January 9, 2010

three bad brothers


ok. i like the hip hop. don't get me wrong. i let my 23 yr old friends appreciate eminem, young jeezy and those fucking...i don't know... say, luda. what's he done in forever?

when i was 9 an album dropped that would change my life. Some of you might not even have been alive then...or at least you were still chewing on pureed bananas or cheerios or whatever you eat when you cut a tooth (that's you Josh). that album was License to Ill. the providers were the Beastie Boys.

here's the law. everyone who loves music must at least be familiar. you know who they are. you've heard songs from this album, at minimum. if however you have never owned this album...on tape, vinyl, cd or all digital...well i don't fucking know what to say to you.

when took a car trip to masseena NY to kick american ass at a baseball tourney (3homers/1GS...suck it) when i was 10, i listened to it.
when i called girls up in middle school to go watch a movie and make out, i listened to it.
First smoke,
first drink,
first tit grab
first stolen car ride
13th birthday party
cartag
smoke
that time i was gonna go down on this girl and, just in time, thought better of it and told her that girls was the coolest song ever
smoke
smoke
smoke
highschool shit-punk band (awesome cover of Eagles Hotel California!)
first job
all through university
self mixed wedding soundtrack
fuck, any party i ever had
you get the idea

obviously, occasional obsession issues. so. these are the original demos from the album. lovingly referred to as Original Ill.

the tracks I'm Down, Scenario, Fight For Your Right #2 are on this album but it's missing Slow Ride which i just enjoy too much not to share.

the chances of finding die hard beastie fans here are remote, but i wager everyone remembers a time when a track off this album was playin in the background and they got stoked.

Enjoy

Learn

if you ain't down, well, hey fuck you.
January 8, 2010

chip off the old rocker

When I'm getting to know someone, one of the first questions I ask or perhaps one of the first things I check out on an internet profile concerns music. Quickest way to turn me off? Tell me, "oh, I listen to everything." Really? Do you? You listen to gospel and grindcore and country and hip hop and sludge metal? The confused look on your face tells me you have no idea what I'm talking about. I usually attempt to ask if that person has any favorites...favorite band or singer or song or album or anything. That response isn't usually too encouraging either. To me, it means you probably haven't vested that much interest in music and might as well be dead.

Music is life.

I learned that whole deal at an early age thanks to my dad. You know, he wasn't the easiest person to live with...certainly to be raised by. He was way too into drinking and drugs. His temper was wickedly short....to put it mildly. I don't think he was really cut out for fatherhood. He died 3 years ago. Cancer. And actually, he would have celebrated his birthday just a couple days ago, so of course, he's been on my mind. We weren't close but it was still a big loss. I held a lot of resentment towards him for not really having a childhood. I mean, going to court at 3 because your daddy was arrested for distribution of cocaine isn't exactly keeping up a stable environment conducive to child raising. After I found out he was sick and even after he died, I had the desire to let all that go. Why hold on to it? It certainly wasn't doing me any good. I just really had no idea how the fuck I was going to do that.

Gradually, it happened. I've gone through a lot of changes of my own in the last couple of years... alot had to do with a musical evolution that started with a suggestion to listen to Baroness. Music...music I like anyway...means a fuckload to me. Elevates my moods. Harmonizes my emotions. Frees my spirit. Somewhere along my evolutionary road, I began to realize that Dad taught me all that. I can picture him clearly singing along to Don Henley's (from The Eagles) The Heart of the Matter. "I've been trying to get down to the heart of the matter. But my will gets weak and my thoughts seem to scatter. But I think it's about forgiveness. Forgiveness. Even if, even if you don't love me anymore." He'd turn it up on that part when he'd have company over and tell them to listen to that shit closely. It's a good song. I can still sing along to most of it even now. And of course, Eric Clapton's "Cocaine" could get him laughing and fist pumping like a champ...crazy old fuck. He introduced me to some greats. Janis, Jimi, the Allman Brothers, the Stones, Zeppelin, Cream, Bread, Foghat, the Eagles...Hotel California still gets my hips moving, like it or not, fuckers..., the Doobie Brothers, Charlie Daniels (stfu), and more, more, more. Dad knew his shit and it makes me smile to think back to him laughing, smiling, even tearing up over songs. I got my love of sharing music from him, too. I don't remember much about growing up....side effect of a fucked up childhood...but I do remember him making people listen to the different songs he loved and keying them in on the best parts while they had their drinks and whatever else may have been on the menu that day.

