text:
Manus can go burn

Last time, on the New Adventures of Old Aether, I said a thing.  Do you remember the thing I said?  I’ll refresh your memory.

“Still, I managed to take off nearly half his health my first time.  For someone with a sobriquet as intimidating as “Father of the Abyss”, this really wasn’t that rough.  At this rate, Dusk, I’ll have you safe in no time!”

So, I think it’s time to confess, because there’s no way I’m going to be able to hide it now.  I am a flawed man.  Pride’s a big one.  I mean, looking as good as I do, it’s hard to avoid that, but as excusable as it is, that’s something I have to face about myself.  And that quote above is full of pride.  I can also be somewhat short-sighted, looking at my goals more than the path I have to take to get there.  The quote is full of that, too.  But that quote has also made me realize something about myself.  Something new.  Something I apparently needed Manus to show me.

I am a blasted idiot.

But before we get into that, allow me to put in a bit of filler here, so I can hide the depths of my stupidity from those that are too lazy to hit the jump.

My path back to Manus’s lair takes me past Marvelous Chester.  He’s got some new things to say now that I’ve met the Father of the Abyss.

Which I already knew, to some degree, thanks to the spells I’ve been finding around.  Chester was happy to fill me in on how exactly that happened.

I’m guessing the primeval man was Manus.  Ornery does seem an apt descriptor for him.  The toothy serpent does interest me.  The Kingseeker Frampt, or another of his kind?  No idea.  And Chester isn’t about to fill me in.

I wonder if Chester can leave this time.  I can head out whenever I want, thanks to the lordvessel and the bonfires being linked.  Does Chester have that ability?  Or is he planning to just hang out here, just on the outside of the borders of Oolacile, waiting for it to fall?  Either way, the man doesn’t seem very proactive about getting back to his hometime.

On my way back, I spy a corpse with some souls near the elevator back down to the chasm of the abyss.  It stands at the head of a path I didn’t notice before, leading down to a river-worn gap between two cliffs.  I take the stairs down, then turn around and check the gap behind me.  It seems to have a treasure-bearing corpse at the end of it.  It also has what looks to be two dogs in the way, with glowing red eyes.  New enemies!

The two dogs rush into the attack as I step forth.  The first one falls pretty easily to my old standby, crashing into my shield then catching my sword in his side as he recovers from his own attack.  The second one, I skirmish with a bit more.  It has the same moveset as the undead attack dog from way back in the undead burg.  It might be stronger, which I’d know if I ever got hit, but I can’t see any difference aside from the fact that this dog actually has skin.  This one launches its attack then leaps clear just before my counterblow reaches it, playing a bit of hit and run that would be useless on any combatant with lesser speed.  It doesn’t have the power to break through my guard, however, so I keep playing this game with it, catching its attack then swinging into the air myself, waiting for it to make a mistake.

I don’t have to wait long.  Just once, it hits me but doesn’t dodge away.  Once is all I need.

The treasure in the distance turned out to be souls.  Lots of souls, but still, not too exciting for the viewers at home.  That also marks the end of this path, so I turn around and head the other way.

I face a few more dogs on this route.  Once again, I face them with the simple block, counterstrike, and hope it hits strategy.  I’m sure someday legends will be told of this master technique.  For the time being, those tactics take a while before they work, but eventually, the dog will forget to dodge, and with them being unable to break through my shield, I’ve got all the time in the world.

The path pretty clearly leads through that gate there.  I’m not one to argue, right now, so I take it.

A player left a message.  ‘Be wary of dragon.”  Duly noted.  I spy a ladder heading down, and walk towards it.  There’s a roar, and the same dragon I saw earlier, at the bridge in the forest, zooms by, too fast for me to catch an accurate screenshot of it.  Here’s what I was able to get.  Which is pretty much the bigfoot picture of screenshots, but just trust me, it was the same dragon.

With that, there’s no more sign of it.  I take the ladder down.  I think I recognize this place!  Might this be the Darkroot Basin?

It’s certainly quite a scenic place.  Where it not for the crazy Abyss-strewn people infecting Oolacile, the fact that this whole area is going to see a huge fall in the near future, and the big evil dragon that’s inevitably going to blast me with fire as soon as I pick up this treasure, I could see setting up a house here.  I’m thinking a nice cabin.  Something rustic, yet tasteful.

Look!  There’s even some poets in the community!  Isn’t that lovely!

I don’t even see the dragon fly overhead before I’m bathed in this dark fire.  It kills me instantly.

So, obviously, that’s a challenge I’ll be dealing with in the future.  But, I really don’t want to be starting too much of a queue of people waiting to whip me.  Let’s take things a step at a time, and take care of the people who joined the line first before anything else.

Back down the Manus-hole it is.  It shows the cutscene again.  I can skip it, but it still strikes me as a little odd that apparently I get surprised by the hand grabbing for me every time.

So hey, Manus.  I did really well against him last time!  I’m feeling really confident going into the fight again.

That confidence fades a bit when I’ve drained more than half my estus and haven’t even gotten him down to half life.  I do eventually hit that point, however, and once more he starts charging up a spell.  I try to dodge it, this time, and roll to the side as he fires numerous dark orbs in an arc at me.  The arc is much too wide, and I don’t even come close to clearing it.  Instead, I get hit several times in sequence, more than enough to send me back to the bonfire.

Well, that’s nothing to worry about!  Even at my best, I still fall in battle occasionally.  I just get up and try it again.  I do a bit better this time.   Not great, but I seem to be keeping pace with him, losing estus at a rate roughly proportionate to the amount of health I take off him.  It’ll be close towards the end, but I think I’ve got a chance.

Yet, once again, the exact same thing happens.  I get him to half his life bar, and once again, he throws out a spell, trailing dark homing blasts from the sky.  I manage to dodge away from most of these, leaving me wounded but not dead, yet as I heal, he throws a bunch of dark orbs right in my face.

Yeah.  It turns out the fact that I was able to take him past half life was not just luck.  He simply wasn’t fighting at full capacity until then.  Once you get him half dead, that’s when he takes off the gloves and breaks out his spells.  He’s not exactly a cakewalk up until then, but that’s the point he gets truly deadly.

I’ve noticed something about myself and the way I approach bosses in this game.  Namely, there are two types of bosses.  There are those that I’m already capable of handling, I just need to work out the right strategy or learn their moves before I’m able to claim victory.  Foes like Quelaag, like the Iron Golem, like Sif.  Those I typically beat within three attempts.  Then there are the bosses for which I need to improve before I’m able to overcome them.  Enemies like Ornstein and Smough, the Capra Demon, and Artorias.  Sure, learning their moves and working out the right strategy was vital, but overall, the battle hinged on my increasing my capabilities, and growing better than my opponent.  Those fights are the ones that take a while.

So basically, either I beat the boss in three attempts, or I’d better pull up a chair and make myself a sandwich, because I’ll be at these for a while.  And I just finished up my third failed try at Manus.

Well, I’m determined to break the streak, if I can.  So I do mix up my strategy a bit.  It’s Manus’s sorceries that are giving me the biggest problem.  And I picked something up earlier that’s supposed to help with that.  Artorias’s Pendant.  I give it a try, focusing my energies through the jewelry, and after a brief moment of charging, I am surrounded by a barrier of light.  Looks promising.  I drop all the items out of my ready pockets except for my estus flask and the pendant, then make my down to the ol Abyss Papa.

I do well in this fight.  Even without his spells, Manus is quite the tricky beast, his extendo-arm making it difficult to gauge just how far his attacks reach.  Even so, I’m starting to get the hang of him, and quickly drop him down to when he starts getting serious.  Manus charges his first spell up.

As he fires steams of darkness into the sky, I pull out the pendant.  As they come crashing down towards me, the barrier is in place.  Darkness meets the light, and fades away.  I use the pendant a few more times, to catch the portions of the spell not blocked by the first application, and make it through it all, safely.

Unfortunately, both his spell and my defense create a lot of visual interference, and I find it hard to track him in the maelstrom.  He takes advantage of that, slamming his hand down on top of me just as soon as my vision clears.  I cling to life, but just barely, and I don’t have time to recover before he’s on me again.  He’s winding up for a move I recognize, a cross-body uppercut.  I dodge back, but once again I misjudge the angle because of the way the length of his arm shifts.  I get clipped by it, and that sends me back to the bonfire.

Second time around, I play the same strategy.  Fight him down to half his health, then break out the pendant when he breaks out the spells.  I catch him charging for a spell again, and I trigger the pendant.  Before the field activates however, he lets loose, sending a wide arc of dark orbs before him.  I get hit by several, and it puts me down.  The forward arc is much faster than either of the spells that sees him firing into the air.  Way too fast to bring the pendant to bear.

Again, and again, and again, this happens.  Manus was a competent combatant without using magic.  Powerful and dangerous, but with flaws in his style that could be easily exploited.  Adding his Abyss sorcery to his repertoire makes him exponentially more deadly.  Not only does it give him additional offensive options that I have trouble dealing with, it also forces me to leave openings for his physical attacks as I lean on the pendant for defense against his spells.  Additionally, having to prepare myself for both physical and magical attacks requires me to change my fighting style, and I find myself being both a lot less aggressive and making more missteps in my dodging as I attempt to be ready for anything.

So yeah.  This isn’t working out well for me.  Manus is not the most intense opponent I’ve faced.  I don’t think he’s the most powerful.  Nor the trickiest.  But the strengths he has, he works together so cohesively, that he might be, overall the most challenging enemy I’ve ever fought.  And he’s probably the toughest.  I don’t know that I’ve fought anyone else with his HP.  His fighting style is not overwhelming, but it is so very solid that it’s hard to make further inroads once he starts incorporating magic.

I spent longer fighting Manus, Father of the Abyss than I have any other boss in the game.  I committed more time to trying and failing against Manus than any other single challenge Dark Souls has to offer me.  More than Ornstein and Smough.  More than the Capra Demon.  More than Artorias.  Manus has so much vitality, allows such very specific windows to attack, and has such a varied offense, that he is probably the most adamant opponent I’ve ever faced in Lordran.

