Hey all,
Here's another poem. I hope I am not retreading to much ground with this poem, as I have certainly handled these topics before, hopefully you are okay with it. Writing this poem was little different than usual. I normally work on something mentally in advance for at least topic or have an idea for a rhyme or two. Here I just sat at the computer and wrote it. I think it took maybe 15 or 20 minutes. Not long at all. I just started writing what seemed to want to come out. That's the point right?
Anyway thanks as always for your support.
Hold the Faith
Now and then I wonder why,
How time and oppertunity pass me by.
Because so many others seem so favored,
Yet my luck comes forced and labored,
When will it be my time to act,
To feel the opposing forces attract.
And know the joy from that special bond,
Clutching to that purpose from the beyond.
So many times I've felt this emptiness,
This emotions failure to again regress.
So here I wait for you to fill me whole,
And praise your virtues to extol.
Kneel my head and ask again,
Close this thought with solemn amen.
A fleeting hope for brand new love,
From a winged messenger above.
Looking to those Heaven's for an answer,
A cure for this hollow soul's cancer.
To know if God has favored prayer,
Then lay all these feelings to bear.
But another day's passed still the same.
Shoulders heavy with self blame.
Hold the faith that He will send.
A blessed angel of my own in the end.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Summer Days
Hey all,
Finished this poem as part of a four part series I hope to wrap up next year. The other 2 poems I wrote involved the changing of the seasons, Autumn to Winter, and Winter to Spring. This one from Summer to Fall. I sort of skipped Spring to Summer. I tried to write it earlier in the year and I couldn't get a good grip on the poem that I liked. Really I couldn't finish it. I'm trying to keep with the earlier patterns set up in the other poems, shorter in length, only 10 to 12 lines. This is probably not my best attempt, though I did like a few lines. Hope you enjoy.
Summer Days
Summer days grow shorter now.
Soon the harvest wrought with plow.
Hotter times to blow in cool,
For 'tis Season's turn to pass the rule.
Sunny rays to shine in less,
The turning time for year's recess.
Months of play now come to end,
For Autumn's moment now must descend.
As greener leaves shall color rust,
Blossomed flowers wither to dust.
The holidays shall soon be near,
As summer days pass into clear.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Finished this poem as part of a four part series I hope to wrap up next year. The other 2 poems I wrote involved the changing of the seasons, Autumn to Winter, and Winter to Spring. This one from Summer to Fall. I sort of skipped Spring to Summer. I tried to write it earlier in the year and I couldn't get a good grip on the poem that I liked. Really I couldn't finish it. I'm trying to keep with the earlier patterns set up in the other poems, shorter in length, only 10 to 12 lines. This is probably not my best attempt, though I did like a few lines. Hope you enjoy.
Summer Days
Summer days grow shorter now.
Soon the harvest wrought with plow.
Hotter times to blow in cool,
For 'tis Season's turn to pass the rule.
Sunny rays to shine in less,
The turning time for year's recess.
Months of play now come to end,
For Autumn's moment now must descend.
As greener leaves shall color rust,
Blossomed flowers wither to dust.
The holidays shall soon be near,
As summer days pass into clear.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Monday, September 24, 2007
True Story Time!
Hey all,
It's about time for another one of my true stories. Still no spellcheck,
It's no surprise to anyone that I am not the most comfortable person around the opposite gender. I tend to get flustered in situations when it ventures outside the realm of the familar. I haven't had much luck in the romance department and sunsequently, not much luck getting action.
One of my only skills, albeit one that is handy in a limited context, is my keenly developed HOE-DAR. It's like GAY-DAR but for strippers. I can always tell which ones will give the best lap dances. Without fail. Several years ago during a trip to Vegas Bill and myself hit the clubs. I gotta say we were really drunk. REALLY DRUNK. I was drinking rusty nails, scotch and drambui for like hours, I had to have at least 30. So we go into the club and I decide to get a private dance, my HOE-DAR sounding out. I leave to the back, leaving Bill to fend off the guy that wanted us to go do some coke with him.
This girl was six kinds of crazy. I won't get into the details, but I was gone far too long and came back with my belt as a necktie. Now during the course of the dance, the girl wants me to talk dirty to her. This is certainly an area that I found uncomfortable and unfamilar, even in my drunken state. I've never talked dirty to a woman in my life, and I couldn't think of what to say. She is saying some pretty crazy stuff that I don't really remember now but at the time was awesome. I am drawing a blank. Finally she tells me to say something. So I say the only thing I can think of.
"I'm going to batter your ass like a piece of fish.:
Even typing it it sounds embarassing.
At the time my sloshed brain said that's some witty shit man. using some god damn comparative imagery and stuff. Sounding a lot wittier in my head then too.
That pretty much ended that.
Even now uttering that phrase around anyone brings a laugh, which is okay with me. It was one of the few times where anything went and we just ran crazy. That weekend can never be repeated, and I don't think I would want it to,
I promised Jason that I would post this tale, as he claims it's one of his favorites. Heed my advice people, never compare a woman's ass to beer battered fish, even if your paying her.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
It's about time for another one of my true stories. Still no spellcheck,
It's no surprise to anyone that I am not the most comfortable person around the opposite gender. I tend to get flustered in situations when it ventures outside the realm of the familar. I haven't had much luck in the romance department and sunsequently, not much luck getting action.
One of my only skills, albeit one that is handy in a limited context, is my keenly developed HOE-DAR. It's like GAY-DAR but for strippers. I can always tell which ones will give the best lap dances. Without fail. Several years ago during a trip to Vegas Bill and myself hit the clubs. I gotta say we were really drunk. REALLY DRUNK. I was drinking rusty nails, scotch and drambui for like hours, I had to have at least 30. So we go into the club and I decide to get a private dance, my HOE-DAR sounding out. I leave to the back, leaving Bill to fend off the guy that wanted us to go do some coke with him.
This girl was six kinds of crazy. I won't get into the details, but I was gone far too long and came back with my belt as a necktie. Now during the course of the dance, the girl wants me to talk dirty to her. This is certainly an area that I found uncomfortable and unfamilar, even in my drunken state. I've never talked dirty to a woman in my life, and I couldn't think of what to say. She is saying some pretty crazy stuff that I don't really remember now but at the time was awesome. I am drawing a blank. Finally she tells me to say something. So I say the only thing I can think of.
"I'm going to batter your ass like a piece of fish.:
Even typing it it sounds embarassing.
At the time my sloshed brain said that's some witty shit man. using some god damn comparative imagery and stuff. Sounding a lot wittier in my head then too.
That pretty much ended that.
Even now uttering that phrase around anyone brings a laugh, which is okay with me. It was one of the few times where anything went and we just ran crazy. That weekend can never be repeated, and I don't think I would want it to,
I promised Jason that I would post this tale, as he claims it's one of his favorites. Heed my advice people, never compare a woman's ass to beer battered fish, even if your paying her.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Possibility Unbound
Hey all!
Trying to find a new comfort level posting from Jason's computer. I think I was getting in a good rhythm before and since my brother took back the PC I have been a lot more inconsistant with my posting. I am really going to try to keep up with more frequent posts with a target of at least 15 a month.
Here is a poem I wrote today, definatly coping with some anxiety. Thanks for reading.
Possibility Unbound
In the darkest hours before the dawn,
With baited breath is tension drawn.
This sleepless night shall find no rest,
The time is soon for courage's test.
Restless tossing to and fro,
Ominous rumblings churn below.
Close my eyes to find lost dreams,
Hard to focus with nerves pulling at the seams.
I fear not man, nature, nor beast.
Yet deep inside finds bravery the least.
And as the hour draws more near,
Sounding this symphony of fear.
Shore my walls for fresh assault,
And hope against new found fault.
Must conquer now this daunting task,
Ony in victory retained then I may bask.
Soon to step from familar ground,
Towards this land of possibility unbound.
Move each foot with fervent gait.
Only then shall these feeling satiate,
Give not in to pressures curse.
And all that's wrong shall find reverse.
Hold tight this chance to be true.
And unlock this experiance so strange and new.
Here she comes I must not fail.
Neither courage waivered nor color pale.
