Man this month is flying by. Things are pretty busy what with the holidays and all and I might not get a chance to blog again before new years, so if I miss you, have a safe and happy new year.
Before I go, if you haven't seen these Captain Morgans miracle commercials, you're missing out.
As always, go big or go home. Pain heals, chicks dig scars and glory lasts forever. Carpe diem. Your heart is free, have the courage to follow it. Life's short, live large.
-M, p, z & shredder
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Not A Creature Was Stirring...
Except for people getting pwned in Halo. Seriously.
So just wanted to wish everyone a merry christmas. If you're traveling, do it safely. Don't drink and drive. You know the drill. I finished my christmas shopping this afternoon. Usually my brother and I are at the mall when it is closing but today we finished a littler early, it was probably only 4. I'm actually pretty good at shopping and get it all done early but my brother and I always get our parents something together and we aren't usually together until the waning days before xmas.
Anyways, I'll write more soon. December has flown by. It's been busy for once. As always, go big or go home...
Happy festivus
-M, p, z & shredder
So just wanted to wish everyone a merry christmas. If you're traveling, do it safely. Don't drink and drive. You know the drill. I finished my christmas shopping this afternoon. Usually my brother and I are at the mall when it is closing but today we finished a littler early, it was probably only 4. I'm actually pretty good at shopping and get it all done early but my brother and I always get our parents something together and we aren't usually together until the waning days before xmas.
Anyways, I'll write more soon. December has flown by. It's been busy for once. As always, go big or go home...
Happy festivus
-M, p, z & shredder
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Shoes...
I'm sure you all heard about the Iraqi reporter throwing a shoe at Bush the other day. When I first saw the video, my initial response was laughter. I kept rewinding back to the part where the shoe almost hit him and how quickly Bush ducked and then as the second one was thrown how he seemed to be smiling and didn't move very much. It was a funny scene. A guy threw a shoe at the president. Here's a joke I just made up: "Why'd the reporter throw his shoes at the president? He ran out of tomatoes!" I didn't say it was a good joke...
Anyways, as the story unfolded and I got beyond the what seemed to be a silly event, it turned into something much more than that. A rallying cry for the voices that we don't often hear in the news and read about in the papers. The hundreds of thousands of people who may not have wanted Saddam in power, but certainly didn't want a war being fought at their homes for the last 7 years. This is what the journalist said to the president, "“This is a gift from the Iraqis; this is the farewell kiss, you dog!” In Iraq, the same as it is in many eastern countries, including India, to hit someone with the bottom of your feet or your shoe is an insult; it means that the person being attacked is basically worth the dirt on the bottom of your feet. This is why my mom would tolerate my brother punching me and tackling me, but never kicking me.
As a result of his actions, there were thousands that gathered to support him and people who took off their shoes in a sign of solidarity. Perhaps to some it's a sign of the arrogance and ill-mannered ways of the 'Arabs' but I see it as a show of ridiculous courage. This dude willingly hurled his shoe at the most powerful man on the planet knowing full well that he was gonna get his ass kicked by a ton of people. He did. He knew he would go to jail. He did. He pretty much ruined his career but it's a small price to pay to be a hero to thousands. It's also pretty significant of how much people hate Bush. I mean, they threw shoes at the statue of Saddam as it was being taken down by the U.S. troops.
I keep having this vision of a huge shoe standing in front of a tank in Tiananmen Square.
Perhaps this may not be as prolific or blatant but to a lot of people it means the same thing. It's inspiring that little things like that can still mean so much. I disagree with a lot of things Bush does and if I had the opportunity to throw a shoe at him with no repercussions, I would. But to do it knowing that I would go to prison, get beat up and lose my future, I probably would back out - but that's also because Bush hasn't brought war to my doorstep. It's a pretty callus view but it's also pretty American. I wish our media and country were more supportive and open to other opinions aside from those of the U.S. It would make people much more intelligent, compassionate and tolerant of others. If we're picking sides, I'm on his side.
Anyways, I'm out. As always, go big or go home. Pain heals, chicks dig scars and glory lasts forever. Carpe diem. Your heart is free, have the courage to follow it.