It would be easy to get discouraged.  This was a challenge to which I had no answers.  No matter how I changed my strategy, no matter how well I learned his moves, no matter how much my skills were growing, I couldn’t gain anything more than small advancements on him at any given time.

This isn’t a very exciting fight to write about.  If you’ll do me a favor, when you’re telling all your friends about how great I am, could you just make something up about how I finally beat him?  Like, I went off into the forest, and spent a year wrestling bears for training, then came back with fire in my eyes and powerbombed Manus back into the grave?  Because what proved to be the real factor is something that I’ve found I’m really good at these past several years, but it’s not really something that makes for epic tales.  I didn’t use my power, my intelligence, my creativity, or my biting wit to win.

It was all about my ability to endure.  Like I said, I couldn’t gain anything more than small advancements.  Miniscule, really.  A few slivers more of his life off with each attempt.  But those slivers add up.

I learned his moves.  I learned that you couldn’t block his overhead slam if you were too far away, and that you couldn’t dodge it until it was almost on top of you because otherwise it would track you.  I learned to recognize the difference between the way he telegraphed his three spells, and to use my shield rather than the pendant on the forward arc.  I learned to move forward when he attacked high, and back off when he attacked low.  I learned not to linger behind him.  I learned that I had to watch for the tells before the tells, because otherwise I would dodge too late for some moves.  And I learned because I had to.  I felt the pain of each of his attacks dozens of times, sheer repetition forcing those moves into my mind.

I was only gaining inches.  But I was still gaining inches.  I was the file grinding down the mountain.  But as long as I was gaining, I could not be stopped!

I died a hundred times!

And it was because of this that the battle was mine!

Every time, just a little bit better!  Every time, just a little bit more!  Every time was he closer and closer to death!  By slivers, by inches, by microns, but that was all I needed!  As long as I kept trying, as long as I kept unbroken, eventually, all these little bits would overtake him!

And I will never quit!

There is no formula to my victory here.  No one moment I can point to as the turning point.

I simply tried, again, and again, and again, each time growing just a little, tiny bit, until I was something more than he.

I may not be the strongest, the smartest, the most skilled.  But I endure.  I endure better than anything else.  And that is why I shall succeed.

Next time: Dialing it down.

12 responses to “Manus can go burn

  1. “I may not be the strongest, the smartest, the most skilled. But I endure. I endure better than anything else. And that is why I shall succeed.”

    The Tao of Dark Souls, perhaps?

    And so you were able to fell Manus. Excellent work! Looks like you defeated the scenario’s primary antagonist. It’s always awesome to overcome a difficult challenge in games like this.

    • The Tao of Life, in a way. Sucking at everything until you’ve done it often enough that you don’t suck anymore. And just like life, every success only opens up new possibilities to suck.

      I’m kind of wondering how what I have next to face in the game compares to what I’ve just been able to beat through the DLC. If it turns out the final holder of a Lord Soul and the end boss of the game are easier than Artorias and Manus, I might find myself a little disappointed. On the other hand, I can easily see how these challenges may have made me just a little better at the game, and I can’t complain too much about how I’ve gotten too good for the Dark Souls bosses.

      • And then you go back to your older problems and wonder how they ever managed to weigh you down at all. Late in the game, I remember occasionally going to the path that leads to the Undead Burg and noticing what little damage the enemies were doing when at the beginning of the game, they were a legitimate threat. I think that’s one of the best things about Dark Souls; you start off a weakling, and by the end of the game, you can take on anything (unless it’s a bottomless pit).

        It’s all one big learning experience, isn’t it? Take the Catacombs, for example. The thing I learned from that area is that necromancers are jerks. If they’re still alive, they can revive their skeleton guards again and again. If you kill the skeletons with a divine weapon, they won’t revive, but there’s that issue of them respawning should you die. Fortunately, necromancers don’t have that going for them; they’re like those toxic dart-shooting enemies back in Blighttown – once they’re gone, they’re gone for good.

      • True that. That’s one thing I’ve noticed, there aren’t really any lucky runs in Dark Souls. If you’ve overcome something, it’s because you’ve earned it, and if you beat a challenge once, you’ve gotten good enough to beat it any time it comes up. Succeeding in Dark Souls is always a measure of getting better, of continually growing as a player.

        The Catacombs, I believe, is the last area I have open to me, now. That’s good information, thanks!

    • Hey! We haven’t seen you behind this account in forever! Welcome back! And yeah, that was quite taxing. Luckily, I have every single person on the internet watching me, so I can’t give up for fear of embarrassment. Keeps me honest, that way.

    • I imagine a lot quicker, too. Don’t have to sit through all those failed runs. Although maybe that’s a part of the Dark Souls experience I’ve been lacking in these posts. Ok! From now on, I shall draw these out so each post takes at least four hours to read!

    • Manus spoiled me on bosses. I’ve not had to try nearly so hard at a single enemy since. Everyone else just seems so simple. Dude raised the bar.

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Shark in Pointe Coupee 1878 J. D. Vignes

Vignes search BLM GLO Records reveal three land patents with five owners, two of which were widows owning same property in Pointe Coupee – two dates pre-date the time range of 1878.

VIGNES, G, widow
DECOUX, H widow 1/21/1845
Document 597 LA
Twp – Rng Aliquots Sec. # County
004S – 009E 29 Pointe Coupee

VIGNES, VEGER 12/15/1846
Document 2941 LA
Twp – Rng Aliquots Sec. # County
004S – 008E Lot/Trct 2 70 Pointe Coupee

Vignes in Google Books

The above mention of land purchase in March 1868 by J. D. Vignes does not appear in BLM GLO records website. The BLM GLO site has been renovated.

About Louisiana Genealogy Admin

I manage several RootsWeb mailing lists and message boards, support Louisiana Cemetery Preservation, am a former Louisiana and Mississippi librarian, have been researching genealogy of my family since 1988, and write and promote several blogs supporting either Louisiana genealogy or Louisiana cemeteries.
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text:
Raising Your Love Consciousness

Concerning this

I was inspired to write this tele-seminar after examining my personal experiences with love. Love is key winning element that can help us to successfully transition from a life of want and scarcity to a life of abundance and well-being. A number of the “love” experiences I am mentally and spiritually referencing are already elevating and others happen to be very painful and some have been painfully elevating. But because my understanding of the actual power of love will continue to evolve then the benefits I receive are more rich and abundant. Being a Business Professional, I am aware that love produces wisdom, respect and promotion. Being a woman, I realize that love is liberating and empowering. As being a daughter, I understand that love is discerning and difficult. As a lover, I offer love as motivation, protection, consolation and support to my man. In addition to being an entrepreneur, I know that love is powerful, insightful and extremely attractive. And as a creative being I experience love as mercy, authenticity and infinite potential. Love is the thing that builds empires and helps to create giants. But what I am aware most of all is that without love, none of us would exist.

That’s not me here tonight to motivate you, give you a to-do list in order to help you with your New Year’s resolutions. Transpire is that your connection to me tonight will assist you to experience an energy that will help to spark thought, emotions and actions. Thought, emotions and actions that may unite you with the mighty power of love. Thought, emotions and actions that may encourage you to love somebody else. Thought, emotions and actions that can give you courage which help you to discover your authenticity. Thought emotions and actions which will liberate you and attract love, success and abundance to you. That is my goal tonite.

What is Love

Love is exactly what will make a mother lift a couple,000 pound car off of a baby who has fallen below it. Love is what can make a father fight to defend the distinction of his family. Love is what fueled Harriet Tubman the most famous conductor with the Underground Railroad. She forced slaves into freedom, often times against their will, at gunpoint and navigated dangerous trails some 19 times. Love means that Martin Luther King, Jr. marched on Washington and why he endured jail, hate along with the disruption of his family and sacrificed his or her own young, precious, promising life. Love means that countless fathers worldwide work demeaning jobs and sacrifice their manhood so that you can feed their families. Love is sometimes why people make mistakes. It is also why people defy odds. Love ‘s what soldiers are made of.

After much thought I realized that many of us are struggling and scratching through life because we are confused about love. And we’re failing to access the power love because we don’t fully understand love. We just understand love to the extent it is expressed in a pop song or perhaps a tabloid. We mistake passion for control and lust. We are stuck trying to fit this revolutionary concept into a narrow ego based definition bound by expectations which may have nothing to do with true love. Once we understand the infinite nature of affection we will understand that love could be the root of our success. Love doesn’t have bounds. It cannot be measured by space and time. It sparks revolutions and ends wars. Love will help us to transform the energy of products like money, opportunity and relationships. Love can renew our mind, body and souls. Love will let us to be a conduit for wealth, abundance and wellness. It transforms victims into victorious those who rise above emotions and mirror the thinking about the Creator. Love is our link to The Universal Mind.

Our discussion today is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Tonight’s tele-seminar is entitled, “How To Win in 2010”. What we should will be discussing today will help us to become winners really and beyond. It isn’t about systems, affirmations, New Year’s resolutions and to-do lists. That is about a lifestyle focus which will keep you in the bosom of the energy of the most vibratory force inside the universe. That mindset simply involves raising your ex consciousness. It involves realizing that love, in fact, is life. And being conscious of this fact allows your soul to breath, expand and take control of your life.

The Universe Is Shaking Us Up

Many of you may have realized that times are changing and I’m sure you receive the sense that the universe is shaking some misconception. Some people call it the renewing from the mind, a new world order, each day of judgment, new school or perhaps the changing in the guard. Whatever you think of it as, we all realize that in order to get different results we must commence to do things differently. We have to change our mindset or our state of mind and living in order that we are consistent conduits with the Creator. Our mindsets have to be fueled by intuition, inspiration as well as an energy that is so fresh and new that it can’t help but to create anything other than innovative ideas, thought leadership and fresh solutions. We have to become conscious of the true power of love and know that we are simply a channel whereby living changing energy passion is being manifested. We have to come out of the mindset of yesterday or the mindset designed for us by someone else. To stay in that mindset means that we remain in days gone by. And when we stay in the past we ignore “now” and lose the opportunity impact of our future.

