Tell Me in 140 Characters or Don't Tell Me At All comm325

With Facebook on it's way out, and the lack of words used in Instagram it's no wonder why people are learning to create interesting ways to get their point across through tweets.  Twitter, for me, has become a way to not only connect with people from all around the world, but its a way for me to learn how to communicate with people in a new format.
Though Twitter has been around since 2006 I have only recently become a user and a fan.  At first I found it challenging to make a point in such a short amount of space.  I am a talker and often use stories or anecdotes to get my messages across to others. Yet, with Twitter I must be precise in what I am saying.  My thoughts must be limited to 140 characters.  On top of that I need to make sure others see what my messages are. So, how do you I do it?

Step 1: Just start typing.
I will begin by typing exactly what I want to say.  Whatever my message is, to whomever it is going to, I just type it all.

Step 2: Look at What You've Done!
Now, go over the paragraph you've written and really take a look at it.  Honestly, it could probably be cut in half and then cut in half again.  Tweeting truly makes each person become their own best editor.

Step 3: Substitution is the

USE THE LITTLE ICONS WHENEVER YOU CAN!

Plus...they are fun!

Step 4: Use a #

If you are like me you had no clue what the hell those things were, other than a sign used to represent the word NUMBER.  Well, if you use that in front of a word, the number of people that your message reach will sky rocket!

Step 5:Use Pictures.

Attaching a picture or a website is always a way to enhance your message and add a bit of fun and color to an otherwise black and white tweet.

Final Step: HAVE FUN!

Don't take it too seriously. Just have fun and your twitter experience will be so much better.

It's been a while...

I often feel that agony is the reason we keep headed in the direction that life has handed to us. Every day we live in agony over the the things that we simply cannot control. I drive my car in hopes that I make it to my destination; it is the agony of the worst happening during that drive that gets me to where I must be. 

I often feel that it is the danger of being alive that truly allows me to be the person I am today. We tiptoe around the corners of everyday life, praying that what lies on the other side will be welcoming. The true meaning of life can only be interpreted as waiting for the other ball to drop. 

I often feel that when backed in a corner our only defensive is to dig downwards instead of pushing our way out. An example of this would be when consciously knowing the words that are flowing from your mouth will effect the rest of your future, still no matter how hard you try you cannot stop speaking. It is within those words that the meaning of our life is slavery as well as freedom.

I stop to look back on decades, years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds only to find that I have not changed at all. It is the world around me that has, and no matter how hard I try I wait patiently for the world around me to catch up. It's a constant reminder that we are who we are when we are born. Change is as frequent as the image of your face in the mirror transforming into another face. 

I often think that my way out is through the open door; the door that has swung back and forth for years, upon years, upon years.  It is a sad realization that not only is that door the only way out, it is the entrance to the past, present, and future; a space and time that are all interchangeable and irrelevant.

I often think the only thing relevant is yourself. And I turn to look at myself in a puddle rippled by the wind only to see my face moving with its waves. 

I Pulled Over For A Moment

I had to pull over to write this...

In a moment of absolute clarity I realized something that I had never realized before.
I realized the different tastes between sour and sweet.
I realized that without experiencing both one could never know the definition of the other.
I realized that without tasting and learning what is truly sour and what is truly sweet is a life wasted.
I realized...
We must flourish in the harsh reality that life is bitter/sweet.
That life is full of colors that can not only stand out on their own but when combined can create a color that can never be described, only felt.
This is why I pulled over. This is why I live. This is life.

Midterm

I stretch my arms for what feels like an eternity of muscles moving back and forth through space and time

I breath in deep as to relax my faded mind that has melted over time. It's useless matter sits in my head taking up space and collecting dust.

I close my eyes that bleed the words on the pages of my thoughts. They are tight and stop me from focusing on what is real.

I open my ears to the music that beats from drum to drum. It creates a sound unlike those from human instruments.

It isn't long before I drift away into the abyss that I call philosophy. Pondering the moment that I awaken from a slumber I have been destined to be in.

Before I know it the time has passed and the midterm of life is over and retreat into my leather jacket made from artificial threads.

I take comfort in it.

I'll Just Be

I want to be the plastic bag that floats in the air, destined to embrace the wind
Connecting with the world as it shifts and changes, gliding past the cars that fuel it's flight.
It's destination is the ground below it, only questioning where that ground may be.

I want to be the fish that swims in the bluest of seas, not because of its color but so I may see my enemies.
I'd float and sing softly along with the sounds that are made the seaweed and conch shells.
The water is home and soothing and true, it's vast and it's kind, it is everlasting.

I want to be the orange sky that only comes about when fall has arrived, it's color like magic brush strokes floating between earth and nothingness.
It bursts with flames of red and gold until it vanishes into pure blackness.
The changes may come still those colors are always there.

Until then I'll just be 

When I Grow Up I Want to be Like Jenna Marbles. #Comm325

YouTube,in my opinion, is the ultimate vessel in self promotion, besides blogging, that the Internet has to offer; oh, and it's free! This broadcasting website allows you show off to a world that never knew they wanted to know you.  With one click of a button you are "live" and in the homes of viewers all around the world, performing in any which way you feel most comfortable.

Creators Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim began YouTube in 2005 and the website basically featured clips from television and movies. Though it may not have been their idea to create a platform for people to use to gain popularity, it sure has become one. "But  its  most  unexpected  and  long-lasting  impact  has come  from  videos  made  by  nonprofessionals,  or,  rather,  by  people  who  are  not  cable  or  network  television  producers." (This quote was taken from a book I'm currently reading titled New New Media (pg.41). This book introduced me to a few things; Obama Girl, whom prior to reading I had never heard of; and Roy Orbison and his guitar, a recounting of how one guitar made a huge impression in a music video.  I was also reacquainted with the unique Jenna Marbles, and though I may not fully agree with how Miss Marbles promotes herself, (and the influences she may have on young girls), she is a great example of how anyone can upload a video and become an Internet sensation!  I am sure that she has motivated people all over the world to freely express themselves, and not just on-line but off-line as well.

