Everything you need to know in life, learn from The Karate Kid.

And no not the bitch ass new one.

"We do big things." - President Obama

While I truly feel passionate about the issues, I really don't feel up to breaking down the State of the Union address in detail. Also I do genuinely want to keep this blog as free of politics as I possibly can, that being said I feel compelled to say a little something on the rare night that a President's speech bumps out whatever bunkum is usually on the big channels and Joe Schmo sits on his Dorito stained couch, in a flyover state somewhere, and acts like he gives a damn the other 364 days of the year.

I must start off by saying I remember back in high school the teachers would assign us to tune into the event and take notes on it. Back then I was somewhat of a lackadaisical jackass, to put it mildly, and couldn't care less about what some schmuck in a suit and tie was babbling about to other more wrinkly schmucks sitting and standing, sitting and standing, clapping, booing. It didn't belong to my tiny little universe I created for myself so I discarded it as nothing more then a fancier version of a worksheet.

The first one I tuned into on my own accord was Bush's after 9/11. I wanted him to assure me that even if Cobra was waiting in my walk in closet that he, along with the greatest military in the world, were going to make a very bad day for evil doers everywhere. Of course that shtick wore off in a year for me and roughly 6 or 7 years later for the more impressionable, scared people all across the country, but I digress.

Tonight was about looking forward, and if we are just going to "discuss the music" as MSNBC'S perpetually genius Chris Matthews says, and "not the lyrics" then I must say (and early reports show that most others are saying) that this speech tonight was a huge success for not one particular party but America.

It was the first genuinely "cool" President, a younger guy in good shape, that has Jay-Z in his ipod, bigging up Google and Facebook and envisioning a country where a fireman could get the dimensions of a burning building on his cell. President Obama dished out a storyline tonight that threw it back to the "glory days" of this country, a time when big thinkers did "big things" and weaved it together with a true visionary's take on the future. A future with high speed railways, better teachers, affordable health care and a Government that is streamlined and makes sense.

Tonight we saw the obvious grand gestures of decency in the fact that members from both parties sat together and dialed down the booing and growling. And also caught little moments, like a sincerely touched John Boehner when Obama mentioned that he started out as a boy sweeping the floor of his old man's bar. Boehner, a man I loathe on most days, a man that I feel sometimes cries for no other reason then to draw sympathy, actually appeared legitimately human for the first time tonight, outside of having the skin complexion of the Human Torch of course.

Perhaps it's with help from a great tragedy but Barack Obama seems to be slowly bringing people together, it shows in the recent surge of his approval ratings. In the face this country's huge struggles and a right wing destined to disagree at every turn and see him fail, he was never folded in his attempt to be a leader that must rise above the negativity.

In the end, after all the talk of civility in the face of recent events and a new approach to bipartisan politics, the official Republican response was by someone almost as dull as Bobby Jindal, who disappeared after the last State of the Union quicker then you can say "voodoo witch doctor" and another response by bat shit crazy Tea Bagger queen Michele Bachmann, who just today enlightened everyone on the fact that the founding fathers had a hand in ending slavery. I shit you not. My three year old God Son is literally smarter than these people. Both "responses" weren't responses at all, but predictable attacks on the President and not an alternative idea on a single issue. Needless to say things were already back to normal as soon as Obama wrapped things up.

President Obama stated that America is a country that "does big things", Americans are people that do big things. I agree. So why not we give our President the platform to do the same. Tonight he gave us the blueprint, let's see if we're smart enough to build.

My late and slightly incomplete year in film.

In the past I've been able to comfortably do a traditional top ten at the end of the year, however in 2010 I haven't quite been to the multiplex enough to really warrant something like that in my mind. There's a whole gang of notable films that I've managed to miss that probably would have made their way into a best of list. In any event, because the Oscar nominations came out today and we're already a month into 2011, I feel compelled to at least do something, so without further ado here is my late and slightly incomplete year in film. Enjoy!

The best movies you've probably not seen.


Monsters - An independent science fiction epic that was shot for about hundred bucks or something like that, but looks like a billion. A tale that shows us love can come in any shape, form or fashion and in the end we are all just lost souls looking for one another, no matter human or really big octopus type alien creature.

Devil - If you told me M.Night Shyamalan is a once great filmmaker that has fallen from grace quicker then the construction workers in The Happening, I probably wouldn't debate. And judging from the universal opinion that his big film from this past year The Last Airbender was about as entertaining as watching someones puke dry on the bottom of your brand new boots, it's easy to say his 2010 wasn't a great one. Not so fast. He came up with the story for this raw and scary sleeper and let another filmmaker write the screenplay and direct. Enter volume one of The Night Chronicles. More Sixth Sense then Airbender, I could assure you. Peep it if you've slept.

