time dying. American cinema is not much different, still, and we know the history of this country, don't we? The excellent movie Alien Nation and it's even better television series did this scenario much better.
Otherwise, though now it doesn't seem like it to you, I did enjoy the movie. I've been dealing with shit like this in movies my entire life so I know how to roll with it. But I don't view quietly, so to speak.

Inglorious Basterds

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Quentin does the damn thing once again. Let me open with this: I went to see this in the daytime, early afternoon. When I see new films the day they open I like to see them then because most people are still at work or wherever and not at the movies. Opening nights are a hell I can't stand. NO patience for waiting in line for tickets, only to wait on another line inside just to get into the theater I JUST bought a ticket for. I find that obviously annoying. Also, the theater is FULL, which isn't bad unless you are at the back of the second line. And if you're with someone it's worse. Anyways, I like the afternoon. So I buy my ticket an hour early, go burn about fifty minutes and get inside about ten minutes before, like I usually do. I almost didn't have a seat. Imagine my surprise! That has never happened before, and I've been doing this for a while now. SO, I get my seat and I'm looking around and I notice a LOT of white hair and old faces. I'm still oblivious until I hear the couple on my left speak. The woman has a bit of an accent and it dawns on me: There's a LOT of old Jewish people here to see Quentin's re-imagining of WWII. My brain continues to work. They've been WAITING for something like this FOR A LONG TIME! I understand. They've never had a conscious communal catharsis of the massive amount of fear and anger they must harbor within. I mean, look at how they've protected the memory of what happened to them as a people. Every film dealing with their holocaust has been so meticulously dour, melancholy, and damn near depressing. Even the recent film, Defiance, which was about a small band of Jewish resisters, was not really a catharsis of negative emotion. Just another factual reminder of how little resistance was given. Who wants to see that ALL THE TIME! I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with those true to life factual depictions of such a horrific period, but something has to give! And to be perfectly honest there was no one better to open the floodgates of such emotion than Mr. Quentin Tarantino. Talk about catharsis! It's human to want revenge, even if it is fictional. TRUST ME! I know. My own ancestors had their own holocaust right here and to be perfectly honest there is no way to take revenge for such things other than fictionally, other than educating those that follow so that the same things don't happen again. Back to the movie. Yeah, brilliant. No one could have played the part of the leader of the Inglorious Basterds better than Brad Pitt. I guess that's why Quentin wrote the part just for him in the first place. Brad is hilarious in this. (SPOILER ALERT) Especially near the end when he's pretending to be Italian along with two of his Basterds. I was cryin' I was laughing so hard! The one thing I really, really liked about this film was that Quentin didn't make the nazi's evil caricatures. They were people, misguidedly evil yes, but they were people with real human emotions and real human reactions. The main antagonist, Col. Landa was wonderfully acted and developed. He was a detective and his main job in the beginning of the film is to hunt Jews in France. And he is good at his job. This, among other things, is why I think the catharsis truly works. You see the monsters are just people and can be dealt with. And they were dealt with! Col. Landa, upon finding out a woman he actually likes is a traitor, is crying as he kills her. That scene was really well done and acted by Christoph Waltz. You could see and feel the betrayal he felt when he jumped up and wrapped his hands around her neck, and the tears running down his face as he strangled her to death. Another nazi, Zoller, is portrayed as a regular young man who wants a girl, Shosanna, to like him. At the end, the nice guy role drops as he gets tired of being rejected. He's a nazi war hero, the film she's showing in her theater is about the event that made him a hero, and his arrogant superiority comes out because of his frustration of being turned down by this girl who should be flattered he even gives her his attention at all. The nazi minister of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, who made the film about Zoller, is given the highest compliment he's ever received from the man himself, Adolf. Adolf tells him as they are watching the film that it is the best work he's ever done. Joseph actually breaks out in tears and can barely thank Adolf for the compliment, he's so overwhelmed. See? Human. Just really had fucked up views of the world is all. And they needed to get dealt with. And in this film they get DEALT WITH! In particular Quentin style the story is told from the multiple viewpoints of the protagonists. With the exception of Lt. Aldo, played wonderfully by Brad, all of the Basterds are Jewish soldiers except one who's German. And though the title of the movie is the name of their little group the film is not just about them. It's very well fleshed out and well done. The story of Shosanna is set in motion because of the actions of Col. Landa. He kills her family and almost kills her, so, when she is presented with the opportunity to take out a bunch of nazi's, including Landa, she takes it. It's the opening scene and you get to see how intelligent Col. Landa is. The Inglorious Basterds are terror style shock troops and they do their job well! I'll leave the rest alone, just go see it! I will repeat though, Jewish people have been waiting for a film like this for a long time and they needed it. (They were all clapping at the end so I feel confident in my assessment.) I'm happy for them and I'm happy with them.

