Terrible Day In America

I am sitting here staring at my computer screen, an empty feeling inside of me. How can someone do something so terrible to children. What is the world coming too when stuff like this happens? I wanted to talk about the ignorant ramblings of Rob Parker, but how can you after something like this happens. There is nothing more precious than the innocence of a child. I see it first hand everyday when I play with my 3 year old nephew. I can't even begin to imagine what those families are going through and I know there is nothing that can be done or said to bring those families comfort. I'm going through different emotions here, sadness, anger, pity, anger some more. I want to know how this 20 year old got on an elementary school campus. This shouldn't be aloud. We must protect our children at all costs. Do I think metal detectors at all school entrances will stop anything? No it won't. This man shouldn't have been walking around campus. If he had a kid there then wait in the office, you are not aloud on school property. Is outlawing guns the answer? No. There should be more restrictions when buying a weapon. Guns are very violent yes but in the arms of someone who isn't right in the head. I can sit here and say it's television, video games, parenting and society but at the end of the day its all of those things. His parents need to be more mindful of him and communication is so big amongst family. Not the generic "how was your day?" I got home from work and was exhausted my mother came into my room and asked if i was okay. She saw something in my eyes that wasn't always there. Parents have this connection with their kids and need to confront the issue head on instead of denying that it's there. I am an avid video gamer and love the Call Of Duty franchise. It is very violent and the main purpose is to kill, but i have never once thought about grabbing a gun and doing something so terrible. Banning video games is going to the extreme, it would be like banning shoe laces because 20% of suicides are by kids who hang themselves with shoe laces. You don't treat the symptoms you treat the underlying problem. We need to do that. TV has been violent for years and the mainstream media i feel has done a great job showing how terrible events like this are. I love television and watch violent shows, The Wire is one of my favorite shows of all time. It's about drug dealers and the police trying to catch them. But this doesn't make me want to go by a dime bag and shoot up on a corner with bubbs. Parents are looking for any excuse to take the blame off themselves. We do it as a society and it needs to stop. We must take ownership of the situations and strive as a whole to make it right. We can't be worried about people looking at you differently because your son or daughter needs mental help. We can't have these generic conversations with no substance and we need to start being honest with each other and more importantly ourselves. My thoughts and prayers are with the families who are struggling to cope with what has happened. I am deeply sorry that such tragedies happen.

The New Trailer For Man Of Steel

       

 I am really excited for this movie now. The new trailer shows glimpses of Jonathan Kent (played by Kevin Costner) and Louis Lane (played by Amy Adams). You briefly see General Zod (played by Michael Shannon) who was Jor-El's(played by Russell Crowe) right hand man. He was the general of the Krytonian Army and is responsible for the destruction of the planet. Diane Lane plays Martha Kent and from the look of this star studded cast the movie is going to have very high expectations. I am so glad they are doing an Origin of Superman and not just jumping into him being the hero everyone loves. I want to see him struggle with his dual identities I want him to be more human in that sense. I wasn't sure if i was going to like the suit without the red speedo but I think the new suit gives him more of an edge and isn't so generic. I know the blue and red is classic Superman but maybe they need to take a different angle and it looks like they are doing that. I haven't really seen any stills from the Daily Planet and I hope they make it a little more realistic than they did on Smallville even though that is one of my favorite shows of all time. Either way i can't wait til next summer. It is going to be amazing!

Pearl Harbor: A Day of Infamy

This was an unbelievable time in American history. It was a surprise attack on the United States, and the biggest misconception in the attack, is that it was unprovoked. Now i am the biggest believer in America and could not be prouder to be part of this great nation. But we are at fault as a nation here. There was evidence to suggest that Japan was going to attack Pearl Harbor. The intel was hunches and thoughts, the United States decided against mobilizing our fleet because it would cost to much money to move the ships and mobilize the fleet all because of a hunch. The moment our government made this decision they put a price on the men and women who were stationed here. If i was there or it was a member of my family i would want them to do everything to protect them. This was a terrible day, but with this tragedy came one of the best wars America has ever been involved in. Let me be clear I think war in general is terrible, but what this war brought was freedom for million of Jewish men and women who were being murdered at the hands of Adolf Hitler. It brought our economy back from the dead and made the United States a power house in terms of Military prowess. The bad thing about this was the dominance and the bully our country became. It was manifest destiny all over again. We thought we were entitled to things that didn't belong to us. We established bases throughout Europe and became a police to the world. I understand why we did it, to protect innocent people from men like Hitler, but we let Joseph Stalin do it to his people. If we were really concerned about the welfare of others we would have removed Joseph Stalin from power. Again this is just my point of view on things. But in the end i want to give thanks to the men and women past and present who fight to keep our freedom and protect our unalienable rights. 

