unproductive days part 2: slightly more productive

Another day off, another day spent reading and watching TV. Although as opposed to last time i was not just watching a movie, but rather the tribute to the late great (understatement) Howard Zinn.

For starters, I would like to say that I do not have a comprehensive understanding or exposure to Howard Zinn's teachings. I do own a couple of his books but they have yet to be cracked. However, I did take a class at PCC that offered a different approach to the teaching of history, and our course book was Voices of a people's history by Howard Zinn. And I did manage to read through most of a wonderful pamphlet of his called Artists in times of war, a great read that discusses the role that artists play during war-time.

Watching the tribute I was amazed at how dedicated of a following Zinn had. It took place in D.C. about a week ago, during the ongoing snow storm. There wasn't enough space in the bookstore it took place in (a really neat looking independent place in D.C. called Busboys and poets, a place I'd like to visit someday) so there were people actually standing outside in the snow and freezing weather, listening to the speakers.

These speakers included a student of his, a fellow activist, an African American girl he inspired in Georgia back in the day, and a poetry reading.

All did a wonderful job speaking, not of Zinn himself, but of Zinn's teachings and the movement, as well as the necessity to start a new movement of social change.

According to the owner of Busboys and poets, an apparent long time friends of Zinn's, he never wanted ceremonies or eulogies, but that if they did occur, he'd want them to speak of what he has done and not of him as a person. This ironically captures the spirit of the man himself, someone who if given the option, would choose the movement and social change, over self indulgence and acknowledgment.

May you rest in peace Howard Zinn, gone...but never forgotten.

After this program ended, I went outside, inspired, and picked up not Zinn, but rather a book I recently came across by the name of The great anarchists: Ideas and teachings of seven major thinkers. I read a bit of Benjamin Tucker, a thinker that I had never heard of, but am glad that I came across for his discussion on the correlation between self interest and society were a real pleasure to read. Tolstoi was another that i read a bit on, and someone I'm also glad I decided to read. He talked a lot about Christ and the fact that the church in essence Anti-Christian for taking the teachings of Christ and using it for their own benefit. I particularly loved the talk about Love as the supreme law. Love in the sense of putting others needs above your own.

But the one thing I read that struck a chord and that got me thinking, was the introduction, where in the author/editor Paul Eltzbacher talked of the problem of not having a consistent definition for Anarchism. I'm not sure if he was talking about the term itself or the different sects of Anarchism, but I took it as meaning the latter. And that is a question that has been brought up time and time again in the past in discussion of what obstacles lay between now and tomorrow. But where others may view it as a problem that we aren't united under one "party" so to speak, such as democrat, or republican, i view it as neither bad nor good, but more importantly as not a problem at all.

The way people talk about it as being a problem makes me think that, in the hypothetical situation of overthrowing the state, that we'd still be operating within the confines of the "United States border" and that we'd still be considering ourselves to be a nation. But this untrue. From what I've gathered in readings and discussions, is that in this situation we would we be divided in to collectives or communes, free to inter mingle with one another whenever we see fit. Where one commune may not operate the way we like, another might be, and we'd be able to join them without any hesitation for fear of backlash. So within the context of working anarchism, it would work. The division of anarchists into sub-sects is not at all a bad thing or a problem.

Anyway, off to dragon street with woman and homies

damn you unproductive days

These are the days that i always look forward to when I'm at work. It's pretty much how i tell time now. "Yesterday was day off #1 of this week so therefore...it's monday since day off #2 isn't till Wednesday"...or something like that. But the point is that they're important and I don't know why i waste them. Even as I sat and read some essays by Subcommandante Marcos I felt like a jackass in comparison. I sat there with with the writings of one of the world's greatest revolutionaries in my hands and i couldn't help but think that nothing that I am doing or will ever do will leave as significant of a mark on the world as this man has. I'm sure at some point or another all great activists and revolutionaries sat and read and contemplated things... the difference being they got up and did something, protested, wrote essays and books, or even picked up arms against oppression.

Anyway... on my way to the gun shoppe to pick up arms lol.... j.k. uncle same, not violating any anti-terror laws here sir.