Adopting mindsets that we don’t understand is very dangerous. A lot of us have the mindset of destruction, scarcity and hate yet we’ve the desires passion, abundance and well-being. Whenever we adopt the mindset of others we must be certain that we desire the results that this mindset will produce. We must become conscious, respectful and mindful of the law of expected outcomes. It is equally dangerous to allow for others to be the architect in our mindset. This is why most of us pray and expect a new day but we feel like yesterday. As a result, our prayers don’t produce anything else except when we are severely threatened with death, destruction of some major life changing event. Only then do we call the results “miracles” and act as if our link to The Creator is a random, surprise act.

The Transition

We have been transitioning from a world built on differences, competition and cookie cutter lifestyles. In the world of yesterday there were a mindset that was the model of success. That model was built depending on the existing laws and standards of society. Today, winners don’t rely solely on old business and lifestyle models; they normally use intuition and an knowledge of life in order to help guide them in the right direction. Were failing and falling less than our tremendous potential because we are missing the big picture. It is time to stop faking success. We must begin to live successfully. Probably the most authentic, creative and different people are successful today. They will be tomorrow’s leaders. Him or her have an understanding of life that’s supported by an inner force that’s been dormant for generations. So that you can know what life is we have to first know what love is. Love is our life and those who understand its true meaning will win beyond 2010.

Why Love?

Let’s discuss a few general concepts about love and how it ties for the Creator, Our Success and Human Development. For most people, the existence of love is really a given, but the nature of affection is a mystery. However the word “love” is so commonly on our tongues, hardly anyone knows what love is. The truth is, love is so powerful, I am not sure that our finite thinking can truly define this kind of infinite concept. Also, since we can’t quite wrap the brain around the concept of love, we tend to slice it and dice it and chop up so that what we understand are pieces or slices passion. We tell people you’ll have a piece of my love. Do not forget that song, “You can have a piece of my love”….. We say that, because that’s all we could truly comprehend. So we give people an item of the slice we have. See that’s our first mistake.

As opposed to trying to control and define love, we’ve got to learn to be a conduit for that love that emanates from our Creator. We will need to accept the wholeness of love and stop trying to divide and conquer a thing that is not ours to possess, divide or conquer. It’s not at all our job to own or control love. Our responsibility is to be a conduit for love the actual life force from where we all originated. We simply cannot even fully know very well what our life is unless we all know what love is. Whenever we don’t understand the connection between love and life then we may believe that life’s nothing but sensation and action.

Love is reality and wisdom is its manifestation. Love occurs only in wisdom and wisdom only from love. So love becomes manifest when it is in wisdom. The essence of affection is that… what is ours should fit in with someone else. Feeling the industry of someone else as joy within ourselves-that is loving. All things the created universe is really a vessel for the divine love and wisdom in the Creator.

We are here on this earth to love. To not only just love our Creator or to love ourselves but to indicate our love for His Creation. The term love scares many of us because we see love as weakness. We associate pain, disrespect and disappointment with love. Simply because we are loving does not mean we can’t defend and protect ourselves. We think that in order to be loving we must be eternally soft, a mug or a sissy. We mistake love for lust. We expect love however are afraid to give it. We approach love having a scarcity mindset. For all we have can be a “piece of love” and we think there is not enough to go around.

Our Misconceptions About Love

Love is not an weak word. Love is power. We associate love with being utilized. And for some reason we’re so afraid of used. But doesn’t everyone get used in one way or another. Haven’t you used someone before and left them feeling empty and unfulfilled? Maybe you did it purposely. Maybe you did it because you just was without anything to give. You could possibly desperately needed to be refueled. Whatever, you’ve been used and you have used. So, stop being so afraid and self-righteous. Now, I’m not saying that we have to certainly be a door mat or that we have to allow someone to dog us in order to practice love. There’s also love in self-preservation. Some people would say that whenever we want love we must give love. Also to a certain extent that is true. But we experience love even though we don’t know what love is. The universe is always serving us. However, if we truly understand love, we experience freedom, justice, equality so we vibrate with the universal space that produced us.

We are so afraid and disenchanted with the limited societal concise explaination love that we don’t even know how to love. A lot of us don’t even want to love. We’ve abandoned love. Well, if you have given up on the narrow, societal concise explaination love, then you are probably correct in doing so. But if you fail to embrace the fullness of Universal love that is certainly bestowed on us every second during the day, then you are disappointing your individual soul. We don’t love ourselves and most of us don’t even love our families and mates. We’re simply them out of convenience, to have what we can get or because our ego must feel special. We have been cut off from the very energy that gives us life. Let’s say the Creator was so weak that every time we didn’t meet our full potential, He stopped loving us? Let’s say He got scared every time we disappointed Him and thought we would stop showering us with blessings, mercy and infinate potential? Let’s say He decided that since we are so off course that there would be no more air, you can forget sun no more mercy or forgiveness?

The Haters

See it’s easy for us to be so dedicated to destroying our enemy or hate we experience that people forget the love we have been graced with everyday. All you hear us talk about are haters. We make gods out of our haters. We talk and sing about haters. We write on Facebook and My Space about haters. No matter what haters say we can’t will we are motivated to perform. In essence, the haters run our lives. Are we really hate-mongers disguised as spiritual people? We pray as a result of haters. You worship and perpetuate hate and disrespect? The greater hate and disrespect that is certainly spewed from our television, music, news and our movie screens the better we think the show or song is. Yes, we worship hate and ignore love.

When was the last time you gave a whole lot of attention to love, honor and respect? We will flock to movies that showcase love? We take more time focused on what is broken and very little time on which “is” working. Yet, it’s love that allows us to maneuver on despite our enemies, despite all sorts, despite our circumstances and despite odds that are often stacked against us. It does not take power of love that ignites our successes and forces us to obtain up when were knocked out or when we make a mistake. Love is so powerful that sometimes we even forget who’s exists.

Love contains the highest energetic frequency of most emotions. It is the most creative force inside the universe. It is the most engaging and magnetive force we will ever experience. It is tough, powerful, fulfilling, sensational, resourceful, strong, liberating, discerning, respectful, understanding, forgiving and triumphant.

As being a Conduit of Love

Now, I know that many of us are frightened to talk about God or Creator. Many do not understand how I can teach leadership and development for entrepreneurs and discuss spirituality in the same breath. It can make a lot of people uncomfortable. Well, I tried, but I just have no idea any other way to do it. From the sitting on the floor of my apartment in 2001. I place a question out into the universe. I said, “What is missing from business?” And the word that popped into my head was “spirituality”. I spent the subsequent 6 or 7 years ignoring that question along with the word that popped into my head. I even went into business and tried to ignore it. I missed the point many times because I was afraid to mix business and spirituality as it had been so taboo within my educational and professional circles. Like lots of you, I was pecking around when I should have been soaring. I missed the top Picture.

See, entrepreneurialism is really a spiritual journey. It has always been and it always is going to be. But what I now know is one of my callings would be to help you to understand how you can use your spirituality in the practical way that will fuel your entrepreneurial endeavors which help you to fulfill your soul’s assignment. That’s not me talking about religion; I’m discussing your individual connection with the Creator. I’m discussing you learning to occupy that space that only you and the Creator occupy. Itrrrs this that I believe is the best way. So if you are not comfortable with it then do it your way. I support and honor whatever really works.

The Creator alone is love Itself as he is life itself. And we’re life receivers. Our receptivity develops equal in porportion to our love for the Creator that’s demonstrated through our adoration for one another. Yep, sorry to let you know, but the Universe will give you what you put into it. In case you are giving out “pieces” of love then you’ll get “pieces” back. You think the Creator cares much more about your service to others or simply how much you say you love Him? What has the highest return on investment?

Since we are life-receivers, not life (remember fondly the Creator is life we’re just mere conduits or receivers), it makes sense that our conception from our parents is not the conception of life but simply the conception from the first and purest forms that will accept life. I don’t want to go off on a tangent here, but what I want to point out is we have the potential to be the purest conduits for love and life itself. We’ve the ability to access that energy that represents any of the attributes of our Creator. Abundance, well-being, wealth, understanding, etc. Love and life, for me are synonymous.

Legislation of Attraction

I wish for you to think about this within the law of attraction sense. Many people call the Law of Attraction the Law of Love. What the law of attraction says is that thoughts (both conscious and unconscious) could affect our environment. Quantum physics claims that thoughts have an energy which pulls whatever it is the person is thinking of. So, in case you begin to study love, seek out love, experience love, expect love, practice love and think about love then the energy in the highest vibratory force or perhaps the earth will emanate by you. And, in turn, you will get or attract love rolling around in its many forms. Your life and environment will reflect that which you practice.


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April 18, 2015

Some facts to answer some of your questions:

Before this walk, I had walked across the U.S. 6 times and 30,000 miles. I had walked in all the lower 48 states.On this Zigzag Walk my goal was to walk into all the lower 48 in one continuous walk. I left Vero Beach, Florida on March 23, 2013. I’ve now walked over 9,000 miles on this walk and crossed the U.S. 2 more times. At Kittery, Maine, I had 8 complete crossings of the U.S. At Putnam, CT, I reached 39,000 miles walked. Somewhere in Georgia I will have 40,000 miles accumulated. On this walk, I have done 44 states and have 4 left. That should become 2 left when I cross into VA and WV today or tomorrow. I will then have North and South Carolina left to complete my goal of walking into all the lower 48 in one walk. I have already done Georgia and Florida. In all my walks, I have worn out over 50 pair of shoes. I have walked into each state at least twice and some several times. Included in my total mileage walked, is the 2000 miles of my Appalachian Trail hike.

This is my last long distance walk. I’ll be 69 in June and my knees are making noises they didn’t used to make.. And my right foot which had to be reattached after a motorcycle wreck in 1969 has decided to just now make the doctor’s words to me back in ’69, that my injury would always prevent me from walking or running for long stretches at a time, to come to pass. Doc was only off about 46 years, it is starting to bother me a little more. NEVER EVER quit!!!! LOVE LIFE and embrace it for both emotional and physical healing. LOVE of LIFE gives us the strength to push forward and carry on.