The Man Of Steel Poster

This poster was released yesterday. One can only imagine what the story line for the movie will be. I think the movie is going to be more about the origin of Superman, the way he became the hero he is. Kind of how Christopher Nolan remade the Batman. He gave you a better understanding of what Bruce Wayne/ Batman were going through, the demons he fought on a daily basis. I think this is one element that has been severely lacking in all of the Superman movies. While the Christopher Reeves movies are classic, there hasn't been one about the man. I think that is why the movie is called "The Man Of Steel" because it is about a man coming to terms with his abilities and the fact his biological father "Jor El" has labeled him as earth's greatest hero.

 "You will give the people an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time they will join you in the sun. In time you help them accomplish wonders."-Jor El

This must be one of the hardest things for a man to hear. The fate of Earth is in your hands. I think this will be an underlying theme of the movie. I don't know how i would react if i found out i was from another planet sent here because my home planet was destroyed and then i was labeled as the only hope to save Earth. That would almost be too much and on top of all that i have to learn to control my abilities and keep them hidden from other people. 

The poster to me shows how we (Earth) would react to someone with that kind of ability. This is a great sign for the movie and shows that they are trying to make this hero more believable. I can't wait for this movie as Superman is by far my favorite superhero. 

Fight The Foot

This has been floating around the interent for a very long time. When i first came across it i was hoping that they were going to make a much darker and grittier Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. As a kid this was by far my favorite toys, video games, and tv show to watch. They were the main reason i ate pizza. Now i eat it because let's face it, it's delicious. The first two movies that were made, were phenomenal. It was fun, funny but didn't really do anything in terms of making it seem real. Why is this important? Batman is a beloved character and in every TV show and movie there was really no way it could be believed that it was real life. That is until Christopher Nolan took over the franchise and made Batman more realistic. The Villans were believable. This movie not only appealed to fans of Batman but to people who don't follow the Caped Crusader. My dad is a prime example of this. He was blown away at "how real" it is. This video Fight The Foot makes the turtles look like they could exist. I know they can't but it seemed to be much more intense. I mean if these four Mutants use actual weapons they will kill someone. Do i think they should? Probably not because this was designed for kids. But if you go back to the comic books way before the 1993 cartoon show you will see them killing members of the Red Draggons. This gang was the original enemey of the Turtles. So if they did decide to make it more realistic in that sense i would be all for it. In the end as a fan of the TMNT i want to see the movies remade and would love to see them a bit more edge like Batman and hopefully like Superman. As long as Michael Bay doesn't touch them i think we'll be okay. So enjoy the video and hope you all like it.

Review Of Lincoln

Wow! Is all i have to say about this movie. I have been a Stephen Spielberg fan since "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"(no I'm not 40 or 50. I just like good movies. I mean Jurassic Park is still one of my favorite movies and have you seen Back to the Future and Indiana Jones?) When i first heard this movie was going to be made, and found out Spielberg was behind it, i knew it was going to be an authentic period piece. Also Abraham Lincoln is my favorite president. Months had passed and i forgot about this movie. I was scrolling through IMDB and saw the trailer. Daniel Day Lewis as President Lincoln? It was almost too much. I had planned on seeing this movie the night it came out, but didn't get around to it. But I finally saw it and it was better than i could have expected. Spielberg is a genius and his visions are perfect. If anyone wants to take notes on how to make a period movie please ask this man. There was no doubt that this movie was from the 1860's. Daniel Day Lewis was extraordinary and the voice he uses to portray President Lincoln was perfect. There is really no information on what his voice actually sounded like. But people did say his voice did travel well in crowds, and people did say it was a much higher voice. But enough about how amazing this movie was i will talk plot points. 

The movie is set at the end of his first term and right at the creation of the Emancipation Proclamation. President Lincoln stood on an island by himself. The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves for the duration of the Civil War, but what was to happen when the war was over. You watch as President Lincoln motivates his team, deals with the hardships of being a father and husband, and battles his own demons. The one thing i thought was perfect, was the way Lincoln never let anyone do things for him. He wasn't polished or didn't hide the fact he wasn't. He was the man of the people. He was the most eloquent speaker and I have read most of his speeches and i still can't get over how amazing he was. All in all this movie is perfect and is THE best movie of the year. DDL is perfect as Lincoln. Sally Fields plays Mary Todd perfect. I will definitely see this movie again and can't wait for this to come out on DVD.   