-M, p, z & shredder
Anyways, as the story unfolded and I got beyond the what seemed to be a silly event, it turned into something much more than that. A rallying cry for the voices that we don't often hear in the news and read about in the papers. The hundreds of thousands of people who may not have wanted Saddam in power, but certainly didn't want a war being fought at their homes for the last 7 years. This is what the journalist said to the president, "“This is a gift from the Iraqis; this is the farewell kiss, you dog!” In Iraq, the same as it is in many eastern countries, including India, to hit someone with the bottom of your feet or your shoe is an insult; it means that the person being attacked is basically worth the dirt on the bottom of your feet. This is why my mom would tolerate my brother punching me and tackling me, but never kicking me.
As a result of his actions, there were thousands that gathered to support him and people who took off their shoes in a sign of solidarity. Perhaps to some it's a sign of the arrogance and ill-mannered ways of the 'Arabs' but I see it as a show of ridiculous courage. This dude willingly hurled his shoe at the most powerful man on the planet knowing full well that he was gonna get his ass kicked by a ton of people. He did. He knew he would go to jail. He did. He pretty much ruined his career but it's a small price to pay to be a hero to thousands. It's also pretty significant of how much people hate Bush. I mean, they threw shoes at the statue of Saddam as it was being taken down by the U.S. troops.
I keep having this vision of a huge shoe standing in front of a tank in Tiananmen Square.
Perhaps this may not be as prolific or blatant but to a lot of people it means the same thing. It's inspiring that little things like that can still mean so much. I disagree with a lot of things Bush does and if I had the opportunity to throw a shoe at him with no repercussions, I would. But to do it knowing that I would go to prison, get beat up and lose my future, I probably would back out - but that's also because Bush hasn't brought war to my doorstep. It's a pretty callus view but it's also pretty American. I wish our media and country were more supportive and open to other opinions aside from those of the U.S. It would make people much more intelligent, compassionate and tolerant of others. If we're picking sides, I'm on his side.
Anyways, I'm out. As always, go big or go home. Pain heals, chicks dig scars and glory lasts forever. Carpe diem. Your heart is free, have the courage to follow it.
-M, p, z & shredder
Monday, December 15, 2008
Christmas Spirit...
With only 10 days left before Christmas, I feel like my spirit is already gone. I have been trying to keep it going, but it's pointless without cold weather and snow. I don't get it, it's not like Manhattan is in the south. It's 0 degrees in Michigan and snowing, and here in NYC it's 62. Some would describe it as 'balmy.' My roommate and I have a christmas tree and decorations up and our living room is filled with lights. I keep listening to christmas mixes on repeat but the only thing that will put me in the mood again is being home. I need to feel some snow.
I hate christmas shopping when I don't know what to get people. Walking around aimlessly thinking, "oh maybe I should get them this?" Not my idea of a good time. At least I only have a few people to shop for. I wish everyone liked random toys and stuff as much as I do. I would be happy with an action figure.
In other news, I got a shave at this italian barber shop I go to. I hadn't shaved in a couple of weeks and kind of had a mini terrorist look going on so I thought it was time for a shave. My barber asked if I wanted one and I obliged. It might have been the best experience of my life. It's so relaxing. If he wasn't holding an open blade to my face, I probably would have fallen asleep. If you're a dude and have never gotten one, it's completely worth it. If shaving felt like that I would do it every day.
Anyways, I'm out. Go big or go home..
-M, p, z & shredder
I hate christmas shopping when I don't know what to get people. Walking around aimlessly thinking, "oh maybe I should get them this?" Not my idea of a good time. At least I only have a few people to shop for. I wish everyone liked random toys and stuff as much as I do. I would be happy with an action figure.
In other news, I got a shave at this italian barber shop I go to. I hadn't shaved in a couple of weeks and kind of had a mini terrorist look going on so I thought it was time for a shave. My barber asked if I wanted one and I obliged. It might have been the best experience of my life. It's so relaxing. If he wasn't holding an open blade to my face, I probably would have fallen asleep. If you're a dude and have never gotten one, it's completely worth it. If shaving felt like that I would do it every day.
Anyways, I'm out. Go big or go home..
-M, p, z & shredder
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The Top Ten...
So Google came out with their end of the year list of things that people searched most or wondered about most. Additionally they broke down categories of searches and some were too funny to pass up. So here are some of the funny ones.
How to...
how to draw - like the internet is going to teach you this
how to kiss - always a favorite. I can picture a lot of lonely 13 year old boys eagerly waiting for the results
how to write
how to cook
how to tie
how to hack - this one seems scary
how to run
how to cite - like a bibliography?
how to paint
how to spell - go to school maybe.
the who is list is by far my favorite though.
