Month: February 2013

The Perils of Innovation

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Innovators often suffer for their ideals.

Not grounded in reality dreamers always dream.

An ideal that can change the world and the faith of its residents.

The age of gasoline will end.

Men such as Musk will lead the way.

Media and politics conspire against him.

A shady review is circulated.

His lighting vehicle, once a savior is now vilified.

The media in this instance is false.

His lighting vehicle is a miracle but personal vendetta got in the way.

Reports laced with malice were found false.

Who is to blame?

The media, politics, or the man.

The blame rests on are culture and the industries that allow it to thrive.

Mary Oliver, a poet of nature.

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My favorite poet is Mary Oliver. She is the kind of the writer that perfectly combines the words by feelings. Her words can talk.

She picks up a bunch of aromatic flowers and smiles; she steps into the deep mysterious forest and listens; she smells the spiritual magic of nature and gets infatuated. She, Mary Oliver, the daughter of the earth, extracts every piece of the nature to build a poetic world filled with her particular experiences and feelings. Born in a small town with rural environment in Ohio in 1935, Mary Oliver spent her earliest days surrounding farms and fields and the deep woodlands attracted her. That became the moment when she realized the congenial places that lurked within her heart – nature.

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I am the Monster

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Coming up in the next few weeks play rehearsals will be ramping up so that we can give all of you lovely people hopefully the best show so far.

For the past few months the cast of Young Frankenstein has been working feverishly on rehearsing lines and risking ankles to bring the people of Ojai and beyond a great show.

By risking ankles I speak of course of my 6 inch high platform boots that I have to dance in so that I look like a monster…. yea that’s right I am the monster.

It is such a great part because I get to be on stage the whole time, and for the most part I just grunt and make people laugh.

This play is hilarious.

It is full of funny sexual innuendos that are very sly in getting in there, but a line such as, “what big knockers,” while looking away from a good looking girl, I mean come on, Dr. Fronkensteen doesn’t have a thing for doors.

These next two weeks are going to be rough in between late night rehearsals and still keeping up with class, but I have done it every year since the 4th grade and I can’t wait to put on another good show.

Come out and watch us on 2/21 and 2/22.

King Without A Crown

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No, I am not going to write a blog about Matisyahu’s song, but it is good, no I am talking about my beloved Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings.

What happened?

They came back after the break which was way too long might I add, and the first game back the Blackhawks destroyed them.

How does a team go from best 8 seed in the western conference to #1 in the NHL one season and then come back to be 28th in the league and last in their division.

So far this season they have a record of 3-5-2 and only a total of 8 points from a possible 20, a 14 point gap between the #1 Chicago Blackhawks.

This is how last season started out and they came back to win the whole shabang, but keep in mind this is a shortened season.

The teams are playing pretty much half of a season, so there isn’t really room for anyone to mess up, but especially not for the reigning cup champions.

This past weekend the Kings played the Detroit Red Wings.

Despite defenseman Drew Doughty setting the tone early  with a monster hit on Pavel Datsyuk about 5 minutes after the puck dropped, the Kings were trailing 2-1 going into the second, and remained that way well into the 3rd.

The Kings picked up their play and were connecting on passes and shots, but nothing was getting past Jimmy Howard, and so I thought Jonathan Quick.

With 52.8 seconds left in the 3rd period Alec Martinez fired one past Howard just after Quick had skated to the bench to get an extra attacker out on the ice.

But with 4.5 seconds left Detroit Red Wings’ Jonathan Ericcson got one right through the pads of Quick, and it seemed to just slowly trickle past the goal line making it impossible for the Kings to come back, leaving them with yet another loss.

BMS!!!!

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Blue Mountain State, or “BMS” for short, is probably one of the greatest shows I’ve ever watched in my entire life. I’m not a big TV guy. I only watch a few shows. I watch “How I Met Your Mother” with my girlfriend, “Boondocks”, which is arguably my favorite Adult Swim cartoon, “Family Guy” which is arguably my favorite cartoon of all time, and BMS.

Unfortunately, BMS only lasted for three seasons, and I’ve finished all three in one week. I’m disappointed to have already finished the show, but it was great while it lasted.

The show revolves around football teammates who play college football at Blue Mountain State. The teammates and pals engage in college high jinks, ranging from drugs, alcohol, sex and partying all together. The show clearly appeals to a teenage and college demographic. In other words, I would not show this to my parents. Maybe my father, who tolerates this kind of stuff. But my mother would not be pleased to say the least. There is frequent innuendo and occasional implied nudity. There are never any private parts revealed. It leaves the rest up to imagination. But that’s not even why I would enjoy a show like this. As many would find easy to believe, I watched the show expecting a football comedy. I got that, with the college twist along with it. I loved the combo.

Like many TV fans, I chose a favorite character from the beginning. My man was the running back Craig Shilo. Unfortunately, Shilo’s actor went to prison following the first season, and left the show. I was VERY disappointed to not see him in the second season. But, it was ok. The show did not suffer.

As the show continued, it seemed like I was laughing a little bit less, but the show was beginning to have more meaning as the characters went from freshman to senior year.

Upon conclusion of the show, Alex Moran, the main character, was only a junior. This begs the question, “Will they ever have a season 4?” According to reports, the show has already been cancelled. So most likely not. Alex Moran will forever be an unfinished story.

