9/23: IS IT OKAY FOR A MAN TO HIT A WOMAN. . .
Current mood: contemplative
Category: Blogging
...if SHE hits HIM first?
Was he wrong?
I absolutely hate men who beat up on women. Always say there's no excuse. But, I'll admit, I can't really get mad @ this guy. She cursed @ & then slapped him. He slapped her back. I think that's the natural first instinct of anyone who gets hit, to hit back. Certainly if it were a woman hitting another woman, or a man hitting another man, no one would even think twice about someone hitting back, but it does seem a little different when it's a man and woman, doesn't it?
Personally though, I wouldn't have hit her. Not because I'm overly chivalrous, but because I know about the double-standard in perception. I certainly wouldn't hit back if we were private, because later it's my word against hers, and I know who everyone is more likely to believe. Even if she admits hitting me first, everyone would just be like "What's the big deal? She's just a woman?" They wouldn't see the context.
But on TV it's even worse, because everyone would now look @ ME as the bad guy. You notice how all those guys jumped on stage and rushed HIM right afterwards, while she walks away like nothing happened. How fair is that? So, as much as I'd want to hit back, I'd just leave and immediately call the police and have the bitch arrested for assualt. And I'd probably file a civil suit against her, for the emotional distress that would come afterwards (since you know everyone would be laughing @ me for getting slapped on TV) and try to get every penny she has.
Currently
listening
:
Hard Candy
By
Madonna
Release date: 2008-04-29
9/19: RANDOM LATE-NIGHT THOUGHTS, OBSERVATIONS, & RUMINATIONS.
Current mood: awake
Category: Blogging
2300 hours. Sleep no come.
Got a flat-tire on the freeway on my way home. Thank Godzilla for Triple A. But now I need to get a new spare. Bummer.
Going through my friends list, I see that I have quite a few people that I don't actually recall ever adding or talking to. Can't believe I've gotten so out of touch. Back in the good old days, I used to pride myself on keeping up with everyone. Now I just don't seem the time (or inclination). I hope I'm not becoming one of those "friend whores."
I've got TWO "transgendered" individuals on my list. What are the odds?
I wish everyone on Myspace used real names instead of screen names, like they tend to do on Facebook. It just feels more like you're communicating with a real person. I'd rather talk to "Mary" instead of "Minnibutterfly," for example. I mean, it's not like you have to use your whole full name, as I understand some folks may have privacy concerns, but you could use something close enough. If you don't want to use "Matthew Allen Strader III" you could just use "Matt." That's better than "Djinn Lord X" or whatever.
The two best-looking Asian women on my list are:DAVITA & TEYE
The two best-looking Black women on my list are:BECKS & ANABELA
The two best-looking White women on my list are:MAIYA & SAM STONE
The two best-looking Hispanic women on my list are:FINE WINE & LILLIAN
I wish we had the option of sending one comment to multiple friends @ once. Like, if I wanted to leave a "Happy Labor Day" comment on the pages of all of my American friends, I could just click their names & send it to them all, instead of having to actually go to each page & post the comment, which could take too long. Sure, you can post a bulletin, but that doesn't mean everyone's going to see it, especially the friends who have huge friend lists, so this would be more effective.
And why do some folks disable html comments on their pages? That's part of the fun of Myspace, posting some goofy picture or graphic!
But what we really need is an option for a notification whenever someone responds to a comment you left in someone's blog. That way you'll know when to check back, to see what someone said.
RE: Automatic playlists on Myspace profiles. On the one hand, it can get very annoying to go to someone's page & suddenly be blasted with some song that I really have no interest in hearing. If YOU want to listen to Lil Wayne & Lil Jon all day, go for it. Put it on your pc & listen while you're logged into Myspace. But why you gotta force everyone else to hear that crap?
