I've been looking back at my posting for the past couple of months, and I've noticed a disturbing trend. After my initial upsurge of posting in April, my posting has been dropping off. I'm still posting a lot, given that I'm still clearing double digits in my posts. But the numbers are trending downward. In thinking about it, I can only come up with one reason: writer's block.
I've really been stuck on what to post up here. However, this morning I felt a shift in the paradigm, a change in The Matrix. I think my writer's block is coming to an end.
Stay tuned, dear readers. There is more to come, soon!!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Blast From The Past
Dear readers, I have a confession to make. When I was.... when I was in high school, I was... I was in ... The Marching Band! Yes, I was a band geek. I played trombone. And at times, I ROCKED THE HOUSE!! Whew! I finally got that off my chest. I feel so much better now. By the way, that's me in the corner. That's me in the spot.. light, Losing my Religion. Trying to keep up with you, and I don't know if I can do it. Oh no, I've said too much... I haven't said enough. I thought that I heard you laughing, I thought that I heard you sing, I Think I Thought I Saw You Try......Sorry, but that's a good song, and I couldn't resist. Okay? Anyway, to the point of this post. Today, I went to my FB page and saw that an old friend of mine had gone through her photo album and posted over a hundred photos of her time in the marching band. Lo and behold, I make a couple of cameo appearances in these photos! I spun through the posted pictures with my eyes wide and my jaw on the floor.
My God, was I EVER really THAT YOUNG!!!
People have been telling me I was an "old soul" from when I was about 12, and I've never really felt like a kid, but when I look at those pictures, all I could see was how young I was. I see myself in those pictures and remember the person I was, before my first love (and heartbreak), going away to college, getting my first apartment, my first professional job, and it's just amazing how much I had yet to experience and learn. What's also amazing how much of that teenager still exists today. I still enjoy the same styles of music that I enjoyed then, though I have added more. I still enjoy performing, though I don't get to do it as often. I still believe some of the things I did back then. Hell, I even still have my trombone!
Something that adds to the shock of seeing these photos is that I don't have any photos of that time in my life. Like most people, I wasn't in a good place during my high school years. One consequence of that was a lack of desire to document any of that time. I regret that decision now, but at the same time, I kind of enjoy the rush of seeing those pictures after so long.
I have to admit, it was fun looking at the pictures and remembering good times. I was even reminded of a trip to NYC and the Empire State Building that I had COMPLETELY forgotten about! Later on, I'm going to go through my stuff and see if I have any pictures of my own to share... You never know, I might have some pictures that will catapult someone ELSE on a trip down memory lane. How cool would that be, giving someone else the fun & joy of a blast from the past!!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
On The Way To Work
I can't BELIEVE I forgot to post this yesterday!! Anyway, here's a funny thing. I was driving in to work yesterday morning, and for the most part it was the same as any other day.
Just before I got to my job I saw this giant tractor trailer truck pulling out of a lot next to my job. What made this noteworthy is that the truck itself was LAVENDER!!!
Can you imagine it?? I laughed all the rest of the way to work.
Just before I got to my job I saw this giant tractor trailer truck pulling out of a lot next to my job. What made this noteworthy is that the truck itself was LAVENDER!!!
Can you imagine it?? I laughed all the rest of the way to work.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Game Is On...
I have to ask myself, what is it about the producers of British TV that gives them that sixth sense when picking actors for Sherlock Holmes? It's truly astounding. They haven't missed yet. I found a new tv show this past weekend. It airs on BBC 1, Sundays at 9pm. It's called Sherlock.
The premise of the show is Sherlock Holmes solving cases TODAY. In our time. Check out the trailer:
The actor portraying Holmes is Benedict Cumberbatch, whom we've seen in Atonement & The Other Boleyn Girl. Watching him as Sherlock is truly astounding. He blends the essence of the character with modern day sensibilities effortlessly. And then of course there's Holmes' right hand man.
Dr. Watson is portrayed by Martin Freeman, whom we all know and loved as Arthur Dent in the Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy movie! Watson is a complex character to play as he is witness, sounding board, moral restraint, and comic foil to Holmes. All of it in small subtle beats. Much of Holmes' over the top intensity is grounded by Watson, and Freeman plays it like he was born to it.
