one week has passed, only 48 more to go until i leave for Japan. So far, my plan of watching a movie every Tuesday and reading some travel books every Wednesday seems to be working.
Last Tuesday I watched the animated classic from 1986...The Transformers. I was 10 when this movie came out and I remember my dad taking me to see it. It was great. The Transformers is without a doubt the greatest cartoon ever made.
I'm 30 and i still get teary when Optimus Prime dies.
Its all good though...he comes back in the regular season. Hot Rod just wasn't fit to lead the autobots and the Matrix didn't fit inside Ultra Magnus so Prime HAD to come back.
Tonight's movie is the noir tour de force that is Frank Miller's masterpiece....Sin City. This movie is based on some of the greatest graphic novels ever written. If you have not yet been exposed to Sin City or the works of Frank Miller, go out and do so now.
Everything the man has written or drawn is pure gold. From Daredevil in the 70's and 80's to the brilliant Dark Knight Returns in 1986 which is by the way, the best Batman story ever told...to Sin City and 300 in the 90's and currently All Star Batman and Robin...written by Frank and drawn by the master Jim Lee. Miller has done hundreds of books besides the few i listed above but the ones i mentioned have had the most impact on me.
One to the movie...
An old man dies, a little girl lives...
that's fair, right?
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Somewhere in the Universe, someone is laughing very evil laughter.
I wouldn't exactly say that the world is out to get me but something on a much larger scale. Whoever is pulling the strings of my so-called life is having a grand time while laughing at me. I have not made up my mind yet on whether or not I believe in karma but I'm slowly leaning towards "yes"
Why? Let me tell you. Over the past few months, quite a few rather negative things have happened to me and these events have helped me decide that if Karma does indeed exist then I'm in for a world of greatness.
First, I am a coffee fanatic. I need it and cannot live without it. I'm not a big fan of corporate coffee but i will drink it if i have to. For the past 10 years or so I have haunted this little dive of a coffee bar, it has 2 tables, magazines from years gone by, old well read comic books and the best god damn dark roast you can have the honor of sucking down.
So anyway, a few days ago I was talking to one of the girls that work there and she seemed rather upset so i asked her what was wrong. Between the tears she was able to tell me that this coffee bar that she has worked at for several years and I had frequented for about 10 years is leaving. When a business goes out of business its not really a surprise, you tend to hear whispers about it.
Nope...not this time. The owner of the building came downstairs and informed the manager and employees that the building is going to be sold and modified for some type of clothing store and that the coffee house will be gone by the end of the month. This really sucks. This is certainly not the only place to get coffee in my town but it was the best. I knew everyone there and going there was part of my daily routine. That little hole inside my heart just got a little bigger.
Second. I am a sushi fanatic and finding good sushi in the area where i live is not an easy task. There is a great little place a couple of towns over called Sakura. Not only does Sakura have great sushi for not a lot of money but they also have great beef and noodle bowls, Pocky, Strawberry Kit-Kats, Ramune and UCC coffee...all off these things being part of my weekly diet.
Anyway, the rent on the building where they are now is rather high and they have been looking to relocate to a cheaper area but still close to where they are now. Well, they found a really nice building both larger and cheaper then where they are now however its 2 and a half hours away in the bottom of the state. I'm not a rich kid, I cant afford an every other day trip to the bottom of the state for great sushi...my gasoline budget just wont allow it. There are other little Japanese places in the area with decent sushi but its just not the same.
Finally, I have been kind of seeing this great girl lately and Katelyn is her name. We have the same taste in everything...she likes Japanese food, she drinks coffee, she likes to make fun of white trash folk and she reads comic books....this girl is a goddess.
She works at the local university studying the effects of fresh water on salt water creatures....what she does is much more technical but i just don't know the official term or job description. She loves what she does and I love hearing about what she does and starting next month i will only be able to hear about what she does over the phone.