Still, there is a dark side to anything that is free to the public and YouTube has had their share of videos that should have never been uploaded to begin with. One recent post that I came across, (due to the sick sense of humor of others), is, in one word, shameful. I was completely shocked that an adult would film such a thing, then actually post it for the world to see. Somehow the video has managed to stay posted and not be taken down as of yet.

We often must take the good with the bad in order to have society move forward and YouTube is a part of our societies future. With each upload there is a young girl or boy, man or woman, or even entire groups of people that just want to be heard. No matter if their desires are to become famous, spread a hopeful message, or to simply use as an outlet to express themselves; YouTube is where they turn. Let's keep this outlet safe for all that use it, and all that will in the future.

8 Steps To Becoming The Worst Person You Can Be #Comm325

You might think it's easy to be the worst person you can be; talk down to people, think you are better than others, or just simply ignore everyone around you.  No, it's not easy at all.  Actually, it takes skill, determination, and an 8 step plan to become the worst person you can be.  Follow these guidelines and I guarantee the outcome will be priceless.

1.  Create Your Own World- Though this step seems simple, it may prove to be more difficult if you are one of the unlucky ones without a stand out imagination.  Fret not, to create your own world all you really need to do is block out the one you already live in.  This may take a month or so, but slowly you will completely ignore whats happening around you and rest comfortably in your own state of mind.

2. Fake a Career- Now that you are living securely in your own world, it's time to get out there and get that career you always wanted but were never good enough to have, or to lazy to achieve.  Realize that the job that you currently have is not good enough to brag about.  You need something that suits you better.  Maybe you are a famous poet and have been published all along the coast; the coast of what is not important (that is covered in Step 3). Don't forget, choose a career that you can speak of with 100% confidence. No one will believe you if you don't believe yourself.

3. Location, Location, Location- It will never matter where you live, because when you are talking to someone the one thing that you must remember to say is, "It was when I was living in (fill in the city/state) when that happened."  This will prove you to be continental and learned. The more places that you have lived, the better.  Hence, move around, a lot, if you can, if not get on the net and start reading.

4. Know Your Surroundings- Make sure that you are talking up all the right people.  Every where you go there will be someone that will listen to you, make sure you find them.  Make yourself look well rounded and near perfection to as many people as you possibly can.  This is all part of making people not only like you, but talk about you to other people. Be a human social network.

5. Be The Bad Guy- No one likes a "do-gooder." Make sure you are the one in the crowd that points out the negative in ever situation.  It is best to do so in a satirical or comedic manner as to not hurt peoples feelings, right away.  When you have mastered this you will have all the control to hurt as many peoples feelings as desired, all while still having people listen and love you; which leads to step number six.

6. Make Them Love You- The easiest thing to do is make someone hate, whereas the hardest thing to do is make someone love.  So, do your best to make most people love you, and then let the rest of them hate you.  You do need a small group of people to dislike you all together.  This will not only make you feel superior but you will begin to make others think you are superior.

7. Take Over Everything- Leave no stone untouched.  You need to be the center of attention no matter the place or situation.  Make sure that everyone near you, and those that are not, know that you are there and that you should be listened to.  Making people pay attention to you is something that should be very important in this journey.

8. End Game- Take everything you've learned, and worked for, and shove it in everyone's faces. Tell everyone how great you are! Belittle them, teach them lessons they never knew they wanted to learn. Speak off subject and make your listeners believe they are lost due to the fact they are stupid. Rise above the masses with little regard to anyone around you.

If you follow these steps I garauntee, you will be the worst version of yourself! It's easy to do and often we are doing it without even taking notice.

Of course, you may not want to be the worst person you can be.  You may want to be the best.  I wish I could help but at this moment I do not have a list for that.  Yet, as soon as I figure it out, the list will be posted.

A

# 2

It's October 2nd and that means the second story has been published.  This Town is told in the form of a letter, a letter I would not be interested in recieving.
It was a lot of fun to write and even more fun to post it! I hope you all enjoy.... Click the title to get to the page ;)

Happy October 2nd
A

Moving Mountains for Madison

This post is dedicated to all those that have given anything to help someone else's life become just a little better.  We find ourselves so wrapped up in our own problems that sometimes we just don't stop to see the good that is in this world.

A dear friend donated a piece of her liver today to her year old niece Madison.  Madison would have not survived if she had not had this surgery and I want you, and anyone you know to just stop and think for a moment, would you do the same, even if it were for a friend and not a relative.

It's seems almost a lifetime ago that Michelle Mari began her journey to help save the life her niece Madison. At the same same time it feels the same for Jim and Shannon and their journey to save their daughters life.

It began with testing; lots of testing. Worrying; lots of tears. Anger; why is this happening to such a young soul? Relief; when the Mari Family realized that Michelle would be able to donate a piece of her to save Madison. All of these emotions must have been debilitating at times.

The Mari family put their lives on hold for months upon months in order to prepare for today; a day that will forever change all of their lives. Today, two generations lay in one building connecting in a way that some may never understand.

A foundation was started to help the Mari family pay for the numerous amounts of testing Nd procedures that were ahead of them.  With the help of friends and family, Moving Mountains for Madison has helped raise over $10,000.00. The Mari family will continue to keep movie those mountains until their daughter is brought back to health.

We post about our headaches and stomachaches; we post about how bad of a day we've had and how life just isn't fair. Yet, sometimes we post about saving lives and families pulling together to help one another. We post about, how when push comes to shove, our minuet problems, though they may seem detrimental at the time, seem silly and unimportant after realizing how life can be taken away, as well as given.