Together now the time had come,
And all my worries did then succumb.
Faded away into the calm,
A moment arrived with great aplomb.
In this second it all felt right,
And I wondered why this caused me such plight.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Trying to find a new comfort level posting from Jason's computer. I think I was getting in a good rhythm before and since my brother took back the PC I have been a lot more inconsistant with my posting. I am really going to try to keep up with more frequent posts with a target of at least 15 a month.
Here is a poem I wrote today, definatly coping with some anxiety. Thanks for reading.
Possibility Unbound
In the darkest hours before the dawn,
With baited breath is tension drawn.
This sleepless night shall find no rest,
The time is soon for courage's test.
Restless tossing to and fro,
Ominous rumblings churn below.
Close my eyes to find lost dreams,
Hard to focus with nerves pulling at the seams.
I fear not man, nature, nor beast.
Yet deep inside finds bravery the least.
And as the hour draws more near,
Sounding this symphony of fear.
Shore my walls for fresh assault,
And hope against new found fault.
Must conquer now this daunting task,
Ony in victory retained then I may bask.
Soon to step from familar ground,
Towards this land of possibility unbound.
Move each foot with fervent gait.
Only then shall these feeling satiate,
Give not in to pressures curse.
And all that's wrong shall find reverse.
Hold tight this chance to be true.
And unlock this experiance so strange and new.
Here she comes I must not fail.
Neither courage waivered nor color pale.
Together now the time had come,
And all my worries did then succumb.
Faded away into the calm,
A moment arrived with great aplomb.
In this second it all felt right,
And I wondered why this caused me such plight.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Resident Evil Extinction
Hey all,
*still no damn spellcheck and I'm too tired to catch it all*
Caught Resident Evil 3 on Friday. I enjoyed the first two films in the trilogy for what they were, zombie popcorn movies. Hot girls fighting zombies with enough of a plot to keep you interested in what's next. Not great movies but certainly entertaining. Resident Evil 1 did a good job of creating a kind of claustrophobic sense of horror and action with enough twists and surprises admist the action to keep it going. Two took the idea of a the zombie apocalypse and ran with it, giving us a bigger score of what could happen.
With 3, I wasn't certain that they new what they wanted to do, keep the fights intimate and personal in some scenes, and go widescale in the next. The plot os defiantely the loosest of the three with th filmakers taking whatever loose ends they could grasp to find more reason for the evil Umbrella Corp to want Milla Jovovitch's character again. I also thought giving her psionic ability was kind of lame. The ending is also a teriible idea that if given the chance of a fourth film, will certainly be overlooked. You should certainly wait for video on thsi one.
Jason and myslef also determined that anytime more than one Milla Jovovitch are on screen at the same time (it should be no surprise that they are cloning her as evidenced in RE:2) that the plural of her name is Jovovi. Hey made me laugh.
End of LIne.
Gerrad!
*still no damn spellcheck and I'm too tired to catch it all*
Caught Resident Evil 3 on Friday. I enjoyed the first two films in the trilogy for what they were, zombie popcorn movies. Hot girls fighting zombies with enough of a plot to keep you interested in what's next. Not great movies but certainly entertaining. Resident Evil 1 did a good job of creating a kind of claustrophobic sense of horror and action with enough twists and surprises admist the action to keep it going. Two took the idea of a the zombie apocalypse and ran with it, giving us a bigger score of what could happen.
With 3, I wasn't certain that they new what they wanted to do, keep the fights intimate and personal in some scenes, and go widescale in the next. The plot os defiantely the loosest of the three with th filmakers taking whatever loose ends they could grasp to find more reason for the evil Umbrella Corp to want Milla Jovovitch's character again. I also thought giving her psionic ability was kind of lame. The ending is also a teriible idea that if given the chance of a fourth film, will certainly be overlooked. You should certainly wait for video on thsi one.
Jason and myslef also determined that anytime more than one Milla Jovovitch are on screen at the same time (it should be no surprise that they are cloning her as evidenced in RE:2) that the plural of her name is Jovovi. Hey made me laugh.
End of LIne.
Gerrad!
Friday, September 21, 2007
Nerd Fantasy Draft
Hey all!
*still no viable spellcheck*
As football season has started, so has all the talk of fantasy football. While I am not a fantasy footballer, today is an important part of any nerds fantasy draft, for new fall televison marks it's comeback next week. The reason its a draft is that now we will have to see what programs make the cut on the DVR, and who gets left behind. How many of the new shows will get good yardage, and what will be busts.
This will be my second season wih the fall TV lineup and the DVR and I have to say the field looks strong. Despite a few holdouts, like Lost and Battlestar Galactica not starting until January, there are a lot of strong looking new programs.
Pretty much the only holdover sill making my cut from new shows last year is Heroes. Studio 60 and Drive busted out, but I see some positive looking dramas to replace them. I am looking forward to Chuck and Bionic Woman to come out as the best of the rest.
Here's my lineup:
Sundays are pretty light with Fox dominating with The Simpsons and Family Guy. I am not a big fan of American Dad but King of the Hill may make it on the list, I end up watching them in reruns anyway
I will admit to being intrigued by CBS doing a musical drama called Viva Laughlin, but I am not going to bother with something that will so quickly be cancelled.
Mondays have the DVR in overdrive between CBS and NBC. CBS has the sitcoms with How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, and Rules of Engagement, How I Met Your Mother being a favorite. I am also going to try Big Bang Theory, a new nerd comedy since I am watching everything else in that time period.
NBC is coming with the aforementioned Heroes, Chuck and a possibility in Journeyman, a show about a time traveler, but I don't have high hopes or it.
Tuesdays belong to the CW with Beauty and the Geek ( a terrible yet complelling series) and Reaper, a quirky show that's getting a lot of comparisons to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The pilot is directed by Kevin Smith so that's worth it for one episode at least.
Wednesdays are light until Lost comes back. Bionic Woman should dominate that night. I have heard good things about the show Pushing Daisies about a guy who reanimates the dead with a touch and kills them again with another touch. I might try that when it rolls out in October.
Thursdays belong to NBC with Must See TV and My Name is Earl, The Office, and Scrubs. I may give 30 Rock another try, but I didn't enjoy it the few times I watched it last season. Maybe its not my cup of tea.
Fridays and Saturdays are dead fr TV... these are the best times to catch you on the shows you didn't get a chance to watch through the week itself.. Hope you didn't mind me waxing nerd poetic here. My last few posts have been poem heavy so I thought I would talk about something lighter.
I'll post again this weekend, maybe another poem that I have been working on. Thanks for reading.
End of Line.
Gerrad@
*still no viable spellcheck*
As football season has started, so has all the talk of fantasy football. While I am not a fantasy footballer, today is an important part of any nerds fantasy draft, for new fall televison marks it's comeback next week. The reason its a draft is that now we will have to see what programs make the cut on the DVR, and who gets left behind. How many of the new shows will get good yardage, and what will be busts.
This will be my second season wih the fall TV lineup and the DVR and I have to say the field looks strong. Despite a few holdouts, like Lost and Battlestar Galactica not starting until January, there are a lot of strong looking new programs.
Pretty much the only holdover sill making my cut from new shows last year is Heroes. Studio 60 and Drive busted out, but I see some positive looking dramas to replace them. I am looking forward to Chuck and Bionic Woman to come out as the best of the rest.
Here's my lineup:
Sundays are pretty light with Fox dominating with The Simpsons and Family Guy. I am not a big fan of American Dad but King of the Hill may make it on the list, I end up watching them in reruns anyway
I will admit to being intrigued by CBS doing a musical drama called Viva Laughlin, but I am not going to bother with something that will so quickly be cancelled.
Mondays have the DVR in overdrive between CBS and NBC. CBS has the sitcoms with How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, and Rules of Engagement, How I Met Your Mother being a favorite. I am also going to try Big Bang Theory, a new nerd comedy since I am watching everything else in that time period.
NBC is coming with the aforementioned Heroes, Chuck and a possibility in Journeyman, a show about a time traveler, but I don't have high hopes or it.