Dad,

I would be much less of a woman if it weren't for you teaching me how much music could mean...how much it could move you and connect you to others. Thank you. It is about forgiveness, isn't it? I love you, you crazy sonofabitch.

always,

j


The ongoing saga:

Joshypoo says:
QUESTION:
Craig says:
ok
Joshypoo says:
if there was a place to do it, that seemed worthwhile, would you blog?
because i have this person, who wants me to blog, and blogging is for faggots and transvestites
but i might do it if you did too
peer pressure and shit
Craig says:
didn't you thow a hissy fit about me and twitter
isn't that kinda the same thing
Joshypoo says:
yeah
yes...
Craig says:
only in a larger scale
Joshypoo says:
yeah
Craig says:
so
Joshypoo says:
hey, i could always pull my penis out and let you step on it
it was just a question
Craig says:
you would make a mad muslim
bad
too
you have no conviction
Joshypoo says:
the response i gave, and i'll quote "there's not enough tea in china"
how's that for conviction MOTHAFUCKA?!?!?!?
Craig says:
but is there enough potatoes in ireland?
Joshypoo says:
as long as you combine them with all the oil in afghanistan, so i could make french fries
was that a sharp comeback? HIGH FIVE!
Craig says:
yes
well done
Joshypoo says:
your acclaim gives me chubs
chubs4u
that'll be my blogging name
not impressed? well that's because you're an asshole
there's nothing wrong with me!

Like That Shit on a Peach


First of all, I am a no talent hack. But, I have awareness.

Here’s the thing. Blogs of all sorts are available ad-nauseum on the net. And there are a million different ways to get your creativity across. Do it, by all means available, if you must. What gets me at times is the whole American Idol audition syndrome where everybody thinks what they write is amazing. Fine. In all likelihood you write particularly well, especially if you came here. But there are those people…those who write poetry on other soc-nets for instance, when they have no business doing so.

In all honesty, if I see a poem other than in an anthology, or scrolling across a tv screen on veterans day, then it is out of place. Sure, we all found a way to string a bunch of rhymes together in high-school, or god forbid university, in an effort to score a little scratch, but those days are gone. If you write poetry, find an editor and have one knowing person tell you how much you suck as opposed to subjecting yourself to the critiques of the ignorant masses. Also, just because you are having a bad day/week/life, it does not mean that all your work has to bee dark and vampiry. For fuck sakes.

Chuck Bukowski is the man. Prolific. Truthful. Heart-breaking. Hard and Dirty. He gives literature some fuzz.

Learn Here.

Admire below.



Friendly Advice to a Lot of Young Men

Go to Tibet.
Ride a Camel.
Read the Bible.
Dye your shoes blue.
Grow a beard.
Circle the world in a paper canoe.
Subscribe to the Saturday Evening Post.
Chew on the left side of your mouth only.
Marry a woman with one leg and shave with a straight razor.
And carve your name in her arm.

Brush your teeth with gasoline.
Sleep all day and climb trees at night.
Be a monk and drink Buckshot and beer.
Hold your head under water and play the violin.
Do a belly dance before pink candles.
Kill your dog.
Run for Mayor.
Live in a barrel.
Break your head with a hatchet.
Plant tulips in the rain.

But don’t write poetry.

Inspiration and Connection

This is perhaps one the most emotional songs/movie scenes I've been able to enjoy. I love Platoon, and think it brought us several great actors, all while telling a story that you don't often see. That of the one through the eyes of the soldier them self.



Adagio for strings somehow manages to capture the raw emotion of the soldier's constant battle with not only the enemy, but his own moral values. Being a war vet myself, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think back on what I witnessed, and what I felt. It's something nobody can take away or compare to.

From under a rock: 10 Things women should know about men

I came up with these out of the blue, without much thought or pretense. It was more of a response to a request, based on other list created by a woman in response to a celebrity's interview that you might just see in this blog...

1. Cuddling is only meant to ensure a follow up sex romp.

2. Our mothers don't come first, they just know how to cheat to win.

3. The way to our heart truly is through our stomach..unless of course, you want it quick and painless, then you go straight through the chest.

4. We have to cling on to some form of our childhood, be it video games or even a porn stash. It's what makes us feel young.