The funding for her research at the school that she works at has been pulled but since the group of people that she works with are rather knowledgeable in the field that they are in, they have been given the option to transfer however the school that she works at is the only one in the state that has a program for what she does so I knew the whole "I'm moving out of state thing" was on its way. HOWEVER...what i wasn't aware of is that programs like hers are not at every college...in fact only about 4 major colleges have programs for what she does, all of which are a somewhat lengthy plane trip away. Her choices are California, Oregon, Texas or Florida...none of which are remotely close to where i live.
Katelyn chose Florida due to the fact that she has friends and family down there. We only have about a month together before she moves for good so we are going to try to make the best of it. We will talk on the phone and online and I will try my best to save some cash to go down and see her but like i said earlier...I'm not a rich kid.
Here's to you Puppet Master...i hope you are having a good laugh.
Congratulations Universe, you win.
Why? Let me tell you. Over the past few months, quite a few rather negative things have happened to me and these events have helped me decide that if Karma does indeed exist then I'm in for a world of greatness.
First, I am a coffee fanatic. I need it and cannot live without it. I'm not a big fan of corporate coffee but i will drink it if i have to. For the past 10 years or so I have haunted this little dive of a coffee bar, it has 2 tables, magazines from years gone by, old well read comic books and the best god damn dark roast you can have the honor of sucking down.
So anyway, a few days ago I was talking to one of the girls that work there and she seemed rather upset so i asked her what was wrong. Between the tears she was able to tell me that this coffee bar that she has worked at for several years and I had frequented for about 10 years is leaving. When a business goes out of business its not really a surprise, you tend to hear whispers about it.
Nope...not this time. The owner of the building came downstairs and informed the manager and employees that the building is going to be sold and modified for some type of clothing store and that the coffee house will be gone by the end of the month. This really sucks. This is certainly not the only place to get coffee in my town but it was the best. I knew everyone there and going there was part of my daily routine. That little hole inside my heart just got a little bigger.
Second. I am a sushi fanatic and finding good sushi in the area where i live is not an easy task. There is a great little place a couple of towns over called Sakura. Not only does Sakura have great sushi for not a lot of money but they also have great beef and noodle bowls, Pocky, Strawberry Kit-Kats, Ramune and UCC coffee...all off these things being part of my weekly diet.
Anyway, the rent on the building where they are now is rather high and they have been looking to relocate to a cheaper area but still close to where they are now. Well, they found a really nice building both larger and cheaper then where they are now however its 2 and a half hours away in the bottom of the state. I'm not a rich kid, I cant afford an every other day trip to the bottom of the state for great sushi...my gasoline budget just wont allow it. There are other little Japanese places in the area with decent sushi but its just not the same.
Finally, I have been kind of seeing this great girl lately and Katelyn is her name. We have the same taste in everything...she likes Japanese food, she drinks coffee, she likes to make fun of white trash folk and she reads comic books....this girl is a goddess.
She works at the local university studying the effects of fresh water on salt water creatures....what she does is much more technical but i just don't know the official term or job description. She loves what she does and I love hearing about what she does and starting next month i will only be able to hear about what she does over the phone.
The funding for her research at the school that she works at has been pulled but since the group of people that she works with are rather knowledgeable in the field that they are in, they have been given the option to transfer however the school that she works at is the only one in the state that has a program for what she does so I knew the whole "I'm moving out of state thing" was on its way. HOWEVER...what i wasn't aware of is that programs like hers are not at every college...in fact only about 4 major colleges have programs for what she does, all of which are a somewhat lengthy plane trip away. Her choices are California, Oregon, Texas or Florida...none of which are remotely close to where i live.
Katelyn chose Florida due to the fact that she has friends and family down there. We only have about a month together before she moves for good so we are going to try to make the best of it. We will talk on the phone and online and I will try my best to save some cash to go down and see her but like i said earlier...I'm not a rich kid.
Here's to you Puppet Master...i hope you are having a good laugh.
Congratulations Universe, you win.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
49 weeks...49 tuesdays.
OK...only 49 weeks until i leave for japan....49 Tuesdays, 49 weekends...you get the idea. Time is going to crawl and these next 49 weeks are going to suck so I have decided to do something about it.