On the other hand, I have actually discovered several songs that I liked, after hearing them on someone's page. Everything from a couple of Dave Matthews Band songs, to Lionel Richie, Sting, Mariah Carey, & even the South Park Christmas song. So it has come in handy sometimes. But, on balance, the negative far outweighs the positive. Luckily I have a program that lets me block playlists.
I don't care what anyone says, I still love Madonna
Eminem is one of the best rappers ever.
My favorite athletes are Tiger Woods & Serena Williams.
I wish I could've met Bob Hope when he was still alive.
Tom Cruise stole the show in Tropic Thunder.
I can't believe we're about to get a senile old war vet and a stupid eskimo broad in the White House. Really, America?
Iron Man is on DVD Sept. 30th!!!! I'll be stopping @ Target first thing in the morning, on my way to work, to get my copy.
The weekend is here. Get off the damn computer, back away from the keyboard, and GO OUTSIDE.
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR 9/11!!!!!
Current mood: contemplative
Category: News and Politics
Well, that's what SOME people think. But I don't believe so. And I'm going to tell you why.
Generally speaking, I have a natural distrust of all authority, be it political, capitalistic, or religious. I consider myself a skeptic, but I'm also a realist. I follow the principle known as "Occum's Razor," which basically states that "All things being equal, the simplest solution is the best."
So there are two things we need to consider here: motive & means. The motive is, apparently, that the 9/11 attacks were planned in order to give the Bush Administration an excuse to wage war in Iraq.
The means are a bit different, depending on which 9/11 "Truther" that you're listening to. I've heard everything from Osama Bin Laden is really some sort of C.I.A. operative, working for us (or he may not even really exist), or he may be a scapegoat, who the government framed for this crime. The highjackings were staged, and the planes that crashed into the WTC were actually remote controlled. And a whole bunch of other theories (there's just too many to address, really).
But the main argument of "proof" is in the way that the buildings collapsed. Supposedly, falling directly down, like they did, is very similar to "controlled explosions," like what happens when demolition crews put bombs inside buildings to demolish them. So, some claim that this is proof that there were bombs placed inside the various WTC buildings, and that's what brought them down, not the crash of the planes.
Certainly, if it were impossible (not unlikely, or improbable, but IMPOSSIBLE) for the planes to cause that kind of collapse, then that would mean something. I've seen images of the falling towers matched with images of controlled explosions. It certainly looks similar. There are some engineers who say that the collapse must've been due to something other than the planes. But there are others who say that, due to the special circumstances of the planes, jet fuel, the warped steel of the buildings, as well as all of the furniture & equipment in them when it burned, it's understandable that they collapsed. So, there ya go. Two different opinions. Which one should we believe?
It seems to me if it were as cut & dried as the "Truthers" would like it to be, then there would be no question. For example, to use another conspiracy, let's look @ the JFK assassination. If he was killed by being shot with a water pistol, we'd know it was impossible. Even if we saw it happening, everyone knows that you can't blow someone's head off with a water pistol. So there are millions of engineers in this country, and all over the world, who saw the WTC collapse. Clearly, if it were so impossible, they would've all immediately known that, when they saw it. And they'd ALL be telling us that.
Plus, why would "they" plant bombs in the buildings, anyway? If "they" were intent on creating some phony terrorist attack, and "they" were somehow able to arrange for two planes to be crashed into the WTC, wouldn't that be enough? Why also the bombs? Even if the buildings didn't completely collapse after the planes crashed, & let's say only 1,000 people were killed, instead of 2,752, it's not like that would've been any less of a tragedy. America still would've been sad & angry, & Bush still would've had an excuse to push us into war with Iraqlater on.
So now we come to the motive. And, as much as I love to complain about the government, I really do not believe that our government is evil. No, not even Dick Cheney. I don't think any higher-ups in our military, or the Bush Administration, would really engineer mass murder of innocent American citizens, just so they could then stage a war. I'm all for distrust of government, but let's not get paranoid.