5. When we say No, it means "I guess so, maybe, I don't know."

6. If you ask us to chose our favorite body part, its like asking us to masturbate in public, just not fair.

7. It's truly embedded deeply in our chromosomes to forget things that your chromosomes have deemed important.

8. We are in touch with our feelings, please stop asking....no seriously, stop.

9. A threesome isn't every man's ultimate fantasy....an all out orgy with several women, and lots of whipped cream and strawberries is.

10. We love you for what you are, here and now, if that wasn't true, we'd be somewhere else.

Hope this will suffice, as my brain is running on empty.

(it's really just the meanderings of a crazy man, who, when push comes to shove, can pull anything out of his ass)
January 7, 2010

Brought to you in CinemaScope




I love movies.

Even some of those truly awful movies that are so bad they're good.

I hate ranking things so this won't be a top (insert number here) list...just some movies that I love and think everyone should see.

Inherit the Wind - An absolutely brilliant movie based on the Scopes Monkey Trial that took place in Tennessee in 1926. You can look up the details but basically it was unlawful "to teach any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals." John Scopes intentionally violated this law and was put on trial.

Spencer Tracy is amazing in it as the man defending Scopes (which was Clarence Darrow in the actual trial). What I really love is that the movie drives home the point that faith and science can be reconciled, and shows explicitly that ignorance and fear are the true evils. If a higher power created us as we are, he gave us out minds and free will and an insatiable curiosity that shouldn't be denied out of fear that we may have to see things in a different way.

Blazing Saddles - Comedies never get the credit they deserve. This may be the funniest movie ever made and it takes the uncomfortable topic of racism and laughs right in its face. There's a lesson in here for all of us. If you can laugh at it, it has no power over you. And if you can't laugh at this movie, there's something wrong with you.

The Big Sleep - Humphrey Bogart is my favorite actor. There is no close second. This is my favorite movie with him in it and one that doesn't quite get the respect it deserves. Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon get the huge acclaim, but I'll take The Big Sleep over both of them. Not only is it based on a brilliant novel by Raymond Chandler, but it has Lauren Bacall acting opposite Bogart who later became his wife. They are perfect together and every second they're on screen together just sizzles. It also has some of the best dialogue you'll ever find on film.

Seven Samurai - Akira Kurosawa may be the greatest filmmaker that ever lived. I would recommend any movie he made, but Seven Samurai is his masterpiece. He invented modern storytelling on film. His camera work and methods are still used today and I don't think there are any great modern filmmakers that wouldn't list him as an influence on their work. Seven Samurai also has the benefit of some truly brilliant performances by some of the top Japanese actors of the time. Everyone the loves movies should see this film.

Akira - I suppose my love of anime (Japanese animation) should get its own blog, but Akira is the movie that truly got me hooked and opened my eyes to the limitless possibilities of animation. In the hands of people that aren't afraid to push boundaries, animation can create worlds and explore concepts that would make Walt Disney shit bricks. Akira pushed the limits of violence and science fiction like nothing I'd seen before.

To explain the plot and explore the ideas presented would take days. It isn't my favorite anime film, or even the one that makes me think the most (Evangelion gets that nod) but it was the first that really blew my mind. And just from an artistic viewpoint it is beautiful to look at. I wore out my VCR pausing the screen over and over to try and catch all the details the artists poured into it.


A Clockwork Orange - I'm singing in the rain...just singing in the rain. If you laughed at that, just skip to the next movie. Stanley Kubrick is one of my favorite directors. It's hard to find one that almost never lets you down. A Clockwork Orange is a fun little piece of filmmaking that doesn't take itself too seriously while somehow being very serious. I'm sure there is some deep commentary in there about violence and disenchanted youth in the word today, but I'm usually giggling too hard to notice.

The movie uses such unique dialogue and a hodgepodge of film techniques that you kind of feel off balance the whole time. It all fits together brilliantly and you're having so much fun watching this charming little sociopath that all the messages and meanings hit you much later.


The Quiet Man - My favorite John Wayne movie and a glimpse at how beautiful a country Ireland is. I will get there someday. It's the story of an Irish American boxer that returns to Ireland to reclaim his family's farm. It's a wonderful little love story with plenty of humor, a great brawl, and a wonderful showcase for the beauty and culture of Ireland. If this movie doesn't charm you then you probably don't have a heart. John Ford and John Wayne may be the best director/actor combo of all time and this movie proves that it doesn't apply only to Westerns. It's one of those movies that just makes you feel warm inside...makes you feel good. We all need that sometimes.