I’m upset to finish the show. But maybe I can find a new one.

Caution!!!! Anything pertaining to Blue Mountain State should not be viewed by young children. I recommend 13+ at the minimum. Don’t say I didn’t warn you all. Everyone loves Scarface, so I see no reason to say no to something like BMS. There’s all sorts of inappropriate things in both. Don’t be a hater.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

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This post is somewhat, if not very, overdue, seeing as the movie Perks of Being a Wallflower came out quite a while ago. I did however feel that a post on the film was necessary, as I truly enjoyed it. It made me laugh, it made me smile, it made me cry, and everything in between. It is the perfect movie, and for many different reasons.

The first reason is that it is relatable. The writers don’t try and hide the unattractive parts of being in high school. In fact, they embrace it, making it so the characters don’t seem like movie stars, but rather like someone you would pass in the hallways.

Which brings us to the second reason: The cast. Emma Watson was amazing. She fit her role perfectly, even more so than her major part in the Harry Potter series as Hermione Granger. In my opinion at least. Logan Lerman and Ezra Miller were fantastic as well.

The third reason is perhaps my favorite, but it could also very easily be my least. The roles played by the cast, and portrayed so well, made me want to be there standing in the back of the pick-up truck, cruising through a tunnel and listening to quality music. Wallflower made me want to try listening to new music, find a group of friends who accept me and push me to have more confidence, as well as deal with my emotional shortcomings in a safe way.

Perks of Being a Wallflower is a great movie, not just for teens but for adults as well, to really provide an accurate representation of what high-schoolers deal with on a daily basis. I wouldn’t particularly recommend it for the younger child, but to each his own. I loved this movie, and was incredible glad to have watched it. I would definitely say it’s high on my list, if not at the top.

Image for movie

The Week

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Well, a lot of stuff happened this week, so I’ll get right to it.

The biggest thing hat happened was probably the Grammys. I just watched it and wasn’t really impressed by any of it (other than Adele. Because Adele’s the best.). And I really have to go out on limb and say how much I hate bands like fun. It really makes me happy to see the Es-335 has made the spectacular rise in talent from Chuck Berry to the guy with the undercut in fun.

The next biggest thing that is happening this week is the ongoing Christopher Jordan Dorner caper. This guy was apparently so sick of the widespread corruption, racism and brutality in the LAPD that he has taken it upon himself to end the problem by killing the alleged offenders of human rights in the city. This fascinating story about a real-life “V” stems from his even more fascinating manifesto written by Dorner. His tales from working on the force with the LAPD are absolutely terrible. The LAPD, he says, hasn’t changed since the Rodney King days, and the evidence to his point is very convincing. I suggest everyone goes and reads what he has to say here.

Lights Out, NOLA!!!!

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By now, you have all heard about the blackout at the Super Bowl that almost changed the outcome of the game. The Ravens were on a roll, opening the second half with a kick return touchdown by Jacoby Jones and extending their lead to 28-6. The game was out of reach, and the Ravens were showing no signs of stopping. This one was getting out of hand.

Then, in the middle of the 49ers’ ensuing possession, someone decided that it was a little too bright in the Superdome. Time to go green and go blind!

There are many theories regarding the blackout in the Dome. Some say that the generators that were supporting the lighting for Beyonce’s halftime show may have blown a fuse. Some say that the off-sight generators powering the Superdome may have malfunctioned. But as you all know, I like to come up with my own theories. Some of my theories are very farfetched. However, this one makes some sense.

Check this out. In the first three quarters, Mercedes Benz did not present a commercial to the many viewers. In the fourth quarter, what do we have here? A Benz ad.

The air time was collapsed in order to draw attention to the Mercedes ads. While viewers were taking wing and bathroom break, hopefully not simultaneously, other commercials were running. As commercial spots were booked ahead of time, Mercedes made an effort to have their commercials appear while the game was actually happening.

I don’t know, guys. Seems pretty fishy to me. It’s a little more valid than Beyonce and the Illuminati having anything to do with it.

The Former Servant

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h

A man is disgruntled and angry.

Perhaps he lost his job to hate.

Perhaps not.

His intentions do not matter.

All that matters is the result of his action.

It’s a shame a once public servant.

Now, he harms the people he once swore to protect.

Why?

His actions are the signs of a mad men.

Now he is no longer respected.

He is feared and hated.

Through the mountains he roams.

Trucking along on his quest of evil.

Seizures and searches do nothing.

He is out their, true.

But surely he will be found.

War

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My name is not important, but it will be. I will stand in front of an army of thousands and watch empires fall. But that is not where this story starts.

We must move past the burning dart, and the ruins of Rome. I am Caesar and Alexander the Great. I led the armies of barbarians against my empire, and I destroyed what I had helped build.

I am locked in a battle with a younger more ambitious spirit. Limitless power emphasizes the qualities of a man, the good and the bad.

I was the first omnipotent being, my only son is the other. Time became our battleground. He grew corrupt with his power, and so did I.

Countless lives were lost.

And now I stand here at the end of the universe staring my enemy in the eye, and I can’t help but feel that this was just a matter of misplaced emotion. We could have stopped this.