Anyway, Marcos' writings are amazing! There could be no better a voice for the voiceless people of Chiapas than you sir!

on an unrelated side note i've been musing over a movie by the name of After Hours by one Mr. Martin Scorsese for the past couple days since watching it for the second time. Truly amazing black comedy about a hellish nightmare of a night in Soho, New York that involves paperweights, underground punk clubs, bondage sessions and CHEECH & CHONG! That's all you need to know...

Rants & Ravings From Behind The Looking Glass #1

For the past couple years, since my discovery of Chomsky, i've considered myself to be a part of the Anarchist movement. The main reason is understanding that, while capitalism may benefit us in some way, it's at the expense of someone suffering in an impoverished nation half around the globe in the southern hemisphere where the majority of the world's natural resources reside. And even further, in order to ensure our interests are protected in these nations, we install ruthless dictators who will use however much force needed to keep those working in whatever field our interest may lie in...subservient. This can range from an always present military force, to squads who have been trained in the art of terrorizing.

Any where that conditions are so poor and oppression is so rich, is bound to have the beginning whispers of a revolution brewing. From Ernesto "Che" Guevara in the 1950's and 60's to the beginning of the revolution in Guatemala in the 80's, to Subcommandante Marcos in Mexico in the 1990's, revolutions have been popping up all across the southern hemisphere to combat dictatorial governments.

I'm not about to say that a revolution in South America is necessarily easy...it takes a lot of commitment, a lot of training, a lot of arms, and overall a lot of heart.

But the fact is that, in comparison to what it would take to start another revolution in America, it can be argued that it's easier. Getting a revolution started in an impoverished nation such as Cuba or Bolivia or Guatemala is easier because of the fact that everyone, or should i say the majority of the people are on the same page. They are over worked, severely under paid, their lives are a daily reminder of the oppressive state that they live in. So when someone comes around talking about change and starting a revolution, there isn't that many to convince, most would see dying for change as a positive when put side by side with what they're already living.

On the flip side, as American citizens our lives are vastly more comfortable than theirs. We have a high standard of living, we have a surplus of everything from food to health care, to drugs, nearly everything. On top of that we are the world's largest hub for entertainment. The Movie industry is here, the music scene is bigger here than anywhere else, and not to mention the crappy literature we put out in the isles of supermarkets. We're distracted. And to make it worse the people who own these distractions have a powerful influence on the American political system.

It would be hard to convince people to abandon the comfort of their television set and their cushy lives. But that is the reality of the situation. We are not faced with the direct oppression of an insane dictator, but rather with the image of freedom. We think we're free, free to live, free to do anything. But how can we be when the majority of us are wage slaves. They tell us that we must work, that we need to earn money. Money to put back into the system through bills, health care payments, food and shelter...everything costs. And because everything costs, we're stuck in a perpetual cycle in a useless attempt to keep up.

How free can we really be, when were forced to fill the majority if our lives with meaningless work, and very little time at all to be creative and exercise our minds.

every day

I'm sick and tired of waking to the same room in the same empty bed i have been for the last 20 years. I'm sick and
tired of putting on the same pants and shirt for work like I've been doing for the last 2 1/2 years. I'm sick of the same people waltzing into my cafe, with their little quirks and specialty orders... tall soy quad shot latte no foam steamed to 134 degrees on the dot...FUCK YOU! I hate to be like the guy from Role Models but the fucking sizes are SMALL MEDIUM AND LARGE!, get it fucking straight, the shit people do and say to be apart of the hip culture at the expense of simplicity fucking astonishes me. I'm sick of corporate... doing what they think is best for stores they've never worked in, not giving a shit about our input, cutting hours at christmas time...yeah that's really gonna help customer relations and sales...make them wait in a line that extends to the back of the store cause you wanted to show a profit for the year...FUCK YOU.

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idk what that was, just trying to practice a bit of writing i suppose before i pack a bowl, pump up the kid cudi album and make these problems go the fuck away.

today was good (5 hours of sleep withstanding), My sister had her baby, my niece, Danielle (welcome to this cold hard rock of a world we inhabit). I'm not one for the liking of children (aside from those related to moi), but at this age they are...i suppose the word adorable fits here. And for those of you who have never seen the mother...thats her...the mother.

Anyway, i missed a pretty chill bbq from what i hear, but later on in the night i managed to make my way to Amoeba with the woman and bought the kid cudi album on vinyl...now all that remains is the purchasing a record player...

all in all, good day, welcome to the world Danielle.