Now to the other things. My blogging anniversary passed and I didn't even notice until my best friend David mentioned his was coming up. Since I started mine before his I realized my anniversary had just passed. Well, I'm actually glad I got to do this post for my blogging anniversary. I'll be starting classes again at Fordham University in about a week. I'm dually looking forward to it and dreading it. But I'll be fine. I always am. Things are moving along. I'm still looking for a new place to live but I'm good. That all for now. Thanks for checking in. Until next time, LAter.

SF spree

Okay, so a while ago my best friend David mentions that amazon.com is having a sale on everything SF on the site. Pretty much half off of everything SF! You KNOW I couldn't resist that! Me being the SF freak that I am and the admitted consumer that I am I had to go and look, knowing I would not be able to resist a mini buying spree. Now usually when I get into one of these spending modes I just pick damn near everything I feel like buying at the time, which is ALWAYS a lot. Then right before I'm ready to purchase, I begin to wheedle down the items I have usually according to what I really really want and the prices. I do this online and in the store as well. Anyways, since I was online and it was a super duper sale I put everything that I wanted in my wishlist 'cause I didn't want it all in my cart and then make a bad mistake. I picked from my wishlist and still got rid of stuff after it was in my cart just cause I'm so weak and gotta push it to the absolute limit. SO, what did I get? Here's a list:

1. Eureka - Season One
2. Eureka - Season Two
3. Eureka - Season 3.0
4. Shigurui: Death Frenzy Complete Box Set BluRay
5. Firefly: The Complete Series BluRay
6. Patrmony: A Pip and Flinx Adventure (book)

You'd think I was done, and so did I, however about two weeks later I get an email from amazon.com telling me that it's the last days of the big SF sale! Needless to say my mind was blown! I can get more?! See, I thought the sale was over. In stores the sales usually only last a week, so, I figured I got what I really wanted at the time so cool. WELL! It had been just over two weeks! I have MORE MONEY!!!!! See where this is going? I'll just get to the second list now:

7. Crossworlds
8. Supernova
9. They Live
10. Alien Nation - The Complete Series
11. Alien Nation - Ultimate Movie Collection
12. Stargate (Extended Cut) [Blu-ray]
13. Samurai 7: Box Set (Viridian Collection)
14. The Arrival [Blu-ray]

Well that's it. A bit about the purchases. I've only caught a few of the episodes of the Eureka series but every one I've seen I've liked, plus I'm a huge admirer/fan of Salli Richardson and Joe Morton, so I got 'em all. I saw the trailer for Shigurui on my Afro Samurai 2 dvd and was blown away, so I just said fuck it. And you know the trailer had to be REALLY good for me not only to buy it but get the BluRay, too. Firefly, because, you know, it's just GOOD. David had it already and showed me all the good episodes and I loved Serenity, so, no brainer here. Been a Pip and Flinx fan since the early days, been reading these a LONG time, so, again, no brainer. Always liked Crossworlds, mostly 'cause Rutger Hauer is in it, and when I first saw it I hadn't seen him in a film in a LONG time. Ever since Blade Runner I've been a Rutger fan/admirer. And I really liked the way they portrayed dimensional travel. Supernova is a space sci-fi film starring Angela Basset and James Spader. No brainer! It was also really good. I'm not one of those crazy fanboys that will just get something 'cause someone I like is in it. I'll check it out for that reason, but I'll only buy it if it's good. Where am I? Oh yeah, They Live. Do I really need to explain this? No, I don't think so. If you don't know, I can't help you. One word. CLASSIC!!!!!!! Onwards. Alien Nation: I got both of these because I am a huge admirer of the series and the tv films and I loved the original film. It is still one of the best Sci-Fi films to me and the series actually pulled off continuing the storyline very well. Which is rare. Usually a tv show and tv movies made from a studio film suck. These did not. Stargate: Now, you know, I really, really, really, really, really like this movie, right?! I mean this is a triple dip for me. I have NEVER triple dipped before. I rarely double dip. IF you check my dvd list out, you will see that I have this movie TWICE already. A very barebones edition and a really super duper Ultimate edition. Neither of which has an ENGLISH subtitle option. I know, I'm weird. I get it. I know you're saying, who gives a shit about subtitles?! Well, I do, thank you very much. I LIKE subtitles. They come in very handy sometimes. And I just like them. So I really like them for a movie I just LOVE. Stargate is one of those movies. Not a big fan of the show though. And I only got it 'cause it is BluRay. If it had been another regular dvd edition with english subtitles I would have just been pissed but I wouldn't have bought it. Anyways, moving along. Samurai 7 'cause I heard it was cool. It wasn't a definitive coolness so I didn't get the BluRay of this and also the BluRay edition was twice as much, so, no. I better like it ;-). And lastly, The Arrival. Now, I remember way back when when this movie came out. I heard so many bad things about it. So it took me a long time before I got around to seeing it. When I finally watched it I was PISSED! It was one of the BEST Sci-Fi films I had ever seen! I mean it was straight sci-fi all the way through. Most sci-fi films do well because they're about 20-15% sci-fi and 80-85% action. The Arrival was like 95-98% SCI-FI! That just doesn't happen very often. And when it does usually the movie suffers for it but in this case it didn't. At least to me. I was thoroughly impressed and entertained by this film. And THAT'S why I got the BluRay version, too. I just can't believe this film isn't more popular than it is. Oh well, I like it. And David likes it so whatever.