Top 10 Movie Coaches Of All Time

Awhile back i had a post about the top ten sports movies of all time. The list is very controversial and can be argued for change. I agree there are movies i left out that are classics. but it also got me thinking about who are the best coaches of all time? Again this is just my opinion and hope some of you agree.

 

 

10. Pete Bell Blue Chips

I was hesitant to put Pete Bell on the best coaches list. He cheated and got caught. But the one thing he cared about was his players. He was competing the right way, but everyone around him wasn't. They were buying players so he joined the fray. He wanted an education for all his players and did everything he could to help them succeed. He is a great coach,

 



9. Kevin/Danny O'Shea Little Giants

 

These two brothers didn't get along at all. One was the star of the family winning a Heisman Trophy and coming back to his hometown setting up a car dealership and giving back to the community. The other was a single parent raising a daughter and owned a gas station. If you had to pick who would be the better coach you would be surprised.(Danny) Danny O'Shea was chosen for how he inspired his team. He made them believe in themselves and what he lacked in terms of football knowledge he made up for in heart. Kevin knows football inside and out. He played the game the right way. As a head coach you can't worry about feelings and he knew that when he had to cut his own niece. He did not approve of illegal hits and was a good sport after the game was over. Both of these men together would win a NCAA title for anyone.

 

 

8. Morris Buttermaker Bad News Bears

Enough can't be said about this man. Morris was a coach everyone could relate too. Bitter at the world just being a coach to be a coach. He wasn't trying to inspire them simply taking up time. One thing he found out though was that he loved it. His use of kids in the right spots would make him a great NL manager. The way he recruited their big gun, you know he would make a great collegiate coach. He made sure everyone did their job and put his players in a position to succeed. He didn't sugar coat anything and would tell you exactly what you needed to hear. They went from last place to a championship game. He cared for the kids and by the end he was very protective over all of them.

 

 

7. Mr. Myagi The Karate Kid

 

This man is a legend. He may not be the ideal coach but he is a great teacher of Karate. He takes a wimpy Jersey kid and turns him into a Karate champion using only sanders, a paint brush and the ability to focus. He didn't fear losing and never used Karate to punish, he used Karate as a form of discipline. I mean the dude was trying to catch a fly with chopsticks. He gave his student a car for his birthday. He not only helped Daniel Son with becoming an exceptional fighter, but got him being a better person. That's all you can ask out of you players/ students.

 

 

6. Mickey Goodwell Rocky

 

This man is old school! He's got you chasing chickens, punching meat and running through the city while a bunch of white kids chase you. He got Rocky Balboa one of the toughest fighters in all of sports to defeat Apollo Creed who had never been knocked down. A lot of credit goes to Rocky too but Mick had him changing stances and didn't buy in to all the hype when Rock started winning. He was charismatic and him telling Rock to stay down in the first bout between Apollo and Rock showed how much he cared. Plus no one else can call someone a bum without referring to Mick.

 

 

5. Tony D'Amato Any Given Sunday

 











 

"You do what you're f*ckin told" Everyone remembers that line. Coach D. Old school mixed with the new school. He was all about the running game and defense. When his veteran and back up QB's went down he turned to a third string guy who had a bad attitude and got him to buy into the team concept. It may have taken the whole movie but he got em there. He reminds everyone that the game is beautiful, its hard its tough and you have to fight and dig for everything you get. It's not easy. He reminds his team that no matter what is going on around you football will always help those things go away. Even if it was only for a little while. I would have loved to play for this guy.

 

 

4. Jimmy Dugan A League Of Their Own

 

Jimmy D. This man was a fall down drunk and did not want anything to do with girls playing baseball. He was loyal to the fact baseball is a mans game. He never believed they would be any good. But thanks to a tall catcher Dotti Henson he gave them a shot and knew how hard these girls work day in and day out for little money. He was also able to kick a drinking problem during the season and would not be afraid to argue a call or two. He found a respect for them and with his experienced past in baseball hitting 5 homeruns in the world series, 2 in game 3 alone he got the Rockford Peaches to the first ever women's world series. He loved the girls and has one of the best quotes of all time to me. "Baseball isn't suppose to be easy. It's hard. Not everyone can do it. The hard is what makes it great"  

 

 

3. Lou Brown Major League

 

This man to me is THE best baseball coach in history. He took a team that was set up to fail and took them to their first pennant in teams history. He didn't care about egos and did things off of hunches and gut feelings. He made sure everyone knew their role and when they were struggling he got them to unite with one common goal. Winning. He was upfront with all his players and relied on his team captains to keep order. He peed on contracts made speedy guys hit the ball on the ground and made sure everyone knew that the team comes first. On top of all that he sold tires at tire world. The guy could do it all.

