It took me a long time to come around to Stephen King the writer. I always considered him a horror writer. I don't do horror. I don't read it. I don't watch it. I avoid it. History of night terrors does that. But I read his Colorado Kid when it was first published by Hard Case Crime. It's brilliant. A story about a story. The Colorado Kid was used as the inspiration for SyFy's Haven. It's turned out very well.
News broke yesterday that King's Under the Dome has been optioned by CBS for a 13 episode series next fall. I'm have my trepidations but the material could certainly lend itself to an excellent series. The book is engrossing and captivating in a modern small town Lord of the Flies sort of way. I will definitely have to reread it before next fall.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
My own worst Enemy?
Does a joke create negative momentum? Am I really my own worst enemy?
Two events in the past 48 hours have caused me to consider if that maybe my history of sarcasm, self deprecation and pessimism has gone too far. Perhaps, all the snide remarks, the "if only" and "worst case scenario" statements that I have made for nearly 20 years have created such a negative environment around me that it's become it's own momentum.
Over the top? Hogwash? Maybe. Probably. Yet consider these two events.
A. On Monday I was confident that my fantasy football team was going to prevail in this weeks completely unimportant and meaningless statistical match up. I had a 35 point lead with my opponent left with a singular player on Monday night. I went so far as to say, and this is a direct quote,
"As long as Cam Newton doesn't score 37 points I should be fine."
I was confident but portrayed that in sarcasm and worst case scenario thinking. What happened? Cam Newton scored EXACTLY 37 points on Monday night. Surprising? Yes. Impossible? No. Newton seemingly did that all year in 2011. He's clearly capable. It was simply timing. Not bad timing. Because fantasy football really shouldn't factor into good v bad in life.
My response to this was typical, "Just my luck" It's such a habit.
B. Last night a friend brought to my attention, just how much I slam on myself. While it may have come off a bit harsh, she was completely right. I can't even count how many times in a day I make a self deprecating comment, joke or personal slight. It's nonstop. Name the category, I've got a line. Height, weight, divorce, diet, dating, age, nerd, goofy, theater, horrible person, the worst...etc. I do it too often. I need to make an effort not to do it.
The second part of what my friend said was harder to hear. But no less true. People who constantly verbally beat on themselves tend to do so because they truly believe it and/or they're begging for someone to contradict them. "You're not short", "You're not old", "You'll meet someone" etc. It's nice to hear those things. But it's exhausting to have to constantly say them to the same person over and over. I need to hear those things in my own head. Not from someone else.
So does this mean that I am my own worst enemy? That my negativity brings negativity into my life. Or that I can always find the worst case, the least positive outcome, the dark shadow in every rainbow? The esteemed website Wikipedia claims the following about "Self Fulfilling Prophecy"
"A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true, by the very terms of the prophecy itself, due to positive feedback between belief and behaviour......In other words, a positive or negative prophecy, strongly held belief, or delusion - declared as truth when it is actually false - may sufficiently influence people so that their reactions ultimately fulfill the once-false prophecy."
So yeah, it would seem that given that definition, and the anecdotal evidence previously presented that I can be my own worst enemy - when I focus on the negative.
I have so many positives in my life. I have a home, a job, a car, a kick ass Lego collection, friends, family, future, memories, adventures (past, present and future) and so many more. I've done, lived and experienced some wonderful, captivating and amazing things. Perhaps if I keep my mind focused on the positive, I can be my own best ally.
In short, I'm going to try to be less of a pessimistic piss-ant.
P.S. My apologies if your web search for the Christian Slater TV series My Own Worst Enemy led to you to this page. I'm not just being negative when I say, it sucked. If you want Slater, go watch Heathers or Kuffs - they're vastly superior. Of that I'm positive.
P.P.S. Also my apologies if a search for Lit's "My Own Worst Enemy" brought you to this blog. And now it's in everyone's head. You're welcome.
Two events in the past 48 hours have caused me to consider if that maybe my history of sarcasm, self deprecation and pessimism has gone too far. Perhaps, all the snide remarks, the "if only" and "worst case scenario" statements that I have made for nearly 20 years have created such a negative environment around me that it's become it's own momentum.