The Kids are All Right - After this snags a few Oscars more people will take note but I can let you in on it right now, this could possibly be the best picture of the year, and probably is in my book. A funny and emotional trip with a progressive and challenging, more modern day take on a nuclear family. A simple story with complex performances, anchored by a career defining one in Annette Bening.

The best movie we can all probably agree on.


Toy Story 3 - Seriously though who hasn't loved this ten year plus saga of our favorite inanimate (or in this case very animated) childhood companions? If this is indeed the last installment, it'll make Buzz and Woody's adventure one of the most entertaining trilogies the film world has ever seen. It's as good as the first two and perhaps the most genuinely moving film of the year. Maybe it's crazy to admit because of the technology involved but the creator's of this movie have managed to make it the most heartfelt and soulful film and are able to effortlessly span it from one generation to the next, without any real human beings in it. A true testament to the combination of art and storytelling at its very best.

The rest of the best.


The Fighter - Sure we've seen this type of thing before but when it's well done, there's no denying its impact. A gritty yet beautiful movie in all aspects led by an insanely brilliant display of acting by Christian Bale.

Cyrus - A weird, hilarious movie centered around the off beat chemistry of Jonah Hill and John C. Reilly. So well made you don't know whether you want to laugh, cry or yell at the screen.

Kick-Ass - Pure, adrenaline filled piece of pop culture. A bloody good time.

Leaves of Grass - Not really sure when and if this was actually released, but it could perhaps be the greatest straight to DVD movie ever made. It's a mystifying notion to me that Edward Norton's performance as twin brothers in this is going to go unnoticed this awards season. Do what you can to check this one out, Norton's role alone makes it well worth it.

Guilty Pleasures


The Book of Eli - Sure the plot of this one seems like it was written by me circa 1993, not a good thing. But I can't help to admit that I loved seeing Denzel go out of his comfort zone of being cool ass Denzel, to being cool ass Denzel living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland taking goon after goon out with a Katana blade. Gary Oldman hoots and hollers about wanting the magic Bible or something and Mila Kunis somehow gets mixed up in the whole ordeal, this movie kinda sucks real bad, but I like it.

The Wolfman - Fortunately I watched the unrated version of this OnDemand, because we all know the more brutal be-headings by a wolfman the better. To me it had fine acting, great effects and a strong plot, it even manages to be a bit scary at times. To most critics and movie goers it missed the mark, perhaps I'm a sucker for a good monster movie, so shoot me. Without a silver bullet preferably.

Why did these suck?


I ask that question because it truly is baffling to me what exactly went wrong with these three films. All three have a great premise and a great cast, it's just in the end the final product never came together in the way it should have. Iron Man 2 had more of a How to Make an American Quilt vibe then carrying over the energy and storytelling of the first one. Splice seemed to be going okay until they actually had the hero of the film lustfully have sex with the monster, I don't care if I'm giving anything away here, never watch it because it's more disturbing then it sounds. And The Expendables should have been the manliest, most kick ass movie ever made but ended up being a truly dreadful experience. Let down, let down, let down.

Don't believe the hype.


Inception - I considered dedicating a whole post to why this film just isn't that good, but I decided in the day and age when something could insist upon itself with such a strong fervor, I would ultimately come off as a hater in the minds of the fall in line mass. So I'll keep it short and sweet. I could admit because of the sheer audacity of the whole thing, in the middle of a weak summer it could manage to be a stand out. What I can't understand is how people have claimed that this is the best movie of the year, best movie of the decade, and so on. And now with best picture nod, I am truly confused. Did I miss something here or was this not a bunch of halfhearted, drone like performances making the most of the buildings folding around them? Not a single remarkable character, classic line, challenging scene, hint of soul in the whole thing. Just pointless heavy handed scene, after heavy handed scene...amounting to nothing but I dunno, nothing.

Black Swan - Darren Aronofsky has managed to make movies about drug addiction and professional wrestling both depressing and grimy, this I understand. But to take beautiful actresses, put them in a movie about ballerinas and make the audience feel like they need a laugh and a shower when the credits roll is actually quite a feat. Sans Portman's performance there is really nothing to this film except the usual bleakness and cynical character studies that come with the territory.

The must see before Oscar day list.