I believe that government, like most powerful institutions, is @ worst greedy, & @ best incompetent. I do believe that Bush & Co, from the beginning of their "election," wanted to go after Saddam Hussein, seeing it as a chance to finish the job Bush's father started. When 9/11 happened, that was their chance to come up with a reason, & they took advantage of our national outrage. But I don't think they planned it in advance. And my reason is simple: look how badly they f***ed it up!
When you consider the massive planning that would've had to take place to pull off these "bogus" attacks, make it look like terrorists did it, & keep all credible news sources from finding out, that would've required some BRILLIANT strategy. Look @ the Clinton scandals. They couldn't even keep a blowjob secret. And that was between just TWO people, but one couldn't keep her mouth shut (no pun intended). Yet not one person from this WTC conspiracy has come forward?
So, despite all that brilliance in planning, when it came time to carry out the war that this was all supposedly done for, then they suddenly became idiots? Now, years after "Mission Accomplished," we're still arguing about whether or not the "surge" is working or was a good idea? And all those WMD's that Saddam allegedly had, which was the official excuse for the war? Nothing! I mean, dang, they weren't even smart enough to cover their asses by planting some WMD's in Iraq. I know WE have some. They could've snuck a few nuclear bombs & some leftover anthrax over there, stuck them in one of Saddam's military bases, and then said "Look! We found Saddam's WMD! We told you he had them!"
It's like if you met a guy who was so smart that he built a car, all by himself, with his bare hands, and then the first day he went to drive it he got 17 traffic tickets. Wouldn't you think it was weird that he's smart enough to build a car, but doesn't even know how to drive it properly? That's basically what we're being asked to believe with this 9/11 conspiracy.
So that's why I say that our government is too incompetent to pull off something like this. And if there was a shred of decent evidence, the mainstream media would be all over it. Some will the say the media is involved in the cover-up, but I don't buy that either. Well, maybe Fox would go along with it, but certainly CNN, MSNBC, & the big networks & newspapers would love to have this story if it were true. Any reporter or network who provided evidence of a conspiracy involving 9/11 would be instant heroes. That's an automatic Pulitzer, @ the very least. Mike Wallace would give his left testicle for story like this. C'mon.
It just seems to me that with a lot of these conspiracy theories, there are people who want to believe the worst, and think there's more than meets the eye behind every big tragedy. I saw Spike Lee once speculate that the government blew up the levees in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. I say, isn't the blatant imcompetence of the FEMA bad enough? Do we have to add more to it, just to be even madder about it? And it's the same principle here.
Now, I know this won't convince those who, for whatever reason, want to believe in this conspiracy. I'm just saying that my common sense tells me otherwise.
Or perhaps I've just been thoroughly brainwashed by the Illuminati's secret mind-control rays. Dang, I knew I shouldn't have went outside without my tin-foil hat on...
8/27: I WISH I HAD NIGHTMARES
Current mood: awake
Category: Blogging
I had a great dream last night. And it sucks. Because I have great dreams all the time. Some people don't realize how disturbing that can be. Think about when you have a nightmare, & you wake up in a cold sweat with your heart beating fast, & you're all scared. Well the alternative isn't much better.
See, my dreams are so good, that I don't want to wake up. When I do wake up, instead of being relieved, I'm upset. And I'm not just talking about the impossible fantasty-type dreams, although I do have plenty of those. Like I'm a superhero, flying around the world, loved by everyone. Or I'm Emperor Of The World, & I've created Universal Peace. Or I'm a Sultan with my own private Harem.
But I'll also have the kind of dreams where I've somehow gotten enough money so that ALL of my depts are paid off, & I can buy a new car & big screen TV. Or I find out that they're bringing back the TV show "Dallas," with Larry Hagman returning as J.R. Ewing (I loved that show, that's how I got my name). And I'm really excited...and then I wake up.
And it's like "F**K! It was just a dream!!!
So then my real life seem so much worse, in comparison to my dreams, & I spend the rest of my day remembering that dream & wishing that it was real. It's times like this that I hate having such a vivid imagination.