Tuesdays belong to the CW with Beauty and the Geek ( a terrible yet complelling series) and Reaper, a quirky show that's getting a lot of comparisons to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The pilot is directed by Kevin Smith so that's worth it for one episode at least.
Wednesdays are light until Lost comes back. Bionic Woman should dominate that night. I have heard good things about the show Pushing Daisies about a guy who reanimates the dead with a touch and kills them again with another touch. I might try that when it rolls out in October.
Thursdays belong to NBC with Must See TV and My Name is Earl, The Office, and Scrubs. I may give 30 Rock another try, but I didn't enjoy it the few times I watched it last season. Maybe its not my cup of tea.
Fridays and Saturdays are dead fr TV... these are the best times to catch you on the shows you didn't get a chance to watch through the week itself.. Hope you didn't mind me waxing nerd poetic here. My last few posts have been poem heavy so I thought I would talk about something lighter.
I'll post again this weekend, maybe another poem that I have been working on. Thanks for reading.
End of Line.
Gerrad@
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Away The Days
Hey all,
With me working so many long days and hours, I haven't had too much going on to post about, nor the real desire as I have been so tired. I also think I have caught a bit of a cold, and that's not helping. I have found a sort of spont for poetry of late, through breaks in working and during some meetings we have had this week.
I finished this poem last night. It's sort of another darker poem about battling addictions and loss, a topic I have touched on before, but hopefully you'll enjoy.
Away the Days
Staring out over this empty cup.
Don't know what's down or up.
Order up another round,
To slip away amidst the calling sound.
And in this frame of my mind,
Create a state that remorse can't find.
Wash down the sins of the past,
Without this drink they everlast.
Only now can I stand the pain,
But in the morning hangover shall regret remain.
Though until those passing hours.
The drink shall soothe away what threaten devours.
Herald soon the sound of last call.
One more step back closer to my fall,
It matters not if well or beer,
Anything to chase away the fear.
For soon these feelings shall flow to surface,
And give this bottle sense renewed purpose.
Swirl the dregs and think of you.
Reminded now of loss anew.
Couldn't take addiction's cost,
Left me now in my drink so lost.
When you come back I can change my ways,
Until that time I'll drown away the days.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
With me working so many long days and hours, I haven't had too much going on to post about, nor the real desire as I have been so tired. I also think I have caught a bit of a cold, and that's not helping. I have found a sort of spont for poetry of late, through breaks in working and during some meetings we have had this week.
I finished this poem last night. It's sort of another darker poem about battling addictions and loss, a topic I have touched on before, but hopefully you'll enjoy.
Away the Days
Staring out over this empty cup.
Don't know what's down or up.
Order up another round,
To slip away amidst the calling sound.
And in this frame of my mind,
Create a state that remorse can't find.
Wash down the sins of the past,
Without this drink they everlast.
Only now can I stand the pain,
But in the morning hangover shall regret remain.
Though until those passing hours.
The drink shall soothe away what threaten devours.
Herald soon the sound of last call.
One more step back closer to my fall,
It matters not if well or beer,
Anything to chase away the fear.
For soon these feelings shall flow to surface,
And give this bottle sense renewed purpose.
Swirl the dregs and think of you.
Reminded now of loss anew.
Couldn't take addiction's cost,
Left me now in my drink so lost.
When you come back I can change my ways,
Until that time I'll drown away the days.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Sounds of Light and Fury (Self Titled 2.0)
Hey all!
*Quick Note
Jason's Mac still won't let me access spell check so I will do my best.
Sorry that I haven't posted in a few days. I am having one of those long grinding weeks where I just don't like my job all that much and I am feeling tired and down. That's where this poem came from. I wrote it piecemail over a few days at work, just spotting lines as they came to me on moments while at work. I didn't really work on it in 1 or 2 sittings like I normally do. This poem is a big departure from my usual formula of 1 or 2 longer attempts to write. I think I caught my current mood pretty well, though I certainly tried to do a little poerty for poetry's sake in the words themselves. I also utilized the blog title as the title of the poem.
Sounds of Light and Fury started out as just a really nerdy in-joke, but for me has evolved into a sort of life phrase for my experiances. The Sounds of Light and Fury are the things in my life that find reason to give me hope or happiness, the driving forces of life. Hopefully you can find your own things that fill you and make you want to fight for the things you love. I used this title in one of my earlier poems (called Self Titled) where the phrase meant something different, hearkening the end of times. Like many things our tastes and interpretations evolve, and I may even use the title again if I feel it can further enhance the meaning. I hope you like this poem. I do.
Thanks for reading.
The Sounds of Light and Fury
Exhausted shell of wicked refuse,
So hurt and tired from the abuse.
And all about me feels so weary,
The future recourse a lonely dreary.
Can't see the end from where I begin.
Just the same old starting point all over again.
For all that I am is battered and beat.
On this endless cycle of shuffling repeat.
So sick to my heart of this daily grind,
Collapsing again to my own numb mind.
Craving a change that will never come.
The will to march shall soon succumb.
Now I feel an age beyond own years,
Suffrage given in silent tears.
Forced to repeat my own worn monotony,
To broken to fight damnable lethargy.
The only part left now stretched to break,
A pound of flesh the cost to take.
This candle now gone from both ends lit,
All that remains is no longer fit.
Betrayed by mind, body, and soul.
To worn out to recover the whole.
And no more is left for this piper to pay,
No service to render exhaustion's allay.
All I dream is to close these eyes.
Sweet reprise from self imposed lies.
But reality beacons at every call,
An insistance of giving with each and all.
So all that was bright has faded to blurry,
To silence the Sounds of Light and Fury.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
*Quick Note
Jason's Mac still won't let me access spell check so I will do my best.
Sorry that I haven't posted in a few days. I am having one of those long grinding weeks where I just don't like my job all that much and I am feeling tired and down. That's where this poem came from. I wrote it piecemail over a few days at work, just spotting lines as they came to me on moments while at work. I didn't really work on it in 1 or 2 sittings like I normally do. This poem is a big departure from my usual formula of 1 or 2 longer attempts to write. I think I caught my current mood pretty well, though I certainly tried to do a little poerty for poetry's sake in the words themselves. I also utilized the blog title as the title of the poem.
Sounds of Light and Fury started out as just a really nerdy in-joke, but for me has evolved into a sort of life phrase for my experiances. The Sounds of Light and Fury are the things in my life that find reason to give me hope or happiness, the driving forces of life. Hopefully you can find your own things that fill you and make you want to fight for the things you love. I used this title in one of my earlier poems (called Self Titled) where the phrase meant something different, hearkening the end of times. Like many things our tastes and interpretations evolve, and I may even use the title again if I feel it can further enhance the meaning. I hope you like this poem. I do.
Thanks for reading.
The Sounds of Light and Fury
Exhausted shell of wicked refuse,
So hurt and tired from the abuse.
And all about me feels so weary,
The future recourse a lonely dreary.
Can't see the end from where I begin.
Just the same old starting point all over again.
For all that I am is battered and beat.
On this endless cycle of shuffling repeat.
So sick to my heart of this daily grind,
Collapsing again to my own numb mind.
Craving a change that will never come.
The will to march shall soon succumb.
Now I feel an age beyond own years,
Suffrage given in silent tears.
Forced to repeat my own worn monotony,
To broken to fight damnable lethargy.
The only part left now stretched to break,
A pound of flesh the cost to take.
This candle now gone from both ends lit,
All that remains is no longer fit.
Betrayed by mind, body, and soul.
To worn out to recover the whole.
And no more is left for this piper to pay,
No service to render exhaustion's allay.
All I dream is to close these eyes.
Sweet reprise from self imposed lies.
But reality beacons at every call,
An insistance of giving with each and all.
So all that was bright has faded to blurry,
To silence the Sounds of Light and Fury.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Merry-Go-Round Now Broken Down
Hey all!
I was reading earlier today about the difficulty some parents were having after the loss of thier children. I wrote this poem in pieces at work just touching up a few lines in the translation at home. I also realized while writing this there isn't a good rhyme for the word negligent, so I changed two lines a little. I am pretty happy with the outcome. Just a little note, the title of the poem is a slightly reworded title of the tune Roger Rabbit sings in the speakeasy in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. I thought it kind of added a totally different feeling for the poem. Hope you all enjoy.