One good thing came from last sunday...

First off, hats off to the saints, you won, your city deserved it and yada yada yada CONGRATS!

Secondly FUCK KEVIN AND BEAN! I'm sorry you cant appreciate a band that has done more for music than one little quip out of your mouths will ever do for...whatever industry it is you consider yourselves a part of. The guitarists' stomach was showing for a split second...REALLY? thats a legitiamit reason behind your line of hatred for the performance, if you were serious than you must of fucken HATED the janet jackson nipple slip.

Anyway primative monkeys aside... I loved the half time show. And it made me love The Who more than I have in a very long time. There was a time when these band members were my idols (1964-1978 of course, pre keith moon downfall), but for whatever reason I've lost touch with my adoration for them, mainly because i came across a band by the name of against me. But yeah, all I've been listening to this last week is The Who, and i really think everyone needs to give them a listen if you haven't...pack a bowl, close your eyes and blast the masterpiece rock-opera that is Quadrophenia.

p.s. Peyton Manning you are still the man, one of the greats, and you will get a second superbowl win!

Top 10 Films of 2009

If you know me you know i love film. I appreciate all mediums of art and expression but i believe that film has the power to convey more feeling and emotion than any other form.

So i thought it only fitting since its awards season and what not and we just left the year 2009, that i should do a top ten list for last year. So here it is, excuse the writing, i know it changes tone a lot but i suck at writing reviews.

Honorable Mentions:

Bruno, Extract, The Hangover, Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince, State of Play, The White Ribbon, Zombieland.

10. The Limits of Control

Jim Jarmusch has always been hit or miss for me. While I loved Dead Man and Broken Flowers, I couldn't stand the minimalist feel of Stranger than Paradise or the little bit of Night on Earth that I managed to sit through. Going into this I had mixed expectations. I heard many many bad things from most critics and forum-posters, saying that the film is slow and has no story. Isaach De Bankole plays a hit man who is sent to spain to assassinate an american capitalist. On the way he meets with a small group of random people he's never met and each hand him a small piece of paper, as well as philosophize on a certain subject, both of which the lone assassin uses to complete his mission. While I agree it is slow, and therefore not for the average movie-goer, i disagree that there is no story. The story itself is presented in an allegorical form for the destruction of capitalism (that's right fellow anarchists, they finally made a movie to appease us). And if that doesn't tickle your fancy so to speak then hear this: Bill Murray has a cameo/supporting role in it as the american capitalist that the main character is charged with killing.

9. Fantastic Mr. Fox

Where the cuss did this come from? I never would have guessed Wes Anderson would venture into the realm of stop motion animation, let alone pull it off. But when you think about it, it's a perfect fit, his quirky stlye mixed with the quirkyness of the medium makes...a very quirky movie. Voiced by George Clooney, Mr. Fox is a retired bird thief who moves his family into a nice redwood tree so they can have a better life...or so we think, his plans all along were to move near the factories of the three biggest farmers in town. Think the Oceans series.

8. District 9

Shot for a very low budget, by an unknown director and a cast of unknowns, District 9 goes to show that you dont need hundreds of millions of dollars and the invention of new technology to create a science fiction masterpiece. No one knew much of the plot going into back when it was first released in the summer so I'm not going to say anything plot wise, because the best part about this unknown is not knowing, just see it, you will not regret it. Only down side being the "gee I wonder if there's going to be a sequel" ending, learn from The Matrix, the first is always the best.

7. Up in the Air

I don't think I've ever related to a character as much as I did when I saw George Clooney portray the character of Ryan Bingham. He's a middle aged man going around the country firing people that corporations don't have the guts to fire themselves. That part isn't what i related to. While he's on

the road he leaves nothing behind... because he has nothing to leave behind. He has no wife, no kids and is very distant from the family he does have. I myself have no one outside of my mother and a distant sister, and I don't know whether i want kids or marriage or any of that wonderful stuff. At one point during the film he tells a room full of people a metaphor. He says that life is like a backpack. You start out with an empty one on, and then you throw in the small things, your furniture, books, computer... and it starts to get heavy, then take the big things, your house...heavier, then you take the biggest things, your relationships, your wife, your kids, your family etc... and suddenly it becomes impossible to walk... I'm not sure it would be a widley acceptable thing to say you associate with such a character, much less one twice your age, but I do, and that's why I loved this film, and i think George Clooney deserves the Oscar, hands down.