The Petrified Forest - I've mentioned this movie in a blog before. The story of a man who has lost everything but finds meaning in giving the only thing he has left to give. Sometimes that's all you can hope for. To find something or someone worth giving everything you have for. This movie actually made me cry the first time I saw it. Leslie Howard is one of the most understated and underrated actors of all time. His interactions with Davis and Bogart in this movie are just brilliant. He's on another level. This is worth seeing just for his performance.


The Third Man - This film gets me in two ways. The first way is in the absolute beautiful way it is filmed. This is why I love black and white movies. This would lose so much of its power if it were in color. It's art on film. Second is in the underlying theme, which is unrequited love. It's something that's always there under the surface and many miss it because of the more obvious murder mystery laid over the top of it. If you don't get it after the scene with the cat, then you're not really paying attention.



I think that's enough for now. I hope to do a similar blog about books eventually.

And if you're reading this, go do the same thing. I like finding new movies to watch and books to read. Ya'll are some of the smartest and most interesting people I know. Gimme culture...gimme insight and expand my horizons...make me think dammit, and give me entertainment that will leave me fulfilled.
January 6, 2010

And it begins....

perfectly_inked: i am not always a dark humored cunt, you know

groobes: i don't think you're dark humored at all.

groobes: i think you're dry, but it's not the same thing.

perfectly_inked: sarcastic/dry... okay fine. i'm not always a dry humored cunt.

groobes: you're not always a dry cunt? ZING!

perfectly_inked: i think i just take this seriously because i want badly to write for an audience

perfectly_inked: but maybe if i can meet your standards at least partly then i'm sure i can pass for the rest of my slacker brethren

groobes: its something to aspire to, certainly

perfectly_inked: i sent that invite, dicklick

groobes: OHBOY!

groobes: maybe im already blogging

groobes: you ever think of that?

groobes: a blog thats way cooler than yours

groobes: and you say IM the egotistical one

groobes: shit

perfectly_inked: you said blogging is faggotry so i assumed you didn't participate in said faggotry

groobes: maybe im a closet blogger

groobes: i hide my passion with sarcasm and denial

groobes: oh...my...god i HAVE to tell you about this salad i had yesterday OMGOMGOMG

groobes: one paragraph wont do. will 4 work?

groobes: and I just had the most UNBELIEVABLE bowel movement!

groobes: fine, let's comprimise

perfectly_inked: fine

groobes: ill blog for you if you take pictures of yourself spreading your buttcheeks in front of a bathroom mirror for me. deal?

January 5, 2010

The Secret of Nimh

The Secret of NIMH is an animated film that has always meant quite a lot to me. I am a long time fan of animation of all kinds, but specifically of traditional hand drawn animation. I love the classic Disney movies...Snow White, Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty...these were as much works of art as they were great movies. In the 70's and early 80's Disney began to move away from the more traditional animation techniques which were costly and time consuming. They were putting out films that used basic animation techniques and relied more on catchy songs than good stories and quality animation.

In 1979 Don Bluth and fellow animators Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy, along with eight other animation staff, left Walt Disney Productions animation department to set up their own independent studio, Don Bluth Productions. They left because they wanted to take animated films back to the classic Disney era with strong characters and stories, and experimenting with unusual and more complex animation techniques.

Among the techniques experimented with were multiple passes on the camera to achieve transparent shadows, and backlit animation (where animated mattes are shot with light shining through color gels to produce glowing areas for artificial light and fire effects), multiple color palettes for characters to fit in different lighting situations, from daylight, to night, to warm environments to underwater. These techniques created effects and details that are only rivaled by modern computer animation and they did everything painstakingly by hand. The staff worked 100 hour weeks to get the movie done on time and under budget and the producers, Bluth, Goldman, Pomeroy and the executive producers at Aurora mortgaged their homes collectively for $700,000 to complete the film.

The Secret of NIMH was their first feature film, based on the novel Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien. Ironically Disney turned down the offered rights to this book in 1972. Bluth and his team poured their hearts, time, and every skill at their disposal into making this film. From strictly a visual standpoint it is amazing to look at. The animation is detailed and fluid and the backgrounds are stunning. There is not a piece of this movie that you cannot tell had the full attention of the animators.

