Beasts of a Southern Wild

Wow, it's been a whole two years since I lasted posted -- no -- last visited this thing. Well, not much has changed. Except for my sudden desire to start writing again. Or whatever you call these fragmented thoughts.

In other news, this movie looks incredible.

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD, Benh Zeitlin | Meet the Filmmakers | 2012 Sundance Film Festival | Sundance Channel from Sundance Channel on Vimeo.

In other, other news. Blogspot is so 2008. Maybe it's time I get a tumblr or whatever.

RIP

I bought a microwave at a mini-mall; I bought a mini-van at a mega-store. I eat fast-food in the slow lane. I’m toll-free, bite-sized, ready-to-wear and I come in all sizes. A fully-equipped, factory-authorized, hospital-tested, clinically-proven, scientifically- formulated medical miracle. I’ve been pre-wash, pre-cooked, pre-heated, pre-screened, pre-approved, pre-packaged, post-dated, freeze-dried, double-wrapped, vacuum-packed and, I have an unlimited broadband capacity.

Pure Altruism

Is living in New York City really changing me that much? I feel myself becoming more cynical -- and not in the funny, sarcastic type of way -- but the "look at these fucking people. Fucking assholes" Louis CK type of way.

This frightens me.

But I don't think I'm all that bad. I cried when I went to see In The Heights. I still cry when I watch Stepmom. And I think baby animals are cute -- even the conventionally deemed "ugly ones." There's still some kindheartedness left in me. Some.

Example: Candace just sent me this gchat message:
Candace: this old lady almost fell in my office!
My first reaction? Laughter. Second? Concern. Third? Realization that my concern was somewhat forced. Fourth? Convincing myself that it wasn't. Fifth? Apathy. I could have avoided four whole other reactions/emotions and just stuck with the fifth.

This has less to do with altruism and whether or not I think it exists and more to do with my maturity...which, at this point to me, seems somewhat regressive.

Authenticity is invaluable. Originality is nonexistent.

Truer words have never been spoken.

I'm no Hemingway...

What Mr. Hemingway can teach us about effective writing...

1. Use short sentences.

Hemingway was famous for a terse minimalist style of writing that dispensed with flowery adjectives and got straight to the point. In short, Hemingway wrote with simple genius.

Perhaps his finest demonstration of short sentence prowess was when he was challenged to tell an entire story in only 6 words:

For sale: baby shoes, never used.

2. Use short first paragraphs.

See opening.

3. Use vigorous English.

Here’s David Garfinkel’s take on this one:

It’s muscular, forceful. Vigorous English comes from passion, focus and intention. It’s the difference between putting in a good effort and TRYING to move a boulder… and actually sweating, grunting, straining your muscles to the point of exhaustion… and MOVING the freaking thing!

4. Be positive, not negative.

Since Hemingway wasn’t the cheeriest guy in the world, what does he mean by be positive? Basically, you should say what something is rather than what it isn’t.

This is what Michel Fortin calls using up words:

By stating what something isn’t can be counterproductive since it is still directing the mind, albeit in the opposite way. If I told you that dental work is painless for example, you’ll still focus on the word “pain” in “painless.”

• Instead of saying “inexpensive,” say “economical,”
• Instead of saying “this procedure is painless,” say “there’s little discomfort” or “it’s relatively comfortable,”
• And instead of saying “this software is error-free” or “foolproof,” say “this software is consistent” or “stable.”

Why Not

i love love

Nothing about you has faded. You are still the color of my blood. You are my blood. When I look in the mirror it's not my own face I see. Your body is twice. Once you once me. Can I be sure which is which

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lvz0R0KX_E4

RJD2 - Let There Be Horns

We Are Tricked By Language

I guess this really is just a stream of consciousness...soon to be unconsciousness...

You've been warned.

According to Mr. Friedrich Nietzsche, the truth does not exist. Truth is a matter of perspective. Our society is influenced by falsehoods and illusions. Undefined stigmas that frighten the shit out of us and prevent us from questioning what we think exist. You follow? We are tricked by language, by thought, by words, by metaphors – we have given up our individuality. We imitate.

Truth is prejudice.

[agree or disagree. enter thoughts in comment section, or write me a damn email. does anybody even read this blog? continued below.]

At times I feel like it’s almost a game, attempting to uncover “the truth.” But overall it’s not the truth that is redeeming our past or our memories; it is what we have learned from what we believe to be true. Our memories are ours – whether individual or collective. We chose how to shape them, share them and live them.

Therefore, the only "truths" that exist are our truths. And that is what liberates us -- but, as a society, do we rely on these self-assigned truths too much? I mean, they are, after all, just memories that we have (attempted to) coherently pieced together -- (attempting to) form some type of...something

Memory is often thought to be solely a subjective experience which builds identity and “the self.” We can truly only be aware of our consciousness, which feeds into the philosophical belief of solipsism: “My mind is the only thing that I know exists.” Radically opposing this idea is the theory of the collective consciousness, which asserts the supremacy of shared or collective memory. This claim depends on the thought that memory is shared and hinged on collective cogitation. Because of this, individual memories cease to exist.