6. Inglourious Basterds

Witty dialogue, stylish transitions and montages as well as over the top violence... yet another of the same from Tarantino. I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way but it's getting a bit over played. It's one thing for directors to have their own style, but when it's as over the top and in your face as Tarantino's is then something has to change at somepoint or he's eventually going become a gimmick. Take the band KISS for example. If it wasn't for their leather suits and make up would they really be that popular? If Tarantino doesn't make a change soon then thats all he's going to be, a gimmick. That being said i thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Brad Pitt plays Lt. Aldo Rain, a man who assembles a troop tasked with with scalping nazis. He wants a hundred nazi scalps, and he'll get a hundred nazi scalps. On the other end of the story is Shosanna, a young jewish woman who narrowly escapes death and takes refuge as a the proprietor of a movie theatre. Of course their paths cross...but not really as the two sides never technically meet. The best part of the movie is the man who wedges himself in between the two story-lines...Colonel Hans Landa, amazingly played by Christoph Waltz. He's funny, intense and scary all at the same time and deserves the supporting actor award come oscar day. All in all a great movie, the only down side being the bit of disappointment I felt when I realized the two separate story-lines were never going to come together as one massive story.

5. Star Trek

I've never been a fan of the Star Trek universe. I guess you can say I was more of a star wars guy, even though the only one i really enjoyed was The Empire Strikes Back. But after seeing the reboot of the Star Trek series i can safely say I've been turned into a fan. The main reason being...the cast. JJ Abrams managed to bring together an amazingly young and talented group of actors to breath life back into the once pronounced dead series. I was shocked by the level of chemistry, not so much that it existed but more so that it was present in all character interactions. Everyone plays well off of one another, especially between Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, and Simon Pegg and...every character he interacts with... which isn't a surprise since he's such an amazing comedic actor. But the good isn't just in the cast. JJ Abrams and the Writers came up with a very unique way of bringing all the characters together with...a rip in time. Which means that they can do whatever they want from here on out since it's essentially in an alternate universe than that of the orginal series. I can't wait for many many sequels from this cast.

4.Coraline

More cannon fodder for those high school drama kids eh? It may in fact be but it's still a very fun time. It's from the creator of Nightmare Before Christmas (no, not tim burton, but Director Henry Selick). I'm actually not quite sure what Tim Burton's role was on NBC aside from the initial story idea. This film is more straight-foward than NBC, there are no sing along part like NBC had and it's not as wild of a story. But what it does have over its predecessor (i got tired of writing NBC) is that it's creepier. The story centers around A girl name coraline who moves to a new town, and one day while bored decides to explore the house, and discovers a door that leads to an alternate world where here "other" mother and father await, and the "others" will do anything they can to keep Coraline from leaving their world. The amount of symbolism in this movie for birth and vaginas is awe inspiring.

3. Moon

I think that if it weren't for (500) Days of Summer, Moon would have been the breakout indie movie of the year. A mind-bender of a story line, a one-man show by Sam Rockwell, and the best talking robot movies have seen since Hal from 2001, voice by the great Kevin Spacey. But for whatever reason there can only be one mainstream indie movie each year. All that aside, Sam Rockwell plays Sam Bell, an astronaut who has been on the moon for the last three years harvesting and harnessing energy to be sent back to earth as a clean and efficient way of powering the world. He's close to finally going home to be reunited with his family when he discovers a crashed mining vessel that contains the body of a man who looks like his twin. I won't ruin the end but it's a really nice and subtle twist that isn't over done like it would be in the hands of M. Night Shyamalan.

2. (500) Days of Summer

The breakout indie flick of the year, the Juno and Little Miss Sunshine of 2009. This incredibly original take on love on the rocks single handily rejuvenated a film genre that has suffered one horrible Matthew McConaughey film after another. With a wonderful performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who manages to blend humor and sadness together almost effortlessly, as well as a unique first trip to the directors chair by Marc Webb, 500 Days of Summer transcends the cliches that get thrown at this genre. Tom Hansen is an aspiring architect who works as a greeting card writer to make ends meet. One day a new secretary is hired and he falls in love as they bond over a Smiths' song. It's presented in a non-linear format, but with a format that (as far as i know) has yet to be done. Towards the end of the movie there is a sequence in which we see what Tom's expectations are on split screen with what the reality of the situation is. For that alone Marc Webb should've been nominated. Some might fin the end cliched, but in the context of the film itself it was a perfect fit.