Michelle has put aside all life's little pleasures in order to give the biggest pleasure to her family, a hopeful new beginning to her niece.

Think about this before you post about life and realize, though it may not be easy, or fair for that matter, we must stay true to our families, friends, and our own beliefs to make our world and others, better.

I'd like to just say how proud I am of you and wish you and the rest of the family all the best with their newly given future!
I love you Michelle... MOOO

Thanks for reading 

A

Think twice before getting your neighbors mail

HELLO MY READERS!!!!  HAPPY OCTOBER!!!!!!! THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR!!!!!

 The Package is the first entry in my new blog I Want to Suck Your Blog.  Join me during the entire month of October as I create a new tale of terror in new and creative ways every day!  I'm very excited to challenge myself as well as, hopefully, entertain all my readers and give each and every one of you a good scare; or at least question turning on the lights or walking down the street alone.

Follow these simple rules for optimal fear:

1. Have a drink (if you are old enough, care to have one, or do not have a problem with drugs or alcohol)

2. Turn off all of the lights.  Even if you read it during the day, the less light, the better.

3.  Read alone.  I know you are a very busy and popular person but take some alone time to enjoy each story.

4.  Relate to it.  Try and put yourself into the situations.

5. If all else fails, have another drink (if you are old enough, care to have another, or if you still have a problem with drugs and alcohol.)

Talk to you soon,

A

Little Gittle: The Sarah Silverman Story

Robin, Howard, and guest Sarah are all singing about wetting the bed and singing.  Their voices echo through the studio and into the car that I am in.  They speak of vapes and smoking pot...a past time of many, showering with your mother as a child, being Jewish and naming babies.  It was a great interview. I found it so amusing that I decided to write a post about the childhood of famous comedian Sarah Silverman.

Disclaimer: I'm just having a bit of fun.  That's all I have to say.

Sarah Silverman, born Gittle Shimmel, was a misunderstood young Consevative  Jewish girl growing up in an all reform neighborhood.  She and her sister Yentle, stood out like two matzoh balls in a bowl of borscht; they wore dark colors and coverings on their head.The reform kids, on the other hand, wore neon colors, sweaters made of new hybrid fabrics, and stone washed jeans.  Some of them even wore the new penny loafers. 

Side note: the two sisters chose to wear these clothes, their parents were not Orthodox by any means...Gittel was a special child and had a wild imagination not to mention a great influence over her sister.  In reality, Yentle was not even her sisters real name. Gittle was very angry at her parents for naming her little sister Laura while she was stuck with Gittle.

One day Gittle sat Laura down and told her "the truth" about her "real" name.  The story is said to go like this;  Gittle convinced Laura that the name her parents called her was simply a nickname.  She went on to say that her mother and father would call her Laura because her real name was copywriten by Barbra Streind and they were tired of paying Ms. Streisand's royalties every time someone said her name.  Gittle protested that Luara stand up for her rights to be called by her real name, Yentle.

So, to the Shimmel sisters, it seemed as if the reform Jews had it all.  It was said that the Silvermans down the street had already gotten cable...that meant only one thing; adult programming and Comic Relief was only a haftorah away.  Little Gittle was determined to fit in with the others and watch cable; but first she'd have to figure out how to get into the Silvermans house. She knew exactly what to do: dress like them ask to come in and the she would figure it out from there.  Oh, and of course, change her name.  The name change wasn't necessary, just an added bonus to her plan.

Through much research and Encyclopedia Britanica editions, Gittle came up with the perfct name: Sarah, which meant princess.  She believed one day it would happen so why not get the ball rolling.  Two days later, the night before Shabbat, Sarah and Yentle snuck to the local Clovers to buy the perfect outfit to wear to infiltrated the Silvermans.

Sarah and Yentl were lucky that evening.  Their parents were next door preparing dinner for the following evening because their oven was broken.  Meanwhile, the girls found the perfect outfit, rushed home, his the clothes in the garage, then ran upstairs and jumped into bed.  The timer on the brisket hadn't even gone off by the time the girls settled in.

The very next day little Sarah was ready.  Nothing was gonna stop her.  She walked down the street and around the corner in her stone was jeans, penny loafers and flashy neon sweater and knocked on the door. Sarah waited for someone from the Silverman household to answer the door.  She grew impatient and began ringing the door bell over and over and over and over and over again. She did this with a smile on her face and her ponytails flopping up and down as she swung her head from side to side. The door opened and before the man at the door could say anything, Sarah walked right in.

The Silvermans that lived in that house were never heard from again. Some say that Little Gittle
drove them madd with questions about how to be a reform Jew and how to work the cable remote, so
they ran away never to return. Others say they are still there but buried under the house.

While no one actually knows what happens to the Silvermans....there is one thing we know for sure, Sarah's last name its Shimmel anymore? Is it?

I'm Going To Prison

At 8:30 this evening I will be going to prison. My partner, his sister, brother-in-law and best friend, my cousin, and my best friend are all going to take me in.  I don't know what I'm feeling right now. On one hand Its weird to be going right now, yet, I'm excited and optimistic about this go around.

I've been there before, it feels like every year, but this time I feel it's going to be different.  I'm sure that Jeff and Michelle will beg to differ.  They can be pessimistic about these things but they don't have to feel the same way I do about this.  I'm sure everyone that goes in has a different experience when they come out but all I really care about is my experience.  I mean isn't that what's it's all about anyway? It's why we all go; to have a personal experience in there.

No matter how much I can't wait to go, I think I'm a little more excited about dinner before hand.  I think this year it's Mexican but that's what I want.  I'm sure Jeff or Michelle will choose something else. I don't really care either way.  I actually think he is texting her while I'm typing this about going somewhere else. Damn it.