So, in short, truth does not exist.

[summary: i need sleep or a stiff drink soon]

As Ms. Didion so eloquently once said, "we tell stories in order to live."

By Zeus, do we ever...

a little incompatibility is the spice of life

I vote for all humankind to be a little more incompatible...in an ionic bonding sorta way.



...it's only raining straight down.
That is why marriage is so much more interesting than divorce,
Because it's the only known example of the happy meeting of
the immovable object and the irresistible force.
So I hope husbands and wives will continue to debate and
combat over everything debatable and combatable,
Because I believe a little incompatibility is the spice of life...



and by golly, he was right...candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.

Calculate Your Erotic Capital!

Become the symbol of sex and break the Seven Deadly sins on a daily basis.


Stay tuned. More to come soon...

Symmetry Means Nothing To Me...Neither Does Making Sense.

I'm my own fallacy. My own jumbled-up, distorted mess. A cheap, courteous laugh from an acquaintance who barely understands my wit -- I'm that.

But above all, a paradox.

(WHAT?)

I don't like to tell stories. I attempt, but am usually unsuccessful in communicating the purpose of my anecdote. So, I avoid it. But not all types. I like to tell funny stories. Stories of vulgarity, where I could cuss and be colorful and really avoid any sort of message. Those are the stories I enjoy telling. Other types usually just leave me marble-mouthed, struggling to find a word appropriate enough to describe any other emotion besides "happy" (or salty).

Basically, I just need a better vocabulary. One where I avoid the words "fuck" and "shit" at all costs.

Fuck it.

Do you ever feel that you care so much that you really don't care at all? I'm not sure if that makes a lot of sense, but I've recently discovered I'm somewhat apathetic towards a lot of things. Yes, just things. That's really all they are to me. Now wait a g-damn second. I'm not playing the "woe is me" card. Not in the least. Why would I do that? But more importantly, why would I care? I don't. I'm apathetic. Indifferent. Uninterested. Cool, calm, collective. I couldn't care less.

I guess this is where the paradox comes in. Because I do.

Now, this isn't turning into a story. I could tell one. I'm sure I could tell many...like the one about...

No. I'm not going to try. Because what I really want to do is share a personal, serious one with you. But I won't do that. Not via this blog.

So I'll leave you with this.

Today on the subway, on my way to work, I gave up my seat to an older man. He graciously accepted, sat down, looked up at me, and said "smile."

See, I could've went off, grabbed him by his saggy neck and yelled that it was 8am and I was tired and that I didn't get any sleep the previous nights and I was hungry and upset and the fact that he told me to smile made me even more upset and that I'm working 3+ jobs and haven't really seen any of it pay off yet and I could've cried and made a scene.

But I didn't. Nobody would.

So I smiled and pretended it didn't bother me.

And now I'm writing about it, over 15 hours later.


gah.


At least I'm employed.

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ANDY ROONEY YOU'RE A FUCKING IDIOT

I'm fuming. Here's why:

This is what Andy Rooney said on "60 Minutes" a few weeks back:

I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except numbers. The only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America; and see what happens ... Jesse Jackson will be knocking d own your door.

Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.

I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason; that is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts!

ARE YOU LISTENING MARTHA BURKE? I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an opinion.

I have the right "NOT" to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off. When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling; it is the Law of Probability.

I believe that if you are selling me a milkshake, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper or a hotel room, you must do it in English! As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American citizen, you should have to speak English!

My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to c ome over and disrespect ours.

I think the police should have every right to shoot you if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word "freeze" or "stop" in English, see the above lines.

I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you are qualified for any special loan programs, government sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business.

We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms, so that decades later they could come over here and tell us our constituti on is a living document; and open to their interpretations.

I don't hate the rich I don't pity the poor.

I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That doesn't stop you from watching them.

I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that's better, and put your name on the building.

It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid; and smack their little behinds when necessary, and say "NO!"

I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement. And, please, stay home until that new lip ring heals. I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French fries!

I am sick of "Political Correctness." I know a lot of black people, and not a single one of them was born in Africa; so how can they be "African-Americans"? Besides, Africa is a continent. I don't go around saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was from Europe. I am proud to be from America and nowhere else.

And if you don't like my point of view, tough ... I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC, FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL! AMEN!

I was asked to send this on if I agree or delete if I don't. It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore I have a very hard time understanding why there is such a problem in having "In God We Trust" on our money and having "God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. Why don't we just tell the 14% to Shut Up, lay down and BE QUIET!!!

Ignorance. Stupidity. Racism. Homophobia. Sexism. Fanatical assholes. Yep, still alive and well.

But...this is funny...