Over the top? Hogwash? Maybe. Probably. Yet consider these two events.
A. On Monday I was confident that my fantasy football team was going to prevail in this weeks completely unimportant and meaningless statistical match up. I had a 35 point lead with my opponent left with a singular player on Monday night. I went so far as to say, and this is a direct quote,
"As long as Cam Newton doesn't score 37 points I should be fine."
I was confident but portrayed that in sarcasm and worst case scenario thinking. What happened? Cam Newton scored EXACTLY 37 points on Monday night. Surprising? Yes. Impossible? No. Newton seemingly did that all year in 2011. He's clearly capable. It was simply timing. Not bad timing. Because fantasy football really shouldn't factor into good v bad in life.
My response to this was typical, "Just my luck" It's such a habit.
B. Last night a friend brought to my attention, just how much I slam on myself. While it may have come off a bit harsh, she was completely right. I can't even count how many times in a day I make a self deprecating comment, joke or personal slight. It's nonstop. Name the category, I've got a line. Height, weight, divorce, diet, dating, age, nerd, goofy, theater, horrible person, the worst...etc. I do it too often. I need to make an effort not to do it.
The second part of what my friend said was harder to hear. But no less true. People who constantly verbally beat on themselves tend to do so because they truly believe it and/or they're begging for someone to contradict them. "You're not short", "You're not old", "You'll meet someone" etc. It's nice to hear those things. But it's exhausting to have to constantly say them to the same person over and over. I need to hear those things in my own head. Not from someone else.
So does this mean that I am my own worst enemy? That my negativity brings negativity into my life. Or that I can always find the worst case, the least positive outcome, the dark shadow in every rainbow? The esteemed website Wikipedia claims the following about "Self Fulfilling Prophecy"
"A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true, by the very terms of the prophecy itself, due to positive feedback between belief and behaviour......In other words, a positive or negative prophecy, strongly held belief, or delusion - declared as truth when it is actually false - may sufficiently influence people so that their reactions ultimately fulfill the once-false prophecy."
So yeah, it would seem that given that definition, and the anecdotal evidence previously presented that I can be my own worst enemy - when I focus on the negative.
I have so many positives in my life. I have a home, a job, a car, a kick ass Lego collection, friends, family, future, memories, adventures (past, present and future) and so many more. I've done, lived and experienced some wonderful, captivating and amazing things. Perhaps if I keep my mind focused on the positive, I can be my own best ally.
In short, I'm going to try to be less of a pessimistic piss-ant.
P.S. My apologies if your web search for the Christian Slater TV series My Own Worst Enemy led to you to this page. I'm not just being negative when I say, it sucked. If you want Slater, go watch Heathers or Kuffs - they're vastly superior. Of that I'm positive.
P.P.S. Also my apologies if a search for Lit's "My Own Worst Enemy" brought you to this blog. And now it's in everyone's head. You're welcome.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Sometimes I Google myself.
We all do it occasionally. It's been a while since I gave it a try. Some times I find things that are actually me. Sometimes I find things that are so ridiculous and amazing, that I want to take credit for them. I don't know Adam Winegarden from Germany. He hasn't uploaded any new Youtube videos in years. It's a shame.
My favorite is that the back up singers are clearly just the artist looped over himself.
And what cover album would be complete without....
I've kept tabs on Adam Winegarden who played QB at UT-Chattanooga. He's been a head high school at several schools. I occasionally get mail from UT-Chattanooga. They think I'm him.
And sometimes hidden in amongst all that is a gem.
My favorite is that the back up singers are clearly just the artist looped over himself.
And what cover album would be complete without....
I've kept tabs on Adam Winegarden who played QB at UT-Chattanooga. He's been a head high school at several schools. I occasionally get mail from UT-Chattanooga. They think I'm him.
And sometimes hidden in amongst all that is a gem.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Last Resort - Review (Spoilers) First 2 Episodes
On Earth H. I lived a very different life. I played high school football. I was a mediocre diver. I never left Nebraska. I attended a Shania Twain concert. And when my dream of walking on to the Cornhusker football team proved to be nothing like Rudy, I did the only thing a normal corn fed midwestern boy who longed for the water could possibly do. I joined the Navy and served on a submarine....
