Reality Is Holding You Back, Huh???

My life is filled with lots of interesting people all with a wide range of personalities.  As always, you are who you are and there is nothing wrong with that.  Really, it's the world job to figure you out, because you can't bitch about snakes always biting you when you refuse to learn how to be around snakes.  But I'm not talking about snakes or people like snakes, I swear I cover that before.

I like people that think differently than me, don't always get along but it's never dull. One of my favorites is the people that live in alternate realities.  It ranges from delusional to having circus mirror.  For example, delusional - You know the guy you have know your whole life, grew up and went to school together.  The whole works.  Every time you talk to him he speak of something in the past that never happened, usually delusions of grandeur.  You'll say you ran in to someone like the prom queen from high school and randomly add to the convo that he used to date her. Of course you are like WTF?!  Because you know that she wouldn't of given him the time of day back then, you were his friend.  I would give you a real life example of a fingering story but it would blow up spots, and I still love my friends.

But not all people are that crazy.  The common trait is I think they might actually believe some of the stuff happen or might of happened.  You know how if you think about it so much or strongly it maybe true or become part of your memory.  Like how they say to beat a lie detector test, is to actually believe your lie.

My mother does this one to me.  I go down to the basement to do something and come back up and she is in the kitchen.  As I enter the kitchen, she asks me did I bring up the pot?  Of course I go huh? What pot?  She says I asked you to bring up the pot I needed.  Where is it?  Then it's a back in forth me saying no you didn't ask me to.  It's not that I didn't hear her because it happens at other times too and been happening for all my life.  Her minds is like mind, but faster I think.  She is thinking about about so much stuff going on and what to do next, in her head she did ask me to bring up the pot but it was just not vocalized before going on to the next thought.

Similar is the person that tells stories like that.  They interject there thoughts in to the story like it happen as a matter of fact.  You will never hear them say "And I thought" or "In my head I was like."  The more tramatic the better they sound and the more different it is from the actual events of the story.  Their retelling is like a blockbuster movie for an 8 page picture book.  For example, they went to the store and noticed someone staring at them, they look away and then they left, that's it no words exchanged event over.  But in their retelling, They went to the store and this guy was eyeballing them like he wanted to fight, gave them and mean mug and was like (notice the "was like"), "What are you looking at?!"  They say how they was about to get all up in his business and buss some heads. "You better get out of here before someone gets hurt!" And they left.   You are like WOW, that's crazy.  And then you ask, "Wow, you said that?!"  But Rule #1 don't ask these people more questions because it will force them to lie or *palmface* for making it up. "Nah, but I was going to if I had more time." :-/

Finally, there is the fact maker-uppers.  Normally very smart people and in charge of stuff, or just plain Republican.  They are not your normal liars because they don't do it because they have to, they do it feel included or to prove a point.  These are the people that make up statistic, definitions, and reviews.  I ask about a new movie and they will tell you all about it the meaning behind it.  Then you ask have you seen it, no only the trailer. "In my head," I'm like wow your mind is amazing - AND out of control.  Don't talk politic with these people either they love to pull stats out of there ass.  Did you know only 2 three people in the Turtletown, Oregon don't have healthcare?  Or the average human colon holds 7lbs of waste.  And I'm think, no you are full of shit.  Anyway the more obscure the stat the better.

Talk Of The Devil, And He Is Bound To Appear

When it comes to horror movies, the ones I like best are the ones centered around religious beliefs.  But why do movies dealing with the Devil and demons scare us more than ghosts, serial killers, or pale Japanese girls?

Ok, it is something like 84% of the population of the world believes in some type of religion, billions of people.  And as far back as human record keeping, there has been the existence of religion.  Spiritual belief goes hand in hand with human existence.  Have you notice that even children not old enough to comprehend seem to play/speak with imaginary things and friends? And babies stare at things we can’t comprehend?  But either way… Out of the 84% the spiritual believers, 66% of them all have the same God and share the same back-story (children of Abraham from the book of Genesis).  Say, if 84% of the world thinks the world’s climate is changing for the worst, and if 66% of them say it’s because of global warming it would be hard to argue that all those people are wrong.  To be able to argue the world is not changing, you would need to be smarter than the experts of those billions of people and the odds of that are like winning the lottery.  Which is why people shouldn’t argue religion.

Ok, now in the Islam, Judaism, and Christianity there is this one character that appears.  First in the exact same location, the Garden of Eden.  This character with many names, Shaytan in the Qur’an, simply the Adversary (Ha-satan) in the Hebrew Bible, and too many to list in the Christian Bible.  He tempts the first people and sets up the stage for their purpose in later accounts.  Now this character also has different purposes depending on who’s telling the story.  But exists never the less.  So he is not exactly our modern concept of the “devil”.  These books and histories are not the only places where this character or concept of spiritual supernatural personification of evil is located.  Hinduism also has gods that counter balance for example, Rahu and the satan-like god Kroni.  Even Buddhism have Mara, who tempted Buddha. Ancient Egypt had Osiris.