One more note, my brother took back his PC and I am posting this from Jason's Mac and for some reason on his computer Blogger's spellcheck is down, as well as the ability to put the poem in italics. I'll correct it as soon as I'm able, please understand.
Merry-Go-Round Now Broken Down
Happier days from yesteryear,
All now pass into the clear.
The echoes dim with the march of time,
As laughter fades to silent crime.
The swingset sways in solitary breeze,
And sandbox empty of a joyous reprise.
These forgotten toys left thrown around,
The merry-go-round now broken down.
His room now left a slighted mess,
Her's the same in decor and dress.
And though they spend small time there,
They'll remain the same, an homage prayer.
For each new day brings fresh assualt,
Self made blame lies here in fault.
Guilt and fear now barb the crown,
A loathing pity to claim new victim's drown.
Fresher tears for each new day.
This costly price forced to pay.
Why are the young so often taken,
And the parents the ones forsaken?
End of Line.
Gerrad!
I was reading earlier today about the difficulty some parents were having after the loss of thier children. I wrote this poem in pieces at work just touching up a few lines in the translation at home. I also realized while writing this there isn't a good rhyme for the word negligent, so I changed two lines a little. I am pretty happy with the outcome. Just a little note, the title of the poem is a slightly reworded title of the tune Roger Rabbit sings in the speakeasy in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. I thought it kind of added a totally different feeling for the poem. Hope you all enjoy.
One more note, my brother took back his PC and I am posting this from Jason's Mac and for some reason on his computer Blogger's spellcheck is down, as well as the ability to put the poem in italics. I'll correct it as soon as I'm able, please understand.
Merry-Go-Round Now Broken Down
Happier days from yesteryear,
All now pass into the clear.
The echoes dim with the march of time,
As laughter fades to silent crime.
The swingset sways in solitary breeze,
And sandbox empty of a joyous reprise.
These forgotten toys left thrown around,
The merry-go-round now broken down.
His room now left a slighted mess,
Her's the same in decor and dress.
And though they spend small time there,
They'll remain the same, an homage prayer.
For each new day brings fresh assualt,
Self made blame lies here in fault.
Guilt and fear now barb the crown,
A loathing pity to claim new victim's drown.
Fresher tears for each new day.
This costly price forced to pay.
Why are the young so often taken,
And the parents the ones forsaken?
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Monday, September 10, 2007
3:10 To Yuma
Hey all!
Last night Jason and myself caught the new Russel Crowe and Christian Bale western 3:10 to Yuma. I have to say that I really loved this film, defiantly in my top 5 for this year.
Having watched the original 1957 version with Lee Van Cleef and Glenn Ford, I was afraid that they would stray from the great psychological drama between Crowe and Bale's character, but they stayed really close to the original. Bale is a down on his luck rancher who lost a foot in the civil war three years earlier. Crowe is a charismatic and ruthless outlaw who has held up 21 consecutive stagecoaches. Crowe gets captured while spending some time in town and Bale agrees to join the posse to take Crowe to the town of Contention to put him on board the prison train, the 3:10 to Yuma. Bale does it for a promised $200 which he needs to get the farm out of debt. The entire time Crowe's gang trails them, among other difficulties, to prevent him from to the train.
The film is beautifully shot and Crowe, for me at least, returns to Oscar caliber form as this ruthless and likable villain all at once. Bale continues to impress with his range and depth as this tormented everyman. What I liked about the movie is that they changed what needed to be changed for a modern day western, amping up the action sequences and pace in the beginning and end. Yet they still retained the great psychological struggle that goes on between the two main characters, Crowe trying to turn Bale, and Bale trying to resist the easy temptation. In the end, I think each character finds their own salvation because of each other.
I really hope that 3:10 to Yuma does well, its finely acted and well made and I want to see more great westerns... hell films in general made like this. For sure, check it out.
Thanks for reading!
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Last night Jason and myself caught the new Russel Crowe and Christian Bale western 3:10 to Yuma. I have to say that I really loved this film, defiantly in my top 5 for this year.
Having watched the original 1957 version with Lee Van Cleef and Glenn Ford, I was afraid that they would stray from the great psychological drama between Crowe and Bale's character, but they stayed really close to the original. Bale is a down on his luck rancher who lost a foot in the civil war three years earlier. Crowe is a charismatic and ruthless outlaw who has held up 21 consecutive stagecoaches. Crowe gets captured while spending some time in town and Bale agrees to join the posse to take Crowe to the town of Contention to put him on board the prison train, the 3:10 to Yuma. Bale does it for a promised $200 which he needs to get the farm out of debt. The entire time Crowe's gang trails them, among other difficulties, to prevent him from to the train.
The film is beautifully shot and Crowe, for me at least, returns to Oscar caliber form as this ruthless and likable villain all at once. Bale continues to impress with his range and depth as this tormented everyman. What I liked about the movie is that they changed what needed to be changed for a modern day western, amping up the action sequences and pace in the beginning and end. Yet they still retained the great psychological struggle that goes on between the two main characters, Crowe trying to turn Bale, and Bale trying to resist the easy temptation. In the end, I think each character finds their own salvation because of each other.
I really hope that 3:10 to Yuma does well, its finely acted and well made and I want to see more great westerns... hell films in general made like this. For sure, check it out.
Thanks for reading!
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Movie Time: Rewind: Animal Crackers
Hey all,
Thought I would post the next installment of movie time rewind here, highlighting great films made before the year of my birth, 1976.
Many times old films that were set in the modern day have a hard time transferring their relevance into today's modern movie watcher. Drama's and action adventure pieces, unless set in a period, don't have the same flair that our current films do. Some genre's, like the musical have only recently come back into relevance. The genre that I think holds up best is comedy.
If somethings funny, it's going to remain that way. That's why my recommendation today is one of my favorite comedies, 1930's Animal Crackers starring the Marx Bros. Groucho, Chico, and Harpo, made many films throughout the end of the 1920's and into the early 40's, and while most consider the political satire of Duck Soup to be their best film, I always laughed more at Animal Crackers.
The basic premise is that Groucho is an African explorer who is being honored at a fancy reception, and Harpo and Chico are there as members of the entertainment. A famous painting is to be unveiled but it's stolen and hi-jinks ensure. Groucho is whip fire with the one liners, and Chico is truly a gifted piano player, as per his hilarious bit with him playing the same ending part of the song over and over because he can't remember how it ends. The film is rife with great songs, such as Groucho's "Hello I must be going" song which he would later use on his 1950's game show, You Bet Your Life, and running sight gags.
Some of the elements of the film will still seem dated, like Groucho's greasepaint mustache, but it all leads to further build on the films longevity. Each brother is at their top form, filling a niche in the routine, Groucho the verbalist, Harpo, the silent master of the sight gag (and accomplished harpist) and Chico, the gruff Italian stereotype who can easily play of either brother. You also get to see Zeppo Marx, the 4th Marx bros. who always played the handsome straight man. The rest of the cast are perfect foils for the Marx Bros. unique sense of humor.
I am a huge Marx Bros. fan, definitely ranking them in my top 5 of classic actors. Any of their films will lend itself to their unique blend of humor and fun. Plenty of quotable lines in their movies.
Check it out, the Marx Bros. in Animal Crackers.
Thanks for reading!
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Thought I would post the next installment of movie time rewind here, highlighting great films made before the year of my birth, 1976.
Many times old films that were set in the modern day have a hard time transferring their relevance into today's modern movie watcher. Drama's and action adventure pieces, unless set in a period, don't have the same flair that our current films do. Some genre's, like the musical have only recently come back into relevance. The genre that I think holds up best is comedy.
If somethings funny, it's going to remain that way. That's why my recommendation today is one of my favorite comedies, 1930's Animal Crackers starring the Marx Bros. Groucho, Chico, and Harpo, made many films throughout the end of the 1920's and into the early 40's, and while most consider the political satire of Duck Soup to be their best film, I always laughed more at Animal Crackers.