The story is also quite entertaining and rather dark at times with a fair amount of violence. It's a very real story set in a world of fantasy and science fiction....no fairy tales or prince charmings here. It tells the tale of a field mouse named Mrs. Brisby (they had to change it from Frisby because of trademark issues with Frisbee's) who seeks the help of a tribe of genetically enhanced rats in order to move her home and save her son. It's a complex and moving story with wonderful voice acting and a brilliant score. I don't like talking about plot too much because good stories should be experienced. You can go to Wikipedia if you want a more detailed breakdown of her connection to the rats and what NIMH means.

I highly recommend this movie to any fan of animation, and recommend it in general because it is such a good movie. It is a labor of love by a group of animators that truly loved their art. There is no doubt in my mind that Don Bluth and his team helped push animated film back into prominence and shamed Disney into putting care back into their films, though nothing they've made since can come close to the quality of NIMH or their classic films. It is a masterpiece and I wish more people knew about it. You can find a fully restored version of NIMH on dvd as well as online on Hulu. See it if you can.

chris pine is an asshole

a stupid asshole who isn't even pretty enough to make up for being such a stupid asshole.




Recently, this fellow who played the role of Captain Kirk in the Star Trek remake, was interviewed by Cosmopolitan. Here's his list of 10 things guys wish women knew.....and my thoughts of each in between.


Approaching girls in bars terrifies us. It sort of feels like a no-win situation. Like, we know we’re already paddling upstream because she assumes, ‘Oh, he thinks I’m cute. I win.’ And where does that leave us?

Captain Kirk, you are a retard if you think going up to a girl in a bar is a no-win situation. In fact, you are a fucking pussy. We have not so subtle ways of letting you know we, at the very least, think you're hot. It's really not rocket science... I, for one, would never think, "oh, he thinks I'm cute. I win." I would be really flattered and I would also think the show of having dropped balls is pretty hot. If I'm having a good time with friends, don't be a douchebag and interrupt me unless you're on your way out the door and you're leaving your number. Speak clearly and say something clever. "hey, nice tits" isn't clever. Flash us a charming smile and that's about it. Even a monkey could get this right.... So...you just sit over there at your table with your friends because not approaching just means you don't get laid (not that I think Chris Pine has much trouble with this. Even the ugliest, stupidest people get plenty of ass after they're in the movies.)

Wow, you look so skinny!’ is not a compliment. Having a good body means actually having something there.

What kind of girls are you talking to that use such phrases? Perhaps you shouldn't be telling "women" what men want them to know. Maybe you should spend more time looking for different women. Who says, "wow you look so skinny!"? That just sounds ridiculous. "Wow, you look so good!" might be something I'd say instead. Unless I'm being a cunt... then it might be "Do you have a meth problem or something? You're starting to look a little, uh, sunken in."

No matter how big we are—and, yes, I’m referring to that area—it’s best to assume we have a Napoleon complex. We’d love it if you threw in a ‘Damn, that’s huge!’ every now and then.

A simple "oh, wow.." should suffice, you know. This covers our asses so we really aren't lying. We might be thinking 'oh wow i was really hoping you'd be bigger' or perhaps, hopefully, please god we really are thinking 'oh wow i just hit the jackpot. you are huge.' Either way, oh wow works and as long as we say it with our eyes really wide and throw in a little expression of surprise, you'll take it as a compliment and we'll continue on. But seriously now, a guy with a small dick knows he has a small dick and he's not going to appreciate the lying. No one wants to be lied to... how about a compliment on your oral skills or something instead?

’My God!’ ‘I don’t know if I can hold that thing!’ and ‘Baby, I don’t have three hands!’ all work pretty well too.

I guess this is just an attempt at humor. ha. no really...I'm totally laughing.

A man becomes a mama’s boy any time he’s sick. And any time he’s really hungry.

Well, this is perfectly fine with me. Your mama can certainly put up with your whiny ass while you're sick and she can be sure to cook for you, too. With that being said, if you'd like me to dress up like a nurse and give you a spongebath or watch me cook you a meal while wearing an apron and nothing else, you better fucking grow up.

Dirty texts are amazing.