No matter what you believe, nobody is attracted to negativity and are careful of things that hinder success and prosperity.  Could it be movies and stories with supernatural evil is scarier than the zombie, ghost, and serial killer is because the odds of that type of encounter seem higher?  To me, the fear of a supernatural being that are god-like in influencing our well-being is scary because it’s like having a stalker that you or the police can not do anything about.  You know the stalker watching, following, and waiting and there is nothing you can do about it, you can’t run or kill it.  It’s the nervousness of being weaker and knowing something bad can happen.  In your personal life what do you find scariest and how does that influence what you find scary in movies?  I know so many people that don’t do evil things at all in their movie watching.

 

Side note: on the topic of religions, if you like researching you will notice many common concepts and similar stories found in many of the world religions, even religions that are worlds apart.  Noah and the world flooding is a big one that is shared by non related religions and science.

Death Smiles at Us All

*Disclaimer* I AM NOT SUICIDAL!!

No secret I’m not afraid of dying and I have always said I wanted to die young.  Shit, through my life I have never ever thought of what my future would be like when I’m older.  That’s just me, I guess.  Not only the Christian in me has me comfortable with dying but just the place my mind is at, I’m ok with what I’m done so far.  I’m not like Pac or BIG predicting my death or anything like that.  But I have thought about what I wanted when I die.

1. If I have not been roasted by the time I die, I give permission to do a comedy roast…as long as it’s in good spirit.  Don’t go bring up some pinned up hatred you was too scared to say when I was alive.  Nothing mean spirited.  You all know I loved to laugh when I was alive and had a healthy sense of humor.
2. If a ceremony is had, make it one to remember.  I’m used to having people tell me of the good times they remember, now give them one more.
3. Finally and most importantly, I want these songs played.  They are the final tracks to the soundtrack to my life.
   
   Cosmic Slop by Funkadelic
   
   I see myself and others close to me in it.  But not literally!  The song is about an impoverished mother with five children who has resorted to prostitution in order to support her family. Although she tries to shield her children from the knowledge that they are poor and she is a prostitute, every night the narrator hears his mother beg God for forgiveness and understanding for doing what she has to do for the sake of her children. As I have said so many times…the world we live in is not in black and white. Also asking for forgiveness for trying to do the right things is a major theme in my life.
   
   Maggot Brain by Funkadelic
   
   This instrumental tugs at your emotions and soul.  And the history of it pulls even more.
   
   
   

   According to legend, George Clinton, under the influence of LSD, told Eddie Hazel to play the first half of the song like his mother had just died and to play the second half as if he had found out she was alive; other variants of the story suggest that he was simply told to play as if he had found his mother dead. The result was the 10-minute guitar solo for which Hazel is most fondly remembered by many music critics and fans. Though several other musicians began the track playing, Clinton soon realized the power of Hazel's solo and faded them out so that the focus would be on Hazel's guitar. Critics have described the solo as "lengthy, mind-melting" and the ending as "an emotional apocalypse of sound."
   
   The entire track was recorded in one take. The solo is played in a pentatonic minor scale in the key of E over another guitar track of a simple arpeggio. Hazel's solo was played through a fuzzbox and a wah pedal; some sections of the song utilize a delay effect. This style would be revisited later in Standing on the Verge of Getting It On on the track "Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts". The original version with full band accompaniment was released in 1997 on the album "Funkadelic Finest".

   
   

The fear of death follows from the fear of life.  A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.  ~Mark Twain

Picking at Old Scars

As many of my friends know I get these “great” ideas from time to time.  But there is this one that keeps coming back over the years.  “Let’s make a movie!”  Years later, and several camcorders later too, there is nothing to show for it. It’s my personal unicorn or pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  Most of the time it just ends with talk and no actions.  Part lack of creativity and part lack of stick-to-it-ous. 

So today my mind is wondering at work and it hits me look for lamps on Amazon.com so you can NOW make a movie.  Also Paranormal Activity started the wheel turning again too.  If they can do an $11,000 movie, I can do a $20 short. LOL

I get on Google chat with Lu and say let’s try again, and to my surprise he says sure he got a new camera he wants to try out.  I was expecting an “again?” or “are you going to finish this time?”  He mentions my old script.  This is the closest we ever got to making a movie.  It was a script I wrote years ago while sitting in class one day.  For the record I didn’t like it, and every time I read it I hate it even more now.  Everyone that read it said they like it but refused help edit or improve it.  I want it to disappear from the earth but it is the closest I have ever gotten to seeing a unicorn and don’t want to lose that.