Every year we try a new place to eat.  Last year was a dud.  No one like the food but me and I didn't even choose the place! We always have a good time though, even if the food may not be up to par.  Usually, mid way through, we joke about it being "our last dinner together," should something happen inside.  We laugh because we know that's not going to happen.  I mean the worst thing that could happen is you piss your pants and besides, depending on the weather, they'll dry pretty quickly.

So, I don't know about you but I can't believe that it's that time of the year again! I love how it's still September and it actually does feel like October! So, I guess what I'm saying, I'm ok with going to The Eastern State Penitentiary so early! I've actually never done anything "Halloweenish" like going to a haunted house, in the month of September. I'll admit it's kinda weird but I'm just happy that it's started! The Halloween season is among us! I'll fill you in on how dinner and the prison later this evening.

💀🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃💀

T.G.I.S. THANK GOD ITS SHONDA

She has not made one mistake. Name a show that she has created that is not perfection! I hate her! I hate her because she's so good that I have to work my schedule around every show that's she has out on network television. Damn you Shonda Rhimes.
Actually,  I love and respect this phenomenal writer. She is what I'd like to be one day.
I have only made time in my new school schedule for a handful of select tv shows that I enjoy and that relax me. I am allowing myself to watch these particular shows after I have finished all of my school work.  this has been carefully thought out so I can encompass some down time in my busy schedule.
Now, ar this point I had only seen a 30 second teaser of How To Get Away With Murder. I knew instantly that I wanted to se this show but I figured; I'll wait until holiday break and Id binge watch it.  That did not happen.
Fast forward to tonight.
I've now watched one of the best tv shows of the new season! What a rush; each time I thought I knew what was going on, I was proven wrong. The cast was oddly attractive but in a very new way.
The acting was on point. I was an eye witness to the next big thing on tv! Brains seem to be the new sexy, and let me tell you...the bigger the brain the bigger the...well you know.
I still plan on studying every night. I still plan on getting straights A's. I am still aiming for valedictorian of my class when I graduate. But let me tell you, I'm sure as hell gonna watch How To Get Away With Murder.

Under the Boardwalk....

I just got home from dinner with my family and after unwinding for a bit with Jeff I decide to grab a bottle of water and head to bed. I look over to my left, as I stand there in the kitchen alone, and I see a bucket of Carmel corn from Johnson's in Ocean City.  It's paractiaclly empty, and two months old, but I decide to open it up and take a handful.
It was instantaneous; the smell took me back. I felt the sun on my face, I smelled the salt water air that would drive my senses wild. I Inhaled the smell deeply and before I knew it, I was reliving the summer; and not just any summer, it was a defining time in my life.
This summer was inspiring to say the least, probably though hopeful would be a better choice of words.  Still, no matter what adjective you could come up with, words could not describe the adventures, experiences, and emotions I experienced.
You have to imagine working everyday, doing something you will never be good at yet constantly try to be the best. then, one day, after you are just about to give in... It all changes.  Instantly, slowly, spontaniously....all at the same time...it changes.
I've grown so much as a man that it's made me a better person.  I finally see something more than what's not there....I can see what could be there, if I just keep pushing. This year, this summer, it's been life defining and with the ending of the summer and the beginning of fall, its time to embrace the change that is awaiting
I eat the popcorn, I write the blog, I go to bed.

Lock Your Door

For all you horror fans out there and those of you that just love the month of October...check out my new, and seasonal blog at www.lockyourdoor.blogspot.com

Each day for the month of October I will be telling a different horror story centered around a different character. Written  in different styles of storytelling, this will be on blog you won't want to miss!

It's a New Year Charlie Brown

It's the begining of the new year and honestly I'm tired of trying to kick the football and always missing! This year is going to be different! I will find the Great Pumpkin! I will get that valentine! I will win the race! I WILL kick that damn football once and for all! I've accepted my wrong doings and mistakes...my failures and successes....and I've made peace with the the losses my family has suffered.
I've realized that by doing this I've actually opened the door to the next stage of my life. I've begun to write a story that actually has a happy ending. And for those of you that don't believe in happy endings, believe me...they exist! Of course we have to realize that this ending is only happy because we make it so.
So, when I walk down to the river tonight, to throw the crumbs from my pocket into the water, I will say goodbye to that which has held me back and watch as it make it's own journey into oblivion. I'll think of my Uncles and Aunt who are no longer with us, my brothers whom I love with every part of my being, my parents who have given more than I could ever speak of (and their partners) my Buppie, my cousins and aunts that constantly fill my life with laughter, my friends who support me and my partner Jeff who gives me everything and anything I could ever ask for. ( I mustn't forget about Sam and Max, my cats.  Words cannot describe, and any pet owner out there understands this) I'll think of all of these people, and animals, that are a part of my life and I'll pray that each and every one of them, some day,  kicks that football.
l'shana tova

Sharing isn't Just for the Care Bears Anymore #Comm325

Imagine a world where you can hop on the internet and rent a strangers apartment or house for the weekend.  How about downloading an app where you put your address in and a car arrives in two minutes. What about renting a prom or bridesmaid dress without ever leaving the house. It sounds like an interesting world, right? Well I just found out that this is actually happening everyday! I don't know if it's because I love staying in hotels, own my own car, or because i don't find any need for a dress or maybe I'm not paying attention to how times are changing, but I had no clue that anyone was doing this.  Ironically enough I saw a movie called The Holiday (which was basically about renting a strangers house for x amount of time), and I laughed thinking to myself "who the hell would do that?" We'll, now I know the answer to that question; a lot!

The sky is the limit in this "sharing ecomony".  Anyone with enough disposable belongings, junk, or rental properties can basically create a website and begin bartering with other people all around the world. So, would you take part in this new social phenomenon?  Do you think you could stay in someone else's house for the weekend? What about taking a ride from someone that an app on your phone sent to you.  It's crazy to think about it.  I personally wouldn't rent someone's apartment for the weekend, I'd much rather stay in a hotel. 