While there's still a handful of movies I haven't seen yet, some out of pure curiosity (The Karate Kid, Predators, A-Team, etc) the ones above are four that I kind of need to see before the Academy Awards air. It just wouldn't feel right if I didn't and obviously any of the above lists could change when I do.


So there you have it. Kind of a weak year in cinema if you ask me. Not surprisingly though, I remember reading through an Entertainment Weekly preview issue back in 09 and thinking the year ahead didn't really get my juices flowing all that much. This coming year may or may not be different, it definitely looks like there might be a renaissance of superhero movies, which is always fun. So until then, keep watching movies. I'll see you around with a bucket of popcorn and some jujubes.

Peace.

March 8th

Now that's a big day for hiphop.

Download my new EP!

This EP contains songs that I've recorded in the last 15 months or so that never really had a home but now they do and all is right in the universe. While my last joint Watch the Skies was heavy conceptually, this here is just some good old fashioned rhyming for rhyming's sake, just experimenting with different flows and having a good time. So thanks for checking it out, hope you enjoy it...just click the link and do what you please.
Peace and much Love.

Mike, Vince and AreEye

Since Knee High

Native Dance

Jules Verne Flow

Sane 2 Insane ft. TK

What's Goin On'

New Music Coming!

The Dream.

I made this from pictures taken at President Obama's victory speech, thought it was appropriate for the day.

The Ballad of Christina Taylor Green

Christina is the nine year old that was killed in Arizona.

She was born on September 11th, 2001. In the weeks following that terrible day people started to actually see one another again. Our neighbors were no longer just strangers we occasionally said hello to but fellow travelers, trying to find our way in this madness. Together.

Putting the obvious details of the great tragedy this past weekend aside for the moment, in an attempt to express and process what I've been feeling I'm going to go against my heart and try to make this post as apolitical as I possibly can. I wouldn't be honest though if I said these feelings didn't immediately start with anger.

After I saw the headlines I initially thought "Democratic Congresswoman, Arizona, gun violence....anti-government, homegrown terrorist". I began to piece it all together in my mind, a young white kid, brainwashed by what he sees and hears on a daily basis...his soul polluted by the perpetual onslaught of misinformation. Basically Fox News and its surrounding satellites' mouth vomit manifested in the worst possible way imaginable. It didn't take long for the media to dig up Palin's cross hairs graphic and my mind was off to the races. In my soul I felt (and perhaps still do) that this monster was influenced by an environment created by all the dangerous personalities that continue to stain our political discourse and fool impressionable people day in and day out. Perhaps that all holds some weight, perhaps it doesn't. I truly believe we'll never know for sure.

I inevitably began to polish the edges of my anger, sharpen it into a cohesive thought rather a bunch of knee jerk reactions and jot down a bunch of notes that would become a pretty venomous, anti-right wing blog post. I deleted the post.

Yesterday my train of thought shifted course, perhaps the change of its direction was caused by the momentum of the constant MSNBC muzak that's been in my ears. Combine that with the difficult task of following the constantly evolving details that make up this story on the net, I decided that maybe the talking heads and peace seeking politicians are right, maybe this is a time to put personal ideologies aside, stop pointing fingers and rally behind Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims. Ultimately that's the necessary and noble thing to do.

In the months ahead the new found politeness will wear off and there will no doubt be debates on gun control and the tone of political disagreements. There will be new headlines and fresh arguments, new pieces to the puzzle that is why this happened in the first place. (Rush Limbaugh is actually opening his fat, worthless mouth right now as I type this, spitting some nonsensical garbage about the murderer having "full support of the Democratic Party")

But what I know for sure, without a shadow of a single doubt is simply this. It takes days of monstrous evil like 9/11/2001 and 1/8/2011 to bring out the best of us, even if it's for a short time.

Take Daniel Hernandez Jr. for example. Gabrielle Giffords may not be holding a thumbs up right now if it wasn't for her homosexual, Mexican-American intern. Yes a gay Mexican, in a country that doesn't allow him to marry and a state that could arrest him for simply being what he is, he saved a life.

Another example, Dorwin Stoddard, a 76 year old man not particularly involved in politics that was just passing through to tell Giffords what a good job she was doing. He and his wife were trapped in the madman's crossfire when Dorwin used his own body to shield the bullets from hitting the love of his life. She is still here to tell the story.

Then there's Rep. Giffords herself or "Gabby" (what her many friends seem to be calling her,) fighting for life right now in a hospital. Last Friday I didn't know who she was outside of the fact that she was one of the names on Palin's hit list. Now I've heard endless good things about her, read up on her and have discovered why she is such a loved politician in her state. Not to the mention the doctors and nurses working on Giffords around the clock, unsung heroes that will surely be forgotten about in the long run.