Who is...
who is obama
who is mccain
who is palin
who is lil wayne
who is miley cyrus
who is dolla
who is jonas brothers
who is chris brown
who is biden
who is martin luther
i love the order of these. i love that lil wayne is the 4th most searched person. I actually don't know who 'dolla' is.
Anyways, just thought I'd set a record for me. 3 in one day. Can you tell I'm not working on my screenplays?
-M, p, z & shredder
How to...
how to draw - like the internet is going to teach you this
how to kiss - always a favorite. I can picture a lot of lonely 13 year old boys eagerly waiting for the results
how to write
how to cook
how to tie
how to hack - this one seems scary
how to run
how to cite - like a bibliography?
how to paint
how to spell - go to school maybe.
the who is list is by far my favorite though.
Who is...
who is obama
who is mccain
who is palin
who is lil wayne
who is miley cyrus
who is dolla
who is jonas brothers
who is chris brown
who is biden
who is martin luther
i love the order of these. i love that lil wayne is the 4th most searched person. I actually don't know who 'dolla' is.
Anyways, just thought I'd set a record for me. 3 in one day. Can you tell I'm not working on my screenplays?
-M, p, z & shredder
Basketball Jones...
I just read this article about a 73 year old playing college ball. It's pretty amazing. He's probably in better shape than I am. I was just reviewing some old blogs from Decembers past and I usually have slumped in my workouts and have grown pudgy around the midsection. Unlike years past however, while I have slumped on the workouts, I have actually just gotten skinny. Going through pictures from over the summer I realized that I had gotten pretty big. Not huge, but I was much stronger than I am now. Usually when I stop working out I gain weight for obvious reasons but it seems that I haven't been eating as much as I used to, so I've lost muscle mass and gotten skinny. I'm in the mid 150s now which sucks because my ideal weight is around 165.
I guess my point is that I'm not going to wait until new years to make my resolution this year. I'm just going to get back to working out. I'd probably be more inclined if my gym wasn't so ghetto. I realize I've never taken pictures of it like I said I would so next time I go, I'll prove it to you.
After all if this guy can ball at 73, I could at least be ripped at 26.
-M, p, z & shredder
I Got 5 On It...
So had I known the available senate seat in Illinois was for sale, I definitely would have made an offer. So i've been thinking a lot about politics lately. It's probably because I now own seasons 1-5 of The West Wing. But not for nothing, I really would love to get into politics at some point. My search for jobs in the nonprofit sector have been fruitless and I've been thinking that one way to help change the world for the better would be to get involved at some level in politics. One good thing about where I grew up is that it doesn't seem to be that competitive. I feel like I could swoop in and do some serious damage in St. Clair County, Mi. The problem is that my county is red. Not very red, but I think in my district McCain won by more than 5 points. If not there, then I need to get involved at the state level working for a congressman/woman. I'd try and make the jump to D.C. and work for a U.S. Congress person but I don't know that I'm ready for all that.
So basically I don't know what I'll be doing in the future. It seems like I chose the worst time in the world to look for jobs when I really have no defined skill set. There's always more school but I can't afford that at the moment. It's getting so desperate that I might take whatever comes at me first which is strange since my purpose for being out here in NYC is to do film and/or film related activities. We'll see.
In other news, the Pistons are garbage. I have been a fan for my entire life and have never really felt like this except for the Eastern Conference Finals against NJ in 2003 and then again the last 2 E.C. Finals, but not during the regular season. We're playing like we don't care. I don't mind losing, but I hate when people don't try. Larry Brown always said that, "you can't coach effort." He had to say it maybe twice a season when guys would just be tired or something, but this is every night. Losing 3 in a row to some of the worst teams in the entire league! It's absurd.
I was gonna say something but forgot what it was. Anyways, go big or go home...
-M, p, z & shredder
So basically I don't know what I'll be doing in the future. It seems like I chose the worst time in the world to look for jobs when I really have no defined skill set. There's always more school but I can't afford that at the moment. It's getting so desperate that I might take whatever comes at me first which is strange since my purpose for being out here in NYC is to do film and/or film related activities. We'll see.