Speaking of hotels, many hotel operations can't seem to play in the same sand box as such companies as Airbnb. Hotels believe that people that rent out their homes, apartments/condos, or rooms should be paying lodging taxes.  I think the hotels are just angry over the fact that these smaller, less expensive "civilians" are taking their business.  Unless the city truly believes that these internet companies are damaging the economy around them, them I say NO TAXES.  I'll probably get slack for saying that but I believe that what people want to do with their property is a private matter. Who is to say I should pay taxes every time I have someone "watch my house" for a weekend, I mean really, that's all that's actually happening...right?
I think it's interesting how we once sold our junk at flea markets, yard sales, and thrift stores and now we are renting our junk out for the right price.  I love that fact that we can make some extra cash by simply renting out a room in our house for a vacationing couple from out of the state, country, or even continent. Yet, like I said before, I'd rather stay in a hotel or drive my own car and I still don't have any need for the dresses.  Feel free to let me know... #comm325

Keep on blogging...it's ok. #Comm325

I recently started blogging; 3 weeks and 5 days ago to be exact. I've always wanted to write and I have, but now I'm discovering a whole new world of expression through this outlet, but sometimes I feel that blogging seems almost like a clique in high school.  I'll explain. 
You want to join a community because you feel that there is a connection between you and that particular group.  You dress the part, you sit on in the corners and watch as everyone posts and comments, you try and wait for that moment until someone realizes who you are...but no one ever does. So what do you do? 
You decide to change your look, become your own person and start doing things your own way.  You start writing posts, you start tying to get people to notice you in anyway way possible... You even post your blog in communities in hopes that someone will read your work and want to do one, simple thing; read more.
I have done it all: sit in the background and read blogs, try and post here and there to get noticed, and yes...post my blog in communities, but when it all comes down to it... Everyone that posts, in however fashion they may, simply wants to be read and followed.  
I can understand that some may not agree with me when I say...Post.. Post where it appropriate (make sure you post in places where your message relates to others around you) but POST.  Get your work out, release your inner writer and express yourself. Try to engage anyone you can because life is way to short. 

Though sometimes we may miss the mark, it's about trying to get that bullseye

We sit in synagogue, my family and I.  Its 10:30 pm on a Saturday night and we have just finished learning how to blow a shofar after a tasting of flavored honey.  The Rabbi, a woman learned and powerful, stands by the Cantor who's soprano voice echoes through the dimly lit temple. Tonight we come together to remember our sins, to remember the people we have hurt, and the people that have hurt us, and try to do one thing; forgive. Yet, all religion aside, (though we are here because of our religion) my family and I are here, in this house of spirituality, to remember my uncle; a man we lost last January to cancer.

We sit there, on the verge of tears and I begin to think about the meaning behind, well, everything and I look at my family and I begin to forgive. I begin to forget. I begin to cry.

The Rabbi starts to explain the meaning of this night and says, (and I quote loosely) we sin, but we do not sin in the meaning of how we say it today. In the Jewish religion we are constantly on a mission to hit the bullseye of life, and though we often miss the mark, its important that at least we have tried.

Have I missed the mark? Will I ever get a bullseye? I contemplate this as the Cantor begins to chant another prayer. I think about my failures and my accomplishements, the people I have hurt and the people that I have loved. I am silent for a moment as is the intimate congregation.  After a personal meditation the Rabbi breaks the silence and invites us all to the podium to dress the Torah.

I watch as each member participates, smiling, and singing in Hebrew.  It overwhelms me and I can't shake the feeling that not only is my Uncle Jay there with us, but his brother, my other Uncle who we lost almost three years ago to murder, is there as well. I look around to my cousins, aunts, my grandmother, my brother, my mother, and our congregation and I smile. We end the service wishing each other a happy new year.

I know that this year is the year my family rises from our sadness and brings about a new year, a new beginning, a new age.

In memory of Uncle Jay and Uncle Joel...two men lost in the midst of a world gone madd, but found in the hearts of those they left behind.

Screw your pot of gold Leprechaun!

I have a great idea; let's bring back the cult classic Leprechaun, but first we have to follow these simple rules:
1. Throw away any references to the original Leprechaun
2. Turn the leprechaun into a man eating mutant
3. Take ANY generic horror story premise, it doesn't matter which one, and set in Ireland
4. Make all characters unrelateable and undesirable
5. Only show glimpses of the leprechaun and when you do show the creature make sure the camera is out of focus or quickly zoom past him.
6. Make the opening credit and closing credits 15 minutes of the 90 minute running time

I don't know about you but that sounds like a hit reboot...right?

Leprechaun Origins was possibly one of the worst films I had ever seen...not to mention worst reboot!

I must admit, when I first found out about this movie I was super excited! I loved all the Leprechaun movies...yes even the ones in "The Hood".  I heard that the creators were going to make it a 100% horror flik and not take the campy route that the Leprechaun series had taken.  Though I LOVED that about those movies, it peeked my interest when I thought about what it would be like to see a SCARY version in the Leprechaun series.  By the way, if you can't tell, I'M STILL WAITING!

My first mistake was paying for the movie on VOD, though at the time it seemed like a good idea.  I now realize that the scariest thing about my experience was paying the 7.99$ for the HD version. The movie starts and I'm ready: I had my popcorn, my soda, and I had my.... Well let's just say a
horror movie can be enhanced with a little help from Mary Jane...she didn't like the movie either!

So, Leprechaun Origins. Two people die in the first 5 minutes by a very fast "animal" type thing that has infrared eyesight. Cut to: the main characters. They are "introduced" (and by introduced I mean they show you who the slut is, who the rebel is, who the asshole is, and who the dorky heroin is), by the way I had no clue what their names were. All I knew is that they were in Ireland, because the men in the pub spoke with an Irish accent, and I knew that one of them was a history major. Oh and I think the four of them were dating, seperatly I think. A few minutes later they are trapped in a cabin by the townsfolk who have left them there to be sacrificed to the mutant animal in the woods, i.e. a leprechaun. The rest you can figure out yourself.