 

 

2. Coach Herman Boone and Bill Yoast Remember The Titans

 

What can be said about these two extraordinary gentleman that hasn't already been said. They united in a time of racial turmoil and fear and got a group of white and black kids to not worry about skin color but focus on the person. Yoast is great because he essentially lost his job and stuck around for the kids and gave coach Boone a shot. Any other coach would have packed up and left town. But not this man. He was compassionate and was the voice a reason when coach Boone was about to take a dive off the deep end. Not coach Boone. He was put in a situation to fail. If he lost a single game he was to be fired. He made the boys believe in equality. He showed them what fight they were fighting. He was a ballsy coach only had six plays and they all worked. Like Novocaine give it time it always works. He dealt with racism and never let his boys know what was really going on with him. He treated everyone equally and would break them down to build them up. He would jump in your butt and explain why he did it and make you see the bigger picture. He worked them unbelievably hard during hell week because he knew how hard the season was going to be. He is a great man.

 

 

1. Coach Gordon Bombay The Mighty Ducks

 

 

The Minnesota Miracle Man. Gordon Bombay was the ultimate coach! he took a bunch of kids who had no equipment no coach and took them to the championship. He earned their trust and got them doing all the fundamentals. He taught his team to believe in themselves and win lose or draw you hold your head up high. No matter what as long as you go out and give it your best shot you have no reason to be upset. He learned from his losses and not only won the District 13 championship but also a junior Olympic medal and got his whole team scholarships at a prestigious prep school. He made sure his team came first. I guess the only thing left to say about this amazing coach is....QUACK QUACK QUACK!!!



 







Barry Bonds: The Hall of Famer

 



Steroids. Cheater. Fake. BALCO. These are words synonymous with Barry Bonds. The reason i bring this up is because for the first time since he has retired he is up for the Hall of Fame. I personally feel he deserves to be in the Hall much more than Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa and i will explain why. The day Barry Bonds joined the 600/600 club. (600 HR's and 600 SB's) no one noticed. The whole world was captivated by the man in the Cardinals Jersey hitting the ball a country mile. Barry swiped the bag raised his and there was a brief announcement to the stadium, but it didn't mean much. When you turned on SportsCenter there was no talk about how rare it is to have 500 Homeruns and 500 stolen bases. In fact he is the sole member of this club. Every game was cut to bring you the next Mark McGwire at bat. While this was great for baseball that was slowly dying, the bigger story than chasing the majestic HR record was the fact Barry Bonds was playing at the top of his game and doing the right thing, yet he lacked all the glam that followed McGwire around. Barry knew Mark was using, hell i bet everyone in the league knew he was juicing. Barry reached a plateau no other athlete has ever reached and did it correctly and got nothing in return.

He then made a decision. If Mark was getting all this support by using why shouldn't he? He was already one of the best players to ever play the game and now he was using enhancements that 50% of baseball was using. He even the playing field for himself, and well we can all see the numbers. He was the Michael Jordan of baseball. I use that very loosely of course because Michael never cheated. I use it in the sense that they both dominated their respective sport. Again i am not condoning what Barry did I am merely stating he was a hall of famer before he started juicing and shouldn't be condemned because we as a nation fell in love with the HR.

This brings me to my next point. Steroids are terrible and destroy your body and tip the playing field in the users advantage, but these are professional athletes who get paid to preform at the highest level day in and day out. While most of you will sit there and criticize these athletes for "making that much money they should hit HR's every at bat" I would love to see one of you turn down that much money to do something you love so much. Or knowing what kind of pressure comes with that kind of contract. You will do anything you can to win. Just ask Jordan who punched Steve Kerr in the face at practice. Or Lebron James becoming the most hated person in the state of Ohio because he wanted to win more than anything. It is hard to win, and people say athletes are role models to young adults so they should act more appropriately. I say that is a huge cop out for parents. Athletes and Movie stars shouldn't be these kids role models. That falls squarely on the parents shoulders and if they are letting athletes and Actors influence their children then they are failing at parents. These athletes get paid to be criticized about their game and deserve to be if they are not preforming but don't turn them into these role models when it should be police officers, teachers, firemen, and of course parents. My role models are my mother and father. They will continue to be.