1. Adventureland

A perfect example of false advertisement. "From the creator of Superbad" was posted on all the posters, bus stop ads, billboards, and even uttered by the announcer in the trailer. This of course lead everyone to believe that it was going to be some sort of raunchy comedy set in a theme park in the 1980's. Because of this all i heard from friends and online posters was that it was not what they expected, not that funny and certainly not enough raunch. In actuality Adventureland is a masterful blend of Almost Famous' coming of age story and Caddyshack's situational comedy (more so the former). Jessie Eisenberg plays James, a recently graduate college student on his way to Europe for his summer vacation, when the news is dropped on him that his father got demoted and he has to get a summer job to pay for grad school. And thats where Adventureland comes into play. There he meets a Russian lit major/pragmatic nihilist, a sleazy repairman (who else but Ryan Reynolds) and the girl he falls in love with, Em (Kristen Stewart). I never thought it possible, but Kristen Stewart actually Acts. More so then you think when your first see it. She plays a girl who's clearly got some problems in her life and has a bad past with guys. And sure we see that in a few scenes, but the real way we know it is through the mannerisms that Kristen Stewart uses in her portrayal. The best movie of 2009 and arguably the decade.

I'm not quite sure what this is. I just got back from Dennys' with the greg, steven and yvette. And we were talking about the blogs we have and that we'll soon be starting. Yvette ridiculed and said i should make another post before i do my top ten movies of 2009 (faggy huh?). And then steven started talking about writing. And i don't know...when i got home i had the sudden urge to write something... so this is for steven, greg, yvette and the waiter who undoubtedly spit in our food... but mainly to appease yvette before i post my movie post.

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I cross the intersection. The light was red. Red reminding me of the color of her hair. The rare mysterious ginger that all guys dream about. Ginger sans the freckles, perfect complexion, not one single blemish to be found on her perfect bodess.

I don’t stop for the next red light at the intersection, i push on through. I nearly hit a young woman, i could care less.

I speed up past the pre-determined speed limit for this particular area, i don't care, anything to get me there faster.

I look around as i speed through town. I see an eye glass store. And as they all do, this one had the generic pictures of models doing as they do...modeling, modeling glasses. One particular one had the image of a girls’ visage; pert lips, perfectly shaped nose and cheek bones. Perched upon these cheek bones were thick rimmed glasses, the very same she wore. Or maybe not, maybe i mistook them for hers in my speeding frenzy, i don’t care, all this’ll be behind me soon enough.

I arrive in a residential area, almost there i think. I see kids playing, frolicking as they do amongst the sprinklers and toys in their front yard, no doubt one of the last remaining places around where the young can play care free outside, without fear, fear of predators and abduction. Who cares. So they get taken and molested, so their life ends that very day....they should be so lucky. Most end mid twenties, when everything you dreamt of is crushed by the man, and everything your heart desired by the woman. At least they’ll never experience that pain, the pain of selling out just to survive. Thats whats wrong with this generation...the acceptance of selling out as an inevitability.

I drive for another couple blocks and i see it beyond the horizon...my destination. I see the seagulls flying up above me. I smell the salt of the water that surrounds us all. I get close, I put my foot down, down as far as it can go to make it all go faster. I drive as fast as I possibly can for a few seconds, and then im flying. And for a few fleeting moments im hanging, suspended in air, slowly tipping southward. All i see through my window is blue...vast and unrelenting blue... I’ll be at the bottom of an endless plane of land and water soon enough. I’ll be dead, but will I really be that much different than the living?

They As IN Them

Ladys and gentlemen I implore you, nay, I demand that you check out a local punk band by the name of They As IN Them. Featuring veteran punk rockers from el monte and monrovia, it's el monte/monrovia punk fusion at it's BEST!

check them out:

theyasinthem.bandcamp.com

or:

http://www.myspace.com/theyasinthem

I'm not very good at doing music reviews but all i know is this,

It's most certainly NOT generic hardcore!