Warwick Davis...HELP!!!!! We need you back! Not only were you not in this movie, any reference to the lore of your "character" wasn't in it, and I'm almost positive neither was a leprechaun!!!!!!!!  What we did get was some mutant animal with weird chicken legs that eats people... Oh and likes anything that may look like gold. Warwick, if you read this, by any chance, let's do a reboot that works! Please...there are hundreds of writers out there, myself included, that could have made a better film!!

The lucky charms were soggy, there was no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and the only wish that came true was the movie ended!

And on the 7th day....

It's not the seventh day, that's tomorrow. Right now. At this moment. It feels like the 7th day.  I'm in the passengers seat of our white 2014 Honda Civic, we are driving, it's raining, and we are listening to Go Your Own Way; we love Fleetwood Mac.  As he sing and I sit her silent, with a smirk only face, I realize that it's the first time I've actually relaxed sincey first day of school. Maybe it's the cotton Nike running pants I have on, the speed of the car, or the music playing, but I'm so calm and I begin to remember how it felt to be comfortable.
Hungry Eyes replaces Stevie and Lindesy.
Not only am I relaxed, all I can think of is Jennifer holding onto Patrick. Then he switches to The Bodygaurd Soundtack.  He sings "I don't really need to look very much further...." I laugh.  He then starts to laugh and tells me a quicks story about the other weekend while I was away in Chicago.  He says the following...
"I decided to take a bath last weekend. Since you weren't here it was going to be quiet." I laugh. He continues. "I got the bath ready and then got in. As I turned on the music I realized I was listening to The Bodygaurd Soundtrack an I got really uncomfortable." We both laugh. He switches the song again.
We just got to  Fresh Market.  Relaxation over.

A (Rob) Zombie Nation:

Peter Benchely and Steven Spielberg warned us not to go into the water. Sean S. Cunningham made you rethink your next out door getaway. Wes Craven begged us not to fall asleep.  John Carpenter reminded us that the bogie man was real, and Kevin Williamson made sure everyone had caller I.D. Now, one man has done something new; he's made us afraid of the dark. Not shadows or that moment when the sky has turned its blackest. It's the dark that could only come from a mind that is not only twisted and horrific, but brilliant and visionary as well.  

With his new movie "31"coming out Rob Zombie is paving his way as an horrific force in the film industry. Though not much has been revealed about this film, Zombie has made one thing crystal; it's going to be brutal.  Every film that Zombie has created has been nothing less than living art. Colorful and dismal, claustrophobic and other-worldly; films such as House of 1000 Corpses and the Haunted World of El Superbeasto shows just how vast and limitless Zombie's creativity flows. If anyone would have ever asked me if I felt a remake of Halloween should be done I would have laughed in their face. Yet, Rob Zombie took me to a place in Haddonfield I never thought I'd go. I've walked the streets of Salem and imagined myself running into Heidi, or driving cross country secretly wishing to run into the Fireflys, if only to pick their brains for a bit.

There are not many things his characters won't say or do, and honestly I believe, for reasons other than his talents, Rob Zombie has worked with such icons in the film industry because of that. From Margo Kidder, Karen Black, Leslie Easterbrook, Bill Moseley and Sid Haig to practically the entire cast of The Lords of Salem; the amount of seasoned actors that have lent their great talent to his films is mind blowing. Of course the younger generation of amazing talent such as Scout-Taylor Compton and Scream Queen Danielle Harris have truly made their marks. But there is one woman who's taken her love of Zombie one step further, she married him.

Sheri-Moon Zombie, the living dead girl in the flesh, has absolutely left an impression on not only her husband but horror fans all around the world!  She could be walking around in Dr. Caligari, cabinet, killing cheerleaders, running from the law, nurturing a psychopath, hosting a radio show, or hunting nazis...we would still love her.  Mrs. Zombie is as much of a force as her husband. Let's keep our fingers crosses that she will appear in 31.

Though I'm not sure exactly who will be in the movie, or many details on the plot, there are two things I know for sure at this moment. The first being, I can not wait for this movie.  It's going to be one of those gritty horror films that kicks your ass so hard you start to beg for more.  The second is I just received my collectors copy of the Fangoria Rob Zombie edition. I carefully open the envelope I found at my doorstep only a few short hours ago. Taking the proper precautions, I ease the envelope open as not to damage the goods. I finally pull out the magazine with the grace of a century old vampire moving in to seduce his prey. I smile.  The artwork itself is so beautifully horrific I don't even want to take it out of the flimsy, plastic bag it was perfectly placed in.

But I do.

It's the great 31 Rob Zombie

Who's ready for rob
Who's ready for the new Rob Zombie film????????????? Get the word out......Help make a movie!

Little Earthquakes and a Pumpkin Spiced Latte

If you were alive in the 90's, and open to a unique sound of music you've heard of Tori Amos.  If you're alive at this moment right now you've heard of Pumpkin Spiced Lattes; put the two together and you could start your own religion.

Never mind if you've never heard of Tori or the Latte.  If you want to know how it feels to be relaxed, enlightened, and warm all over simply grab an artist that speaks to you, grab your favorite warm beverage, sit back and hit play.  

For me,  as I prepare myself for a presentation, and the handing in of two papers, I'm taking a moment to listen to Little Earthquakes; the debut album of one of my favorite singer/songwriters, of whom I've NEVER seen in concert. So Tori, if you're reading this come sing to me!. I've heard that watching her live, playing two pianos at the same time is a religious experience. (I've just spilled the late on my white shirt I got so excited...I'm not home)

Usually I'd run home quickly and change my shirt, but honestly, I don't care...coffee spills.