My main focuses of my shame is how poorly it was written, the language used (it was many years ago and I have matured a lot), and it reads like a complete rip off.  So now it’s time to lay it rest and replace it.

So I start my Winter challenges.  First challenge is the Creative Writing Challenge: to write a short script no more than 10 minutes.  Contain little to no special effects and a single room location.  I sent out the challenge to Susan, and she accepted the writing challenge.  This should be fun.

I am also challenging everyone else to accept this script writing challenge and let’s see what we can come up with.

…to be continued.

Bad Boy 4 Life

In current pop culture news, it looks like rapper Shyne will be deported after being released from prison.  If you don’t who the guy is, you probable not a Bad Boy Music Label fan, any time in the last 12-13 years.  Shyne was a young promising rapper from the streets of NY that sounded a lot like Notorious BIG, Biggie.  *Dateline, Signal the Musical Child Predator* Puff Daddy, Puffy, P-Diddy, Diddy, Sean Combs the music business tycoon behind one of the greatest rapper of all time B.I.G. got wind of a guy sounding like Biggie and signed him under his music label, Bad Boy.  Puff took him under his wing like he does most of his young artist to groom his career.

At this time Puff was the luckiest dude in America, more than the President, he was dating and hopefully tapping (can’t assume he’s not a Decepticon) the most famous booty in America, Jennifer Lopez.  So one night they go to a night club and NYC and of course shots are fired.  Someone was hurt, Puff and Latin Booty flee the scene.  Scandal.  Puff and his Biggie Pokémon are arrested.  Police say Puff and Shyne both pulled guns in a “dispute” after a person disrespectfully threw money at Big Daddy Dollars Mr. Combs.  Shyne’s dumb ass fired and shot someone in the face.  Puff’s driver says Diddy tried to bribe him in to taking his gun.  The same driver who later takes Puff Daddy to civil court and gets a settlement (for you Michael Jackson and OJ Simpson people ;-) means he was guilty, right???). 

Here’s where my opinion comes in.  They both get the same charges against them but like a smart guy, Puff ( the rich guy of the two ) get another lawyer.  He buys the greatest lawyer on earth, at the time, Johnny L. Cochran Jr.  I would too, if I had the money.  And Shyne was left to fend for himself in court.  I would of thrown Shyne some money for a lawyer upgrade, that’s a rich me.  Smart for Puff but it may not be the most loyal (street) thing to do either.  Even drug king pins give their best guys and friends money and access to their favorite lawyers, if only so the don’t snitch.  But Diddy is too pretty to go to jail, and not a “street” dude.  I thought he did Shyne kind of dirty in saving his own ass.  I mean, one, you are the rich one of the two.  Two, you supposedly took the guy under your wing and befriended him to the point of loyalty.  Also most like a father figure to that young man.  Finally, the guy got in trouble defending you!  Sure it was a dumb way of doing it, but not like you wasn’t involved in it too.

Shyne being the stand up guy (and street) that he is, he didn’t turn on Diddy.  He plead guilty and didn’t testify against Combs.  Of course, Diddy beat the case with his super lawyer.  One juror actually said Diddy was guilty but the prosecution couldn’t prove it’s case.  Why wouldn’t that work for Shyne too?  He was up for the same charges, was standing right beside each other???

Was Shyne guilty, yes.  And so was Diddy.  The people outside the courthouse protesting and claiming his innocents are retarded.  They didn’t know he was innocent, they just like the guy.  He’s popular, that’s all they know, and like his music.  They don’t know him personally.  Most of the people that was on his label don’t think nicely of him.  A real friend or someone who cares about you will tell you when you are wrong and not just overlook it. And fans will not.

I do like when people beat the justice system designed to work against them, but it doesn’t change the fact they were wrong.  It is also troubling that the justice system is not the same for someone with money verses someone without.  Now the poor kid from the streets, Shyne was not a US citizen.  He carried a green card.  He been in the country since early teens.  Typical immigrant story of a poor family saving up to bring the rest over to America for a better life.  It’s sad the family dream was almost greatly achieved with Shyne getting a record deal and famous mentor (who brought the world one of the greatest rappers of all time) then only seeing it being locked away or put on hold.  Shyne could still be a great rapper and make millions, but the problem is - he is not a citizen and committed a felony, he must go.  Seriously, I am all for this law!  We should not have criminals as a US import, we have enough home grown ones.  But is Shyne special, should he be allowed to stay, because people “like” him?  No.  He is in fact no different from any ol’ Hector.