So in closing Barry Bonds is a Hall of Famer and deserves to go in on his first appearance on the ballot. Anyone remotely close to the game will agree. Did he cheat? yes and the Homerun record should be the only thing tarnished by what he's done as a baseball player. I would want this man on my team.

Superman A Better Hero Than Batman

 

 

When studios try and make a superhero they have a very tough job in creating a world and a person that is believable to all audiences. You have to please the fans of the superhero and make the movie still watchable for people who aren't as in tune with the character as these die hard fans. This is why i think the Batman franchise is so much more relatable than Superman. I took a random poll of 25 people. 22 of them said Bruce Wayne (Batman) had a much tougher life than Clark Kent (Superman) did. A lot of this is attributed to not knowing Superman as Clark Kent and the fans who do know him as Clark Kent might not know of him as Cal El. This is a very big difference in finding out the emotional struggle Clark faces on a daily basis. I understand Bruce Wayne saw his parents murdered right in front of his eyes, and blames himself for not being strong enough to prevent the attack. But Clark's whole planet was destroyed. He is the last of his kind, and no matter how hard he tries to be human he can't. On top of the planet being destroyed he has to harness his abilities and keep them a secret as a young kid growing up as an out cast in Smallville Kansas. Now i want you to tell me one teenage boy who had the power of a God and would not use them for personal gain. This is why Clark is a better man than Bruce. Bruce went into a depression and sulked about what happened to his parents. He did turn it around and learned the skill that makes him one of the most feared vigilantes to ever grace a comic book. Bruce Wayne to me died when he donned the cape and pointy ears. He lives to fight crime and enjoys striking fear and taking his frustration out on the scum of Gotham City. The mask isn't that of Batman, but of Bruce Wayne. I think this is why he can't hold a relationship and feels useless when he is not fighting criminals. He's a lot like an athlete and once that athlete retires he can't help but want to go back, because that's all he knows.
The character Bruce Wayne/Batman is going to be more relatable to people because he was never given any special ability but had to work extremely hard to become the hero he is. It's a classic feel good moment when your hardwork pays off. Clark Kent/Superman isn't very relatable because not many people can't relate to getting an amazing gifts like the ones he has. But again to maintain that level of purity and to only use your ability to inspire people is something i know i couldn't do. He works to inspire and not to strike fear.

 Batman strikes fear into his enemies. He will beat you into a bloody pulp before turning you over the authorities. He understands the system is flawed, so he does his best to correct the system. Superman works in exact opposite of what Batman does. He uses force only when needed. He believes there is good in everyone and will continue to do so. He doesn't strike fear into anyone but is a beacon of light, a hope, an inspiration of good for the enitre world, not just one city.

Both heros can be argued to the point of ehaustion about who is better and who would win a fight, but at the end i am just thankful the nerd in me loves that these heros were created in the first place. Imagine how hard it is to create these lives and character depth. It is simply amazing. I cannot wait for the Man Of Steel Movie.

Kapernick Caps Off QB Change With Another Win

I am a huge San Francisco 49er fan and if you take away the last two years the franchise had been struggling. But the last two years Jim Harbaugh has turned them around and brought back that winning attitude that went hand in hand with the franchise. With that being said he made a tough call going with Colin Kaepernick over Alex Smith. Smith suffered a concussion two weeks ago and that left an opening for Kaepernick to come in and well frankly ball out! He put on a clinic against the Chicago Bears, one of the best defenses in the league. He brings an element to the table Alex Smith couldn't. They both can run and are pretty evasive but the way Kaepernick throws the ball is insane. He gives you the threat for the deep ball. Watching today's game against the saints i felt for Alex Smith he didn't do anything to lose his job, he just got beat out by a better quarterback. Do i think Smith is a good NFL Quarterback? i would say yes. He is a game manager and takes what the defense gives him, and that works great for the 49ers who rely heavily on that stellar lights out defense, but with Kaepernick he gives you more options to utilize those weapons that any NFL team would kill to have. I think there are going to be growing pains with Kaepernick but with what Harbaugh did for Andrew Luck and the resurgent Alex Smith i think the 49ers are going to be just fine. At the end of the day the 9ers are sitting at 8-2-1 with an offense that is becoming dangerous and a defense that is as stingy as a virgin on a first date.  it is a good time to be a San Francisco 49er fan!!