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The Lovely 20's

Why I Love Being a 20-Something

Posted in Uncategorized by Virginia on May 12, 2009

I could provide a list of ideological reasons as to why being a 20-something is great (youthful optimism, etc.), but being a practical person, I just like not having many restrictions.  I know that I cannot speak for an entire demographic but here are a few things this particular 20-something loves:

1) I can wear an outfit like this and not worry about having to “look my age.”

2) I can say “oh em gee” without people giving me weird looks.

3) I can go on a shopping rampage and use the excuse of building a working wardrobe.

4) I can run without having to worry about the impact damaging my knees.

5) I can uproot, move to Texas to start a non-profit, and then visit developing countries to help the poor….like my amazing friend, Iris of Videre Microfinance, who took a huge pay cut as an investment banker to help micro-finance small businesses of the working poor.

6) And one of my faves: breathing room for making mistakes.

I do not doubt my later years will be fantastic but each decade has its own flavor…and I want to savor the one I am presently in. That is why I am very hesitant to have a boyfriend (some people think it’s beyond weird that I don’t) but  I am allergic to the idea of “giving the best years of my life” to a boy. I’d like to save them for myself, thanks.

Until next time…ciao!

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  1. Joohyun Tim Yang said, on May 12, 2009 at 5:25 am

    @ #6: Hmm.. you won’t give your time to him even if the guy turns out to be irresistibly cute and awesome? I guess marriage isn’t in sight for you quite yet, haha =)

    I’ll be hitting my 20’s soon too! I’m hoping to invest the best time of my life to whoever I meet in these years, and hopefully be able to enjoy and cherish it for MANY MANY years to come, together =) hehe that’s just my hopeless romantic side going wild though. hahaha ;p

  2. mdono615 said, on May 12, 2009 at 11:55 pm

    I could not agree more!! Here’s to being a 20-something- loves it :)

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By: Bradley Loves

The more and more that I look at the situation we are in…, the more and more it becomes “clear” to me that we as a group have both CAUSED and ALLOWED the world to get into the state of affairs it is in!

FEAR and COWARDESS are the two ugly “diseases” which every player in the game has seemingly caught!  And isn’t it just very interesting that when a player in the game gets a disease the Doctor says they “contracted” it!

Are you kidding me?  Are you absolutely kidding me?  A business term…, and a banking term, is glibly being used to describe the catching of a disease?

We are NOT in Kansas any more Toto!  The magical double speak proves it conclusively.

Mark Passio has said it!  But no one is listening.

David Icke is saying it!  But no one is listening.

Now I am saying it!  I wonder if anyone is listening!

There is more going on than meets the eye in this Matrix-like, Holographic Reality.  And that “MORE” going on is most obviously (to me) and clearly (to me) that WE are collectively creating what we see by our ACTIONS!

I’ve posted three separate Articles from a speech given in 1969 by a man (most obviously a SATANIST) and a supporter of the New World Order, named Dr. Richard Day.

The first one can be read HERE, the second one can be read HERE, and the last one HERE!

I’m really not certain how many readers took the time to read each one carefully, (they are long) but they are also VERY important!  By now, most readers who come here must know that I NEVER post anything that is not truly an important building block in the understanding of what is Happening here on the Earth.

The name of my site shows just how picky I am about what kind of things even get printed on my blog.

If you were one of those who took the time to study these three posts…, you would see clearly that almost ALL of what is happening now…, both in America and around the WORLD, was talked about in uncanny detail in 1969!

The very fact that this information was there, and THEN, (meaning: at that time), suggests also that “WE” have had (as a group) 45 years to put a stop to it and DID NOT DO SO!

If you did in fact read all three posts…, you would see that it was made GRAPHICALLY apparent to those doctors in that room, and on that day, that “things” were going to be done that were IMMORAL, UNETHICAL, INHUMANE, INDECENT, and just plain WRONG!!!!!

There was NOT an industry, nor a sector of business that was not touched upon in his un-holy speech!  So that means that over the largest part of the WORKING PUBLIC…, these horribly criminal,  and truly INSANE objectives had to be “instituted” by millions of average working people…, (an insanely huge majority of AMERICANS themselves), upon all of the rest of their country AND the world!

I DARE YOU…, to tell me I’m wrong!

The ONLY question that needs to be answered is WHY?  If any response to this post is forthcoming…, then the very FIRST paragraph of that comment needs to have a “WHY” at the front of it, before I will even look at it!

Why were, and ARE most Americans still willing to sell their brothers and sisters down the river for a damn PAYCHECK?

See the two words above highlighted in GREEN.

There is the answer…, and the ONLY answer!

Mark Passio has given us one of the BEST seven minute youtube video’s ever made, and it is a part of his NATURAL LAW SEMINAR.

IF you have already taken the time to read ALL THREE posts about what Dr. Richard Day said…, then you would be very clear that it was ORDER FOLLOWERS who instituted the greatest CRIMES upon humanity over the last 45 years.

Oh…, and it was not just the POLICE…, and those who joined the MILITARY…, who “followed orders”…,  but it was EVERY working man and woman who did NOT stand up and SAY NO to the immoral, and unethical and ludicrous objectives the very MOMENT they heard them and were told to put them into practice!

Just so you know for certain that I am not being a hypocrite…, I paid for my own college education starting at the age of 17 years old!  I went to 3 years at a Major University taking Advanced Accounting and Business Law…, after which I planned on going to LAW SCHOOL upon graduation!

After 3 years of arduous study and 3 years of being on the “DEANS LIST” for students with exemplary grades…, I stopped, and WALKED AWAY from it all.

Not because I could NOT do it…, but because at that point, I COULD SEE CLEARLY that it was wrong!  I could see that the things I was learning to do, would in fact HURT other people!  My actions would cause HARM to others in the world, and I choose to immediately put a stop to that stream of potential and walk down another path.

I walked away in 1982 and NEVER looked back.  That was 33 years ago!  I then took a job as a  simple carpenter…, even though I had already paid for a much greater and higher education, so that each day of my life…, I would be helping the planet and the people around me instead of hurting it.

The truth is there was FAR LESS money in what I chose to do…, the the work was FAR more strenuous…, took far more energy…, and was just a dang HARD LIFE!

But…., I did no DAMAGE to other living human beings around me by the actions I was taking through the WORK that I was getting PAID to do!

Now…, and I mean RIGHT NOW…, most of this mess has clearly been made in the last 70 or 80 years…, and to most people who can remember the 1950’s and 60’s that is the truth!

There are those who call themselves NEW AGERS who DARE…, yes DARE, to suggest that GOD/SOURCE/PRIME CREATOR intends to clean all of this entire mess up himself!

Are YOU #*&@’ing kidding me???

GOD…, who had NOTHING to do with the mess that we are collectively in right now…, due to rank FEAR and COWARDESS, is  supposed to CLEAN IT ALL UP!

Oh…, yea…, and a favorite CON of the NEW AGERS is that somehow “THEY”, are about to ASCEND away from it all, by IGNORING everything that is happening around them and keeping their own personal “vibration” high!

I can’t think of a MORE COWARDLY ACT…, and a MORE SELFISH THING to do…, than to assist in the creation of a horrible mess on a loving planet and then LEAVE IT ALL for others to clean up!

And don’t think for a minute that those who call themselves NEW AGERS were NOT helping to create the mess.  IF they were living here on Earth, then they were working…, and many times in one of the very industries mentioned by Dr. Day!  So…, they “took” money and FOLLOWED ORDERS…, unless they can honestly say they did what I did…, and walked away from any possibility of hurting other people, and never looked back.

Now…, these men and women want to “ASCEND” away from it all…, and truly “THINK” that GOD is literally going to do that for them because they sit in their homes and “OHM” for an hour a day.

Let me ask you this.  In just what UNIVERSE does it make sense that a GOD who loves and cares for a planet and it’s people would simply remove the people from the middle of an EPIC MESS that they all had a hand in creating AND ALLOWED to be created…, (many times simply by saying and doing nothing to stop it) just so they can move on to a higher level, and began to IGNORE everything going on around them on THAT LEVEL and continue to DO NOTHING to correct any issues that come their way?

I am tired!

I am tired of  trying to show adult men and women that you can’t use your own dinner table as a toilet and then walk away from the mess CLAIMING that someone else told to you do you “duty” there…, so it’s NOT YOUR FAULT!

Please READ THE THREE ARTICLES about Dr. Richard Day!

Finally, think on these words:

The more and more that I look at the situation we are in…, the more and more it becomes “clear” to me that we as a group have both CAUSED and ALLOWED the world to get into the state of affairs it is in!

All my LOVE…

3 thoughts on “A SECOND APPRAISAL

  1. connie3591

    WHY do I feel like I’m talking to walls? No, Actually I feel like I’m up against the wall with a firing squad aiming at me every time I try to talk the truth about true reality. And, I (52 y/o) think this is your frustration also, Bradley. My 10 y/o son has started asking me very interesting and extremely knowledgable questions regarding the take over of the world by the bad guys (Illuminati, Cabal, call them what you wish). Note: This week, his teacher (30ish) asked him to prepare a speech for his class about the Illuminati. And, all of my research I’ve done without him present. On his last visit to his father’s (56 y/o) he discussed this subject with him. Interestingly my x told him, “if they were trying to take over the world, they are doing a pretty bad job of it,” as he could not see these things happening. When I tried talking to my boyfriend (62 y/o) about 9/11 he became highly upset I was accusing our government of doing this (I backed down because his reaction was kind of scary). And, he was on his was to Canada to dodge the draft during Vietnam. He so adamantly defended our government and swears it was Bin Laden and al qaeda who did that, no sense for me to try to convince him at that time Bin Laden worked for the CIA. Other than my son and 75 y/o mother, I’ve been searching for like-minded people but can only find them on the web. Even my hippie friend (58 y/o) who lives with no electricity or running water doesn’t get it (can blame TV programing or MSM for him). I read and/or watch everything you post and found it interesting that most of the things I’m aware of that’s happened or happening came from one neatly-packed speech which I plan on emailing to my x. Jean Haines had recently posted Max Igan’s last radio show about how WE can take them down. One of our first steps is to wake people/sheeple up about 9/11 and pointed us to this presentation (which I plan on watching with my boyfriend tonight and I do hope he will be willing enough to watch it) http://www.thecrowhouse.com/incontrovertible.html, the next thing would be for everyone to stay home, do and spend nothing for just one day. I’ve included everyone’s age because age is not the only factor it’s mostly fear and cowardess to take action that is to blame, if and only if you’re not too stupid to open your eyes to what in the world is happening. So in my own conclusion the more mass of people we can convince something is really, truly happening then and only then will we not be in fear and cowardess to take action. Together, we shall find the 100th monkey!