As I sit her in the computer lab, relaxing, clearing my mind, getting ready for the school day ahead, with a coffee stained baseball t, I contemplate.  What it is that I'm contemplating is a bit chaotic, ironically enough since I'm so relaxed. I think about the future of the pumpkin spice...will it advance to an e-cigarette flavor for fall?  Will music ever have the same effect on me that it did when I was 14, other than the music I used to listen to when I was 14?  Will this stain come out of my shirt? Will they ever make an AbFab movie (another 90's reference).

Chaotic and scrambled as it may seem, my mind drifts and I enjoy it.  For a moment it takes me out of the computer lab, off campus, and far away from that damn stain on my shirt.  I smile. 

So, as Tori sings of precious things, the cold of winter, and little earthquakes that may rip us into pieces I wait, silent, for class to start so I may raise my hand for the assignment.

 

Better late than never

Just so I can keep my blog updated: I'm working on a three part blogg with pictures to help follow it! Took a trip to Illinois to help my father with an event he threw in his town of Bartlette, actually it's a village...honestly lol. Anyway, trust trying to gather everything together while still trying to study and write papers... Actually who am I kidding. I haven't gotten anything together for the blog... I've been so busy with school since I got back that I haven't had a moment to think about it until right now.  I'm still trying to get used to working, going to school, my home life, and my free time all flowing TOGETHER.
I haven't had to do this in almost 10 years, I guess better late than never but honestly I can't wait until it  happens.... Hopefully this weekend I can take some time and work on the blog... Did I mention I hosted a battle of the marching bands???? You'll have to read my blog in a few days to find out about that....
Till then.

The Evil Dead + Roadtrip = Me

It's 11:25pm: I'm on my way to Chicago, laying in the back of my brothers 2006 Mazda 3 Hatchback and I'm 6'3. This Roadtrip is going to be a blast.  But wait, I've got The Evil Dead (it's the remake but it's the only one I could put on my school  loaned iPad mini.)
Joshua and his girlfriend sit quietly up front listening to a radio going in and out of tune.  When it comes in clearly I can tell it's KC and the Sunshine Band singing "That's The Way (I like  It) .  I decide now is the perfect time to sit back, write to you and then watch Evil Dead.
I've loved the movie since I was a kid! The first time I watched it was in Georgia .  My grandparents, along with some aunt and uncles all lived on a lake in Putnam, Georgia.  It was amazing...red mud....a  large, placid lake (much like Lake Placid), and a stretch of land that housed a lot I my fathers family.  Anyway, my mother, father, and two brothers  would drive  down to Georgia, on our way to Florida (to  visit more family), and visit withy grandparents.  Well one visit , my grandmother took us to a video store and , once again, (read my. Blog entry  "My First Time)  I demanded  to rent The Evil Dead.  Needless to say, I watched, got scared withy kid brothers, because we were in the middle of the woods by a lake, and had a blast.
So what better way to start off this trip other than watching The Evil Dead; in the back of a car, in the middle of the night, on a dark and deserted road.

Pigs don't have eyebrows.... Joan Rivers at her best.

Joan Rivers at her best ;)
How I will always remember Joan Rivers.....

Really Dunkin' Donuts...Really?

OK, before I start on how much I'm loving being back in school, and how much I still suck at Biology, I'd like to rant about Dunkin Doughnuts!
Picture it, September 4, 2014.  I just finished the gym, (as part of my New Format; check out the blog entry from a few days ago), and I was ready for my Venti Iced Carmel Macchiato with an extra shot, yes, that is a total of 4 shots of espresso...what can I say; I love me some coffee.  Anyway, I arrive at my local Starbucks and there was a line in both the drive through as well as inside. Obviously I'd missed the memo about the free scones, because that must by why MY Starbucks was that busy.  Having to make a rash decision due to time and my growing need for my coffee, I decided to go to Dunkin' Donuts.
Two things were great about walking in (and that was all); there was no line, and they are now carrying PUMPKIN!!!!  As you will soon find out, I am insane over pumpkin anything, the fall season, Halloween, all things horror, the color of the leaves as they change, the smell of the air that only October and November bring with them...I could go on.  So, I'm excited needless to say.  I order and they don't understand me.  I say no sugar and they question me.  I say a shot of espresso and they look at me as if I've just spoke in a language that had died millions of years ago...I mean isn't espresso a staple of coffee making around the world?
They make it. A lady that is still ordering tries to take my coffee...Nope! I take my coffee and search for a straw that will match the over sized cup that I ordered in order to subside the coffee demon in me. There were no such straws, anywhere.  Only straws that a small child may use in his/her make believe kitchen given to them as a holiday or birthday gift.  OK, fine, I use it.  Of course it hardly mixes the thick goo they call pumpkin flavor that has now fallen to the bottom of my cup.  I drink it anyway...it's horrible.
"America runs on Dunkin'", that's their gimmick...right?  Well let me tell you, there was a time where I Needed my Dunkin', well now I'm not so sure.  Actually I am sure, I'd like to dunk my coffee in the river.  Next time I'll wait in line at Starbucks...It's now a Starbucks Nation...

My first time...

I was just looking around at other blogs and communities and I found a few, hell, a ton of horror movie themed communities.  The first image that popped on the screen of the first community I visited was that of the iconic Freddy Kruger.  Not only do I own the ultra-original screenplay to A Nightmare On Elm St., (Freddy's sweater is Yellow and Green in this version), it is signed by Wes Craven himself.  After meeting him in New York one night he signed it then pulled me aside and said, "...this is worth a shit ton of money..." Yet, beyond all of that, the one thing that I will always hold dear to my heart is the fact that Freddy Kruger was my first.

