Polite Fiction

I am posting this from the Word Press App for the iPhone and it rocks! Now I have no excuse to not post anything

I took a photo with my phone and added it below as a test. Good times!

I’ve been in a weird mood lately. I think my lack of posts reflects my lack of motivation and I’m not sure why this is happening. It seemed to have coincided with my break from school. I noticed a void building within me and I can only contribute it to the lack of intense study that I have grown accustomed too. Could I really be missing school? I do find myself looking forward to getting back into class though. Who would have thought?

I’ve made some major headway in my writing. I’ve been on a spending spree for books on writing and I’ve found some really amazing guides that have helped me immensely. I know now that this will be a long and perhaps painful journey, but also a personally rewarding one. There is so much that I don’t know and and now I know I don’t know so I’ve got a lot of work to do to increase the quality of my stories. Hehehe.

I don’t think I have ever wanted anything more in my life…and it is so far from reach I hurts. Maybe I’ll learn how to work with fiberglass and make my own…hmmm… When I saw this I literally got goosebumps just looking at it. It speaks to my geekness but man is this pretty. Check out more of this awesome piece of furniture here.

I’ve just finished a grueling week of finals and now I’m done…until the next quarter starts up again in July. My brain is so frazzled I’m not sure how to react to the month long break I have before me. I’m not even sure I have the energy left to continue this post…hehehe.

I use to be big into Japanese Anime but my interest had cooled as a flood of mediocre shows and movies flooded the media outlets. I had all but given up on the anime genre when along came this little spider…Afro Samurai. I won’t lie and say this anime veers from the typical anime equation because it doesn’t. It follows a lot of the same formulae that has made some of my favorite anime so enjoyable. The difference is how it delivers on action and art and it delivers big.

There is a generous helping of violence but it was skillfully rendered with amazing fight scenes and nifty visuals. The world that was created is very organic and the director used very interesting camera angles to impart the strangeness of it all. The title character was well developed and the anime does a great job explaining his motivations for doing what does best…kicking ass and taking names.

This anime is not for the weak of heart…or children under 25. The directors cut features adult situations and brief nudity but never in excess like some ecchi animes. This anime leaves you wanting for more because of the great action sequences and the complex characters. Samuel L. Jackson does an awesome job as the voice of the title character and a few of the secondary characters as well. I’ve also read that a second round of episodes is in the works so we can expect more Afro goodness. If you like anime, samurai, violence, good art, etc…then this anime is for you. Can you dig it?

I try to be diligent in my writing. I want to write, I want to write good stories but there are hurdles before me. It reminds me of the conflicts I place in my characters path towards conclusion. I know I have it in me…I just have to find it. My goal was to write two pages a day. Two pages of just writing, not the polished stuff I plan to submit someday. It should be easy but I have a million excuses to draw from that prevent me from writing even one a day. I’m sad to say that these excuses are not even really good.

My internal hurdles really bum me out because I am a big admirer of prolific writers; even the ones whose stories are a hit or miss with me. I admire there conviction to write a story, revise it, and polish if off and share it with the world. I love reading their bios because I hope to glean something from them that I can incorporate into myself. Of course I think I may just be getting into the groove of things. I’ve never been a big writer of anything when I was younger so I guess I have a lot of catching up to do.

Another hurdle I have is my lack of structure or discipline when it comes to writing. I’ve read some helpful books on how to be a good writer and they have helped me out immensely but I also feel that I could benefit from creative writing classes. I have also checked out local writing clubs that would offer objective criticism of my stories. So many things I want to do but so little time to do it. I’m going to try and renew my goal of two pages a day. I’m hoping that soon I will develop the skills needed to be a prolific author…or even just one that finished some stories.

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
~Thomas Jefferson

I seem to exemplify contradiction because of my political leanings. I’ve confused friends, bewildered my wife, and scared some co-workers. I think it stems from the company I keep and how their views clash with mine in several important areas…since they outnumber me I try to keep quiet when the topic of politics rears its ugly head but it’s hard to bite my lip sometimes.

I’m a Republican. This has really tested the sensibilities of some of my friends and I can’t blame them. I’m well aware of the stereotypical Republican image but I don’t think I fall into that bucket. I’m a social liberal. I’m pro-choice, I believe in the welfare program (although it needs to be fixed), I’m for Gay Marriage, and I’m all for the environment.

That said…I’m a fiscal conservative.  I agree with Regan when he said Government is not the solution, Government is the problem. I don’t believe in a National Healthcare system, I do believe in tax cuts, I am all for shrinking the National Government, and I believe privatizing social security will save it. I also believe that a person must define their own destiny even in the face of great opposition.

I understand there are social inequalities. I’ve faced them myself being of mixed race but I have never let that deter me. We live in a nation where anyone can rise above their prescribed station and taste the rewards of hard work. We all have a unique opportunity in a unique period in human history to change from rags to riches, from pauper to king. Unfortunately I have seen our citizens develop a sense of entitlement and that will, in the long run, bleed our country dry. Who needs to work when you have welfare?

I’m a Republican because there is an underlying optimism that I find lacking on the other side of the isle. It’s the belief in the human spirit and trust in the free market system. I don’t always agree with my party and I find myself morally opposed to some of their views but when I dig deeper into the rhetoric I find something most of my friends fail to see…hope.

Wich direction is the dancer spinning?

If you said counter clockwise then your are right brained. If you see her spinning clockwise your left brained. If you stare at the dancer long enough you can actually make her change direction. It’s pretty freaking cool!

Nikko Home Electronics has created a DVD projector that looks like R2D2— with a remote control shaped like the Millenium Falcon. The specs aren’t bad: a claimed projection area of up to 6.6m; built-in DVD and CD players; analog and digital video and audio ports; various memory card orifices, and an internal iPod dock. Favorite feature: tilt the legs to adjust the projection height, up to and including projection on the ceiling. No word on whether it projects holograms.