    Keep up the good, important work Bradley!!! As shall I and the rest of your followers.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Connie,

      My deepest blessings to YOU…, a friend…, a HERO…, and a compatriot! My blessings also to your son…, who carries with him the honest frequencies of a soul on the journey of awakening.
      In my own case Connie…, my awakening started at 11 years old! Your son, reminds me of me!

      That was around the early 1970’s…, and as you can probably imagine there were FAR less people around then who thought something strange was going on, AND there WAS NO INTERNET!

      I have been working on those close to me (FAMILY) parents and brothers and sisters and their husbands and wives for the last 30 years trying to wake them up…, and (five years ago) after 25 years of hounding…, a few have started to give way. Now…, I have 3 brothers who will listen to me…, and actually are on the path to discovery! But they had to have many bad things happen to them, and see for themselves that they were being told LIES.

      Cherish your son (AND PROTECT HIM) because if he start to really awaken… he will become a target of sorts. Prepare him for those others in the world who hate the truth so much…, they will try to silence it.

      You meanwhile keep being FEARLESS AND COURAGEOUS… because that is the way to free yourself and everyone around you!

  2. Pingback: APPRAISAL – Part Three | Love Truth

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WATCH: Three Irish Mothers Get The Giggles As They Smoke Weed In Amsterdam

So this is what are mams get up to when we're not around.

Youtube channel Facts has shared a video of three Irish smoking weed for the first time in Amsterdam and it's fair to say they enjoyed it.

The post was in honour of 420 Day, April 20, when the usage of cannabis is celebrated throughout the globe.

All three of the women get a fierce dose of the giggles at various points. Trust us, this is guaranteed to brighten up your Friday morning.

READ NEXT: This Massive Music Festival Is Taking Place In Cork Next Week

Written By

James Fenton

Journalist at Contact -


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Janu-Fahey Month: 100 Degrees Below Zero

January 29, 2015 § Leave a comment

With this month coming to a close, it all comes down to this – Jeff Fahey starring in a movie by The Asylum. Yeah, he starred in schlock movies from time to time and everybody does but when it comes to him in a movie that specializes on ripping off other movies, I honestly got nothing to add. However, Jeff Fahey in a movie by The Asylum that involves the same scenario we’ve already seen in The Day After Tomorrow. All I have to say is that this is another bad Fahey vehicle, isn’t it?

Absolute Zero
Now I could bring up R.D. Braunstein’s filmography but he only directed this and Layover so uh, let’s move on to the co-writers H. Perry Horton and Richard Schenkman instead. Horton is just a usual writer-for-hire for The Asylum since he’s involved writing other movies so nothing much to talk about him here. As for Richard, let’s say that he brought us The Man From Earth and Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies so this might slightly be a positive thing to make me think this movie could be good. But judging from the synopsis, it’s gonna be exactly like what we already seen in 2012: Ice Age.

2012 Ice Age
I am probably not gonna like this movie but moving on. A great event occurs in Mount Hasan at Turkey which causes a massive volcanic eruption enough to bring about a second ice age, it got alerted to news services that doesn’t exist in the real world along with Colonel Ralph Dillard (John Rhys-Davies). This leads to pilot Steve Foster (Jeff Fahey) and his new wife Lacey (Judit Fekete) to attempt to go to Paris and rescue Steve’s kids Taryn (Sara Malakul Lane) and Ryan (Marc McKevitt Ewins). However, they landed on London due to ash clouds so the rest of the movie involves the kids surviving while acting annoying from Ryan being fascinated by french woman Angelique (Zsófi Trecskó) and Taryn not believing her father is a hero.

Paris is suffering from earthquakes before its temperatures are dropping rapidly and this leads to the Foster kids (and Angelique) to get towards the Eiffel Tower as a place to see their parents. Meanwhile, Steve and Lacey drives from London while speaking to Ralph over the phone. Ralph mentioned that he is leaving in London to survive to the only normal environment safe zone which is… Australia! Okay, I’ll just go with it since that sounds reasonable but what about other places outside Europe like America or Canada or Mexico? Oh what does it matter, I’m nitpicking a low-budget science fiction movie.

The couple arrived to helicopter hangar and quickly gets to their kids (and Angelique) eiffel tower to rescue them before the ash clouds covered France. They then attempt to get to Ralph’s place and well, they crashed about a couple of minutes near there but they survive and the movie ends with Australia becoming a possible dystopic overpopulated environment. This movie is enjoyably bad and really hilarious to watch. It is a usual family in apocalyptic disaster movie that we already seen many times before with the usual case of bad acting, effects and storyline but is it worth checking out anyway? Oh yeah, it’s worth checking out.

Jeff Fahey is playing a usual character while John is hamming it up from top to bottom even when he mispronounce Hyperbole twice in less than a minute. I originally suspect he’s gonna be a British actor playing an American general but Sliders already have that with Roger Daltrey in two episodes and I’m glad he doesn’t go to that exact route. Sara and Marc are slightly alright but I mentioned they are annoying while Zsófi is just simply there as an Hungarian model actress playing a french person and I should note that the movie is primary filmed in Hungary instead of France so yeah, that’s a case of California Doubling trope there.

Oh and Judit is also simply there to be Jeff’s character’s wife and nothing much. It’s not as bad as the other Asylum disaster movie I brought up twice but uh, not much great either so this movie is only worth it as a one-time viewing. Well, I’m done for Fahey’s movies for now so will get back to it next January so let’s see what happens next. Until then.

Janu-Fahey Month: Virtual Seduction

January 25, 2015 § Leave a comment

If there is one thing to explain me being a fan of Jeff Fahey, it’s because of few things I’ve seen of him in like Lost, Planet Terror and the best Stephen King in-name-only adaptation I’ve seen which is The Lawnmower Man. Yes, this movie is ridiculous, dated and silly but stuff based on King’s words even by loosely standards do have those traits at times. I mean, I like The Langoliers as well but that’s beside the point, The Lawnmower Man is honestly a good popcorn entertainment and Jeff is one of the few good things about it. After that, I saw him facing the dangers of Virtual Reality again with Apocalypse II: Revelation and that movie is alright with some moments.

Apocalypse II
So this brings me to Virtual Seduction as directed by Paul Ziller who made such apocalyptic and disaster flicks such as Collision Earth, Stonehenge Apocalypse, Ice Quake, Polar Storm, Android Apocalypse, Solar Attack and Ms. Bear. Okay, that last one doesn’t count but he did also bring us the remake of The Philadelphia Experiment which in my opinion is an alright remake. People may hate that one but I don’t because at least Michael Pare said yes to starring in a remake of one of the few 80s movies that made him relevant at that time. But anyway, let’s get on to Virtual Seduction and see if there’s nothing uh, apocalyptic about this.

Jeff plays Liam Bass who’s engaged to his girl Paris (Carrie Genzel) while being friends to Laura (Ami Dolenz). However, Liam’s night with Paris turns from good to worst as two thugs entered their picture, steal their car and shot both of them with Paris being dead. Flashing forward to 1997 and Liam seems to have move on from that incident with him and Laura now being a couple. Meanwhile, he’s assigned himself to Cybernetic Laboratories as a guinea pig subject on a virtual reality program after its previous participant (played by Michael McDonald) panicked and quits the game.

Liam’s adventures in virtual reality goes successful enough that he became the first man to receive a virtual reality pod in his own home. Despite that, he continues his VR adventures but with him encountering a simulation of Paris which he rejects at first but decides to fall in love with her including when they made some finger painting love. Their affair turns to the attention of its creator Dr Grant (Frank Novak) who’s a greedy antagonist responsible for keeping Paris in the program while causing Liam to lose his taste on actual reality and remain in a fantasy world. Laura found out about it and with the help of Anderson (Meshach Taylor), they try to help bring Liam back to the real world before it’s too late.

However, Liam cannot break away from his love with his dead fiancée and decide to get married which is enough to kill him. He then died and then revive himself and then in a twist, Liam finishes his VR adventure while Paris continued to have adventures with his VR counterpart. The movie ends with everybody but Liam and Laura celebrating the arrival of 2000 by being in virtual reality pods (hopefully without being compatible with the millennium bug of course).

The Fly III
The movie is a alright mixture of virtual reality and low-grade erotic thriller. It’s no Basic Instinct or Color of Night of course but it is easy to know that this movie cashes in the success while playing on television as part of Roger Corman Presents fixture back in the nineties. Jeff Fahey is good as usual and all other actors is well – meh – to the most part. I mean, they are fine despite coming off a bit one-dimensional with the exception of Ami Dolenz. Also, the story is nothing more but a usual love triangle involving reality and fantasy with one man caught in the middle of it.

So really, the movie is okay to check out if you’re into cheesy 1990s virtual reality love story mumbo jumbo but nothing more than that. Well, I got three down and one to go so next time, I’m ending this month on a cold note… uh, a good kind of cold note (I think).

Janu-Fahey Month: Iron Maze

January 16, 2015 § Leave a comment

Already we on to the second week and this time, we went from a movie that I felt was wrongly criticized badly to… uh, a movie that is honestly bad. Yeah, I gonna agree with the public on this one. I knew there will be a time I get to a bad movie starring Jeff Fahey and this might be the one. I felt less interested in this after watching it and let me say that I can agree with this being sold at the cheap bargain bin with crap like The Trial of The Incredible Hulk and uh, Man of the Moon! Okay, why is that only two dollars worth nowadays?