It was 1980 something and my mother took me to the local "Mom and Pop" video store cleverly named Movie Time. (They closed long before Blockbuster, West Coast Video, and Hollywood Video.)  The woman at the counter, lets call her Carol, had long, curly, frizzy hair and was blowing a black lung full of smoke out of her mouth as we entered the store.  There were VHS and BETA tapes everywhere.  There was, of course, The New Release Wall that was on your right hand side as soon as you walked in.  Directly ahead was the door marked with an "X" and sign reading, "Adults Only"; that's for another blog. Then on the left were the category sections; Children, Classics, Dramas, Music/Musicals, Mystery/Thriller (which were very hot back then), and my favorite, Horror.

I ran directly over to the Horror section as my mother glanced over the Children's section, which is where I should have been looking since I was only about 8 or 9 years old.  Regardless, as my mother chose more appropriate movies for my brothers and I to watch I was on the hunt for something completely different and within a few minutes I had found it.  The cover had a woman laying in bed, clenching her covers with a look of fear on her face.  Above her was a metal claw type hand looming over her. Then, in red letters, I saw the title; A Nightmare on Elm Street.  It was the one I wanted.

I took it to the counter and I demanded to take it home.  To make a long story short, my little 8/9 year old persuasion worked, but under one condition; I had to watch it with my father and if I got scared I was not allowed to sleep with my parents.  A fair deal to me, and a fair deal to my mother.  I'm sure that my mother honestly believed that I was going to learn some sort of lesson about watching scary movies.  That never happened, however I did learn a lesson; I was in LOVE with the world of Horror! I watched every bloody minute of that movie and of course I did have nightmares about Freddy but I loved it all. That night was magical.  Freddy and I shared 91 minutes of pure enjoyment of which I'll never forget.

I moved on quickly from Freddy, as most first time relationships do, to my true love, Micheal Myers.

However, Freddy will always hold a special place in my heart.  It's true, you never forget your first time.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/104330194287065418013

A New Format

For the past year I have had a format; wake up, go to work, go to the gym, have fun then do it all again the next day.  Weekends were spent with family or on little mini vacations.  I knew school would be starting in September and that meant that whatever lifestyle I was living, like all great things, would be coming to an end.  I prepared myself for all sorts of different ways to make school work with the lifestyle that I had grown accustomed to. I soon realized that in order to change your format you must change it all or nothing.
So, today, on the second day back to school I tried out the "new format" of my life:
7:30 am Wake up
7:45 am Breakfast
8:00-9:00 am Gym
9:05 am Starbucks
9:15 am Arrive on Campus (review note for class)
SIDE NOTE: Once on campus I'm pretty much here until 9:30pm unless I decide to go home during my 3hr break between my afternoon classes and my evening class.
And that is where I am now....9:31am and already this "new format" feels right.   If all goes well, which I have no doubt in my mind that it will, by the end of the semester, a month before my birthday, I would have done very well in school and be back in shape.
I'm not sure which I'm more excited about.

Invoking Shel Silverstein

I don't like Sundays...

I don't like Sundays, nor have I ever.
The day goes on like the falling of a feather.
It reminds one that we are not in control,
Like going over a bridge and having to pay a toll.
Still, without Sundays life couldn't be the same.
Saturdays would become dull and Fridays, lame.
Thursday wouldn't change, they'd stay strong
Yet, Wednesday would lose it's humps and simply feel wrong.
Tuesday would be Monday and for me, that would never do,
Since Monday would be Sunday, but maybe that's fine with you.
Either way, I don't like Sundays nor have I ever...
If I could figure how to get rid of them my life would be better.

I don't play sports but I can if you'd like.

There are so many different ways to get a hole in one...making sure you are on the right course is the first step ;)
Now, I'm sure that someone has said this way before me but I was literally right next to my golf course as I wrote that.  The sun was setting and the sky was bursting with cotton candy colored clouds.  A mixture between pink, violet, and blue swirled in the background; I wanted to eat the sky. After my hunger subsided I stood there for a moment, in between the golf course and the tennis courts, and took it all in.
Jack,my black lab, was standing next me, Blue Oyster Cult Club was lightly coming through my headphones, and a family of five was playing a game of...well actually I don't know what they were playing; some sort of tennis exercise or something.  The wind had picked up ever so slightly, and the slight chill that it gave off was a small taste of the weather to come.  Fall was arriving.
So, with the beauty of nature and family surrounding me and my head clear, I looked out to the golf course and said to myself; There are so many different ways to get a hole in one...making sure you are on the right course is the first step. 
At that particular moment I knew I was.

A New Morning

A New Morning...
I had two dreams last night, of which I can recall, that seemed so similar yet so different at the same time.  It may be to early in the A.M. to bore you with the details so here's the Clifs Notes version. Dream A:
I was with a group of family members breaking into a run down apartment building.  This building felt like all the places I've lived in throughout my years all wrapped into one.  We were searching for something hidden in caverns underneath the building.  My father lead the mission but when I went to follow the others I was not allowed to go in.
Dream B:
I woke up in an R.V. With a group if people who seemed to be friends I'd known throughout my life.  They wouldn't let me out and wouldn't stop even though I needed to get off.  When the finally did stop I realized that we were fleeing from a crime scene and the only thing I could do was try to get my sneakers on; the only problem was, was that I kept putting on someone else's shoes.
Am I living two lives; One where I am a student being lead by ones that want to teach me, much like my family, and one where I am working to pay the bills in a job that makes me feel as if I'm walking in someone else's shoes?

Here We Go

A New Age....
First day back to school in almost 10 years and I was handed an iPad to be used in class as a learning tool.  For those of you wondering, yes I must return the iPad at the end of the semester.  I remember when I first started school back in 1997.  I was handed a pen, which ran out of ink after only three good uses, and a notepad with the schools logo on each page that was as thin as cheap toilet paper. A new age indeed.
Welcome back to school kiddies.