On this we actually agree...but it takes two to tango. If you can't give it back, expect the girl to lose interest pretty quickly. If you aren't good at it...that's ok. Just get better with practice. On this front, I think I'm probably different than a lot of women as far as what I like and say and will send, so I'll just leave it at that.

We’re absolutely scared shitless of your wrath.

Yeah sure. I think it's more likely that you really don't want to deal with our wrath. That's why so many of you lie about the most ridiculous, trivial bullshit. Once again though, Chris, I think you're dating the wrong women. I have no wrath unless you reaaaaalllly piss me off and it takes a lot to get to that point. Be fair and be honest and there's no wrath to be had.

We hate it when you say ‘I don’t know. What do you want to do?’ Guys have to do most of the heavy lifting in terms of inviting and picking the perfect place to go to dinner. Give us a break once in a while and decide what to do on a date. We’re still going to end up driving.

Yeah and we hate it everytime you sigh when we do choose a place or get your undies in a wad. No matter how much you have in common, you're still vastly different, so isn't it better to say, "um, I don't care really. What's good for you?" and then discuss some options instead of one person making a decision that the other party hates? None of these things make any sense to me.

A white wife-beater tank top, tight jeans, and a pair of heels drive us nuts. A black bra and you’re asking for trouble.

oh, for fuck's sake... this is just the most ridiculous, trashy shit I've ever heard. I bet you like to see the thong sticking out of the top of the jeans when she bends over, too, huh? How about a nice skirt with knee high boots? or a figure fitting dress? or just your shirt and nothing else? so many options and this is the best you can come up with? fail.

When we're having a guys' night out, we're really not doing much of anything at all. We basically just put each other down, then laugh at each other, then put each other down...

well, I hope you have fun with that. Sounds like good times.

atp. ATP!!!!!!!





oh yeah... atp stands for alabama thunderpussy. you might have known that but i doubt it.

This band started out in Virginia in the mid to late 1990s. The band members changed a lot over the years and I don't really feel like trying to detail that all out. After calling it quits in 2008,  the band consisted of Kyle Thomas, Erik Larsen, Ryan Lake, Mike Bryant, and Bryan Cox. The album I'm posting here, Staring at the Divine, is from 2002 when Johnny Throckmorton still did the vocals. These songs are dirty. No, not the fucking lyrics... I mean the sound. Dirty. It's the first thing that comes to mind when I play this album or any of the others by atp but especially this one. Dirty is usually followed by the compulsion to grind my hips to celebrate all this dirtiness. This, I doubt seriously, will be the typical response for men, but are you going to complain when it causes such in  a female? if you do, then gtfo now.

this was said about this band and i can see why:

 ATP possess the kind of punk rock edge that most of their reefer-toting peers would die for. Monster Magnet may be slicker and Unida may be classier, but truckstop rock doesn't come any finer than this. An extended forefinger to the face of fashion--Kerang! 


This is some seriously sludgy southern metal. There's a 'classic rock' feel to a lot of it that I enjoy deeply. I was raised on that shit.  Some review on a random blog I read had this to say: 


Moreover, their ability to intertwine crunchy, thick slabs of groovy rhythm tracks with very solid leads makes Alabama Thunderpussy's music much more intriguing and compelling than many of their counterparts. 


This is also truth. so... just check it out here and enjoy.
January 4, 2010

Street Fight (not Fighter)

Photobucket





Street Fight (2005)
Starring Corey Booker and Sharpe James
Directed by Marshall Curry

I'll start by saying I'm a huge Documentary nerd. When I have free time to watch a movie, my vote is always for a documentary. The drama of real life generally is just a lot more interesting than anything that can be thought up. This movie is easily in my top five.
Corey Booker is a young democrat trying to challenge Sharpe James for the position of Mayor in Newark, a largely African American city in New Jersey. It's an uphill battle as James has been mayor for over 20 years, and the people seem to love him. As the story unfolds, you come to realize that there's more fear than love. Fear of the unknown mostly. Everyone seems to know that Sharpe is a thief, liar and thug, but he's the devil you know.
A lot of the movie ends up being racial politics, as Booker is an educated lighter skinned black man, who really seems to care about the people and the poverty of Newark. James uses this to attack him. sending out literature calling him white, or jewish, or just using his education to claim that he knows nothing of the struggle the people of the city face. Never bringing up that his parents were part of the civil rights movement and fought so their son wouldn't have to struggle. Meanwhile James, who in his defense did grow up in poverty, has lived in a mansion for years, and used taxpayer money to his own benefit over and over again. James is most definitely the villain, but even so steals the show, turning every negative into a positive for his own campaign.
You see Booker struggle with smear campaigns, but Sharpe James doesn't have that problem. he will lie, steal, and even use city resources to make sure he keeps his position as mayor, at one point using the police to intimidate store owners with Booker signs in their windows, to tear down signs put up in public places, and attack camera men who get too close to the mayor.