Ok. I only assume that's what happened on Earth H. In reality, I really have loved submarines and submarine stories. 2000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Hunt for Red October, Crimson Tide, Run Silent Run Deep, K19 The Widowmaker, U-571 - whether it was watching Jack Ryan play cat and mouse with Marko Ramius or Lt. Andrew Tyler keep his mean together in the face of all those ominous depth charges, I was hooked. If it's got a submarine, I'm in.
So it was with some trepidation that I waded into the waters of the new drama Last Resort. The cast was intriguing, Andre Braugher, Scott Speedman, even Robert Patrick in his customary bad guy role. There was even Dichen Lachman and Jessy Schram, veterans of Dollhouse and Falling Skies respectively. It was an interesting premise. What would good men do when asked to do the unthinkable? What would their actions cause, prevent etc?
The pilot sets the stage well enough. The in boat drama is there. Will they or won't they fire the missiles? Much like Crimson Tide/U571 there is conflict as to who's really in charge of the boat. The missiles aren't fired but it doesn't matter as another warship nukes two areas of Pakistan and the Navy turns on our intrepid heroes.
Once the action shifts to the small island that the crew basically invades, the story necessarily changes. This really isn't a show about a submarine. It wants to be a show about right and wrong, noble and evil actions and to make the audience think about the consequences of all of the preceding. Yet to me this is where the butter gets spread to thin on the bread.
The captain has a son, who's serving in the middle east currently and will be directly impacted by nuclear attacks. Speedman as the XO not only has a lovely wife at home but also an added back story of torture and Russian roulette in a North Korean prison camp. Daisy Betts as arguably the female lead of the show plays a common Hollywood military cliche, the unprepared officer who is in over her head. As if that wasn't enough, she's also the daughter of an Admiral, so it's clearly just a political post. Or is it.
Two episodes in and the plot is expanding rapidly. We haven't even touched on the people who live on the island, the NATO listening post, the thinly created female Tony Stark (Autumn Reeser) who lives in DC and is brilliant, beautiful and tough as nails. She created a device that is basically the Caterpillar drive from Red October. Last Resort wants to be a grand drama that has many different plot points that all weave together - not unlike Tom Clancy's style of writing. Two recent dramas with large casts actually succeeded, Lost and Battlestar Galactica. However, neither of those series tried to go so deep so fast.
If there is one thing that can be learned from a lifetime of loving submarine stories, it's that the deeper you go, the more pressure there is. Only two episodes in, I'm worried that Last Resort might be out of it's depth.
Ok. I only assume that's what happened on Earth H. In reality, I really have loved submarines and submarine stories. 2000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Hunt for Red October, Crimson Tide, Run Silent Run Deep, K19 The Widowmaker, U-571 - whether it was watching Jack Ryan play cat and mouse with Marko Ramius or Lt. Andrew Tyler keep his mean together in the face of all those ominous depth charges, I was hooked. If it's got a submarine, I'm in.
So it was with some trepidation that I waded into the waters of the new drama Last Resort. The cast was intriguing, Andre Braugher, Scott Speedman, even Robert Patrick in his customary bad guy role. There was even Dichen Lachman and Jessy Schram, veterans of Dollhouse and Falling Skies respectively. It was an interesting premise. What would good men do when asked to do the unthinkable? What would their actions cause, prevent etc?
The pilot sets the stage well enough. The in boat drama is there. Will they or won't they fire the missiles? Much like Crimson Tide/U571 there is conflict as to who's really in charge of the boat. The missiles aren't fired but it doesn't matter as another warship nukes two areas of Pakistan and the Navy turns on our intrepid heroes.
Once the action shifts to the small island that the crew basically invades, the story necessarily changes. This really isn't a show about a submarine. It wants to be a show about right and wrong, noble and evil actions and to make the audience think about the consequences of all of the preceding. Yet to me this is where the butter gets spread to thin on the bread.