I commend the guy for being tough through prison (and not snitching when he easily could taken down the music mogul) and I think he is a good/alright rapper but just winning a popularity contest is not enough in my book to be above the law.  Also, he is a rapper and well known, he has a much better chance at a fulfilling life overseas than some poor knucklehead with no education does.  He doesn’t NEED to live here, would just LIKE to.  He can still make music, shit the internet don’t care what country you are in.  Shyne is just a victim of stupidity, idol worshiping, and Diddiness.  For that, I feel bad for him.  I’m sorry he was a talented guy that crossed paths with Puff Daddy.  I think Puff should of had him take the Nationalization test while he had him under his wing too.  I mean he grew up here, why not?! 

I also feel sorry for the families that were hurt in the shooting.  For that reason, Shyne doesn’t not get a free pass.  He hurt people.  Those families should not have to see him and Diddy grinning and hopping down the street of NYC on a shopping spree (Not that they ever would, Shyne hates Diddy now).  Shyne should put a hit out on Diddy for ruining his life, since he can’t come back to America anyway…just a thought.

I think we all can learn a lesson from Shyne’s story.  Want to support him, then buy his music on itunes when it comes out so he can make money still –and pay back the civil suit he lost to the families that were hurt in the shooting.  Just please don’t argue he is innocent or should stay here because he is not and shouldn’t stay.  We have enough popular “bad boys” already.

Pet Peeve #3: Special People Type A

To me there are two types of special people. Type A – people that think they are special and Type B – people that are retardedly special.  Let’s be honest, to be called special now-a-days is not a good thing anymore.  I can’t stand Type A Special People.

These are the people that act like the world owes them something.  They are amazed when they have to pay for something, which always costs “too much”, because everything for them should be free.

They don’t believe rules apply to them.  I hate playing games with rewards and consequences with these people.  They are the ones that will join in drinking games and refuse to drink.  You don’t have to play!  Sit your monkey ass out, if you don’t feel like drinking anymore.  If everyone else is drinking because they lost, what makes you special?  You only want the rewards, you selfish, self-centered bastard. It’s like you joining us in a bank robbery but not wanting to go to jail when you get caught.  If you don’t like jail then don’t participate, you knew before you started what happens when you lose. …“the cake and eat it too”

They don’t like waiting their turn in line.  No remorse for cutting in front of people.  Because once again, rules don’t apply to them. Especially, social rules.

They don’t say thank you when you hold doors for them, because that’s like asking them to pay for a service they are using; even with simple words of gratitude for not letting the door hit them in the face for which they would later dog you out for not holding the door for their special ass.

One telling fact is no matter what, if these special people tell it, they are 99.9% of the time never wrong and it is always someone else's fault or excuse riddled tales.

You can tell these people by the two simple assumptions they make:

1. The rules don’t apply to them, but work for them.
2. They should never be required to be grateful.  Because they are God’s gift to the world and the world owes them.  Even though they could die this moment and 99.98% of the world wouldn’t give a damn.

You know theses people and are friends with them.  You might even be one without realizing people see you as one.  Ask yourself how often it is someone else’s fault or how often you believe stuff should be given to you (like how often you complain about paying for something).  Do you try to sneak, slip, or get around systems?  Do you back out, renege on your word (say you would participate and then back out) because you don’t want to and find excuses?  You are one of those special assholes.  I bet money, you get mad when someone calls you out on it, because you are in fact a special person and are never in the fault.

Save a Tree, Read an E-Book

I don’t like reading on the PC or on my cell phone or anywhere for that matter but there are times when it is useful.  So for this How To, I’m show you Microsoft Reader and the underground world of e-books.

*disclaimer* you should pay for paid books.  If you download a book and like it or find it useful, pay the author.

First to view e-books, you need an electronic device, huh?  There are standalone readers like Amazon’s Kindle (who just had a price drop).  But you can also you a PC/Laptop, your cell phone, or ipod.

Microsoft Reader is a e-book software that is available on PCs and Mobile devices.  The importance of a Reader is that it improves the visibility of the display to make reading easier.  They try to get the print type quality.  Also they have features like bookmarks, highlighting text, and Text to Speech for lazy eyed people like me.

After you install the reader, you just need books.  Like the real world there is large supply of book available electronically.  The easiest is to just buy them online. But you can also find a lot books for free or for “free.” There are websites.  Here’s a site with free classic literature: http://www.planetebook.com/ In a previous blog I showed you how to use torrents, that’s one way.  But you can also find free books through Google Reader and blogs.

To use Google Reader select “Browse for stuff.”  Then click “View all” from Bundles from Google.

then scroll down to ebooks and subscribe.

Once you subscribe you will now have access to thousands of E-Books.

Here’s a book to get you started: World War Z
and the entire Stephen King Collection via torrent (learn to use torrents).