My research says that this is a three episode arc, but based on the first ep, I hope to God there's more than that coming. If you can, check it out! You'll have a grand time.
The premise of the show is Sherlock Holmes solving cases TODAY. In our time. Check out the trailer:
The actor portraying Holmes is Benedict Cumberbatch, whom we've seen in Atonement & The Other Boleyn Girl. Watching him as Sherlock is truly astounding. He blends the essence of the character with modern day sensibilities effortlessly. And then of course there's Holmes' right hand man.
Dr. Watson is portrayed by Martin Freeman, whom we all know and loved as Arthur Dent in the Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy movie! Watson is a complex character to play as he is witness, sounding board, moral restraint, and comic foil to Holmes. All of it in small subtle beats. Much of Holmes' over the top intensity is grounded by Watson, and Freeman plays it like he was born to it.
My research says that this is a three episode arc, but based on the first ep, I hope to God there's more than that coming. If you can, check it out! You'll have a grand time.
City Boy Culture Clash
I was born in the greatest city in the world, New York City. And with certain exceptions (most notably, college in Middlebury, VT) I've lived most of my life in urban areas until recently when I moved here to New Hampshire. Granted I am living in Manchester, which is a city in New Hampshire, but there's still a great deal of rural thinking around here. Here's an example:
I was on my way to work today and as usual had to stop to pay the toll. (I don't have one of them there new fangled EzPass thingamajigs, dag nabit!) As I'm pulling in line for the cash lane of the toll plaza. I happen to get behind a truck that has a trailer with not one but TWO COWS inside!! That's right TWO COWS!
One of them had attitude, too, cause it kept eyeballing me the whole time I was behind the truck. The truck took the next exit after the trucks and the cows left with out even mooing a good bye. Cows today, they just don't have any manners...
I was on my way to work today and as usual had to stop to pay the toll. (I don't have one of them there new fangled EzPass thingamajigs, dag nabit!) As I'm pulling in line for the cash lane of the toll plaza. I happen to get behind a truck that has a trailer with not one but TWO COWS inside!! That's right TWO COWS!
One of them had attitude, too, cause it kept eyeballing me the whole time I was behind the truck. The truck took the next exit after the trucks and the cows left with out even mooing a good bye. Cows today, they just don't have any manners...
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Top 5... Best Superpowers
As a geek and comic book lover, it's pretty much inevitable that the topic of super powers comes up for some type of consideration. When it comes to super powers, I don't necessarily go for the flashy, world domination type of ability. What I value in the super power market is versatility, not attention. With that in mind, I present you my top five favorite super powers, in order of preference.
5: Invisibility - The versatility here is the near limitless situations where this power can be used effectively. Most of which involve seeing things you shouldn't see or hearing things you shouldn't hear. My preferred version of invisibility is from the Sci-Fi Channel's tv show "The Invisible Man", where clothing can also be made invisible.
4: Telekinesis - A simple power, but with proper application can do a great deal. For example, I could levitate an object I'm standing on (or levitate myself), giving me the ability to fly.
3: Teleportation - Like invisibility, the ability to teleport is versatile because of the wide variety of situations to which it can be applied. Just watch the intro to X-Men 2 and you'll see what I mean.
2: Control machines - This power is versatile because of the increasing number of areas that are under the control of machines. From banking, to telecommunications, to traffic, any and all can be used.
1: Control Magnetism - This the most versatile of powers, since with the proper application of scientific principles, one can replicate a wide variety of abilities such as flight, energy blasts, levitation of other objects, invisibility, etc. Plus with our society getting more and more technologically advanced every day, the effects of this power reach further & further.
5: Invisibility - The versatility here is the near limitless situations where this power can be used effectively. Most of which involve seeing things you shouldn't see or hearing things you shouldn't hear. My preferred version of invisibility is from the Sci-Fi Channel's tv show "The Invisible Man", where clothing can also be made invisible.