The captain has a son, who's serving in the middle east currently and will be directly impacted by nuclear attacks. Speedman as the XO not only has a lovely wife at home but also an added back story of torture and Russian roulette in a North Korean prison camp. Daisy Betts as arguably the female lead of the show plays a common Hollywood military cliche, the unprepared officer who is in over her head. As if that wasn't enough, she's also the daughter of an Admiral, so it's clearly just a political post. Or is it.
Two episodes in and the plot is expanding rapidly. We haven't even touched on the people who live on the island, the NATO listening post, the thinly created female Tony Stark (Autumn Reeser) who lives in DC and is brilliant, beautiful and tough as nails. She created a device that is basically the Caterpillar drive from Red October. Last Resort wants to be a grand drama that has many different plot points that all weave together - not unlike Tom Clancy's style of writing. Two recent dramas with large casts actually succeeded, Lost and Battlestar Galactica. However, neither of those series tried to go so deep so fast.
If there is one thing that can be learned from a lifetime of loving submarine stories, it's that the deeper you go, the more pressure there is. Only two episodes in, I'm worried that Last Resort might be out of it's depth.
Is Lowe's the modern Big Brother
After the Patriot Act, there were reams of people concerned that the government would be tracking all of our actions, keeping extensive files on every person in the country. This massive amount of information on each person would be a huge invasion of privacy. Yet now we have these...
Lowe's will remember your air filter....
Lowe's can track what paint you used....
At what point does convenience out weigh invasion? When do you consider information sacred and when is it simply data? Questions I never expected Lowe's to make me consider.
Lowe's will remember your air filter....
Lowe's can track what paint you used....
At what point does convenience out weigh invasion? When do you consider information sacred and when is it simply data? Questions I never expected Lowe's to make me consider.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Hate politics but love Politcal parodies
In less than 10 hours the polls will open with lots of very serious issue and decisions to be made. For months we have been accosted, inundated and annoyed by political campaign issue ads and commercials. Here are my favorite parodies of those ads.
Exactly...who is really undecided...
Horrible version of "Pumped up Kicks" as a politcal joke.
Fanboy demigod Joss Whedon made this zombie related case.
Also a message from Chris Rock....
Horrible version of "Pumped up Kicks" as a politcal joke.
Fanboy demigod Joss Whedon made this zombie related case.
Also a message from Chris Rock....
25 Worst Passwords of 2012
Some times, people get what they deserve. If you have chosen the same password as Dark Helmet from Spaceballs...you deserve to get hacked.
Also. "monkey"? How is this a popular password? The randomness of this list is almost worse than the fact people still use "123456"....
2012 Worst Passwords
Also. "monkey"? How is this a popular password? The randomness of this list is almost worse than the fact people still use "123456"....
2012 Worst Passwords
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Iron Man 3 Trailer
Some times casting is done poorly. Christopher Walken as Han Solo would have been a joke. Eric Stoltz was so bad as Marty McFly that they had to reshoot half the film. It couldn't have been the same product with someone else.
Some times casting is done perfectly. As in the case of Iron Man. Tony Stark can come off like a bad mix between Max Headroom and Donald Trump. But when portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. - it's perfect. He's likable. He's brilliant. He's horribly horribly flawed. Iron Man is a modern day Jekyll and Hyde. There is no man and no monster. Just a horrible complex and realistic version of a brilliant mind and brilliantly flawed ego.
The first official trailer for Iron Man 3 is out. I am glad to see that they will again focus on not only the battles of the man in a suit - they will show the battle inside the mind of a man.
Some times casting is done perfectly. As in the case of Iron Man. Tony Stark can come off like a bad mix between Max Headroom and Donald Trump. But when portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. - it's perfect. He's likable. He's brilliant. He's horribly horribly flawed. Iron Man is a modern day Jekyll and Hyde. There is no man and no monster. Just a horrible complex and realistic version of a brilliant mind and brilliantly flawed ego.
The first official trailer for Iron Man 3 is out. I am glad to see that they will again focus on not only the battles of the man in a suit - they will show the battle inside the mind of a man.
Yes. There is a lot to the trailer. The suit moving on it's own. Seemingly both The Mandarin and The Iron Patriot. Guy Pearce is in it, which thrills me to no end. How his career never took off has always confused me.