I can't even remember the last time I had a nightmare. But that's what I want. Let me dream about being buried alive in a coffin filled with cobras by a bunch of zombie clowns. So I can wake up scared, and happy that it's over. It would be a nice change of pace.
Currently
reading
:
The Darker Mask
By
Gary Phillips
Release date: 2008-08-19
8/13: WANNA SEE A 63 YEAR OLD WOMAN IN A BIKINI?
Current mood: horny
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
Helen Mirren, 62, turns heads in red bikini From correspondents in London
THE British are calling it "the bikini that could start a revolution".
Yet it's not so much the bright red two-piece causing the sensation but the show-stopping, 62-year-old body of Dame Helen Mirren that fills it.
These jaw-dropping snaps of the Oscar-winning actress frolicking on rocks with her husband in Italy evoke memories of sexpots Ursula Andress and Brigitte Bardot in their heyday.
As one British commentator remarked, Mirren looks better in a bikini than most women four decades younger than her could.
When the photographs were published in Britain's Daily Mail newspaper last week - and replicated extensively online - they caused a frenzy.
After establishing there was no digital mischief involved, that Mirren's body appeared to be the product of good, old-fashioned exercise, readers posted gushing messages of admiration and, in some cases, envy.
"Yes, she does look great BUT she has never had children! Do not make us mothers feel bad, also it is her job to look good! I do admire her but this is also a very blurry shot ..." wrote one woman.
The majority, however, were more along the lines of: "Wow Helen! You look fantastic. I wish I looked as good as you and I am 10 years younger!"
Actress Joan Collins, no slouch herself at 75, was moved enough by the public's palpable surprise in finding a woman in her 60s truly sexy that she wrote a newspaper article about it.
"Everyone seemed rather amazed that she was looking so good just days short of her 63rd birthday," Collins said last week.
"Yet there are flocks of women in their 50s, 60s and 70s who still look sexy and absolutely wonderful whether in or out of a swimsuit.
"I certainly applaud Dame Helen for wearing a bikini on which she obviously thought was an extremely secluded stretch of beach."
The photographs were taken in Puglia, on the southern tip of Italy, where Mirren and her American film-director husband Taylor Hackford, 63, own a 500-year-old castle.
The grounds feature a mature vineyard and overlook the Mediterranean sea. Mirren reportedly bought the property to celebrate her Best Actress Oscar win for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II.
Long known as the thinking man's sex symbol through her work in theatre and films, Dame Helen achieved mainstream fame playing the no-nonsense Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison in the television series Prime Suspect.
8/9: WHEN I GROW UP I WANT TO BE...GENE SIMMONS
Current mood: impressed
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
I was never a fan of KISS, but I am totally hooked on Gene Simmons' "reality show." I know this sounds cliche, but look up "cool" in the dictionary & I bet you'll see a picture of Gene Simmons. The man has got swagger (or is that "swagga?" I gotta brush up on my Ebonics). And you can tell it's not an act, he doesn't have to try, he just IS.
I mean, the man is so cool, that even his kids are cool. If I were a teenager, I'd be trying to hang out with Nick & date Sophie. They don't seem like spoiled stuck-up celebrity rich kids @ all. They've got their heads on straight.
And he's "happily unmarried" to SHANNON F***IN' TWEED! Oh man, when I think of all those nights I used to stay up late to watch some movie she was in on Cinemax or Showtime...
Okay, so there was that little sex tape scandal earlier this year but, whatever. She knew what was up when she met him.
But the thing I love most about him is that he is so unbashedly & ashamedly capitalistic. The man is all about making money. That's his main moitivation. Anything for a buck. None of this highminded "artistic integrity" junk. Leave the saving of the world to Bono. He epitomizes what I'd say, 90%, of guys who ever picked up a guitar, bass, or drum set first thought of: making money & meeting women. That's what it's all about, baby. Gettin' paid & gettin' laid.