Every Tuesday, I'm going to watch a movie. One movie a week. Like a loser, i have organized my movies in the order i want to watch them...I cant wait to watch the Kill Bill movies but the way things are lined up, i don't watch Kill Bill until august. Call me crazy, but this is going to help me stay on track and pass the time.
Every Wednesday I'm going to go to either Borders or Barnes and Nobel and read a chapter in a travel book about japan.
tonight's movie, the first movie for this grand scheme is:
Transformers the Movie. (the animated one from 1986)
Every Tuesday, ill update this blog with my thoughts on the previous weeks movie/travel book and name the movie ill be watching next.
if there is anyone out there that actually reads this, please feel free to send some suggestions to help this year pass.
anyway, I'm off.
transform and roll out.
Every Tuesday, I'm going to watch a movie. One movie a week. Like a loser, i have organized my movies in the order i want to watch them...I cant wait to watch the Kill Bill movies but the way things are lined up, i don't watch Kill Bill until august. Call me crazy, but this is going to help me stay on track and pass the time.
Every Wednesday I'm going to go to either Borders or Barnes and Nobel and read a chapter in a travel book about japan.
tonight's movie, the first movie for this grand scheme is:
Transformers the Movie. (the animated one from 1986)
Every Tuesday, ill update this blog with my thoughts on the previous weeks movie/travel book and name the movie ill be watching next.
if there is anyone out there that actually reads this, please feel free to send some suggestions to help this year pass.
anyway, I'm off.
transform and roll out.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
3 days until New York Comicon
This Thursday, my buddy Jay, his girlfriend Emma and I will take a short 5 hour drive south to NYC to attend the annual New York Comicon...its kind of like the US version of Mecca for nerds. Here, comic fans from all over the US come to meet their favorite comic creators, pitch their wares and buy overpriced comic books.
Several of my favorite comic artists will be attending so I'm really looking forward to going. My favorite artist, who i met during my trip to Texas in November of 2006 will be there so needless to say, I'm having a bit of a geek meltdown right now.
I grew up in New Jersey and I would go to NYC quite often so i happen to know where some great little bookstores, cafes and sushi/sake bars are so this will be a nice week-end. I will take lots of pictures so if any of you out there read this blog or are even interested, there will be some cool pics early next week.
Several of my favorite comic artists will be attending so I'm really looking forward to going. My favorite artist, who i met during my trip to Texas in November of 2006 will be there so needless to say, I'm having a bit of a geek meltdown right now.
I grew up in New Jersey and I would go to NYC quite often so i happen to know where some great little bookstores, cafes and sushi/sake bars are so this will be a nice week-end. I will take lots of pictures so if any of you out there read this blog or are even interested, there will be some cool pics early next week.
Monday, April 14, 2008
NO! Your Roots...(know your roots)
So...i was down at the local bodega today buying some coffee and overpriced energy drinks (which really dont do anything for me, i suppose i just like the taste) and talking shop with my buddy Kenji about my future trip to Japan and the possibility of him joining me and showing me the sites but our conversation was cut short due to a phone call so I left. On my way out of the store, there were these 2 kids talking about music, punk music inparticular. I missed most of the conversation but I did hear one of the kids say "hell yes I like punk, i love good charlotte".
I thought i was gonna puke. I had to intervene and let these retards know what punk is. I proceded to tell them about the Ramones, the Misfits, Sex Pistols and NOFX and how without these bands, there would be no such thing as punk rock. They looked at me with a blank stare and told me that they had never heard of these bands.
How can this be? Never hearing of the Ramones or the Misfits...never hearing Blitzkrieg Bop or Teenagers from Mars? Blasphemy. One of these little bastards mentioned the retard canadian band Simple Plan which is when i proceded to walk away before i did something i regret like throwing both kids under a city bus.
Simple Plan and Good Charlotte mentioned in the same sentence as the word Punk...what the hell is this world coming to?
I thought i was gonna puke. I had to intervene and let these retards know what punk is. I proceded to tell them about the Ramones, the Misfits, Sex Pistols and NOFX and how without these bands, there would be no such thing as punk rock. They looked at me with a blank stare and told me that they had never heard of these bands.
How can this be? Never hearing of the Ramones or the Misfits...never hearing Blitzkrieg Bop or Teenagers from Mars? Blasphemy. One of these little bastards mentioned the retard canadian band Simple Plan which is when i proceded to walk away before i did something i regret like throwing both kids under a city bus.
Simple Plan and Good Charlotte mentioned in the same sentence as the word Punk...what the hell is this world coming to?
Friday, April 11, 2008
The countdown has begun...finally, im going home
April 1st, 2009
i leave for japan.
slightly less than a year, yet a lifetime away.
i leave for japan.
slightly less than a year, yet a lifetime away.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
20 years down the rabbit hole...
The summer of 1989...i was 12. My parents were going to a garage sale. I had nothing better to do so i went with them. I was looking at the tables full of someone's used junk...clown lamps, velvet unicorn paintings, stained tupperware...the usual garage sale fare. I was pacing, waiting for my parents, and thats when i saw it...a brand new (well, almost brand new) copy of Marvel comics What if: #7. It was called What if Wolverine was an agent of Shield and the art and cover were done by Rob Liefeld. It was a quarter, i had to have it and i was well on my way to becomming one of the most pathetic, mis-understood beings on the planet...
a comic book fan.
This was the first comic i bought and i couldnt wait to get home and read it. I read it several times that day, each time seeing something new on each page. I showed it to my parents and demanded that they take me to the local comic book store to track down any and all issues of any comic drawn by Rob Liefeld.
At the time, Liefeld didnt have many books out...only a handful actually but i bought them all.
Over the years, i followed Liefelds career very closely from DC to Marvel to Image and I bought every single book that his name has appeared in. Liefelds books have introduced me to other comic greats such as Frank Miller, Karl Altstaetter, Jim Lee among many others. Once i read something by a comic book artist/writer that i really like, I have to own everything else that they have worked on. Im compulsive like that. No one draws like Liefeld, no one. His art jumps off the page, the borders can barly contain the art and energy. His designs and creativity are unmatched.
As I got older, I have been able to go to comic conventions and meet some of the creators that I admire so much although there are still quite a few i have yet to meet. Mr. Liefeld is one of the nicest people i have ever met. period. He really goes out of his way for his fans.
I have now been reading and collecting comics for almost 20 years now and have loved every minute of it. I have been introduced to such superteams as Youngblood, Bloodstrike, the Avengers, the X-men and the Wildcats. Characters like Daredevil, Bullseye, Captain America, MoonKnight and Colossus.
Im 30 years old and I will read comics books until the day i die.
These past 20 years of being a comic book fan have been so rewarding and have been the most surreal, facinating, interesting and exciting times of my life.
this is one of what will be many posts about comic books.
a comic book fan.
This was the first comic i bought and i couldnt wait to get home and read it. I read it several times that day, each time seeing something new on each page. I showed it to my parents and demanded that they take me to the local comic book store to track down any and all issues of any comic drawn by Rob Liefeld.
At the time, Liefeld didnt have many books out...only a handful actually but i bought them all.
Over the years, i followed Liefelds career very closely from DC to Marvel to Image and I bought every single book that his name has appeared in. Liefelds books have introduced me to other comic greats such as Frank Miller, Karl Altstaetter, Jim Lee among many others. Once i read something by a comic book artist/writer that i really like, I have to own everything else that they have worked on. Im compulsive like that. No one draws like Liefeld, no one. His art jumps off the page, the borders can barly contain the art and energy. His designs and creativity are unmatched.
As I got older, I have been able to go to comic conventions and meet some of the creators that I admire so much although there are still quite a few i have yet to meet. Mr. Liefeld is one of the nicest people i have ever met. period. He really goes out of his way for his fans.
I have now been reading and collecting comics for almost 20 years now and have loved every minute of it. I have been introduced to such superteams as Youngblood, Bloodstrike, the Avengers, the X-men and the Wildcats. Characters like Daredevil, Bullseye, Captain America, MoonKnight and Colossus.
Im 30 years old and I will read comics books until the day i die.
These past 20 years of being a comic book fan have been so rewarding and have been the most surreal, facinating, interesting and exciting times of my life.
this is one of what will be many posts about comic books.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
one of the best ways to pass the time.
playing Metal Gear Solid and listening to a mix of My Chemical Romance and Radiohead.
i will never tire of this.
i will never tire of this.
finally...
april 9th, 2008.
after years of reading other peoples observations, rants, thoughts and insights, I figured I would join the game.
The blogosphere. Its a pretty wierd place. Very crowded. Everyone sharing thier opinions, forcing them onto others. I hate when someone ridicules others for not agreeing with thier opinion.
anyway, this blog will not be about me bitching about anything unless its absolutly warrented.
As for the title of the blog, those 3 things are what i draw my creativity/imagination from the most. I love comic books, especially those done by Rob Liefeld, Frank Miller Jim Lee and Karl Altstaetter. These men are masters at what they do. More on this later.
Japan. Ive been obsessed with Japan and the Japanese culture for as long as I can remember. I did reports on Japan, Pearl Harbor, the Samurai...you name it...all in grade school. The food, the culture, the art, the trains, the 16th century and the 21st century existing at the same time. The works of Kojima, Kurasawa, Otomo, Shriow, Oshii...they have all helped me become who i am.
I eat sushi more than any other food. I dont know if you have ever felt like you were meant to be someplace or felt like something was calling you...I have. Japan is calling me and has been for 20 years. I dont feel right not being there...its like im incomplete.
Rain.
Its beautiful. Pure and Simple. The feel of rain, the smell of it...its just beautiful. The feeling outside right before it rains, during and after. The only other thing that is weather based that i like as much as Rain is snow...but thats another blog. Most people run for cover when they are caught in a rainstorm however I head for open areas where i can be rained on. I head for shelter on clear, hot summer days. I hate summer, with a passion. Summer rain makes the season bearable.
Rain on a cold autumn night. There is nothing better than sitting with a cup of coffee, a plate of sushi, some comic books, your ipod and watching and listing to the rain.
Read me if you want. Ignore me if you want.
more to come.
after years of reading other peoples observations, rants, thoughts and insights, I figured I would join the game.
The blogosphere. Its a pretty wierd place. Very crowded. Everyone sharing thier opinions, forcing them onto others. I hate when someone ridicules others for not agreeing with thier opinion.
anyway, this blog will not be about me bitching about anything unless its absolutly warrented.
As for the title of the blog, those 3 things are what i draw my creativity/imagination from the most. I love comic books, especially those done by Rob Liefeld, Frank Miller Jim Lee and Karl Altstaetter. These men are masters at what they do. More on this later.
Japan. Ive been obsessed with Japan and the Japanese culture for as long as I can remember. I did reports on Japan, Pearl Harbor, the Samurai...you name it...all in grade school. The food, the culture, the art, the trains, the 16th century and the 21st century existing at the same time. The works of Kojima, Kurasawa, Otomo, Shriow, Oshii...they have all helped me become who i am.
I eat sushi more than any other food. I dont know if you have ever felt like you were meant to be someplace or felt like something was calling you...I have. Japan is calling me and has been for 20 years. I dont feel right not being there...its like im incomplete.
Rain.
Its beautiful. Pure and Simple. The feel of rain, the smell of it...its just beautiful. The feeling outside right before it rains, during and after. The only other thing that is weather based that i like as much as Rain is snow...but thats another blog. Most people run for cover when they are caught in a rainstorm however I head for open areas where i can be rained on. I head for shelter on clear, hot summer days. I hate summer, with a passion. Summer rain makes the season bearable.
Rain on a cold autumn night. There is nothing better than sitting with a cup of coffee, a plate of sushi, some comic books, your ipod and watching and listing to the rain.
Read me if you want. Ignore me if you want.
more to come.
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