Nonetheless, the most compelling part of this version of Iron Man, central to it's success, is the portrayal of Tony Stark. As an actor, fanboy and man, I can't wait to watch.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Epic Space Jump...in Lego.
So the Red Bull Stratos space jump seemingly was a testament to human achievement. Yet recreating it in Lego form with dramatic music and voice overs might be even better.
Plus what Fearless Felix did is just impressive. Check out this Deadspin story for one of his off the hand remarks....
The man is a freak. We need more like that.
Plus what Fearless Felix did is just impressive. Check out this Deadspin story for one of his off the hand remarks....
The man is a freak. We need more like that.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Assassins Creed III - weapons trailer
It's quite amazing how far video games have come. No longer relegated to the basement fortresses of teenagers - they have become a huge economic engine. One that can now create more anticipation and buzz then most Hollywood blockbusters.
I have never played any of the Assassins Creed games. Though I may have to head back out to Half Price Books and pick up the first one now that I am sure to get the third.
Setting the third during the revolutionary war was a stroke of genius. Even casual gamers like myself, who tend to only play games of the sporting, Batman or Call of Duty variety, can't help but be sucked in by the setting and opportunity to take part in one of the least utilized dramatic wars central to Americans.
The companies are even delivering trailers, teasers, and clips that out perform anything Hollywood has given us lately, with the rare exception of The Avengers.
The enemy briefing style of the latest trailer is especially clever.
With that arsenal, he doesn't need to wait to see the whites of their eyes....
I have never played any of the Assassins Creed games. Though I may have to head back out to Half Price Books and pick up the first one now that I am sure to get the third.
Setting the third during the revolutionary war was a stroke of genius. Even casual gamers like myself, who tend to only play games of the sporting, Batman or Call of Duty variety, can't help but be sucked in by the setting and opportunity to take part in one of the least utilized dramatic wars central to Americans.
The companies are even delivering trailers, teasers, and clips that out perform anything Hollywood has given us lately, with the rare exception of The Avengers.
The enemy briefing style of the latest trailer is especially clever.
With that arsenal, he doesn't need to wait to see the whites of their eyes....
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
New Replacements EP
As a Minnesotan, I discovered The Replacements late. They are a Minnesota institution and its slightly embarrassing that it took me so long to get into them. Obviously, as a Paul Simon, Elvis Costello guy, the whole brilliant but tortured thing is right down my alley.
So when now that I have found out that perhaps there will be some new The Replacements material, I am quite a bit giddy.
Rolling Stone - New Replacements EP
Plus I have always had an irrational love of cover songs. Two of my all time favorite albums are collections of covers by Hootie and the Blowfish and The Killers. Perhaps it harkens back to my theater roots but hearing one artists take on a song I know is always captivating.
So when now that I have found out that perhaps there will be some new The Replacements material, I am quite a bit giddy.
Rolling Stone - New Replacements EP
Plus I have always had an irrational love of cover songs. Two of my all time favorite albums are collections of covers by Hootie and the Blowfish and The Killers. Perhaps it harkens back to my theater roots but hearing one artists take on a song I know is always captivating.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Federe-er-er-er?
Athletes aren't normally known for their comedy but these new spots for Lindor Truffles, lets the actors be funny and sets Roger as the straight man. I don't even like chocolate and I'm impressed.
Though, no TSA agent looks like that....
Though, no TSA agent looks like that....
Friday Flinks of Fun Stuff.
As I try and force myself into blogging more, I hope to have a weekly list of links posted on Fridays. Friday nights I have the kids and we tend to do dinner and a movie. Since I've seen every kid movie we have at least 8 times. I have some time on my hands.
Friday night flinks:
I love beer. I am not a chemist. I would suck as a brewer. But maybe, just maybe I could use my love of drinking and moderately useless certifications (see Paralegal Cert, Northeastern class of '05) to carve out a niche for myself as a beer expert/geek/mucketymuck - Cicerone.org
As I learn more about beer and use that knowledge as an excuse to drink more of it. This site has been very valuable. - Brewbound.com
I am and never will be much of a cook. But this new rice, that takes 90 seconds in the microwave is pretty outstanding. For microwave food*. Uncle Ben's Ready Rice
*(Microwave food is 1/3 of the Adam food pyramid)
This isn't my winery. Yet. Winegarden Estate
I'm hoping to get a dog soon. Maybe before Christmas. I promise never to do this to him/her. Pet-Costumes
I still want these shoes. I don't need more shoes. But it's the Scottish play?! Dream shoes
I've had plenty of crushes on fictional characters in my day. (Mara Jade anyone?) But Kate Beckett easily takes the top prize. So glad that Castle is back on the air. I probably deserve this look.