Call Of Duty Black Ops II

So i am a huge nerd.(if you couldn't tell) I love harry potter, star wars, hunger games, video games pretty much anything. But in the same sense i was a collegiate baseball player and love sports! baseball obviously takes the cake but football and basketball are amazing! but this is a nerd post, i have been playing this game Call Of Duty: Black Ops II. this game is tons of fun and while playing with a bunch of friends from all over California one of them said she (yes girls play this game too. Some are actually hot) had to write a paper on something she loved. she was going to do it on Call Of Duty. I think that is a great idea. I caught myself thinking about how big this game actually is. It is played around the world by millions of people. it has already grossed over a billion dollars and shows no signs of slowing up. it is a first person shooter game and serves no real purpose i guess except keep some kids out of trouble. i don't know what made me write about this game except that fact that it is the most played game throughout the United States right now. I will continue to nerd out and play this game. 

Black Friday

This is the first thanksgiving where I have participated in the mind numbing line waiting, people shoving, wonderful Black Friday shopping. I personally don't want to be here and would much rather be watching the patriots and jets throw the ball all over the field while I inhale pumpkin pie and feel bad about all the delicious food I've consumed. But alas my my nephew wants a grill at toys r us so I am here waiting in line. What has become of us as Americans when we put more emphasis on products than family time. It's frustrating and it makes me sad. Family time doesn't nearly mean as much i used to love thanksgiving, laughter echoing throughout the house, the smell of deserts filling the air but most importantly you spent time with loved ones. I miss those days now it's all about being in line for that blow out deal. But alas I am here as well. Hopefully someday soon we take a look and get back to what really is important.

Palm Springs Air Museum

I was going through my laptop deleting all the old pictures of this girl i am trying to erase from my memory. (Forgetting Sarah Marshall status) and i came across these pictures i took while i was in Palm Springs with my family. If you can't tell who i am, i am the dark guy with goatee. (I know not the best choice in face accessories but what are you gonna do) This was an aviation museum and it blew me away. Some of the planes here are in perfect condition even a few were salvaged from the bottom of the english channel and one from lake michigan. (don't ask) but to me spending the time with my nephew Trey my Dad Ed and my brother in law Paul was something that i will cherish forever. It was so much fun and i am so glad i found these pictures. We have a few pictures with P51 Mustangs and on one of them the tail is signed by actual tuskeegee airmen! I love that story and was really disappointed George Lucas crapped all over it. I mean he ruined Star Wars Indiana Jones and now Red Tails. These men who served deserve better than a Lucas Film. He should have just quit while he was ahead. Steven Spielberg even said "I created the world to George's vision." In other words he messed it up not me. But again i am way off tangent. if any of you get a chance to sit in one of THE hottest places in the state of California Palm Springs you must go to The Palm Springs Air Museum. 

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

Talk about a restless night last night. I could not fall asleep. The sleeping pills i took didn't do a damn thing. I usually have no problem falling asleep especially when i take sleep aids. I always seem to have these nights after a break up. The last time i had one i stayed up and watched "Dr Horribles Sing Along Blog" starring Neil Patrick Harris (NPH) which was amazing. The no sleep only lasted about 3 days, but after a three year relationship i think it's going to be a very long winter. I felt like a little kid who couldn't go to sleep Christmas eve because he knew Santa was dropping off all his Ninja Turtles and gameboys. Man those were the days. I'd be up at 5am checking all the presents. I remember being up so early i'd watch episodes of Mash on my little 13'' TV with the rabbit ears. They sure don't make toys like that anymore. But anyway i am going really off tangent here. The point is everyone has their own methods to get over a significant other it all depends on how you want to do it. I am so quick to say i will get over someone but it takes time. I'm a hypocrite, i tell my friends that you should never let someone affect how you live your life. But here i am staring at my ceiling remembering a much simpler time. When i had  Ninja Turtles. I mean cmon how awesome were the turles? Leonardo was by far my favorite. Again i digress. I am at my desk at work and as easy as it is for me to say i will get over this girl, i say it with confidence because i know i can. It will definitely not be easy but what else can you do. Watch romantic comedies, stuff my face with ice cream and lounge around in sweats? I do that on a regular basis anyway so it wouldn't be much out of the ordinary. I really do wish her nothing but the best and i hope she finds that special person.