The basic premise is that Groucho is an African explorer who is being honored at a fancy reception, and Harpo and Chico are there as members of the entertainment. A famous painting is to be unveiled but it's stolen and hi-jinks ensure. Groucho is whip fire with the one liners, and Chico is truly a gifted piano player, as per his hilarious bit with him playing the same ending part of the song over and over because he can't remember how it ends. The film is rife with great songs, such as Groucho's "Hello I must be going" song which he would later use on his 1950's game show, You Bet Your Life, and running sight gags.
Some of the elements of the film will still seem dated, like Groucho's greasepaint mustache, but it all leads to further build on the films longevity. Each brother is at their top form, filling a niche in the routine, Groucho the verbalist, Harpo, the silent master of the sight gag (and accomplished harpist) and Chico, the gruff Italian stereotype who can easily play of either brother. You also get to see Zeppo Marx, the 4th Marx bros. who always played the handsome straight man. The rest of the cast are perfect foils for the Marx Bros. unique sense of humor.
I am a huge Marx Bros. fan, definitely ranking them in my top 5 of classic actors. Any of their films will lend itself to their unique blend of humor and fun. Plenty of quotable lines in their movies.
Check it out, the Marx Bros. in Animal Crackers.
Thanks for reading!
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Saturday, September 08, 2007
The Faithful Hurt
Hey all.
I tried something different with this poem. Firstly, I used a poetry structure I have never used before, call terza rima, which basically means 3 line stanza's where the first and third line end in a rhyme, then the second line rhymes with the first and third of the next stanza, and so on. Capping it off with the final second line rhyming with the first line of the first stanza. I liked the challenge of the structure, but I definitely won't go to that exclusively. The other thing I tried was to vent a bit of the anger I have been feeling towards work lately into the poem. You can take it for whatever you like, I found it very cathartic to write out. As per usual with a poem, I don't think its very good now that I have finished. I'm not sure if it flows smoothly or not. This poem took two attempts at though so I am posting it as is. Thank you for reading.
The Faithful Hurt
Staring deep into the black,
A bubbling brink that threatens to overlap,
I'm far to gone to ever turn back.
This hate and fear will start to snap,
And find me alone in this darkest realm.
Cloaked with this anger's wrap.
Sense's fail to face the overwhelm,
And that's left behind is the faithful hurt.
Left adrift with no one at the helm.
Nothing left but this kingdom of dirt,
And the boiling depths of that which seethes,
A rage to sunder all to it's pervert.
For it threatens to suffocate all that breathe.
And Lo! Beware this wrath and scorn,
As I wield a sword that may not find sheathe.
Regret that wroth hath which been born.
For I can no longer see salvation's hand.
Or remember those I have hurt to mourn.
This ebon growth has seized command.
To render all it's bitter attack.
Surrender now to black heart's demand.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
I tried something different with this poem. Firstly, I used a poetry structure I have never used before, call terza rima, which basically means 3 line stanza's where the first and third line end in a rhyme, then the second line rhymes with the first and third of the next stanza, and so on. Capping it off with the final second line rhyming with the first line of the first stanza. I liked the challenge of the structure, but I definitely won't go to that exclusively. The other thing I tried was to vent a bit of the anger I have been feeling towards work lately into the poem. You can take it for whatever you like, I found it very cathartic to write out. As per usual with a poem, I don't think its very good now that I have finished. I'm not sure if it flows smoothly or not. This poem took two attempts at though so I am posting it as is. Thank you for reading.
The Faithful Hurt
Staring deep into the black,
A bubbling brink that threatens to overlap,
I'm far to gone to ever turn back.
This hate and fear will start to snap,
And find me alone in this darkest realm.
Cloaked with this anger's wrap.
Sense's fail to face the overwhelm,
And that's left behind is the faithful hurt.
Left adrift with no one at the helm.
Nothing left but this kingdom of dirt,
And the boiling depths of that which seethes,
A rage to sunder all to it's pervert.
For it threatens to suffocate all that breathe.
And Lo! Beware this wrath and scorn,
As I wield a sword that may not find sheathe.
Regret that wroth hath which been born.
For I can no longer see salvation's hand.
Or remember those I have hurt to mourn.
This ebon growth has seized command.
To render all it's bitter attack.
Surrender now to black heart's demand.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Thursday, September 06, 2007
This Intimate Commune
Hey all,
Thought it was about time for another poem. It's been a while since I did a straight love poem, and I think I pulled this one off. My inspiration were those moments when you are separated from that special person and what you are thinking about when they aren't around. Whether your separated by a few hours, or states, or living arrangements, whatever the case may be. I think I dipped the brush of sentimentality a bit to much, but overall I am happy with it.
Let me know what you think if you like.
This Intimate Commune
Why the hell am I still here?
When all I want is to keep you near.
I don't want to hesitate.
Tomorrow arrives far too late.
Each new minute can't come to soon.
To spend in this intimate commune.
Separated until the moment you come back to me.
Is this the way you want it to be?
I can't be the only one who feels this way all the time.
When we're together our hearts are joined in the sublime.
Some things are just to hard to ignore.
How long I covet to be your heart's adore.
There are all these things I need to say.
Without you my soul just can't convey.
There's so much I need to confide,
I want to watch you fall asleep at my side.
And when my day starts to turn to night,
You'll be there with the sunrise to make it right.
A greater gift I have not to give,
You are the reason to draw the breath to live.
When your close my heart beats so fast,
What we have is surely meant to last.
Hold tight now these words to be true,
Only you can make me feel the way I do.
That I love you.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Thought it was about time for another poem. It's been a while since I did a straight love poem, and I think I pulled this one off. My inspiration were those moments when you are separated from that special person and what you are thinking about when they aren't around. Whether your separated by a few hours, or states, or living arrangements, whatever the case may be. I think I dipped the brush of sentimentality a bit to much, but overall I am happy with it.
Let me know what you think if you like.
This Intimate Commune
Why the hell am I still here?
When all I want is to keep you near.
I don't want to hesitate.
Tomorrow arrives far too late.
Each new minute can't come to soon.
To spend in this intimate commune.
Separated until the moment you come back to me.
Is this the way you want it to be?
I can't be the only one who feels this way all the time.
When we're together our hearts are joined in the sublime.
Some things are just to hard to ignore.
How long I covet to be your heart's adore.
There are all these things I need to say.
Without you my soul just can't convey.
There's so much I need to confide,
I want to watch you fall asleep at my side.
And when my day starts to turn to night,
You'll be there with the sunrise to make it right.
A greater gift I have not to give,
You are the reason to draw the breath to live.
When your close my heart beats so fast,
What we have is surely meant to last.
Hold tight now these words to be true,
Only you can make me feel the way I do.
That I love you.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Monday, September 03, 2007
Birthday Time!
Hey all,
This post is going to be dedicated to my best friend, Jason. Today's the third and it being his birthday, I thought I would talk a little about him.
Looking back, I am going on 18 years olf friendship with this guy. That's a long fucking time. I don't really look at Jason like a friend anymore, he's more like a brother to me, a part of the family. Even when he moved to San Francisco for those years, we kept in contact and remained close. He knows me as well as I know myself. I may not be lucky in many things, and here are people out there who may say that they have a lot of friends. Well I don't.. but I think I have the best one.
We first met in 7th grade, sharing a love of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He was already drawing then when I introduced him to the world of comics. I still have a drawing he did o the entire TMNT cast that he did in 8th grade and sold to me for like 5 or 10 dollars, of which I am forbidden to show at any time. Soon he was into books like X-men and the Punisher, Spider-man... and he jumped headlong into them just like I did. I like to think that maybe I had a little influence in getting him to really pursue illustration as his field. To see his talent evolve and grow over the years has been a source of pride and respect for me. No one is more happy at his current prospects than me, well maybe his parents as I am sure that deep down they resent me a little for getting him into those comics.
A lot of time has passed, but one thing I know is that it may be Jason's birthday today, but I got the better present, Thanks for being there man.
God I am so gay.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
This post is going to be dedicated to my best friend, Jason. Today's the third and it being his birthday, I thought I would talk a little about him.