I'd say this movie is a must see, and I won't give away the ending, but if you're into politics you'll know that Sharpe James faced several Federal charges, and this movie was part of the reason.

If you have netflix Street Fight is on instant watch, if not I'd suggest you track it down. definitely worth the time.

~Quantum
January 3, 2010

midnight pie a la mode


My dad passed away a number of years ago. this isn't a sad one though, don't worry. His birthday was last week. So, naturally, he was on my mind. As a kid he wasn't always around, but he made that effort, every now and then, and really came through. Just a simple man, confused by fatherhood, trying to make his kid smile.

He was a trucker. When he was young, he hauled gas. By the time I came around he was hauling milk. I have yet to figure out if there is a hauling hierarchy amongst long-haul truckers. Who ends up at the top of that pyramid? Logs, Cement, Houses, Military Equipment, Excavators and construction vehicles, Gas, Milk, Nuclear Waste. I mean really... who's the king of that hill?

" Look at that milk hauling loser! I'm hauling fucking M1A Abrams Tanks over here!! Yee Haw! "

A lot of the time we spent together was on the road. I heard more Cash, Twitty and haggard than i ever would have otherwise, I am sure. But you can't beat two classic country tapes for 5 bucks at the truckstop. I've also had burns on my arm from smokestacks and to this day I can often identify the make and model year of any given tractor on the highway.


Sometimes, late at night, I would fall asleep and only wake up when we pulled to a stop. He would treat me with the love of a father and the respect of a navigator. And he would always spring for apple pie and a tall glass of milk. Never stuck me with the bill. We would talk about stuff a 7 yr old talks about with their dad. He would flirt with the waitresses. They would flirt back. He was good at making the small talk and people felt good around him. He was everything cool under the sun. I miss him incredibly.

Also, some thought he looked a lot like Kenny Rogers. So it's fitting that i leave you with this.

Here's some Eagles covers by Birds of Prey.



Album was hard to find and it's really good. If you know BOP, this is different. If you don't, then, get This


and check them out Here for more.

Movie review...First of many


Photobucket

Chopper (2000)
Starring Eric Bana
Directed by Andrew Dominik

What can I say about chopper read? Don't piss him off. At the begining of the movie Mark Brandon "Chopper" Read has spent most of his adult life in an Australian prison. He's the kind of guy who will stab you ten times in the face, back off and appologize, and then get pissed off when you won't forgive him. And according to the real Chopper, that's something he's done. He doesn't care who you are, friend or foe, if you have something he wants, he'll take it. He's a charming guy who plays all sides, and while a lot of his tales have been proven you can never tell where the reality ends and the fantasy begins. He's a murderer, a theif, and a thug. And if you're like me you'll be glued to the tv trying to figure out what crazy thing he'll do next. But he's unpredictable. He's by no means a hero but for some reason I ended up routing for him. He loves the spotlight, and while in prison Hams it up for TV interviews, becoming somewhat of a cult hero. After his release he uses his fame to write a series of crime novels. Eric Bana delivers a great performance, and I've read that the real Chopper actually requested him for the role when he was a relative unknown, because they look a lot alike. He had the character down, from the lumbering walk to the deceptively polite voice. This is one of the better movies I've seen in a while and it's one of those movies that flew beneath the American radar. Check it out. You won't be sorry.

~Quantum

If you like this review, there are more over on my page, totallyawesomedotcomebackslashirule.blogspot.com
I'll be posting them both places from here on out.

about me. not really.

dear you,

i don't talk about my child or being a mom. i don't talk about my garden. i won't mention my craftiness (often) or how much i save each week with coupons. if you're looking for that sort of thing, you're in the wrong place.

instead, let's abandon the tethers of domestication for a moment and remember what it's like to laugh at vulgarity and the world at large.

xo,

j

talk amongst ourselves


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