Harry Potter vs Twilight

So the epic conclusion of the Twilight Saga was amazing! To me it was by far the most honest book interpretation I have ever watched. As far as an overall series with books and movies it goes to Harry Potter by a long shot. I mean JK Rowling created an entire world! Her books are so very complex and at the same time very easy to read. She captivated millions in the belief that a wizarding world could actually exist. I am not taking anything away from Stephanie Meyer and what she did because i did enjoy the entire Twilight Saga. But if you look at the message she is sending, she is making it okay to live your entire life for one person. I get that she is trying to talk about true love and love conquers all, but that shouldn't be the only reason for living. You shouldn't put yourself in harms way to feel alive. It is very important to love! You need to experience pain. These are powerful emotions just like anger and happiness but the reason i chose to talk about these two specifically is because this is what Rowling and  Meyer touch on. Rowling shows the coming of age and the trials through adversity and pain. Harry Potter has a very tough life but he doesn't let that affect who he is. He overcomes all in spite of who he is. Meyer's book is about falling in love. And i hope to find someone who feels the same way for me as bella and edward feel for each other. But at the same time i do not want to let that define me. I need to be happy before i start even thinking about making someone else happy. This is the only knock i have against The Twilight Saga. You shouldn't let anyone else define you. But to my point if you like one of these series or both, you will not be disappointed. 

Being Stood Up

Okay so i post a bunch of random things on here, mostly stuff that is floating around my head. I had plans with a girl who flakes well, lets say more than 60% of the time. I made plans with this girl a week ago to go see the new twilight movie.(yes i know you don't have to say) she said yes and i knew she was a flake so i repeatedly asked her every other day to make sure she was still going and low and behold she is not. Then she threw this guilt trip "I understand if you never want to talk to me again" and honestly i feel i have given her too many opportunities and she continues to burn me. I talk a big game about how i want someone to challenge me, but a the end of the day i want someone to watch movies with. i want someone who doesn't flake on me, i want someone who listens and cares if she misses. I honestly am done with trying to keep this girl. We dated for 3 years and our relationship was awful. Why am i even trying with this girl? i guess the answer has always been in front of me i've just never wanted to admit it. I am afraid of ending up alone. I have had other girls and tried other relationships but I don't want to "settle" i know that sounds harsh but it wouldn't be fair to me or the girl. I want to find someone who wants to see me as much as i want to see them. Wishful thinking but i hate this feeling.

Religion vs Religion

One of the most haunting to questions i think to anyone who believes in religion is... does religion actually exist. Are we going to look back on christianity and catholicism in 2000 years and treat this belief system the way we treat the Greeks and Romans beliefs in the Gods. Who is right? Many people believe religion was created to help mankind deal with the realization that death will happen. Do i firmly believe in God and life after death? You're darn right i do. I will never not believe what i believe but i can't say for certain what i believe is factual. Who can honestly say that. Maybe the Romans and the Greeks got it right and there are God's for every thing. As a nation the United States thinks they are the most powerful country to ever exist. But we have only been around for 200 years. The Roman empire was 2000 years old and spread over a vast majority of the world. Could they be right in their thinking? Who are we to say no to that. I honestly don't know what provoked me to write this but it is honestly how i feel. I have mixed feeling about everything and i am constantly second guessing my choices and my beliefs. We called what the Mayan's did barbaric for offering up human sacrifices to please the Gods. We've killed millions of people in the name of religion. Who knows in how long they will look back at our existence and think the exact same thing. We've made unbelievable advances in all matters from, medicine, to technology and so on and so on. But we need to evolve mentally, we need to not hide behind our religion but embrace it. We shouldn't judge people for not believing as you do, we do not need to force religion on anyone but be compassionate towards everyones cause. We must not ignore global warming causes but find solutions to solve this problem. The one draw back i have against many americans is they think their voice won't matter. Imagine if Thomas Jefferson and John Adams felt this way, we might not have the freedom to write these blogs or express our ideas as we do. If anyone happened to come across this please remember one man can't change the world but one mans idea can. Believe in yourself and aspire to be the one to make the world a much better place. That's all i have to say about that. Have a happy weekend!!