In other news, the Pistons are garbage. I have been a fan for my entire life and have never really felt like this except for the Eastern Conference Finals against NJ in 2003 and then again the last 2 E.C. Finals, but not during the regular season. We're playing like we don't care. I don't mind losing, but I hate when people don't try. Larry Brown always said that, "you can't coach effort." He had to say it maybe twice a season when guys would just be tired or something, but this is every night. Losing 3 in a row to some of the worst teams in the entire league! It's absurd.
I was gonna say something but forgot what it was. Anyways, go big or go home...
-M, p, z & shredder
Monday, December 08, 2008
The Car Czar...
So it looks like there is finally going to be a bailout of the auto industry. Thank god. It took long enough. I don't see why so many people needed to be laid off and how they let the situation get so bad, but at least it's happening now. You can read through the entire proposal here. It's pretty good though I would have liked it if there was more mention of new energy research or something along those lines in there. I think this was the perfect opportunity for the government to get involved and tell the auto industry that the time for bull sh*t is over; invent a car that runs clean. Give them money to do this and this will no only create jobs in the auto industry but a whole new infrastructure for a greener world and countless new jobs because of that.
I'm sure it's much simpler said than done, but I know the technology is there, all the government has to do is change it. Change. Let's hope it's coming. Some people are against the bailout but honestly, I can't in my wildest imagination figure out why. If any of the Big Three file for bankruptcy that's it. Game over. Sure you can restructure after that but the amount of time it would take and the amount of revenue lost, jobs lost and capital lost would not only effect GM or whomever, but it would also effect the other 2. This bailout is necessary. If you don't believe me, the bailout proposes that it, "preserves and promotes the jobs of 355,000 workers in the United States directly employed by the automobile industry and an additional 4,500,000 workers in the United States employed in related industries"
That's close to 5 million jobs. You think that isn't a big deal? Michigan would never recover. We would be forced to sell water from the Great Lakes to states out west like Arizona and Nevada who want the water so they can build man made lakes around high end real estate so rich people can go out on their boats during their lunch break. No lie.
My only thought is that since we, the taxpayer, are paying for it now, and the "bailout" is actually a loan, do we get the money back? Say for example my share of the tax ends up being a hundred dollars or whatever it may be over the next however many years, do I get that money back with the same interest the government does? My guess is no, but I think that it's something that's worth finding out. I'll look into it, but doesn't that make sense. Not only does it get our money back but it would be like a refund with which we could put it back into the economy. I'm realizing the more I learn about government and the possibilities that go along with it, the more I want to get into it. Also I've been watching a lot of West Wing lately and if that doesn't make you want to get into politics and change the world, you aren't an American, you're an American't.
As always, go big or go home...
-M, p, z & shredder
I'm sure it's much simpler said than done, but I know the technology is there, all the government has to do is change it. Change. Let's hope it's coming. Some people are against the bailout but honestly, I can't in my wildest imagination figure out why. If any of the Big Three file for bankruptcy that's it. Game over. Sure you can restructure after that but the amount of time it would take and the amount of revenue lost, jobs lost and capital lost would not only effect GM or whomever, but it would also effect the other 2. This bailout is necessary. If you don't believe me, the bailout proposes that it, "preserves and promotes the jobs of 355,000 workers in the United States directly employed by the automobile industry and an additional 4,500,000 workers in the United States employed in related industries"
That's close to 5 million jobs. You think that isn't a big deal? Michigan would never recover. We would be forced to sell water from the Great Lakes to states out west like Arizona and Nevada who want the water so they can build man made lakes around high end real estate so rich people can go out on their boats during their lunch break. No lie.
My only thought is that since we, the taxpayer, are paying for it now, and the "bailout" is actually a loan, do we get the money back? Say for example my share of the tax ends up being a hundred dollars or whatever it may be over the next however many years, do I get that money back with the same interest the government does? My guess is no, but I think that it's something that's worth finding out. I'll look into it, but doesn't that make sense. Not only does it get our money back but it would be like a refund with which we could put it back into the economy. I'm realizing the more I learn about government and the possibilities that go along with it, the more I want to get into it. Also I've been watching a lot of West Wing lately and if that doesn't make you want to get into politics and change the world, you aren't an American, you're an American't.
As always, go big or go home...