And while no innocent life is more precious then the next, the victim that seems to be having the most adverse affect on me is Christina. A nine year old politician in the making, with big brown eyes and chubby cheeks. Her parents have stated that she already had her college picked out and career path chosen, a career that she hoped would eventually involve helping those less fortunate then she.

Perhaps it's because I'm pushing thirty now and look to have children of my own in the near future that this little girl's death is haunting me more so then the others. Every time Jared Lee Loughner's deranged, smiling mug shot is flashed on the television screen, I feel a swelling of rapid fire emotions that seemingly lead all to one place. That place is the part of my psyche that can't help but to imagine a world with my children in it. Perhaps that's selfish of me in a way, maybe this isn't coming off as eloquent as I had hoped but it all circles back to my original sentiment.

Christina's way too short eleven years on this planet is now book ended by two American tragedies.

Never mind the confused weak-minded individuals that targeted all Muslims or the politics and subsequent wars that followed, in the time after 9/11, Americans from all walks of life came together. Perhaps it was short lived but there was a moment there that I felt safe in my fellow countryman's hands. Christina never knew the world before the towers dropped, just like she won't know the world we're living in now and in some strange way that's a good thing.

But our kids will know this world. I can only hope that we fix what's obviously broken, that we start talking a bit nicer to each other, or at least give it our best effort to do so. That we stop questioning where our President was born, or hating on someone because of their political ideology or religion or race or because of who they share their bed with at the end of the day.

These are basic principles that we should all strive to build our lives on but for some perplexing, mysterious reason only begin to really do so when a lunatic brings them back to light.





Sorry for this small epilogue of sorts but I can't not speak about this. As I finished up this blog post I had CNN on in the background. Wolf Blitzer is reporting that Arizona is passing legislation to keep protests away from Christina's funeral on Thursday.

I'm sorry...protesters? Apparently some church in Kansas, one that makes it their duty to protest at the funerals of AIDS victims and fallen soldiers are now going to protest this innocent little girl's funeral. I'm sorry, keeping them 300 feet away from the funeral site is not enough for me. Freedom of assembly my ass, there is no conceivable reason in the known universe that these pieces of shit should be picketing at this funeral. They should be thrown in a cell at first sight. How can we possibly try to keep rational thoughts and have civil debates when there are people like the ones that make up this church still breathing the same air as decent human beings.Perhaps this rant renders my post irrelevant now but oh well, in my eyes these protesters are as evil as Loughner himself, and their protest is just as damaging as an assassin's glock.

2011's Go Away List

I promise from here on out this blog will remain positive (or at least I'll strive to keep it so) but in order to help out that process the following people on this list must, for all extensive purposes, disappear in the coming year. Now I'm not saying actually disappear, like spontaneously combust into oblivion or anything like that just manage to go away, leave our television sets and big screens and radios, and find somewhere else to be. So without further ado I present to you the Go Away List of two thousand and eleven.

Taylor Swift
If there was ever a more mediocre person set for world domination in the history of this planet I must have missed them. Little Miss Taylor has managed to take her okay looks, okay singing voice, okay song writing and become the queen of...pop music? Country music? A mutated hybrid of both perhaps? A truly lonesome creature, slugging its way around somewhere between CMC and the Disney Channel, bloodthirsty for vengeance against its creator.

She has played the sympathy card for well over a year now and frankly it wasn't that terrible in the first place. Kanye stole her mic for a few seconds, said what everyone was thinking then gave it back to her. He didn't steal her kitty and put it in the microwave, although that would have made for better television. The genius of Swift has nothing to do with her "songwriting" but everything to do with the fact that she was taken that overblown incident and with the help of the sensitive when the situation calls for it media , has maintained a steady stream of guilt driven accolades. Taking her fan base that formally consisted of only teeny boppers to now including every single angry soccer mom and music critic in America.

Jersey Shore
I refuse to believe we live in a world that is going to give these people more then their fifteen minutes. Are we? Are we really? Are we people that give talentless morons second seasons and book deals and spin offs and in the process some kind of twisted credibility? This truly can't be life. Somewhere deep inside of me I thought I felt a paradigm shift right around the 08 election. Perhaps foolishly I had the notion that the general public of this country were going to get past reality television but in reality, reality television has only gotten far worse... giving us this abomination of the human spirit.