Jim Carrey
Now this movie is made by Hiroaki Yoshida whom at that time already hit it big with Twilight of the Cockroaches and that one has its cult status enough that it inspired a certain short film in MTV’s Liquid Television that later translated into a 1990s live-action vehicle starring Jerry O’Connell. I think you know what I’m talking about. But here’s the thing, Twilight of the Cockroaches is his directorial debut and Iron Maze is his… directorial demise if you will. Granted, he still finds work in producing and acting since then but ooh boy, this is a bad way going from making an anime film to an live-action movie.

Joe's Apartment
The movie primary focuses on the attempted murder of Sugita (Hiroaki Murakami) on the steel mill in a town known as Corinth. As Jack Ruhle (J.T. Walsh) investigates why he nearly died, Barry Mikowski (Jeff Fahey) at first gets away from the scene of the crime since he’s a suspect but he then turns himself to the police and mentioned he’s responsible for the assault. However, Sugita’s wife Chris (Bridget Fonda) is calling Jack on the phone while driving for several hours which places herself as another suspect to the case.
Bridget Fonda

It then reveals two sides of the story with Chris saying that Barry is just a maniacal bell boy/steel worker who wants to rape Chris while plan to kill Sugita while Barry said she’s the one who wanted him dead. It’s not long until Sugita wakes up and reveals that it’s neither since while he tries to turn the steel mill to an amusement park, he has a grudge on Barry and that’s due to him having an affair with Chris. They thought it out in the steel mill, Chris nearly kills Sugita by dropping a metal from above and Barry goes back to fighting Sugita on above but not before he falls thanks to the fourth person involved in this event. And that fourth person is… Hob from RoboCop 2!

Yeah, Mikey (Gabriel Damon) is responsible for having Sugita fall to his near death and he has a legit good reason since Barry is the only person Mikey looks up to when nobody’s around. Both Barry and Jack went back to the steel mill to get Mikey and it results to Barry helping his young friend out before Jack decides to let them go, Chris goes on her own journey and Sugita was wrong about hating Barry so he became friends along with Mikey ending the movie.

Happy Ending
Now, in honesty, the movie is only good in one thing – the relationship between Barry and Mikey since this subplot might be the only positive about this because outside of it, this movie is crap. Jeff might acted well along with J.T. and Gabriel but it didn’t help making me like it. Bridget acted like she really doesn’t want to be here and Hiroaki plays a character that really comes off unlikable. The movie stretches itself to boredom and a bit of confusion that ends in a anticlimactic note.

Surprisingly, it’s based on Ryuonosuke Akutagawa’s In A Grove which later forms the basis of the story to Akira Kurosawa’s acclaimed masterpiece Rashomon and I can’t help by say that it’s best to check that movie out rather than this one. However, if you want to check a movie as a drinking game for those pointing out the boom mic in each scene, this is a good example. Damn, I reviewed one Jeff Fahey movie that I didn’t much like so maybe next one is good because it’s time for him to go back to virtual reality territory and no, it’s not The Lawnmower Man II since he didn’t star in that one.

Boom Mic

Janu-Fahey Month: The Last Of The Finest

January 11, 2015 § Leave a comment

Oh yeah, a month of movies starring one of my favorite character actors this generation, Jeff Fahey and why not? Noah has his Reb Brown and Brad Jones has his Pierre Kirby so why not let me have fun watching him kick ass. And I think the first movie is a perfect start of this movie since Last of the Finest not only has him in it but it also stars Brian Dennehy, Joe Pantoliano and Bill Paxton so what I’m getting at is possibly The Expendables of the early 90s. It might make sense but it is missing Lorenzo Lamas, Roddy Piper and Brian Bosworth with maybe Ronny Cox in a villainous role. Now that is an idea for action movie to end all action movies.

But anyway, if this movie is any good, you can thank the late, great John Mackenzie of The Long Good Friday and The Fourth Protocol fame. Not only that but it’s also written by George Armitage who is best known as the director of Grosse Pointe Blank… and uh, The Big Bounce! Damn, going from John Cusack as a hitman to Owen Wilson having the most awkward lovemaking with Sara Foster. Not really the best to end your directorial career if you ask me.

Big Bounce
The movie involves LAPD officer Frank Daly (Brian Dennehy) as he plays football with Wayne Gross (Joe Pantoliano), Howard Jones (Bill Paxton) and Ricky Rodriquez (Jeff Fahey). An alright start to the movie but then it goes to them exposing a bust held by Anthony Reece (Michael C. Gwynne). While Howard goes in up close while dressing up as an old grandmother figure, Frank decide to go “fuck the DEA and his captain’s orders” and raid the scene which worked out not so well. Frank’s captain Joe Torres (Henry Darrow) decide to suspend the team. They kept investigating by taking pictures and both Howard and Bill hilariously mimic the criminal meeting up with his date. Also, Howard sees one of the henchmen later while playing the football and decide to be an ass to him during the game.

Fahey And Paxton
Later on, Frank gets a phone call from his informant Fast Eddie (Xander Berkeley) about Reece and their investigation goes underway. However, it leads to both Fast Eddie and a prostitute getting killed off… and then Howard died as well. Frank and the two is then charged with breaking the rules but dammit, Frank and Wayne quit the force. Ricky however didn’t because he’s in his “cop is his whole life” routine and went on his way… that is until he opened up the garage door (that Frank said is broken for ten years) and said “fuck it, I quit” in his tone. Okay, I think I chose the movie well.

Xander Berkeley
They decide to finish their investigation but as civilians. They raid the scene of some hoodlum’s home and taken $25,000 off them, they trail Reece to some relief fund event with the President attending and even visited retired cop Tommy (John Finnegan) who can rip lips of the video tape. However, Tommy is later visited by Torres who is working for Reece and bad trouble goes down as while Frank and his friends hide money in the septic tank, they discover Tommy’s body and decide to get their family members on a hideout.

Daly then decides to set up an exchange in a baseball field (instead of football stadium so why the change in sports in the movie) and in a final act, blazes of guns happen with Torres and Reeces being victims in the battle. The movie then ends with the three back in police uniform and The President denying Reece’s involvements. Okay, to put in all honesty, the movie is surprisingly not bad and it’s not just because Jeff is in it.

Villain's Death
To put it easily, this is Brian’s action piece through and through and with three actors having their time of their lives beating down injustice. While Bill hasn’t been in much, he is alright in the movie and I can understand it if he’s not in it much. After all, he was doing Navy Seals and Predator 2 around that time so that’s understandable. Joey Pants also did well as Wayne and he’s a cop with a spotless record and more of a family man than Brian’s character right down to inviting them and his wife to a cop party. As for Jeff Fahey, he never disappoint me in this one and he has moments to shine in this. The scene involving his ragequit with a garage door is indeed one of them.

The story is usual action fare and has some moments you don’t normally see in other action films. I mean, three ex-cops stealing and hiding money in a septic tank… something Woody and Wesley has never done in Money Train. All and all, this movie is worth checking out if you’re an early 90s action junky or is a fan of these actors even with Xander Berkeley in a minor role. Now that I got Janu-Fahey began, I had to look into another of his early roles and speaking of negative critical reception, I heard this movie is bad. Am I wrong on this one? Tune in next week.

Worst Of 2014

January 6, 2015 § Leave a comment

If there’s anything to say about the year that is 2014, it’s just that it’s possibly the worst year in my lifetime and it makes 1997 look like 1969 by comparison (even though I was born way after 1969 but that’s beside the point). So as usual, I’m here to present a list of the stuff from this year that I dislike and hope to forget in the years to come. Really, really hope to forget. Fuck 2014.

Worst Films Of 2014

A Million Ways To Die In The West – I’m not much a fan of Seth McFarlane to be honest but he did some good from time to time like Ted for example. This movie really is a live-action take on those overlong gags you see in Family Guy before you turned it off and oh god, these gags are bad. Other than that, it’s nothing much interesting. Sure, I could admit there is minor good parts like Dr Brown cameo and the post-credit thing but it’s not really worth it so if you want some western comedy, just stick with Blazing Saddles instead.

RoboCop – I already rant about this movie on its sole review enough so is there a bit more to say about it? I’m sure can’t think of any so yeah, this movie is still in the same league as unnecessary remakes as Total Recall. Let’s just move on.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise Of Electro – Honestly, it’s not as worse as the first one but it is bad and has unoriginality written all over it. How could you use Burtonverse Riddler’s origin as the basis for Electro? How could you make Green Goblin look more cartoony than Willem DaFoe? Why am I’m not shocked about the death of one character? Why am I laughing at Denis Leary being a “Disappointed Ghost Dad” type? I have a lot of questions but if anything, the movie is bad but hilarious to watch unlike the other one.

Worst Singles Of 2014

Jason Derulo ft Snoop Dogg – Wiggle – I am not liking this year due to the fact that twerking is so everywhere that it shakes its butt towards Oxford Online Dictionary. This song really is weak and boring and will be forgettable by the following year. Snoop, I don’t know what you smoking but I think you should quit rather than pass it on to me. As for Jason Derulo, he’s always crap and besides this and Talk Dirty, his songs are forgettable so somebody sack this guy please. That’ll be a good favor to the human race.

Buck 22 featuring Billy Ray Cyrus – Achy Breaky 2 – While I am glad that I didn’t list his daughter’s crap in here (and I nearly did since she ruined two Beatles songs with The Flaming Lips), I am not glad that Billy Ray Cyrus made a sequel that’s more worst than the original and place it here. Just why? Has he not heard the part where he’s “irrelevant”? And putting twerking in this song, oh yeah, good way to cash in the popularity that’s not really popular. This is a mess that I’m not sure if it’s unfinished or not so uhhhh, fuck this song.

Kimbra – 90s Music – This is me being honest here but not only is this one of the worst songs of this year but it’s also almost the best. I shit you not on this, this song may not sound 90s-like but it’s also strangely catchy. I heard her recent album and has some catchiness as well as one of the songs sound like a bit Prince-esque but it’s not great so this one might be more of a so-bad-its-good song. Also, Matthew Bellany of Muse did the bass guitar on this and sadly… it’s not much but it’s there.