-M, p, z & shredder
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
16 Hours...or Why I Hate Pennsylvania...
Not true. I don't actually hate Pennsylvania. I love it. My cousins live there. It's a beautiful state. I just hate driving through it. Some of you might know they I keep my car here in NYC. I know, crazy right? Not really that crazy where I live. I park on the street and move it twice a week for street cleaning. It's not a big deal and I haven't had any problems (as far as traffic violations go (but some neighborhood people have tried to break into it)). I have it here for the singular reason to drive out of town. Specifically to get back to Michigan when I can't afford to fly, i.e. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter etc. I love driving and I love road trips. It's only about 9 hours from my apartment to Ann Arbor which isn't bad at all.
So the other day I was driving home from Michigan. It started out as a normal drive: pleasant, quiet, not a lot of people out considering it was the Sunday after Thanksgiving (I think it's the 3rd or 4th most trafficked day of the year). Anyways, all was fine until I got to Pennsylvania. It started to rain. Not freezing rain mind you, just somewhere between a light drizzle and normal rain. For some reason or another this was an excuse for people to drive 40mph. Literally. We hovered between 30 and 40 for almost 2 hours. Then there was an accident. Then more slow driving. It usually takes me around 5 1/2 hours to get through PA. Sunday it took me 9. 9 hours. It was absurd. By the time I got to my apartment it had been 16 hours since I left my parents house in Port Huron. I have never wanted to hit so many pedestrians in my life. Needless to say, my patience has been very thin the last couple days. I'm just now starting to get over the anger. Just in time too because I need to drive back in 20 days. Awesome.
Other than that I loved being home. Being in Michigan. Amongst my people. I'm not really a fan of New Yorkers or the fact that people who live here think they are somehow above people who live in other places. I hate when people go back to Michigan and think, "oh my god how can people live like this with their boring lives and boring people." New York is just a bunch of people who think they are more interesting than they really are and are in fact much more boring than anyone else because they have no real thoughts on anything, just an idea as to what thoughts they think they are supposed to have. As if NYC is the only place in the world to be "cultured." It really makes me have a lot of resentment for the people here.
Other than that nothing is new over here. This recession along with an already tight job market for filmmakers is kind of making life impossible at the moment. The thought of grad school has been slowly creeping into my thoughts, which could be a good thing or a bad thing but I'm not really sure. I'll keep you posted on that one. I miss the snow and I can't wait for Christmas. I'm fully in the Christmas spirit now which is awesome but also sucks because it was 53 degrees here yesterday and is currently 49 and mostly sunny.
I'll post about something soon. As always, go big or go home.
-M, p, z & shredder
So the other day I was driving home from Michigan. It started out as a normal drive: pleasant, quiet, not a lot of people out considering it was the Sunday after Thanksgiving (I think it's the 3rd or 4th most trafficked day of the year). Anyways, all was fine until I got to Pennsylvania. It started to rain. Not freezing rain mind you, just somewhere between a light drizzle and normal rain. For some reason or another this was an excuse for people to drive 40mph. Literally. We hovered between 30 and 40 for almost 2 hours. Then there was an accident. Then more slow driving. It usually takes me around 5 1/2 hours to get through PA. Sunday it took me 9. 9 hours. It was absurd. By the time I got to my apartment it had been 16 hours since I left my parents house in Port Huron. I have never wanted to hit so many pedestrians in my life. Needless to say, my patience has been very thin the last couple days. I'm just now starting to get over the anger. Just in time too because I need to drive back in 20 days. Awesome.
Other than that I loved being home. Being in Michigan. Amongst my people. I'm not really a fan of New Yorkers or the fact that people who live here think they are somehow above people who live in other places. I hate when people go back to Michigan and think, "oh my god how can people live like this with their boring lives and boring people." New York is just a bunch of people who think they are more interesting than they really are and are in fact much more boring than anyone else because they have no real thoughts on anything, just an idea as to what thoughts they think they are supposed to have. As if NYC is the only place in the world to be "cultured." It really makes me have a lot of resentment for the people here.
Other than that nothing is new over here. This recession along with an already tight job market for filmmakers is kind of making life impossible at the moment. The thought of grad school has been slowly creeping into my thoughts, which could be a good thing or a bad thing but I'm not really sure. I'll keep you posted on that one. I miss the snow and I can't wait for Christmas. I'm fully in the Christmas spirit now which is awesome but also sucks because it was 53 degrees here yesterday and is currently 49 and mostly sunny.
I'll post about something soon. As always, go big or go home.
-M, p, z & shredder
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