He's come out strongly against digital downloading, & gotten criticised for that. But he's like, I'm not even going to bother making new music if I can't make money for it. I love that! Call him greedy, if you want to, so what? It's his world, & we're just living in it.
8/9: I SAW A WHOLE BUNCH OF MOVIES THIS SUMMER
Current mood: contemplative
Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities
Best. Superhero movie. Ever. Period. Seriously, there is nothing that I would change about this film. Everything worked. The cast. The storyline. Special effects. All of it. I used to hold up Christopher Reeve as Superman as the greatest onscreen portrayal of a superhero but Robert Downey Jr. has beaten that. I've read dozens of Iron Man comic-books over the years & he literally became the image that I've seen in print all that time. My only worry now is that this was so good I don't see how they can ever live up to it for the sequel. It's like there's nowhere to go but down now...
Apparently I'm in the extreme minority here, but I was actually kinda disappointed in this one. It was good, but not great. Heath Ledger was fantastic, of course, as was Aaron Eckhart in his role, but It was a little too "dark" (no pun intended) overall. And it ended on such a depressing note. When Iron Man ended I was all pumped up, but with TDK I was bummed out. Perhaps my expectations were too high?
Another disappointment.I loved the comic-book that this was based on, & I knew beforehand that the film took many liberties with the story, but still I thought this would be a decent action flick. And, I suppose, it was. But it wasn't anything special.
Definitely better than the first, with some good action scenes. But the best thing about it is the set-up for the future Avengers movie @ the end.
Pretty good. Will did his usual thing, though this role didn't actually strecth his acting chops in any way. The twist in the 3rd act could've been avoided. If anything, this should've been two movies. The first just being with Hancock gaining respect as a Superhero, & then saving the other story for a sequel. And, although this movie wasn't based on a pre-existing character, I wish some publisher would license this movie & create a comic-book about it to tell more stories.
Almost the sameexact reaction that I had to the first one. Not horrible. But, now that I've seen it once, I have no desire to ever rewatch it.
If you like excessive violence (like I do), then you'll like this.
A decent enough addition to the series, though I still think The Last Crusade was the best. It's a shame this couldn't have been made sooner, when Harrison Ford was younger, so they could've kept it in the same time period. Indiana Jones is best when fighting Nazis, not Communists.
Thankfully I have a bit of an Asian Fetish, because Michelle Yeoh was the only thing that saved this film for me. I loved the first two, but I'd rather see a sequel to The Scorpion King.
Eh. Should've just been a TV reunion movie. Wasn't special enough for a theatrical feature.
Worst. Eddie Murphy movie. Ever. And, yes, I have seen Vampire In Brooklyn and I Spy. I want a hit of whatever he was smokin' when he first read this script & agreed to make it, because that must've been some good $h!t.
Apparantly I'm in the extreme minority again, but I loved this film! I couldn't believe it. ALL the professional reviews I read for this were horrible, & almost everyone I know, online & in real life, who saw it said it sucked. My mother liked it, but she also liked White Chicks, so I can't always trust her judgment. So I went in with low expectations, but it was FANTASTIC! Very creepy & suspenseful, & I just loved the concept of a "virus" that makes you kill yourself & how it was shown in the film. There were a few things I would've changed, but I can't nitpick. It was great!
8/9: THE SIX RICHEST NEGROES IN THE WORLD
Current mood: impressed
Category: News and Politics
As of March 5th, 2008, Forbes Magazine calculated that there are 1,125 individuals in the world who each have a net worth of @ least 1 BILLION dollars.
Of those, 6 are "Black" (well, one is half-Chinese, but that's close enough for me). I don't count Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Ali Al Amoudi (worth $9 billion), who is considered "Arab," like his father, even though his mother is Ethiopian.
8/9: MY 10 FAVORITE SUPERHEROES
Current mood: contemplative
Category: Blogging
Yeah, that's right. I'm a grown-@$$ man who reads comic-books.
So?