4: Telekinesis - A simple power, but with proper application can do a great deal. For example, I could levitate an object I'm standing on (or levitate myself), giving me the ability to fly.
3: Teleportation - Like invisibility, the ability to teleport is versatile because of the wide variety of situations to which it can be applied. Just watch the intro to X-Men 2 and you'll see what I mean.
2: Control machines - This power is versatile because of the increasing number of areas that are under the control of machines. From banking, to telecommunications, to traffic, any and all can be used.
1: Control Magnetism - This the most versatile of powers, since with the proper application of scientific principles, one can replicate a wide variety of abilities such as flight, energy blasts, levitation of other objects, invisibility, etc. Plus with our society getting more and more technologically advanced every day, the effects of this power reach further & further.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Thoughts On... Principles
"Principles only mean something when you stick to them when its inconvenient."
- Author Unknown
Last night, I watched a movie that a friend of mine recommended to me awhile ago called, Unthinkable. The movie itself is a fascinating and engrossing suspense thriller that covers a wide variety of politically charged topics. What I found most interesting was its exploration of American societal principles in the face of threats and dangers. The bulk of the movie deals with the EXTREME interrogation of an American Muslim who planted three nuclear bombs in three U.S. cities. As time runs out on the bombs, the interrogation becomes more extreme, going beyond physical torture of the man to torturing the people he cares about.
In the U.S., it is believed that everyone has rights. Even those people who have committed crimes have rights, granted some of their rights are taken away as punishment for their crimes, but they still have certain core rights. The movie raises the question of what happens when the criminal threatens millions of lives? In the case of the movie, does that justify torture methodologies like amputation of fingers, electrocution, or water boarding? What about torturing the people the criminal cares for? The criminal's wife or children? Does such a widespread threat where in the best case hundreds of thousands of people (in the worst case millions) die justify removing the rights of one individual? If so, what about two? In the context of the movie, does the threat to millions of people justify the murder of the wife of the criminal responsible for that threat? What about the criminal's children?
These are very tough questions to answer. And you have to consider the millions of people whose lives are in the balance. Not just the victims, but also their families and friends.
The dictionary defines "principle" as, 1) a comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption, 2) a rule or code of conduct. And in MY code of conduct, my personal set of rules that I try to live by, I believe the quote at the top of this posting. It's when you're at your worst that you know what you truly believe in. And those beliefs, those principles, they are the framework you build your life around. You live by them, and yes, if necessary, you die by them.
- Author Unknown
Last night, I watched a movie that a friend of mine recommended to me awhile ago called, Unthinkable. The movie itself is a fascinating and engrossing suspense thriller that covers a wide variety of politically charged topics. What I found most interesting was its exploration of American societal principles in the face of threats and dangers. The bulk of the movie deals with the EXTREME interrogation of an American Muslim who planted three nuclear bombs in three U.S. cities. As time runs out on the bombs, the interrogation becomes more extreme, going beyond physical torture of the man to torturing the people he cares about.
In the U.S., it is believed that everyone has rights. Even those people who have committed crimes have rights, granted some of their rights are taken away as punishment for their crimes, but they still have certain core rights. The movie raises the question of what happens when the criminal threatens millions of lives? In the case of the movie, does that justify torture methodologies like amputation of fingers, electrocution, or water boarding? What about torturing the people the criminal cares for? The criminal's wife or children? Does such a widespread threat where in the best case hundreds of thousands of people (in the worst case millions) die justify removing the rights of one individual? If so, what about two? In the context of the movie, does the threat to millions of people justify the murder of the wife of the criminal responsible for that threat? What about the criminal's children?
These are very tough questions to answer. And you have to consider the millions of people whose lives are in the balance. Not just the victims, but also their families and friends.
The dictionary defines "principle" as, 1) a comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption, 2) a rule or code of conduct. And in MY code of conduct, my personal set of rules that I try to live by, I believe the quote at the top of this posting. It's when you're at your worst that you know what you truly believe in. And those beliefs, those principles, they are the framework you build your life around. You live by them, and yes, if necessary, you die by them.
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