I honestly thought it wouldn't last but it looks like it might. A suntanned cancer spreading rapidly around pop culture. For reasons unbeknown to me otherwise intelligent people, like some of my friends, continue to breath new life into this thing. So until they stop tuning in I guess I can't really be mad at the paramecium brains on the show. Like monkeys in a zoo they'll hop, skip and jump until people stop knocking on the glass.


Oprah Winfrey
Wherever she goes she can take that little salvia ingesting rat in the picture with her. But it looks like Oprah ain't going anywhere soon. Sure her afternoon show is one for the history books but that isn't stopping her quest to assemble an army of depressed housewives to do her bidding at a moment's notice.

This woman has some balls man I'll give her that. I had the displeasure of accidentally tuning into her new network OWN, as in "I will own you weakling, ahahahahaha!"...and her programming really consists of the following shows...Oprah's Search for you Own Show, Oprah presents Master Class, Behind the Scenes of Oprah's 25th Season, Oprah's Guide to Own...obviously she's losing a show but gaining 3 or 4 more. Not only that but now she has a forum to give all of her "All Stars" (worthless friends) a show too...everyone is there from the horrible human being that is "Dr". Phil to a woman that is almost as shamelessly self-assured as Oprah herself, Gayle King. I will now provide a link if the thought of watching Oprah 24 hours a day is one that is exciting to you. http://www.oprah.com/own

But know only this. The more we watch her, the stronger her channel gets, the more relevant she stays. So in 50 years when Oprah is still around and looks exactly the same (because she was able to afford some type of anti-aging device) and technology has grown to the point of holographic projections into households. She will be there. On your couch, telling you what books to read, what food to eat and commanding you to love her. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Sarah Palin
She's downhill on a slippery slope already. From laughable vice-presidential candidate to laughable reality television star in something like two short years. There is really nowhere left to go but the cover of Playboy or Dancing with the Stars, I mean her daughter was already there but that would be merely dress rehearsal compared to Mama Grizzly herself.

There are still some misinformed, not so bright people out there that may think she has a serious career in politics still but even those people are starting to teeter off, with every televised salmon fishing trip and impossibly stupid tweet, they teeter off. Praise the Baby Jesus they're teetering off!


Will Smith's Kids
From his days as the Fresh Prince all the way up to his reign as one of the biggest movie stars on the planet I have been a mild fan of Will. He put out good enough hiphop music in his early days and has starred in a decent amount of perfectly acceptable films. More so then a fan though I've been in awe of how he has managed to evolve and stay relevant. The Philly boy hustles there's no doubt about that.

So when I see his kids, outside of some of their fashion choices, they seem sweet enough. Their the kin of Hollywood royalty so careers in music and movies are inevitable. But why now? They're all but ten and their parents were seemingly in the middle of great careers. I want them to go away for no other reason then to let their folks continue their go at it. Even Jada, always an underrated and unappreciated actress in my eyes. I need less whipping of the hair and more battling extraterrestrials and George Foreman.




Teen-aged, Angst filled vampires, wizards, werewolves, warlocks, etc.
Back in the eighties and early nineties it seemed like this type of stuff was a bit more hardcore, this is something I know for sure because I was a geek. It was a subculture of kids that owned this lore and it manifested in basements and comic shops across America. Other worldly things not suited for the glossy, candy coated mainstream. Even the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series as popular as it was seemed to stay closer to the grittiness of its source material. Then sometime after that, things started to change.

Vampires were no longer scary creatures that lurked in the night and viciously sucked the blood from your neck, they kept diaries and fell in love...sulked around in skinny jeans. Werewolves were tortured souls, trapped between the human and animal world, now they're shirtless bozos more ready for an Abercrombie and Fitch ad then a good old fashioned feasting on human flesh. Wizards and warlocks were usually bearded old men, worn down and haunted from their battles with dragons and other supernatural beasts. Now there's Harry Potter.

I dunno, call me crazy but I long for the days when teen angst manifested itself in the form of dusty, marathon long Dungeons and Dragons games and the only person that might take you to see the new vampire flick was Dad because he remembered how fond he was of the old vampire flicks. Not Mom because she wants to see that one cute actor with the nice hair and washboard abs.

In 2011 I want Harry to graduate from whatever Sorcerer Academy he attends, I want Jacob and Larry or whatever their names are to violently kill one another in one last epic showdown and take that girl with them and I want all the other supernatural teens to grow up and move on, once again making room for the grotesque beasts and vengeful, immortal murderers of yesteryear.