Nicki Minaj – Anaconda – Okay, you might see that I’m not a pop music enthusiast here. Well, you’re right, I hate pop music and I do mean the current state of it. I like the genre when it has class, catchiness and earworm worthy. Today, it’s annoying, annoying, annoying. And I am not a Nicki Minaj fan to be honest but damn, this song is awful. And to make it sad, the sampling of this is awful. Why is 2014 the year of butts in music? I mean, This… this is the “Dirty Bit (Time Of Your Life)” of 2014. Hey Music Company, stop making the worst artists sample some classics please.

Worst Albums Of 2014

U2 – The Spam Album – Ha, see what I did there? I may not be a U2 fan but they do have songs from time to time that’s worth listening and not so egotastical. Heck, one of them has Johnny Cash doing the lead vocals that’s surprisingly good so look up “The Wanderer” and listen to that. This album may be favorable but at the same time, it’s also the album that many people don’t want to listen right down to “Uh, somebody delete this off my phone please?”. There’s not much good in the album and really, making a tribute to Joey Ramone that doesn’t sound like The Ramones stuff of the past (not even sounding like Dee Dee Ramone when he went all hip-hop on us so that’s saying something). Has Bono even listen to their music at all? If there’s anything good to say about it, I like Sleep Like A Baby Tonight so there is one good song in the whole album but the others, just blah blah blah we’re so relevant until the end of time mumbo jumbo.

Coldplay – Ghost Stories – Speaking of U2, this album sucks. Like I said on the other album, Coldplay do have few good songs in the past but this album has none of it and they just went to their direction big time. I even heard a Giorgio Moroder remix of Magic and it’s so boring that I don’t remember it afterwards. Also, this is me saying it but is this album unintentionally a breakup album? It was released around the time when Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow went on separate ways, I’m just saying.

Worst Comic Books Of 2014

Avengers vs X-Men: Axis – No, just no. Marvel milking few crossover events this year is one thing but making a crossover involving Red Skull as Onslaught. Really, they haven’t learned on why the original Onslaught crossover is not much well-received. And top it off, Dr Strange and Scarlett Witch’s did an inversion spell that makes Iron Man more of an asshole, Hulk using his name backwards and uh, Zenpool! This one is just not for me and as much as I liked Original Sin fine for its weirdness, I think it’s best to ignore this like Ultimatum and Marville is best ignored in these times.

Worst Television Shows Of 2014

Under The Dome – While I don’t mind the first season of this show, the second season suffered from problem after problem. It became filled with love triangle clichés, pointless deaths, out-of-character moments and a cliffhanger ending that I thought was a dumb way to get this show canned but no, the show has been renewed for the third season so honestly, how is this gonna follow up on that? Granted it has minor moments like Dean Norris going briefly good before returning being evil in a hammy way but honestly, this suffered from the “second season syndrome” that makes the audiences stopped watching Heroes and Lost after that. Who knows how low can this go?

Gotham – Okay, honestly, this show is really so-bad-its-good on my part thanks to Donal Logue, Sean Pertwee and Robin Lord Taylor’s performance but outside of them, this show is a bit monotone and clichéd that I prefer Gotham High animated series to exist instead. I don’t see Ben McKenzie as James Gordon and have little care for Bruce Wayne’s early adventures. The villains in this show besides Penguin is meh and that includes Fish Mooney (a dumb name for a mobster) in the mix. I can watch this show and see how good and hammy is gonna get but it’s not the best Batman series I ever seen and thanks to this, we have Krypton coming to the small screens with David S. Goyer being involved in this. Now that is gonna be a worst show of uh, 2015… 2016… never?!?

Okay, I’m done with my list and yeah, I lied about things to forget since I brought up Gotham but hey, it’s 2015 so let’s see what good and bad has been coming our way and later this week, I’m starting with the good so until then.

Best Of 2014

January 4, 2015 § Leave a comment

2014 may be officially over but it doesn’t stop me from giving a bit of what’s cool and what sucks on that year that is fucking awful but not to just me but for several people so hopefully we will forget that period in many months from now. So for let’s see what I like and hope it won’t be as regrettable as the time I placed SING by My Chemical Romance as the best single portion. I honestly don’t know what I was thinking back then.

Best Movies Of 2014

Captain America: The Winter Soldier – This is the ultimate game-changer epic in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise and it really is unexpected. Taken loosely from the Ed Brubaker written storyline of the same name, it focuses on The Star-Spangled Avenger being caught in conspiracy event that involves his past, his friends and even his enemies and oh boy, it is glorious. This might be the first superhero movie to be mixed with paranoid thriller and it is as unique as the comic book. Sure, the S.H.I.E.L.D. reveal is not in the comics but damn that is a bigger reveal than The Mandarin in Iron Man 3. Now I had to hope that Captain America: Civil War will be differed from the comics because ooh boy, that was a thing I want to forget.

The Dallas Buyers Club – This is one of the few movies from 2013 that somewhat got a release this year in my country and I don’t know if I not include those or not so let’s just thank goodness I don’t. This movie made me like Matthew McConaughey again after his period of romantic comedies and yeah, he has few after that like Killer Joe but I haven’t seen those. He sold this movie as a former homophobic turned HIV-infected drug dealer that helps giving drugs to other people infected with the disease. Also, both Matthew and Jared Leto deserved their Academy awards.

Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story Of Cannon Films! – Yeah, I saw this documentary this year and it was worth it. I remember a part of the eighties that involves cheesy movies like Masters of the Universe and Invasion USA and it made me a Cannon fan back then since really, how can you not love those films? Well, you may not like Superman IV: The Quest For Peace but dammit, it was radically a different but good time at those movies and this documentary recollects the hey days when Stallone’s Cobra character kills off The Night Slasher for saying “Pig” a lot. While I got the bare bones DVD, I am waiting for the special edition and I gonna get this one way or another so I’m not giving up on that. Really, this documentary is worth a watch if you’re into 1980s schlock classics.

Gone Girl – This one is part of my top three of the list and I do had to say that this movie is really messed up to the core. I could say this is the most Fincheresque movie that David Fincher has ever made and I can give if somebody disagree on that but moving on. Ben Affleck and Rosemund Pike played as possibly the most unlikeable couple since well, Edward and Bella and in a good way no less. The story really ranges from missing person mystery to mindfuck territory full of trashy media, murder and lies and oh boy, is this disturbing to look at how it’s portrayed. This so deserves to be on the list.

Guardians Of The Galaxy – Oh, another Marvel Cinematic Universe movie that’s awesome and possibly the most unlikely one of them all (well, this and Big Hero 6). James Gunn is no stranger to mixing superheroes with a bit of black humor and this one may not be as messed up as Super but damn, this movie is good. From “I Am Groot” dialogues to the dance off to even the most surprising cameo of all, it’s good from start to finish. Oh, and the soundtrack is so good that I brought it on cassette tape format. Yes, cassette tapes is still a thing… sort of. Please let that still be a thing!

Interstellar – This is Christopher Nolan’s way of saying “I can make my own 2001” and he went all out with that. I mention Matthew McConaughey earlier and he’s pretty alright in this movie along with Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine and one actor playing an astronaut that I won’t spoil here. Sure, there’s some weak parts in this movie and it got a bit goofy near the end but look at it this way, I kinda like The Dark Knight Rises despite flaws and a couple of plotholes so I can’t hate on this one. Also, worth checking out in IMAX (even with audio problems which I cannot detect when I saw it).

Nebraska – As much as I turned 30 this year, I do generally think that my life might be in its “it’s over” kind of structure because really, turning 30 for anybody is like that. But it is nothing compared to what Woody Grant has been going through when he’s in his 70s. Alexander Payne has made interesting flicks thanks to Election and Sideways and this movie is no exception. It’s a road movie between father and son to their old hometown so that Woody will get his lottery price that will never be and on the way, you see the realism on good old dysfunctional families circuits as well as old friends and enemies with Stacy Keach also giving his all. Also, I’m not much a fan of Will Forte but damn is it his best role yet and along with Bruce Dern in it. Oh, and another 2013 movie on this list that’s also released this year but moving on.

Nightcrawler – Another one in the top three and you know what? This is the top of the top three because wow, Jake Gyllenhall gives his best ever performance since well, Donnie Darko. It’s another movie focusing on trash media and Jake took on the role so batshit insane that he would perfect as Patrick Bateman if American Psycho get eventually remade. Rene Russo is also good as ageing producer and quite attractive at her age so be glad that her husband is the director of this movie and it is Dan Gilroy’s directorial debut after a couple of decades of screenwriting which is such a directorial debut. Bravo sir, hope you make movies in that direction in the near future.

Predestination – Yeah, this one is in the top three and I already talked about it in a review of this movie. Really, what should I say about this that I haven’t already said? Nothing, this movie is just so good that I hope everybody who reads this will see it. It’s really worth a recommendation so trust me on this.

The Lego Movie – This needs to be in the list and out of all of them, it’s an unthinkable one since there have been Lego movies before on DVD circuits but none are compared to this insane, adventurous work of genius. Lord and Miller took a world-renowned kids property and inject it with a dystopian scenario that you never think of with humor and a bit of metaphysical references and it worked. And if anything, I also seen 22 Jump Street this year and it’s almost the same thing I could say about it here – even if it’s a television series adaptation instead of all-ages product placement. Phil and Christopher, keep doing a good work.

The Wolf of Wall Street – Another 2013 movie also released this year and I don’t know but the movie is so good that I was hoping Leo to finally get his Oscar gold. I really do. Besides that, this is Scorsese back to the same black comedy game he was at when he did The King of Comedy and After Hours and he did it well as usual. This is what a movie based on true story looks like if it’s taken too much drugs and it is suitable of me saying that. I don’t know what the real Jordan Belfort thinks about this movie but hopefully he likes it.