I've also been trying to read more and that brought me to Minnpost and The Glean. Brilliantly set up for the soundbite culture and need for constant, if not too detailed, news. Updated most week days twice a day with just enough information to spark further search or not.
One of my posts next week will be a review of The Heavy's newest album. On first listen, I'm pleased. Though older, this is one of my favorites of theirs. Sixteen
I've read almost the entire Dresden Files series and am now two books into the Codex Alera both by Jim Butcher. He may not be a mainstream name but for fun, escapist fiction with a sci-fi or epic flair he does very well.
Friday night flinks:
I love beer. I am not a chemist. I would suck as a brewer. But maybe, just maybe I could use my love of drinking and moderately useless certifications (see Paralegal Cert, Northeastern class of '05) to carve out a niche for myself as a beer expert/geek/mucketymuck - Cicerone.org
As I learn more about beer and use that knowledge as an excuse to drink more of it. This site has been very valuable. - Brewbound.com
I am and never will be much of a cook. But this new rice, that takes 90 seconds in the microwave is pretty outstanding. For microwave food*. Uncle Ben's Ready Rice
*(Microwave food is 1/3 of the Adam food pyramid)
This isn't my winery. Yet. Winegarden Estate
I'm hoping to get a dog soon. Maybe before Christmas. I promise never to do this to him/her. Pet-Costumes
I still want these shoes. I don't need more shoes. But it's the Scottish play?! Dream shoes
I've had plenty of crushes on fictional characters in my day. (Mara Jade anyone?) But Kate Beckett easily takes the top prize. So glad that Castle is back on the air. I probably deserve this look.
I've also been trying to read more and that brought me to Minnpost and The Glean. Brilliantly set up for the soundbite culture and need for constant, if not too detailed, news. Updated most week days twice a day with just enough information to spark further search or not.
One of my posts next week will be a review of The Heavy's newest album. On first listen, I'm pleased. Though older, this is one of my favorites of theirs. Sixteen
I've read almost the entire Dresden Files series and am now two books into the Codex Alera both by Jim Butcher. He may not be a mainstream name but for fun, escapist fiction with a sci-fi or epic flair he does very well.
Dating as a Dad...is dead?
So it may have finally happened. After several years of trying to navigate the dating scene as a single, divorced dad who doesn't look like Richard Castle - I think I've finally hit that quit point.
I've seen it happen to friends, single, young, old, male, female - it doesn't matter the details - sooner or later, they've given up. Stopped trying to find that person. Stopped asking, stopped searching, stopped expecting it to happen. And I always thought it was a bad thing.
I've always been a relationship guy. Historically, I'm at my most creative and productive when I have a significant other. Someone to share it with etc. Someone to want to impress. Someone to make proud. So I've always thought that I needed that to be at my best. Someone else.
The past few years have been a gold mine of stories, anecdotes, disasters and frankly just plain weird stuff. I've gone on blind dates. I've internet dated. I've tried to rekindle old sparks. I've met a complete stranger at a bar in Wisconsin that I later discovered was a house of ill repute. I've had some monumentally great nights and some nights whose details will never see the light of day.
But this week, I made a choice. It was like many of my choices, it was impulsive and poorly thought out. Yet it was a choice. I need to stop trying so hard. So I deleted my online dating profiles, which have proven to be a colossal waste of time on editing. I will never get back the minutes I debated whether I liked cats or just kinda liked cats or would be OK with dating someone who didn't like cats or had cats or a picture of cats playing canasta....but I digress. I made the choice to stop searching like a thirsty man in the desert hoping for an oasis.