Stephen A Smith Is In Hot Water

I think this is the funniest thing i have read/ heard in a very long time. I am not talking about the use of the N-Word, i actually find that word offensive. But where does this come from? Why is it okay for some people to say it? I understand the history of the word better than most and i am in no way condoning the use of the word, but just keep reading. I feel words are only offensive if we make them offensive. I am sure everyone reading this has said the term "retarded" or said "that's gay" at some point in life. But did you mean it to belittle an entire type of person? Hopefully not it was just said in passing. That brings me to my point that words are only hurtful if we let them hurt us. Stephen A Smith said the N-Word but he didn't do it to belittle anyone he said it almost as if saying "c'mon please" I think in today's society we are focusing so much on not offending any particular person that we end up crippling our society. We need to teach people to have thicker skin in a sense and again i want to reiterate i am not saying what he did is okay and using these words are okay i feel they are all offensive, but they are offensive becuase people make them out to be offensive. I can call someone something but mean it to be hurtful and no matter what i say its the tone in which i say it. We have become to "soft" as a country and worry to much about using the right vinacular.The truth there is always going to be words that offend certain groups and the more you try to please everyone the more you're going to alienate others. Us censoring these words gives them more impact. In light of Stephen A Smith's position on TV he shouldn't use that language at all but after reading some of these articles about it, gets me upset because what was a slip of the tongue from a great journalist mght cost him his job. Is that right? Absolutely not. Should he apologize yes he should and everyone should move on. He's not a racist or in anyway deemed he uses this word often. He was debating and got caught up in the moment, i can't believe that a society that is in love with reality TV is going to give this man grief for showing how real these arguments are. I love Stephen A Smith and think he is very insightful and when Jalen Rose was laying into Skip Bayless it was Stephen A Smith who came to his defense. People will look for any reason to start controversy and i think it is down right rotten for someone to think this way toward the cast of First Take. I will continue to watch the show and will continue to support both Stephen A Smith and Skip Bayless who to me are gentlemen and scholars.

Perks of Being A Wallflower

This movie has been all the buzz. It is a movie i had wanted to see for a very long time and everyone i knew didn't want to see it. I finally met up with an old friend and we went and watched  this and it was everything you are looking for in a movie. The term emotion rollercoaster is thrown around so much that is what this movie is. The story is about a kid who is trying to make friends after a very tragic accident changed his life. He's not looking for sympathy just for a place to belong. It takes you to all the places that are wrong with high school, peer pressure, alcohol drug use and much much more. Logan Lerman plays an amazng Charlie, and Emma Watson is magical playing in her first role since book worm Hermione Granger in Harry Potter. It is a movie that will have you leaving the theater talking about it. This to me is THE best movie of 2012. Must see and i give it 10/10.
This of course is an adaptation of the critically acclaimed book "Perks of Being A Wallflower" that is written through a series of letters from the main character Charlie. The book dives more into detail about the struggles Charlie deals with on a daily basis. This is a book for the ages and the messages relayed in this book go far beyond high school! I cannot say enough about this movie and this book only that if you read one book and see one movie make it this book and this movie.

Annoyed with the World of Social Media

 

Social media is taking over the world. People do things now not for the benefit of their lives but to show it on either facebook, or twitter, or instagram.  I am part of the social media wave but i do not do things to rub in peoples faces. I think that's what the world is coming too. It's not so much about the contribution i am making to the world but "hey look at this guys. don't you wish you were me." I can't deal with it, but at the same time i don't know if i would be able to pull myself out of the media circle. It's funny because as i vent about the internet craze i am doing so on a blog that is part of this. hypocritical of me? absolutely but still something i needed to get off my chest. Before people took pictures for memories, now people take pictures for facebook defaults. I am someone who doesn't usually take a lot of pictures because i am out living those memories and i feel most of the photos are staged anyway. I mean if you're out somewhere having a great time why would you stop the great time and grab everyone you're with and pose for a photo. Why not just keep having a good time and relive the moment with fun stories you tell your kids. I mean if it really is that great of a time you will remember it.

Also check ins have to go. I don't care that you are getting dinner at this restaurant, i don't care that you are going to gym for the third time today. Why do you need to share it with everyone? It's insulting to my facebook page, although i am guilty of the annoying check in as well. Hash tags are getting worse. What started out as a way to link hot topics has turned into someone who hash tags everything they are putting in the picture default or the tweet. It's frustrating and annoying, there should be a law only two hash tags at most for every post on any media outlet. It frustrates me to the point where  i want to delete certain people, but i don't for fear people will take offense to it and assume i don't like them. No it's not that i don't like you, it's just that i don't like you enough to put up with everything you are putting up on these sites. I mean if people blocked me or didn't follow me i really wouldn't care, you see one thing i learned a while back is not to live your life to other peoples standards live it your own. You can't make everyone happy, you need to make yourself happy first. Trying to impress people with your pictures whether you want to admit it or not is awful and again i have done this too i just think we need to move on past this drawn out high school reunion media phase and get into making a difference in the world. I could be way off base but this is just how i feel.

#annoying!!!