1)THE ORIGINAL CAPTAIN MARVEL I think I saw this character in the cartoons first, & then later in live-action TV series, before ever reading a comic-book. But it automatically appealed to me. I'd already been interested in Greek mythology, so that was an interesting connection. And I loved the concept of the young boy who could say a magic word that transformed him into a superhero. I admit, there were a few times as a kid, when no one was around, that I tried shouting "SHAZAM!" just to see if anything would happen.
Oh, who the heck am I kidding? I still say it, every once & awhile.
2/3)SPIDER-MAN & BATMAN I put them together, because it's basically a tie. I can't really tell which one I like better. Somedays Spidey's 2, somedays Batman is 2. I like Spidey because of his motivation. It's more pure. He's not obsessed to fight crime like Batman, he feels more responsible, like he HAS to fight crime. Even if he doesn't really want to, he doesn't have a choice, because he's got those powers, & with great power comes great responsibility.
But Batman gets an edge because he doesn't have any actual superpowers. So, theoritically, any of use could actually be Batman. If you work out, train, study, & inherit a billion dollars from your parents.
4)SUPERMAN He Who Came First. Gotta love Superman, since there'd be no superheroes without Him. My most cherished individual comic-book remains my copy of "Superman vs. Muhammad Ali," the team-up of two of my favorite heroes. That's what I'm grabbing first, if there's ever a fire @ my house. And Grant Morrison's "All Star Superman" is the best series currently being published.
5)BLACK PANTHER As the King of Wakanda, the most technologically advanced nation on Earth, he's like Batman, Iron Man, & Conan all rolled into one. I didn't get into him until after the previous series, by Christopher Priest, was over, & I started buying the back issues. The current series started off strong, but has been hit or miss for me. I dropped it last year but started buying it again a few months ago, & it's improved a bit. I still don't really like the marriage to Storm, though, since I never liked that character, even when Halle Berry was playing her.
6)WONDER WOMAN Like Captain Marvel, I enjoy the connection to Greek mythology in this character. First discovered her in the TV show, of course. Then later started reading the comics when George Perez was in charge. I also like the various runs by John Byrne & then Phil Jimenez. Hated Greg Rucka, & didn't bother with Al Heinberg. Been meaning to check out what Gail Simone is doing on the series now, but I'm waiting for the trades.
7)JOHN STEWART: GREEN LANTERN The Power Ring is the most awesome comic-book weapon ever (& a great fashion accessory). It's a shame that DC won't give him the proper respect. Thanks to the Justice League cartoons, he is THE Green Lantern to most of the general public, but instead of putting him front & center in the DCU, they bring back corny old Hal Jordan. Bleh.
8)CAPTAIN AMERICA When Captain America throws his mighty shield, all who oppose his shield must yield. If you don't like Cap, you're unAmerican. Although that cheap movie that made back in the early 80's was one of the worst pieces of dreck ever filmed. But my favorite runs in the comics were the two times Mark Waid wrote it. Also loved Mark Millar's protrayal of "Ultimate" Captain America. I'm not currently reading the comics until Steve Rogers, the real & ONLY Captain America, comes back.
9)THOR The Norse God of Thunder. With a great big hammer. The best run was by Dan Jurgens, when he Thor slowly take over the world. Also loved Mark Millar's "Ultimate" Thor (too bad Jeph Loeb messed that up). I hope the upcoming movie is good.
10)BLADE I wasn't aware of this character until after I saw the first movie. Afterwards I tracked down a bunch of the earlier comics. Unfortunately, his portrayel in print has never quite matched his coolness in the films (the last series was wack). Hopefully, someone will write a good series someday, because I believe he has a lot of potential.
11. J.R. Lemar- Because he's an interesting fellow.
Interesting? Moi? Okay, I'll play. I'm not tagging anyone, but I'll post 15 (why so many? It's usually 7-10) random facts about myself. Except, instead of writing them, I'll just post pics that represent each fact: