The Dark Joker

As a self-proclaimed movie buff and lover of villains (the more evil the more I love them), I find Heath Ledger's Joker to top them all. You knew it was Heath behind the make up but you also forgot it was Heath. His facial expressions, his nervous, yet acquired habit with his tongue and his voice had you mesmerized at the talent that was and could have been, Heath Ledger.

I can't say enough about Heath's performance in The Dark Knight save for I had to see it twice, and I did. I saw it opening night, then on 21 July 2008 (5:35pm showing) and once more at IMAX.

But Heath's performance is not the only attraction to the movie. I enjoyed Batman Begins because of the darkness of the movie (Oh, I also love, love, love dark movies). And I was anxiously awaiting the next installment and it did not disappoint.

The ending of The Dark Knight left things open, especially the return of the Joker. So, my question is, who can or will top Heath Ledger's performance?

The man who left this earth with so many questions as to why he did what he did on that faithful day, has now left me with more questions as to what would have become of him since playing the Joker so exquisitely? Would he reprise his role in the next Batman installment? Would he continue to play villains in other movies? Or has this movie made him a legend before his time?

As the Joker said in the movie:

Introduce a little anarchy... Upset the established order... Well then everyone loses their minds!

Has his early departure done just that? We'll never know.

I do not believe his death made him a legend, but rather his role as The Joker.

See his work in action if you haven't already, go to You Tube and type in Heath Ledger - The Joker.

The Sweeney that is Todd

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_hgrfZVlJA]

I am not really a Tim Burton fan, although I do respect the dark aspects of his movies. When I completed watching Sweeney Todd and although a great idea on a classic, I am a bit turned off by the singing, and a lot of unnecessary singing at that.

Background of the story Sweeney Todd courtesy of Wikipedia:

In his past life, Todd was known as Benjamin Barker, a middle class barber, married to Lucy Barker with a daughter, Johanna. The villainous Judge Turpin exiles Benjamin to Australia on false charges in order to have Lucy to himself. Lucy poisons herself in grief, and in her hiatus, Turpin adopts baby Johanna as his ward. By the time Todd returns to London, Johanna has become a young woman and falls in love with a sailor, Anthony, who attempts to steal her away from Judge Turpin, who has proposed to marry the girl. In some versions of the Sweeney Todd story Mrs. Lovett, his partner in crime and variously his friend or lover (and whose first name is variously Nellie, Marjorie, Sarah, Shirley, or Claudette), hides his crimes by butchering the corpses of Todd's victims, baking their flesh into meat pies, and selling them to unknowing customers.

In the original story, A String of Pearls, Sweeney Todd is still the same working class barber. Instead of killing for revenge, however, he kills in pure greed. At the end, he is arrested and hanged, while Mrs. Lovett commits suicide in her cell.

In every version, Mrs. Lovett takes in an orphan boy, Tobias Ragg, after Sweeney kills Ragg's previous guardian, Adolfo Pirelli. Ragg is generally the first character to catch onto Sweeney's crimes and also is responsible for Todd's death.

In almost every variation, Johanna, Anthony, and Toby are the only characters who survive.

I am not sure why Burton felt the need to keep it a musical, which to me is, following suit of others. It would have been great if this movie was a straight up talkie.

Now, on to the good stuff.

As the story says, Benjamin Parker (Sweeney Todd), once a barber, was falsely accused and thus sent away. He comes back 15 years later to find the judge who put him away has married his wife and adopted his daughter. Sweeney is now bent on revenge. He re-opens a barber shop above Mrs. Lovett's pie shop, thus begins the relationship between Todd and Lovett. Also in the pictures is a boy named Toby who worked for a peddler of whatever he was peddling at that time. To learn more of how everyone came to be, rent the movie...I think any version would do, but if you want the dark version, then rent Burton's version.

The entire movie is dark (dark streets, dark clothes, dark scenes, dark everything) save for the part when Todd is telling Lovett of his past and when Lovett is imagining her and Todd's life together with Toby.

The movie centers around revenge and Todd's heart being full of malice. The lengths Todd goes through to exact his revenge causes others to fall prey to the wicked hands to which they were never a part of. Todd's first chance at revenge against the judge is missed by no fault of his own. Before his second chance appears, many, many men will die and become the meat in Mrs. Lovett's meat pie, which are the hit of Fleet Street. Once his revenge is complete against the judge, he soon finds that his malice has caused the death of someone that was close to his heart. This causes more anger for Todd who seeks revenge on another and thus the vicious circle just goes around and around and ends with revenge getting its revenge.

The Pen May Lie but The Sword Does Not!

There seems to be an influx of false memories rolling down the river of late. The first known of this was Clifford Irving’s book The Autobiography of Howard Hughes. I am sure there was others before him, but he’s on of the famous one. Then there was James Frey and his A Million Little Pieces in which he even had Oprah fooled. Oprah brought James back on the show to talk about the lies and for her to do this just probably made the book even popular. I can’t say for sure, but as a collector, I like to keep books of this nature.

The James Frey hoax had a bit of a backlash in that readers demanded their money back. I didn’t. I have the original book before the disclaimer was introduced in the re-released copies. I also have the O J Simpson book, If I did It that was released by the money hungry Goldmans. But I digress.

Recently, there have been two memoirs that have been exposed for being lies. The first was a holocaust memoir titled Misha: A Memoir of the Holocaust Years by Misha Defonseca in which she states, as a Jewish child, she lived with a pack of wolves in the woods during the Holocaust. Well, my first clue that something wasn’t right is the “pack of wolves”. Unless your name is Tarzan or Lucan (for those of you from the 70′s and remember the Tv show), no one has ever been raised by a pack of wolves. The second memoir was by Margaret B. Jones (real name Margaret Seltzer) called Love and Consequence who claimed she was a foster child growing up in South Los Angels and survived by selling drugs the street gang The Bloods. Oh, did I mention that she claims she was abused as a child and that she’s half white and half Native American? You should look this one up because she’s a hum dinger. The author’s, or should I say, the liars true story is, she actually grew up with her biological family in the Sherman Oaks section of Los Angeles, in the San Fernando Valley.

I am not sure why these people feel the need to fabricate their stories.

I am currently editing my first novel, which so happens to be about the holocaust. The protagonist is in an unnamed concentration camp. My story, unlike the ones mentioned, is of fiction. It is what you would call a historical fiction novel. I am neither Jewish nor have a Jewish background. In addition, I do not know anyone who was in any of the camps. After I had completed by draft, I had the pleasure of meeting Gloria Lyons who did spend time in four camps. Her husband was able to escape the Holocaust by being sent to Budapest and then to America.

Of the two hoaxes to come about the one that irks me the most is the book about the Holocaust. The Holocaust is a subject near and dear to my heart. This is a subject that should not be played with nor doubted. When others come forth with their stories, are they going to be believed? Hard to say. These constant false memoirs are starting to turn into the boy who cried wolf.

V for Vendetta and Beyond

circa: 2008

Remember, remember the fifth of November
The gunpowder treason and plot
I know of no reason, the gun powder treason
Should ever be forgot!

Synopsis: The date is November 5th, 1997. War has ravaged England, entire races have been eradicated, the entire British populace is under constant surveillance, and the absolute power is absolutely corrupt. On this historic day, a man with a strong resemblance to Guy Fawkes (in action and dress) blows up Parliament. The bomber, a masked character named V, saves a girl named Eve from a violent crime and takes her under his wing. Moore's dystopian, fascist version of England, ruled by one central leader and his sects (named after parts of the body, such as Finger, Nose, and Voice), is systematically dismantled by the enigmatic V. Readers must ultimately decide if V is a mad anarchist/terrorist or a freedom-fighting avenger for good. Amazon.com

Although the story in the graphic novel is set in 1997, the movie has it set in the future.

Now, on to V for Vendetta. Being the V freak that I am (I have the V insigna tattooed on my upper left arm as shown above in photo) you would think I would have ripped right into that book as soon as I bought, but I didn't. I looked at it, read a few pages and that was it. Why? Well, because graphic novels were not my thing....AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!! I got the book because I became a huge fan of V for Vendetta and still am a fan. After the graphic novel and regular novel, came the posters, mouse pad and plague made for me by a friend, a 12" resin statue and then the same thing but less expensive...much less...the second one I bought only cost $24.00 via eBay which is called an "action figure". Well, its still in the box and will remain there, so no action there. The first one cost $124.00. (Note to self - get 12" resin encased immediately). Also on eBay, I got a collectible lithograph. Through bn.com I got the book From Script to Film. I also have the licensed Halloween mask (never worn and never will be worn). I need to get the hat but will not pay $150 for an outfit unless it was worn by Hugo Weaving himself. There's another V for Vendetta book I will be getting soon titled V for Vendetta as Cultural Pastiche: A Critical Study of the Graphic Novel and Film. I have a few more items to collect and then I will in like sin.

"I, like God, do not play with dice and do not believe in coincidences."

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTlgpnNQYmg]

Evolution of Dance

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg&w=425&h=349]

V for Vendettas, Watchmen and Berlin

I have begun to read graphic novels and it started with, none other than, V for Vendetta. It started with me buying it along with the novel (which was inspired by the film). Yes, you heard right. The novel was inspired by the film. Sidebar: V for Vendetta movie was inspired by the graphic novel by Alan Moore. After the movie came the novel.

Anyhow. I bought the regular novel and graphic novel right after seeing the movie...literally right after seeing the movie. My friend and I went to Barnes and Noble after leaving the theater and bought both books. I began reading the novel, but had the graphic novel close by. I soon put down the book and started on something else. Hmmm,  I seem to be writing but not saying much, so I will get to the point of this composition.

I am not sure who it was, but someone told me I should read the graphic novel of V for Vendetta. I had also heard that the character of V is very different in the graphic novel than in the movie in that V wasn't so nice. So, that right there, got me interested. I did pick up the graphic novel and started reading, but ended up putting it down for something else. It had nothing to do with the graphic novel itself, it just had to do with how I was feeling at the time and at the time I was not in the mood at that time.

Then came the graphic novel Watchmen also by Alan Moore. Sidebar (yet again): Here's a bit of trivia. In the movie V for Vendetta when Evey comes from under the desk when V was on TV, there is a copy of Watchmen on the desk. I was informed about this graphic novel by a co-worker who recommended another one I will be speaking about in a minute. When I was recommended Watchmen I ordered it immediately from Barnes and Noble online Barnes and Noble. As soon I received it from my best friend UPS, I began reading it and could not stop. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and couldn't get enough of it. This book is definitely not for kids and you have to have an open mind to read it. You do not need to be a fan of graphic novels to enjoy this book, but you will be afterwards.

Synopsis: Watchmen is set in 1985, in an alternative history United States where costumed adventurers are real and the country is edging closer to a nuclear war with the Soviet Union (the Doomsday Clock is at five minutes to midnight). It tells the story of a group of past and present superheroes and the events surrounding the mysterious murder of one of their own. Watchmen depicts superheroes as real people who must confront ethical and personal issues, who struggle with neuroses and failings, and who - with one notable exception - lack anything recognizable as super powers.

The drawings and writing is nothing I have ever seen before in this particular graphic novel. Because of this book, my desire to read more graphic novels has been fueled.

Second recommendation by the same co-worker was Berlin: City in Stones by Jason Lutes.

Synopis: Berlin: City of Stones presents the first part of Jason Lutes' captivating trilogy, set in the twilight years of Germany's Weimar Republic. Kurt Severing, a journalist, and Marthe Muller, an art student, are the central figures in a broad cast of characters intertwined with the historical events unfolding around them. City of Stones covers eight months in Berlin, from September 1928 to May Day, 1929, meticulously documenting the hopes and struggles of its inhabitants as their future is darkened by a glowing shadow.

I highly recommend all the graphic novels I mentioned here.  I recommend reading Watchmen first and then moving to V for Vendettas and this is coming from a V fan all the way around.

The Junky Escape The Burrough's Jessop

 

I remember reading part of The Naked Luncha few years back...actually, a lot of years back and found it quite strange, and thus didn't finish it, but never discarded it and planned on reading it later down the line (I have the book on my shelf now). In 2009 (December to be exact) I heard from a friend of a friend about his other book (his, meaning William S. Burroughs) called Junky and thus picked it up and began reading it. It had me quite captivated for it took you on a journey of his drug induced days back East, but the book lost me towards the end.

Burroughs started talking about this little town about a page and a half which diverted greatly from the flow of the story that once he got back on track I lost interest. I guess it shows it doesn't take much for me to lose interest in a story.

I did finish Junky and realized how repetitive it was...he got started on junk, met cool people, met shady people, his friends ended up in the hoosegaw, he got off junk, got back on junk, met cool people, met shady people, HE ended up in the hoosegaw, etc., etc.. In the beginning the book intrigued me, but then it started getting repetitive and rather boring, but its like a bad movie, you want to see how it ends.

As a fanatic of books, I enjoy having another book to read right after the other and I finally found one to read called Escape by Carolyn Jessop with Laura Palmer (not to be confused with Twin Peaks's Laura Palmer - HA!) which tells the story of Carolyn being born into, living in and escaping from the FLDS (Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), or most commonly known as Polygamy (plural marriage). I think outside of Anne Rule's Everything She Ever Wantedand Too Late To Say Goodbye I don't think I've read anything more profound. She speaks of her childhood with one mother and then ending up with two mothers. Her sister's escape at a young age and her desire to learn and get a good education, but in between were the beatings by her biological mother Nurylon. She ends up marrying Merril Jessop

Merril Jessop (born about 1935) is believed to be the de-facto leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS Church), after its former leader, Warren Jeffs, resigned when he was convicted as an accomplice to rape in 2007. Head of the YFZ Ranch, Jessop has been a lifelong member of the church.

While he was in imprisoned, Warren Jeffs reportedly designated William E. Jessop as the rightful successor to the FLDS Church presidency. However, William Jessop has remained at official church headquarters in Hildale, Utah. Recently, news reports have suggested a possible shift of the church's headquarters to Eldorado, Texas, where a temple has been built by FLDS Church at the YFZ Ranch members. As the bishop of the church at YFZ and spokesmen for the FLDS church, it appears that Merril Jessop is the de facto president and the most powerful person in the FLDS Church.

One of Jessop's former wives, Carolyn Jessop, wrote a memoir in 2007 about their 17 year marriage. Carolyn Jessop left the FLDS Church in 2003 and, after a custody battle with Merril Jessop, won full custody of their 8 children.

According to his former wife's memoir Jessop is the father of more than fifty biological children with at least five wives. His senior wife, Faunita, who suffered from mental illness and was the mother of at least 15 children, was literally abandoned by the roadside when the cult was moved to Texas and became a ward of one of her grandchildren living in the mainstream Mormon community. Jessop is believed to have taken many more wives since the departure of Carolyn. According to his ex-wife's book, Jessop has nebulous business interests that include construction and hotels and has suffered from major heart problems in recent years.Source Wikipedia

I learned of this book after watching Secret Lives of Women: War On Polygamy which focused on two women who escaped/left the "cult" (and I use the word very loosely as to not offend anyone) after years of endurance. I was absolutely mesmerized by what these women went through and what they witnessed, but more importantly the courage they gained to escape their environment.

Barnes and Noble best describes the book:

The dramatic first-person account of life inside an ultra-fundamentalist American religious sect, and one woman’s courageous flight to freedom with her eight children.

When she was eighteen years old, Carolyn Jessop was coerced into an arranged marriage with a total stranger: a man thirty-two years her senior. Merril Jessop already had three wives. But arranged plural marriages were an integral part of Carolyn’s heritage: She was born into and raised in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), the radical offshoot of the Mormon Church that had settled in small communities along the Arizona-Utah border. Over the next fifteen years, Carolyn had eight children and withstood her husband’s psychological abuse and the watchful eyes of his other wives who were locked in a constant battle for supremacy.

Carolyn’s every move was dictated by her husband’s whims. He decided where she lived and how her children would be treated. He controlled the money she earned as a school teacher. He chose when they had sex; Carolyn could only refuse—at her peril. For in the FLDS, a wife’s compliance with her husband determined how much status both she and her children held in the family. Carolyn was miserable for years and wanted out, but she knew that if she tried to leave and got caught, her children would be taken away from her. No woman in the country had ever escaped from the FLDS and managed to get her children out, too. But in 2003, Carolyn chose freedom over fear and fled her home with her eight children. She had $20 to her name.

Escape exposes a world tantamount to a prison camp, created byreligious fanatics who, in the name of God, deprive their followers the right to make choices, force women to be totally subservient to men, and brainwash children in church-run schools. Against this background, Carolyn Jessop’s flight takes on an extraordinary, inspiring power. Not only did she manage a daring escape from a brutal environment, she became the first woman ever granted full custody of her children in a contested suit involving the FLDS. And in 2006, her reports to the Utah attorney general on church abuses formed a crucial part of the case that led to the arrest of their notorious leader, Warren Jeffs.

I highly recommend this book to any and everyone but I ask that no one confuses the Mormon church beliefs with the FLDS's beliefs.

 Wm. S. Burroughs Carolyn Jessop

Jr. Stone - Popper Extraordinaire

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Grktj2Uk7pE]

Be A Better Friend? - I Choose to be a Horrible Warning Instead

True friends are hard to come by now-a-days and I am not sure why. I'm learning the people I try to be friends with only want me around for self-validation. Meaning, they will tell their story or stories to me in hopes I will somehow validate what they are doing, which I won't if I don't agree with it. I will, instead, question their motives, moves, thoughts and such. I prefer to get people to think about what they are doing instead of finding away to agree with what they are doing. I'm what's called an honest person. Sometimes, I'm brutally honest.

Then there's those that like to friend hop. These are people that are "friends" with you when they feel you fill their needs and when you don't they are on to the next person. Sometimes, the next person is someone the first person just told you they disliked and don't want to have anything to do with. Friend Hoppers don't worry about people's feelings. They are only concerned with their own needs.

Then there's the manipulator which basically sums up the above two in one title. But the manipulator will reel the person in and then get them to do what they want and eventually, let that person go without notice. Just as the Self-Validator and Friend Hopper does.

Why people do these things is an question we can't answer, but only to say these people are the most insecure people.  So much so they are blinded by their insecurity that they don't see it or won't admit it to themselves.

So, how to be a better friend? I don't know how to be a better friend because I thought I was doing the right thing. But the one thing I've learned is, you can't be a good friend to someone who possesses the above traits. You can't be a good friend to the Self-Validator for they won't be around long enough and have already show you they are not with you for friendship, so don't waste your time. You can't be a good to the Friend Hopper for, they too, won't be around long, but will come back around when the feeling hits them. I strongly advise on not falling for the game. And the manipulator is just on their own.

So I'll just be a good acquaintance. As the saying good, since I can't be a good example I'll just be a horrible warning.

The following e-mail was sent to someone who was hurt over another's actions.  I received a text and thought it best to respond via e-mail for my response is long and a bit detailed.

There are people that won't be honest when asked a question.  For instance, when you asked me if I would pick up a item for you.  I was honest in stating that that city is a bit far for me.  You asking your friend for something and her ignoring you and why she did that is something you would have to ask her in hopes she is honest with you, or you can let it go and chalk it up to experience and put it in your knowledge base of her.

Friends are not the same as they were 20 or 30 years ago.  The "friend" I told you about that I realized wasn't a friend at all...AT ALL, was the same way.  I would text a question and got ignored or when I made a statement about me, I got ignored, but when it came to the other person, they were on top of texts and conversation.

I've learned, the hard way, to ignore people and only take things as they come.  I no longer consider anyone a long term friend.  I consider them a "at that moment friend".  My best friend is the person I'm with and have been with for 12 years.

Take your dealings with your friend as a learning experience and deal with it accordingly.

I am not going to bad mouth your friend because she is a friend of yours and secondly, it would be wrong of me to do.  I take my experience with others as that, my experience.

When we are young, we think we know everything and we don't think about the consequences our actions have on others and ourselves in the long run.  I am now 45 years of age and think often of mistakes I made in my younger days with regards to people and I try to be a better person to those I meet today.  

Don't let your feelings be hurt too bad with the outcomes of others.  Unfortunately, that's how some people are.  I say, as long as you continue being a good person and keep your head up, you're going to be alright.

After sending and a about an hour later I received a response that stated "Got your email. Very well said."  Although I don't pat myself on the back as often as I should, I did this time.  I re-read it and thought I couldn't have said it better if it wasn't me saying it in the first place.

Getting Older

The following post was written and published on 1 June 2008 but I have updated it just a bit by adding Facebook into the mix.  I was working in San Francisco at that time and had to take BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to work everyday.  Because of this, thinking became my companion.





I ride on a commuter train that has me engaged in three things at the same time: reading, watching and thinking.

My commute is about 20 - 25 minutes which gives me plenty of time to do all three, but I find myself doing the latter two the most. What am I watching and what am I thinking? Mostly the older people. Why am I watching? I watch their actions. How they just sit there looking out the window and I wonder what are they thinking about. Then I start thinking about getting old and will I be like the person I am watching and observing? A good 99.9% of time, I hope I do not become the person I am observing for they seem lonely and without hope. They seem to be holding on to hope, all the while hope is trying to release itself from their grappling hold.

I have always wanted to make my living doing something I thoroughly enjoy doing which is either music or writing. I have released two CDs and two poetry books. Both were done with the determination of me and both released by way of myself. I could have tried to find a more traditional way of having both release (music by way of a record label and poetry by way of an agent then a publishing company), but in this day and age of the internet and self-publishing sites, I choose the non-traditional way, which is slowly becoming the alternative traditional way.

My dream was to "make it" in the field of music. I wanted to tour and such. But now I am older and the dream has whittled down to just being able to make a living writing music. Because of my love of poetry (Dickinson, Poe, Hughes, Frost, etc.) I wanted to make it as a successful poet. I did not want to become known for my poetry after I had left this earth to where I cannot enjoy the rewards of my hard work. I am still working towards my goal. The same concept goes for my music.

I do not want to be 60 something years old retiring from a 9 - 5 job. I dread that everyday I am on the commuter train. That's another thing I wonder about when I am observing the older people. I wonder did they accomplish what they wanted in life? Are there goals they are still trying to reach? Are there goals they did not reach and thus regret it? Well, its not reaching the goal they would regret, its not trying. I do not want to be on the 'not trying' in the end, but more importantly, I do not want to be on the 'did not reach my goals' end.

I am currently editing my first novel and I feel what I am writing about, although written before, has not been written by the likes of me. My novel is a historical/fiction novel where the protagonist is in an unnamed concentration camp.  Where the 'unlikes of me' come into play, is that I have no Jewish background, as far as ethnicity and I have no family members who were interned at such camps.  My writing comes from within me.  All the words, all the feelings all the descriptions came from me. My intentions did not begin that way, but they soon fell that way as a leverage on my part in possible high sales.

I will be self publishing my novel and promote my novel as well. I know what I need to do, I just need to do it.

But of everything I fear when I reach my golden-years I fear of being lonely. I fear the person I am with will go before me and I will not know what to do with myself.

When I was young, I did not mind being alone. As a matter of fact I preferred it that way. But now I am getting older and feel time is fleeting (which it is unfortunate), I don't want to be alone. I think that's why I enjoy the Internet so much. Although I do not speak to others on pogo.com just being able to go where they are people is comforting enough for me.  Now Facebook is my second companion.

I think as long as the Internet is around and I still have my wits about me, I will be okay.

Until next time:
"“Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future.” Fulton Oursler

Thoughts From the Underground: The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom - Part I

Thoughts From the Underground: The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom - Part I: "A co-worker informed me of this book a while back - OK it was really three months ago (a while back sounded more interesting) and I immedia..."

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom - Part I

A co-worker informed me of this book a while back - OK it was really three months ago (a while back sounded more interesting) and I immediately downloaded the book to my NookColor app on my iPad but ignored it.  It was one of those I'll read it when I get to it things.  I had a semi list of books I wanted to read roaming around in my gulliver already.  Not a set list, but one of those lists that keeps growing and instead of doing the oldest things first, you do the newest item on your list first and then the next thing you know - well you know.


I was reminded again from my co-worker, rather asked by my co-worker if I had begun The Kitchen House. My answer was of course, no.  I was asked again a week later, but in between all of this I find my eyes constantly looking at the cover on my Nook while I select the book I was actually reading.  


I had read three books before - rather 2.5 books before beginning TKH.  One being The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and NO, I am not a fan at all.  I put that book down three times and finally gave up.  It did not hold my interest all.  When Katniss is at training (which I where I left her) just had me falling asleep.  I think too much time was spent there - but I digress.  However, I am eagerly waiting for the movie, believe it or not.  The next book I began reading was The Box: Uncanny Stories by Richard Matheson.  This book is a collection of short stories. Right up my alley in case I get bored, I can still struggle through because I know it will end in three or so pages instead of 200 pages.  The first story Button Button was made into a movie which I found quite odd because there weren't that many pages to the story - yet, I really enjoyed the story.  Upon finishing that, I went back to The Hunger Games - still no luck on getting through it.  I started reading Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford.  I absolutely loved this book.  After I finished it, I went back to THG and still without luck and trust me I tried my hardest - more like damnedest to like the book.  OK.  Got asked again about TKH by my co-worker and this time I actually opened the book up and OMG! am I glad I did.


Not since The Help have I read a book that enthralled me to the point that I did not want to put it down.  My 15 minutes breaks and hour lunches were spent reading this book.  My waking moment, when not reading, was spent thinking about the characters and their situations and wondering what's coming next.  I was so immersed into this book that I began talking to my co-worker about the characters like they were real people.  I would walk past her and say, Lavinia's marrying Marshall. I would do this a few times.  Sometimes I would just speak over my cubicle about someone in the book and we would hold a conversation like the people we were are speaking of were alive in 2011, when in actuality, they are people from 1791 who lived and worked on plantation in Virginia.  


The Kitchen House is set during slavery where the cast of character from Lavinia (a seven year old indentured servant) to Mama Mae (a slave on the plantation) begin to intertwine with each other and help each other through the struggles of every day living to the tragedies that is a slave's life.


Tonight, I had the honor of speaking with the author, Kathleen Grissom.  The interview was approximately an hour and then we had a nice off the record conversation.  Not only did I speak with a fascinating writer, but in the process, I do believe I have gained a friend.


Part II of this blog will include my synopsis of the book.  Part III will the transcript of my interview with the author.  I must forwarn that the interview may contain spoilers from the book.  I say 'may' because I going to figure out way to write the transcript and leave some names out - actually, its more of way for me to wet your whistle and wanting more - which will get you to purchase the book.  But I will be causing that affect on you in part II of my blog, if I haven't done so already, which will take place tomorrow.


In the meantime, I must go watch and blog Young and Restless.  You can find my blog of yesterday's episode by clicking on the following link:

Suds In The Bucket

Until Next Time:

“He that loves a book will never want a faithful friend, a wholesome counselor, a cheerful companion, an effectual comforter. By study, by reading, by thinking, one may innocently divert and pleasantly entertain himself, as in all weathers, as in all fortunes.”  Barrow

ENDING THIS BLOG

I'm not getting many readers here so I'm going to end this blog for a bit.  My other blog http://withoutsound.blogspot.com is locking and poppin, so I'll devote my time over there.  I may come here once in a while when I have something in my gulliver I want to share with you all, but until then, enjoy my other blog.  I know there's nothing but Mob Wives there right now, but I'll be adding more shows as I find them.

For those of you that did stop by to read, I thank you from the bottom of my heart

For those that didn't stop by and are doing right now...well - there's nothing to see anymore.  Go read the old stuff and then hop over to my other blog.

Until next time,

//Signed//

Nikki

The Clash of Alice In Chains

The first song I heard by Alice In Chain's was "Man in the Box" I thought they were the basest band around because of the guitar work that was not your normal screaming, high pitch shrill that cause your ear to bleed. Instead the guitar playing of Jerry Cantrell is very power with a rhythm and blues wrapped in a lot of rock and roll which I find funny because according to Jerry, "We're a lot of different things...I don't quite know what the mixture is, but there's definitely metal blues, rock and roll, maybe a touch of punk."



You can hear what he's speaking about in the song listed above. Because of that song I wanted to get the album the song was off of which was "Facelift" until the guy at the record store suggested "Dirt" stating that was their best work and I have to say I agree. I think this album combines all the sound Jerry spoke when describing Alice's style. From the heaviness of Them Bones to the slow beginnings of Rooster. If you get any Alice album please get this one. You will not be disappointed.

And while you're at it pick up Combat Rock and London Calling, both by The Clash. As with Alice's Dirt, these two Clash albums gives a mixture of music from punk to rock to blues with a hint of reggae or ska. Not sure which. But it doesn't matter. The music and lyrics are all that matter on all albums listed from both Alice in Chains and The Clash.

Before We're Adopted, We're Abandoned

Basic human contact - the meeting of eyes, the exchanging of words - is to the psyche what oxygen is to the brain. If you're feeling abandoned by the world, interact with anyone you can....MARTHA BECK

Validation

On the final episode of Oprah (25 May 2011) she ended her show by speaking about validation and how we all need and want it. I kinda hold validation and acceptance in the same light. We all want and seek it one way or another. The following is my opinion on validation and the want and need of it.

Some seek it by the people they surround themselves with. The non-popular person my try to get in with the "it" crowd to gain some self worth and outside acceptance from those around them. Some may do it by making what ever issue they have going on bigger than what it is to get sympathy from others. This validates them as being important. Some do it through lies they tell about themselves to make themselves seem tougher or better than what they are. If the person they are telling lies to sticks around, the liar is obtaining false validation. Since the friendship was formed on lies, the validation is not only false, but to be short lived, for the victim, if they value their self worth, will see past the lies and discover the false friendship.

Some seek validation from groups of people while some may seek it through one person. Some seek it so bad they are willing to accept anyone that gives it to them - even if that person is not good for them. The whole love is blind thing applies here.

But what about the validation you can give yourself by being yourself. By not putting on airs for someone. By not feeling you have to do others wrong to make yourself look like the good person. By not demeaning another because your self worth is below the radar.

I used to seek acceptance/validation by many growing up and I think it has to do with being an only child. I am not saying only children do this. I even did it in my teen age years and in my adult years. But we get to a time in our lives that self validation is only to be seeked by one person and that person is someone who is going to tell you the truth. Who is going to guide you in the right direction and not lie or steal from you (see Shakespeare's Othello about stealing one's name) to either better themselves or make themselves feel better.

But people are not the only way we seek validation. We also seek it through the music we create, the poetry we write our novels/short stories that we produce and definitely through our blogs.

My validation comes in the form of the number of visitors that visit my blog - either this one or my other blog Words Without Sound. I used to seek validation via my music and my poetry, but I find blogging to be my greatest joy because I am either bringing joy to others, enlightening others, making other think about things or just bringing a smile to others.

I wanted people to follow me, but that's not needed. Those that are following me are greatly appreciated for doing so. Those that aren't are still greatly appreciated because it's not the number of face and names I see on the right side of my blog, but as mentioned, the number of visitors I get a day. I write for myself first and then for the readers be my regular readers who's names and faces I do not know or my new readers that I acquire everyday.

My main validation is my completion of the blog, such as this one. When I go back and read it and feel good about it, then I have validated myself first. When I publish it, the public will validate it by reading, which in turn validates me and wants me to write more and more.

Until next time:
"What the superior man seeks is in himself; what the small man seeks is in others" Confucius



-Thoughts From The Underground-