Anyways, just thought I'd share. LAter.

Graduations and other things

Well it's coming into the beginning of summer time. Kids are graduating school and school is out for everyone. I have been rather directly personally touched by the graduation season for I have a nephew and a niece that have graduated. My nephew, Christopher, who is a blood relative, my big brother's son, graduated Jr. High school and will be starting High School come the new school year. That is so cool to me because I so vividly remember when he was born. I was in basic training in the U.S. Air Force in Jan. of '95 and I received the most wonderful card in the mail and a picture from my brother. Christopher Childs, his son my nephew, was born! I was an UNCLE for the first time. That was so cool. Basic was already not too heavy a situation for me and that just made it that much easier. So, yeah, he's much bigger now (obviously:-)) and on his way. Can't wait for his H.S. graduation in four years. It may be sooner 'cause that kid is SMART! He's like me a bit, he reads A LOT! I think that's kind of cool ;-).

Then there's my niece Tyler. Tyler is not a blood relative, yet I refer to her as my niece because her aunt Veronica was the love of my life, and I've known Tyler since she was about seven. I've written about Veronica several times, here, here, and here. Well, while V was alive and we were together in Cali. I was warmly and openly accepted by her family as one of the family. Even after we split up they always held me close as one of them. When she died and I ran to Cali for her life celebration ceremony I was unsure of where to be: family was on one side of the room and everyone else on the other. One of her aunts, who I must of only met two or three times, remembered me, and grabbed me by my hand and told me, "You're with us. You're family." I cannot express here how good that made me feel (damn, I'm crying :-)) during a time when I was feeling like my world collapsed. Anyways, I've always remained close and in contact with the family so it's cool. Besides, Tyler's mom Jocelyn, was a friend first. She introduced me to her sister Veronica. Back to Tyler. Well, she graduated High School this past Thursday. (Yeah, her school was late with it.) She has grown into such a beautiful and wonderful young lady. It was so fascinating to see the child who used to frustrate my nerves sometimes, when V and I babysat, in the face of this intelligent and beautiful young woman. I am so proud of her. She is going to college. I'm not sure of her major because she's not sure but she is thinking about engineering, which I hope she does 'cause that would be great. So few females in that career field. And it's also a career field that has not been bleeding jobs like everything else. I'm so proud of her!

I had to travel down to northern VA, cause that's where J and Tyler live now. It was a cool trip. I like Amtrak better than Greyhound. No problems getting there. My train was almost two hours late on the way back to NY though. I'm so glad I went. I had know idea how much I missed my Holloway family. It was weird sitting in J's living room and everyone was just lounging on the couch. It's a huge couch. I had to take a video of it. I'll post those up later. But, man, did I miss Veronica while sitting there with so much of her family around me. I wonder if I remind them of her as much as they remind me of her. More than usual I mean. Anyway, I had a great weekend. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm a lucky individual! I try to remember that as much as possible. What's good in your life? Remember to hold it close and cherish it.

Who I is!

Interesting. I can live with being Mr. Benford. He is definitely a well respected author and and excellent writer/storyteller. Plus he's a real life, bonafide scientist! How cool is that! See which SF writer YOU are.

I am: Gregory Benford A master literary stylist who is also a working scientist.

Which science fiction writer are you?