Yes. I've heard a million times the old adage of "if you stop looking, that's when it will happen". But I grew up on Field of Dreams, so I'm going to focus more on "If you build it, they will come".
So despite my historic understanding that I need someone to allow my energies to flow creatively, professionally, personally - I'm throwing relationshipi-ness to the wind and trying to build a better me. Even if that only means, I'm not going to look, search, hope for that missing piece as hard.
Plus giving up is the only thing I haven't tried. So maybe this is just my sub-conscience trying something new. :)
I've seen it happen to friends, single, young, old, male, female - it doesn't matter the details - sooner or later, they've given up. Stopped trying to find that person. Stopped asking, stopped searching, stopped expecting it to happen. And I always thought it was a bad thing.
I've always been a relationship guy. Historically, I'm at my most creative and productive when I have a significant other. Someone to share it with etc. Someone to want to impress. Someone to make proud. So I've always thought that I needed that to be at my best. Someone else.
The past few years have been a gold mine of stories, anecdotes, disasters and frankly just plain weird stuff. I've gone on blind dates. I've internet dated. I've tried to rekindle old sparks. I've met a complete stranger at a bar in Wisconsin that I later discovered was a house of ill repute. I've had some monumentally great nights and some nights whose details will never see the light of day.
But this week, I made a choice. It was like many of my choices, it was impulsive and poorly thought out. Yet it was a choice. I need to stop trying so hard. So I deleted my online dating profiles, which have proven to be a colossal waste of time on editing. I will never get back the minutes I debated whether I liked cats or just kinda liked cats or would be OK with dating someone who didn't like cats or had cats or a picture of cats playing canasta....but I digress. I made the choice to stop searching like a thirsty man in the desert hoping for an oasis.
Yes. I've heard a million times the old adage of "if you stop looking, that's when it will happen". But I grew up on Field of Dreams, so I'm going to focus more on "If you build it, they will come".
So despite my historic understanding that I need someone to allow my energies to flow creatively, professionally, personally - I'm throwing relationshipi-ness to the wind and trying to build a better me. Even if that only means, I'm not going to look, search, hope for that missing piece as hard.
Plus giving up is the only thing I haven't tried. So maybe this is just my sub-conscience trying something new. :)
Another Die Hard???
There might not be a bigger fan of the Die Hard series than me. I have watched Live Free or Die Hard at least 4 times in the past 12 months. Justin Long's mother hasn't seen it that many times. Die Hard is my favorite Christmas movie. Which probably explains a lot about me.
But after discovering this trailer, I'm nervous. John McClane has always been the reluctant hero. The $2 Macguyver who made do with what he had. Shoes or no. He was never, would never claim to be "the 007 of New Jersey".....
However, playing to my over protective streak as a father, made me love Live Free or Die Hard. There is nothing I wouldn't do to protect my little girl. No matter how old she grows. So if the son of my former enemy were ever to take my son hostage?? Well, then I'd probably try and be the 007 of Roseville, MN.
I'll be there opening night.
But after discovering this trailer, I'm nervous. John McClane has always been the reluctant hero. The $2 Macguyver who made do with what he had. Shoes or no. He was never, would never claim to be "the 007 of New Jersey".....
However, playing to my over protective streak as a father, made me love Live Free or Die Hard. There is nothing I wouldn't do to protect my little girl. No matter how old she grows. So if the son of my former enemy were ever to take my son hostage?? Well, then I'd probably try and be the 007 of Roseville, MN.
I'll be there opening night.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
42 Trailer
Recently, I was introduced to the trailer for the movie 42. I had completely forgotten that it was in the works. Jackie Robinson was one if the most captivating stories from my childhood. I must have read 5-10 books on Robinson and other famous Negro League players. I literally have retold the anecdote of Cool Papa Bell dozens of times. Bell was so fast, he could turn off the light and be in bed before it was dark.
Robinson, Bell, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson and others were amazing stories of "What could have been?" The lost opportunity for stared history, epic battles, truth in statistics has always struck me as one of the most disappointing missed moments in all of sports.
I pray this movie is good. The trailer hits the right notes. The "guts" conversation is one I have already had with my son. Perhaps that type of maturity can be useful today as well. Have the guts not to troll?
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