Looking back, I am going on 18 years olf friendship with this guy. That's a long fucking time. I don't really look at Jason like a friend anymore, he's more like a brother to me, a part of the family. Even when he moved to San Francisco for those years, we kept in contact and remained close. He knows me as well as I know myself. I may not be lucky in many things, and here are people out there who may say that they have a lot of friends. Well I don't.. but I think I have the best one.
We first met in 7th grade, sharing a love of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He was already drawing then when I introduced him to the world of comics. I still have a drawing he did o the entire TMNT cast that he did in 8th grade and sold to me for like 5 or 10 dollars, of which I am forbidden to show at any time. Soon he was into books like X-men and the Punisher, Spider-man... and he jumped headlong into them just like I did. I like to think that maybe I had a little influence in getting him to really pursue illustration as his field. To see his talent evolve and grow over the years has been a source of pride and respect for me. No one is more happy at his current prospects than me, well maybe his parents as I am sure that deep down they resent me a little for getting him into those comics.
A lot of time has passed, but one thing I know is that it may be Jason's birthday today, but I got the better present, Thanks for being there man.
God I am so gay.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Sunday, September 02, 2007
True Story Time!
Happy September all!
Today's true story happened last night. Bill was in town and wanted to meet up at Old Chicago, our watering hole of choice. Jason's brother Danny and his wife Leila met up with us as well.
We had a few beers and ate some dinner, generally having a good time. I must say that Danny's wife DID impress me quite heartily, taking a swallow of my drink of choice, the Rusty Nail (Scotch and Drambuie) without even flinching or making a face, not once, but twice! She also preferred my cheap beer of choice, Old Milwaukee, over Danny and Bill's Old Style. Very cool.
Anyway to the point of the story, we were there long enough that they started up the traditional Saturday Night Karaoke. I've dine Karaoke enough that I am not embarrassed about doing it anymore, as long as they have a song that I feel is in my vocal pitch (no high notes) and is funny. I don't want to sing something serious, because I can't sing. If its funny though, well everyone can have a laugh at the lyrics or my voice. I go up to put in my staple, Boyz in the Hood, as sung by Dynamite Hack. Two white guys who cover the classic NWA rap song by slowing it down and singing it like a slow alternative jam. All the lyrics and such are the same, and it usually gets a good pop from the crowd. I once got a standing ovation while singing that at a work convention. Its funny.
Before I could submit my song, the hostess of the karaoke informed me that I was banned from singing the song as it was cited in an earlier visit as being offensive. This sucked! Personally, Bill and myself thing that the hostess herself found it not cool that I was singing a song about slapping hoes as she was African American. Being bummed out, I thumbed through the catalog until I found a suitable replacement, The Bloodhound Gang's Ballad of Chasey Lain. Way more offensive than Boys in the Hood, the chorus of the song requests over and over to "Show'em them titties." I submitted that song and when I was done, I was informed that I was no longer allowed to sing that one either. She also wondered how I could pic a song that was WORSE than the one I was told I couldn't sing. I should point out that before singing the song, I informed the audience that my original choice was banned for being to offensive and this one would be more "not offensive at all." My feeling was that if I was get shut down from sing the songs I wanted to sing, then I was going to make them regret this decision.
I closed out 1 more song, if only to get Bill to sing his version of Ugly Kid Joe's, I Hate Everything About You, complete with Nat King Cole vocals in the final line. Piece of Shit Car by Adam Sandler. Yeah.. I got banned form that one too.
My feelings on this are so:
1- The songs shouldn't be in the catalog if you don't want us to sing them.
2- If anyone finds the song offensive, what are they doing in a bar at 10 and 11 pm on a Saturday night. They are in a bar for god's sake, you have to expect some salty language at a bar. If you don't want to be offended, remove yourself from a place that serves beer. Shit happens when you drink.
3- Everyone in that bar is over 21, nothing I am saying is anymore offensive than the other off key singers who take the songs too seriously. I mean, there are some really bad singers who are singing stuff that no one wants to hear.
Anyway, I realize this true story may not be of the same caliber as my previous posts, but I still find it amusing that I have been effectly banned from singing.
Anyway, I'll post another true McDonalds Tale in the next edition of this feature. Thanks for reading.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Today's true story happened last night. Bill was in town and wanted to meet up at Old Chicago, our watering hole of choice. Jason's brother Danny and his wife Leila met up with us as well.
We had a few beers and ate some dinner, generally having a good time. I must say that Danny's wife DID impress me quite heartily, taking a swallow of my drink of choice, the Rusty Nail (Scotch and Drambuie) without even flinching or making a face, not once, but twice! She also preferred my cheap beer of choice, Old Milwaukee, over Danny and Bill's Old Style. Very cool.
Anyway to the point of the story, we were there long enough that they started up the traditional Saturday Night Karaoke. I've dine Karaoke enough that I am not embarrassed about doing it anymore, as long as they have a song that I feel is in my vocal pitch (no high notes) and is funny. I don't want to sing something serious, because I can't sing. If its funny though, well everyone can have a laugh at the lyrics or my voice. I go up to put in my staple, Boyz in the Hood, as sung by Dynamite Hack. Two white guys who cover the classic NWA rap song by slowing it down and singing it like a slow alternative jam. All the lyrics and such are the same, and it usually gets a good pop from the crowd. I once got a standing ovation while singing that at a work convention. Its funny.
Before I could submit my song, the hostess of the karaoke informed me that I was banned from singing the song as it was cited in an earlier visit as being offensive. This sucked! Personally, Bill and myself thing that the hostess herself found it not cool that I was singing a song about slapping hoes as she was African American. Being bummed out, I thumbed through the catalog until I found a suitable replacement, The Bloodhound Gang's Ballad of Chasey Lain. Way more offensive than Boys in the Hood, the chorus of the song requests over and over to "Show'em them titties." I submitted that song and when I was done, I was informed that I was no longer allowed to sing that one either. She also wondered how I could pic a song that was WORSE than the one I was told I couldn't sing. I should point out that before singing the song, I informed the audience that my original choice was banned for being to offensive and this one would be more "not offensive at all." My feeling was that if I was get shut down from sing the songs I wanted to sing, then I was going to make them regret this decision.
I closed out 1 more song, if only to get Bill to sing his version of Ugly Kid Joe's, I Hate Everything About You, complete with Nat King Cole vocals in the final line. Piece of Shit Car by Adam Sandler. Yeah.. I got banned form that one too.
My feelings on this are so:
1- The songs shouldn't be in the catalog if you don't want us to sing them.
2- If anyone finds the song offensive, what are they doing in a bar at 10 and 11 pm on a Saturday night. They are in a bar for god's sake, you have to expect some salty language at a bar. If you don't want to be offended, remove yourself from a place that serves beer. Shit happens when you drink.
3- Everyone in that bar is over 21, nothing I am saying is anymore offensive than the other off key singers who take the songs too seriously. I mean, there are some really bad singers who are singing stuff that no one wants to hear.
Anyway, I realize this true story may not be of the same caliber as my previous posts, but I still find it amusing that I have been effectly banned from singing.
Anyway, I'll post another true McDonalds Tale in the next edition of this feature. Thanks for reading.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Friday, August 31, 2007
True Story Time!
Hey all,
I thought it was about time to do another true story, this one about how I used to be friends with a murderer.
It should stand without question that I am a pretty big nerd, and being said nerd I used to play Dungeons and Dragons. Not much of a surprise considering my love of the fantasy genre. I was turned onto the game by my boss at the time, who used to have a few people over and play the game. After I moved out and got my own place, we started playing there. At one point I think there were 10 people or so making up our party.
Rather than regale you with more tales or nerdity, let me get back to the point in question. Since my boss and myself were playing (and were really good friends) we had invited another friend from our McDonalds days in, my friend in Flagstaff, Bill. With the three of us playing once a week, eventually other people at work found out what was going on. One of them was named Scott. We liked Scott, he was a hard worker and joked around a lot , generally having the same interests as all of us. We invited him to join, along with his D&D friend Brian.
Brian, nicknamed Smelly Brian to differentiate from the other Brian in the group, because that guy had the worst BO ever. Really solidified the smelly nerd cred that we are so often saddled with. Scott, though, is the point of this story. He had a pretty hard life early on, but he had been taking steps to get his life on track. he was only 17 or 18 at the time we had met, dropped out of school to work. We invited Scott to our house, many times over the months, and we all felt really comfortable around him.