12 Years A Slave – One more 2013 movie that’s also released this year and this movie is best introduction to Steve McQueen’s long-awaited directorial career after starring in movies several years before like The Great Escape. Okay, I kid about the last one. It’s really an perfect introduction to the director with the same name as the actor if you haven’t seen his work and damn, it is heartbreaking to watch. Chiwetel Ejofor and Michael Fassbender gives it there all here and Benedict Cumberbatch and Brad Pitt did good here even in minimal role. If you haven’t seen it, do check it out but be warned since it’s not for the faint of heart due to graphic scenes. This is the same guy who did Shame after all.

X-Men: Days Of Future Past – Another movie based on a well-known storyline and I’m glad this existed because when I saw a Sentinel head in X-Men: The Last Stand, I was at that time sad and disappointed that this adaptation might not happened. Now with X-Men: First Class semi-reboot the movie continuity, it leads Fox Studios to give a chance to see the battle of time and space and with the mutants in a period of Pre-Watergate scandals and groovy clothing with few familiar faces returning. Bryan Singer returns to the franchise and doesn’t re-do the Superman Returns schtick of storytelling and pull it off even by literally rebooting everything except First Class… and possibly X-Men Origins: Wolverine which was non-canon… is it still non-canon before this movie’s events? Uh, can we pretend it is even though Ryan Reynolds is reprising his role as Deadpool?

Best Television Series Of 2014

Hannibal – I like the first season of the show and there is nothing bad about this but fuck man, the second season is the most messed-up, unexpected, thing of genius that Bryan Fuller could deliver from the start to the cliffhanger. This is enough to make me forget Dexter Morgan becoming a lumberjack and it shows. In addition to being distant from the movies that stars either Anthony Hopkins, Brian Cox or some guy from Hannibal Rising as the title character, it also gives Michael Pitt the best performance as Mason Verger and I could see him playing The Joker before DC decides on Jared Leto instead. A shame really, it’s also a shame that he got replaced by Joe Anderson for the third season but I reserve judgement on that one so Joe might be good.

The Flash – To confess, I hardly watch episodes of Arrow and really do need to catch up. As for this one, I caught up with it as fast as I could (no pun intended, I think). This is how a DC superhero should have handled in media, with one who saves lives, investigate mysteries and fought villains unlike what happened when Zack Snyder massacred it with Superman. It also gives nods to the short-lived 1990s series and with actors both reprising and playing new roles so given that Mark Hamill is back as The Trickster, I approve of this direction and this show really does kick ass.

True Detective – This year is really the year of the McConaughey and this show is another reason. Reteaming up with his EdTV co-star Woody Harrelson, it mixes murder mystery with occult fiction and weirdness and gives an unexpected take on buddy cop trope with Rustin being a strange kind of detective and Martin being the normal one who wondered why he is partner with him. It also involves domestic drama with Michelle Monaghan as Martin’s husband. I do hope the second season is better with different cast and storyline even with Vince Vaughn and Taylor Kitsch in the cast… uh, let’s hope it’s a good career comeback for both of them.

Too Many Cooks – Eh why not? Spin.com named this as one of the best music videos of 2014 strangely enough. This is the late Adult Swim informercial that went viral and caught everybody’s attention with this deconstruction of intros from 1980s sitcoms and television series and a twisted kind of deconstuction no less. It gained parodies, annotations and at this time of writing, a sequel so who knows? Maybe the sequel will make fun of Aaron Spelling stuff with 50 year olds playing high schoolers.

Best Songs Of 2014

David Bowie – Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)/Tis A Pity She Was A Whore – I miss Bowie when he was weird and experimental. Hey, Outside is an awesome album so what do I say to that? These two songs is surreal and differed from each other. While Tis A Pity bears little similarities to I’m Deranged, it’s still a good avant-garde track and it should have continued more like The Leon Tapes bootleg that got leaked this year. Yeah, I’m still in Outside territory so shut up, I like these two songs.

Meghan Trainor – All About That Bass – Uh, this is my guilty pleasure so shut up, I like this song.

Pharrell Williams – Happy – You know songs that are played everywhere that you get sick of them like Macarena and Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On did for me? This is one I never tired of. 2013 may give Pharrell a career boost with him joining up with Daft Punk (and to the lesser extent, Robin Thicke) and even though this song was released in November of that year, it still stick up the charts months afterwards so I place it here anyway. Also, I heard Girl album and I’m sorry to say that it’s kinda hit-and-miss there. Sure, there are few good tracks but there’s also one track with Miley Cyrus (and one with Kelly Osbourne which is strange, I thought she quit her singing career after One Word). Other than that, Happy is a good song even in those dreadful times.

Best Albums Of 2014

Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways – If the Foos made an album each year, it’s so gonna be in my list no matter what. This is Dave Grohl and his boys revisit the 8-track album structure but with them recording each song in each place in America and it is an experimentation worth doing. Also, it’s been documented in HBO series of a similar name and I would hesitate putting that one in television series list but as much as it’s good to watch, I hate to say it but it should have been more better. I don’t know why I said it but I’m bashing this show and I did say that it’s good to watch. Then again, the show gave us Dave singing Kids In America so there’s that and there is news of second season so maybe they’ll get a second chance on the list next year.

Lana Del Rey – Ultraviolence – I have a soft spot for her and as much as she did a very good first album (well, first as Lana Del Rey), her second album (again, as Lana Del Rey) is pretty good as well and with a title like that. This album is reason why she herself is called “Gangsta Nancy Sinatra” and it shows. Both West Coast and Brooklyn Baby is a highlight and I’m guessing Fucked My Way Up To The Top as well since it might be a reference to the infamous award speech scene from The Lonely Lady, I don’t know but at least she didn’t make a song about Ray Liotta and the garden hose scene. Overall, this album is good and kubrickian right down to the title.

St Vincent – St Vincent – Hey Bluewater Comics, if you’re thinking of making a Fame comic involving Annie Clark, at least make it about her instead of the stalker who went all Christian Chandler on us (yes, I heard about the recent Gamestop news in case anybody is wondering, I honestly don’t want to joke about him). Really, St Vincent is going all Lady Gaga on this and in a very intelligent way. After four albums (one with David Byrne), she continues not to disappoint me and gives us a reason why Art Rock still exists in the days of Nicki Minaj and Beyonce Knowles. Digital Witness is probably the most strangest one of all and it deserves a listen along with Birth In Reverse and many others. 2014 was truly the year of her.

Best Comics Of 2014

Multiversity – If there are people who hates on Grant Morrison and called him a hack or something similar? I can respect their opinion but damn, they should read this one. I waited for this since 2009 and it is worth waiting for. From going pulp-like The to going all “me” with The Just (which is the lesser favorite story out of all so far) to giving us The Incredibles feel with Thunderworld, this is an anthology series that’s unlike the others. While DC is going extreme elsewhere with Scott Lobdell still hired and Batgirl being transphobic (really, what’s up with that? She had a transgendered best friend before that), this one is little proof that DC Comics still has a bit of perfect storytelling and good take on superheroism.

Spider-Verse – Too Many Spider-Mans, Too Many Spider-Mans. Okay, this is an event that I could get behind and yeah, it’s another multiverse thing so it’s expected. While the story is cheesy and have flawed moments, it’s still worth checking out with Spider-Ham being the “Rocket Raccoon” of the group and the mainstream Spidey coming face to face with his past self who was possessed by Doc Ock. Also, it’s nostalgia filled with bringing appearances of 1960s television Spider-Man (who so far is alive), Amazing Friends Spidey (who’s dead) and Hostess Spidey (who’s also dead). Granted, it’s said to be alternate versions of alternate Spideys so maybe it’s not them fucking up somebody’s childhood. Worth checking out anyway.

And that’s my two cents, I nearly put Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Transformers: Age of Extinction there as well but those two are mainly more of a “so-bad-its-good” in my count (and really, it is a strange way for me to like those two but then again, I gave Jack And Jill a semi-positive review) along with Sharknado II: The Second One. Maybe this year will be better but for no, time to beat down some shit with the worst of the worst.

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Chapter 6, Part 2

“Alessa, what are you doing?” Mikaelo asked, frustrated. “There’s no reason to be out here!” “I don’t know why you’re following me,” Alessandra replied, staring at the barrier. “I didn’t ask you to come. This is none of your business.” Slowly, Alessandra lifted her right hand and moved it toward the barrier. Her hand moved … Continue reading Chapter 6, Part 2


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Daily Prompt: We Can Be Taught! (The Daily Post)

So, I stroll into my reading list, whistling a tune (though I’m not very good at whistling, let alone “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”). And there it is: a Daily Prompt from the ever-inspiring blog of WordPress.com. I click on it, and it says, “What makes a teacher great? Photographers, artists, poets, show us GREATNESS.” Nothing can be more great about teachers than the ability to plant greatness in every kid, and then a few years later, for what seems just a few days later, the kid is all grown up and successful and visits the teacher to say, “How’s it going, Mrs. Leif? Thank you for inspiring me to become a software developer/chef/landscape architect…” Fill in whatever occupation you’d like.

In third grade, I discovered a hidden talent: WRITING, which did not make any sense because in previous years, I could never piece a story together right. I look at my second grade, first grade class stories/essays, and I bend over laughing because they are long forms of Reader’s Digest jokes. It was just a simple little paragraph, but my teacher saw potential in me that no one else could ever see. Then she helped water this tiny seed of a paragraph. And my fourth grade teacher is the inspiration for starting a blog. BOOM–looks like tiny seedling just got a growth spurt.

I wonder where teachers get their seeds that blossom into greatness. Certainly not from Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH), because in OSH I could only find stuff like poisoned snail food and clay pots. So where do they get it? The question remains a mystery. And I’ve also got another question for teachers. How do they plant their greatness seeds into their students? Do they put them in the cafeteria food and work with the cafeteria people to make sure that the food tastes good so kids will eat it?

Whatever the answer, I’m sure we can be taught to find out where our teachers are now so we can tell them that they must not be grading papers at night, but that they must be superheroes at night, and that it shows during the day.

PINGBACK: http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/09/21/daily-prompt-greatness/

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