That's why it was such a surprise when my boss, Kurt, and myself were at work and Scott walked in, immediately being arrested by the police for attempted murder. We were in shock, that had to be a mistake right? It turns out he had agreed to be a part of an attempt to kill his roommates aunt (or mom.. i don't really remember) who was laid up in a sickbed. Apparently his RM was in line to inherit a bunch of money and promised Scott $10,000 to be an accomplice. He alleges that he was only a lookout, though the police have evidence of him buying a knife, gloves and a mask. It got even more serious when his charges were upped to 1st degree murder after the victim died in the hospital from the wounds suffered in the attack.
We didn't believe that he was capable of such an act, even visiting him at the county jail once, before his sentencing. In the face of such undaunting evidence, and the fact that Scott agreed to testify against his RM and his RM's wife, we came to the conclusion that this wasn't somebody we really knew. I didn't write him or anything, and we never visited him after that. I did get a letter in the mail about 6 months afterwords where he called me several names and was very angry that I didn't contact him anymore because he was in jail. It wasn't jail, it was the fact that he was a fucking murderer!
I decided to retell this story as I received a very surprising guest in the drive thru at work the other night, one Smelly Brian. He was driving a cab and was looking pretty haggard. I'm not a thin man by any means, but I felt pretty damn svelte looking at him, he was huge. He recognized me and mentioned that Scott is out of jail and working as a manager at McDonalds in Chandler. Let's hope he's still not mad eh?
End of Line.
Gerrad!
I thought it was about time to do another true story, this one about how I used to be friends with a murderer.
It should stand without question that I am a pretty big nerd, and being said nerd I used to play Dungeons and Dragons. Not much of a surprise considering my love of the fantasy genre. I was turned onto the game by my boss at the time, who used to have a few people over and play the game. After I moved out and got my own place, we started playing there. At one point I think there were 10 people or so making up our party.
Rather than regale you with more tales or nerdity, let me get back to the point in question. Since my boss and myself were playing (and were really good friends) we had invited another friend from our McDonalds days in, my friend in Flagstaff, Bill. With the three of us playing once a week, eventually other people at work found out what was going on. One of them was named Scott. We liked Scott, he was a hard worker and joked around a lot , generally having the same interests as all of us. We invited him to join, along with his D&D friend Brian.
Brian, nicknamed Smelly Brian to differentiate from the other Brian in the group, because that guy had the worst BO ever. Really solidified the smelly nerd cred that we are so often saddled with. Scott, though, is the point of this story. He had a pretty hard life early on, but he had been taking steps to get his life on track. he was only 17 or 18 at the time we had met, dropped out of school to work. We invited Scott to our house, many times over the months, and we all felt really comfortable around him.
That's why it was such a surprise when my boss, Kurt, and myself were at work and Scott walked in, immediately being arrested by the police for attempted murder. We were in shock, that had to be a mistake right? It turns out he had agreed to be a part of an attempt to kill his roommates aunt (or mom.. i don't really remember) who was laid up in a sickbed. Apparently his RM was in line to inherit a bunch of money and promised Scott $10,000 to be an accomplice. He alleges that he was only a lookout, though the police have evidence of him buying a knife, gloves and a mask. It got even more serious when his charges were upped to 1st degree murder after the victim died in the hospital from the wounds suffered in the attack.
We didn't believe that he was capable of such an act, even visiting him at the county jail once, before his sentencing. In the face of such undaunting evidence, and the fact that Scott agreed to testify against his RM and his RM's wife, we came to the conclusion that this wasn't somebody we really knew. I didn't write him or anything, and we never visited him after that. I did get a letter in the mail about 6 months afterwords where he called me several names and was very angry that I didn't contact him anymore because he was in jail. It wasn't jail, it was the fact that he was a fucking murderer!
I decided to retell this story as I received a very surprising guest in the drive thru at work the other night, one Smelly Brian. He was driving a cab and was looking pretty haggard. I'm not a thin man by any means, but I felt pretty damn svelte looking at him, he was huge. He recognized me and mentioned that Scott is out of jail and working as a manager at McDonalds in Chandler. Let's hope he's still not mad eh?
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Movie Time: Rewind: The Magnificent Seven and North by Northwest
Hey all,
Thought I would add a new semi-regular feature to the blog by recommending some films made before 1976 (my birth year) to perhaps expand some horizons. As much as I talk and write about movies, as well as bitch about the current state of films, I thought it would be fun to recommend some films that many people may have heard about, but never taken the time to see.
I really enjoy classic movies, channels like AMC and TCM are a real treasure trove of great movies and great acting. Movies with style and substance that are just really well made. I started thinking about this the other day when some co-workers were asking me about who my favorite actors were, and I sadly realized that most of them were dead. Actors like Steve McQueen, Cary Grant, John Wayne, Audrey Hepburn, Gene Kelly, The Marx Bros.. the list goes on, and I think many people don't know about how truly great some of these movies are.
This weeks recommendations are The Magnificent Seven and North by Northwest.
First, The Magnificent Seven. I started with this for two reasons, one, it's my favorite movie of all time, and two, it starts my favorite actor of all time, Steve McQueen.
The Magnificent Seven is a western, and it is well documented that I have a soft spot for that particular genre. First off the casting is just spectacular. At the time, the only established star was Yul Brenner, whose bald head and gravelly voice made for an intimidating presence on screen. The rest of the cast were unproven commodities at the time, almost all of whom would go onto to bug screen success. McQueen, arguably the biggest star of the 60's (along with John Wayne) Robert Vaughn, James Coburn, and Charles Bronson can credit this movie as their big break.
The basic premise is that a village of poor Mexican Farmers hire Brenner to assemble a team of hired guns to protect their homes from a group of bandits. It being cheaper to hire men with guns, than to buy guns itself. The movie is a western version of the Akira Kurosawa film, Seven Samurai.
What I enjoy about the film is not only the messages that it sends, that being a hired gun gets you nothing in the end and that true wealth is holding to your responsibilities; but the acting involved in the film. All seven characters really try to steal the camera whenever its on, though McQueen does the better job. Brenner was the bankable star, but every time McQueen is on screen, he does little things with his hat or gun to steal the limelight.
Directed by John Sturges, who would go on to make The Great Escape two years later, it has a memorable score by Elmer Bernstein and a sharp scrip. I love this movie. Until I watched this movie, I hated westerns, and this really opened my eyes.
Now a film that I would also put on my list of all time great films, North by Northwest starring Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint, with director Alfred Hitchcock. In my opinion, this is Hitch's best film. He pushes Grant to a great performance, as an advertising executive who is mistaken for a spy and is sent on a cross country chase to survive. This film is the precursor to the James Bond franchise, without the success of North by Northwest, they would not have made those movies. The most famous scene of Grant being chased by a bi-plane, has been reused in many films, one of the most memorable film scenes in history.
Not only do you have probably the greatest director of all time in Hitchcock at the height of his game, you have Cary Grant doing what he does best, being Cary Grant. I am astonished to think that neither of these men won Oscars for their work during the active years, winning lifetime achievement awards years later. Grant is what I consider to be the classic movie star, an actor adept at suspense, action, drama, romance, and comedy. There was nothing he couldn't do.
North by Northwest is a sure guarantee from me. Iconic and sharp, the perfect blend of suspense and thrills.
Hopefully you liked this feature, I really love movies, and the thought of great films going unwatched really saddens me, so hopefully you are willing to give one a try.
Thanks for reading.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Thought I would add a new semi-regular feature to the blog by recommending some films made before 1976 (my birth year) to perhaps expand some horizons. As much as I talk and write about movies, as well as bitch about the current state of films, I thought it would be fun to recommend some films that many people may have heard about, but never taken the time to see.
I really enjoy classic movies, channels like AMC and TCM are a real treasure trove of great movies and great acting. Movies with style and substance that are just really well made. I started thinking about this the other day when some co-workers were asking me about who my favorite actors were, and I sadly realized that most of them were dead. Actors like Steve McQueen, Cary Grant, John Wayne, Audrey Hepburn, Gene Kelly, The Marx Bros.. the list goes on, and I think many people don't know about how truly great some of these movies are.
This weeks recommendations are The Magnificent Seven and North by Northwest.
First, The Magnificent Seven. I started with this for two reasons, one, it's my favorite movie of all time, and two, it starts my favorite actor of all time, Steve McQueen.
The Magnificent Seven is a western, and it is well documented that I have a soft spot for that particular genre. First off the casting is just spectacular. At the time, the only established star was Yul Brenner, whose bald head and gravelly voice made for an intimidating presence on screen. The rest of the cast were unproven commodities at the time, almost all of whom would go onto to bug screen success. McQueen, arguably the biggest star of the 60's (along with John Wayne) Robert Vaughn, James Coburn, and Charles Bronson can credit this movie as their big break.
The basic premise is that a village of poor Mexican Farmers hire Brenner to assemble a team of hired guns to protect their homes from a group of bandits. It being cheaper to hire men with guns, than to buy guns itself. The movie is a western version of the Akira Kurosawa film, Seven Samurai.
What I enjoy about the film is not only the messages that it sends, that being a hired gun gets you nothing in the end and that true wealth is holding to your responsibilities; but the acting involved in the film. All seven characters really try to steal the camera whenever its on, though McQueen does the better job. Brenner was the bankable star, but every time McQueen is on screen, he does little things with his hat or gun to steal the limelight.
Directed by John Sturges, who would go on to make The Great Escape two years later, it has a memorable score by Elmer Bernstein and a sharp scrip. I love this movie. Until I watched this movie, I hated westerns, and this really opened my eyes.
Now a film that I would also put on my list of all time great films, North by Northwest starring Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint, with director Alfred Hitchcock. In my opinion, this is Hitch's best film. He pushes Grant to a great performance, as an advertising executive who is mistaken for a spy and is sent on a cross country chase to survive. This film is the precursor to the James Bond franchise, without the success of North by Northwest, they would not have made those movies. The most famous scene of Grant being chased by a bi-plane, has been reused in many films, one of the most memorable film scenes in history.
Not only do you have probably the greatest director of all time in Hitchcock at the height of his game, you have Cary Grant doing what he does best, being Cary Grant. I am astonished to think that neither of these men won Oscars for their work during the active years, winning lifetime achievement awards years later. Grant is what I consider to be the classic movie star, an actor adept at suspense, action, drama, romance, and comedy. There was nothing he couldn't do.
North by Northwest is a sure guarantee from me. Iconic and sharp, the perfect blend of suspense and thrills.
Hopefully you liked this feature, I really love movies, and the thought of great films going unwatched really saddens me, so hopefully you are willing to give one a try.
Thanks for reading.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
New Link
Hey all,
I added a new link to the page, one of a really cool illustration site that I caught off the blogger home page.
Also, I read that Owen Wilson tried to take his own life. That really makes me wonder what is going on so bad in his life that suicide sounds like a viable option. I know that money can't buy happiness or love, but something is really wrong when someone who is pretty universally well liked as Owen Wilson is tries to kill himself. You really have to think that maybe something else is going on. He's got a pretty good box office record, so he can't be short for work, and as a Frat Pack(er) we know he has plenty of friends, I am wondering if addictions or something darker is involved.
Who knows if we will ever find out.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
I added a new link to the page, one of a really cool illustration site that I caught off the blogger home page.
Also, I read that Owen Wilson tried to take his own life. That really makes me wonder what is going on so bad in his life that suicide sounds like a viable option. I know that money can't buy happiness or love, but something is really wrong when someone who is pretty universally well liked as Owen Wilson is tries to kill himself. You really have to think that maybe something else is going on. He's got a pretty good box office record, so he can't be short for work, and as a Frat Pack(er) we know he has plenty of friends, I am wondering if addictions or something darker is involved.
Who knows if we will ever find out.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Assorted Nuts
Hey all,
I just realized that I posted 3 poems in a row, not a normal activity for me. I like to change the pace up a bit and provide a bit of variety. Sometimes I even hold a poem or two in the que to use when I am unable to write one. Since that bout of writers block though I have been on more of a roll. I am defiantly far more happy with my output of late and wanted to run over a few assorted topics.
Firstly, I actually responded to an online listing for a relationship. I don't know if it will be successful or not, but its progress. I always talk about making a change to my situation, at least this time I am trying something. If I am unsuccessful I am no worse off than before, if I am... well its a start in the right direction.
Two, caught Rush Hour 3 over the weekend, and while I don't feel it was a good movie, certainly the weakest of the three, it did make me laugh more times than I imagined it would. Jackie Chan, in the outtakes had me rolling with different takes of him asking to rent a dirty movie, especially when he said, I like the ones with the hairy women, Burt Reynolds taught me that." I feel it a point here to admit a certain weakness for the movie Smokey and the Bandit, terrible and great and I watch it every time its on TV, despite owning the DVD.
Finally finished season 3 of my favorite TV show, Deadwood. While the season finale was a tad anticlimactic, I am always in awe of the shows writing. I never feel more privileged and stupid than when I watch the show. Each character, even the more throwaway ones, are ripe and complex. A mix of veteran character actors and underrated talent, I will pray that the create the 2 movies to wrap up the show. HBO always cuts the most promising ones first. Besides, there are not enough Westerns on TV anymore.
That about covers the odds and ends of this post. I also posted above a final pic of my tattoo, as I realized I posted the image it was based on, but never the real thing. Tara McPherson actually posted the pic on her MySpace page under her tattoo bulletin. An honor to be sure. As always, thanks for reading.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Casts A Shadow Great And Tall
Hey all,
I sent this poem off for my Dad's birthday with his card. I am not sure how he is going to take it. I am pretty sure he doesn't read my blog but he was one of my influences in restarting this blog and putting poetry on it. He is a pretty good poet, far better than I, who has had a few published, both online and in poetry compilations. He taught me the value of words, both writing and reading very young and I really admire him. Hopefully he likes the poem, and hopefully so do you. Thanks for reading.
Casts a Shadow Great and Tall
I may not be the greatest son
And I've lost more battles than I've won.
The mistakes I've made are more than few.
But in my life there's one thing that holds true.
I'm blessed by a father who is always there.
To help me through my worries and care.
Never quick with an unkind word.
Who'd rather listen than be heard.
Lessons learned to teach me right,
Didn't fault or feel contrite.
Our interests shared and humor found,
His influence on me is so profound.
He casts a shadow great and tall,
That affects everyone where it may fall.
Lucky am I that he's my Dad,
If I am half the man he is count me glad.
As a Father you sure raised the bar.
I just want you to know how important you are.
One day I hope to measure to you.
Until that date I hold this to be true.
I hope you understand what I want to allay.
You mean more to me than these words can say,
Holding tight my respect and adulation.
Dad, you're always my inspiration.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
I sent this poem off for my Dad's birthday with his card. I am not sure how he is going to take it. I am pretty sure he doesn't read my blog but he was one of my influences in restarting this blog and putting poetry on it. He is a pretty good poet, far better than I, who has had a few published, both online and in poetry compilations. He taught me the value of words, both writing and reading very young and I really admire him. Hopefully he likes the poem, and hopefully so do you. Thanks for reading.
Casts a Shadow Great and Tall
I may not be the greatest son
And I've lost more battles than I've won.
The mistakes I've made are more than few.
But in my life there's one thing that holds true.
I'm blessed by a father who is always there.
To help me through my worries and care.
Never quick with an unkind word.
Who'd rather listen than be heard.
Lessons learned to teach me right,
Didn't fault or feel contrite.
Our interests shared and humor found,
His influence on me is so profound.
He casts a shadow great and tall,
That affects everyone where it may fall.
Lucky am I that he's my Dad,
If I am half the man he is count me glad.
As a Father you sure raised the bar.
I just want you to know how important you are.
One day I hope to measure to you.
Until that date I hold this to be true.
I hope you understand what I want to allay.
You mean more to me than these words can say,
Holding tight my respect and adulation.
Dad, you're always my inspiration.
End of Line.
Gerrad!
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