Dog Day Afternoon

I finally got to view Dog Day Afternoon in it's entirety.

What was all the fuss about? A cinematic masterpiece, that's what. Amazing performances by an intense and convincing Al Pacino as Sonny Wortzig, and John Cazale as Sal, his accomplice. Based on a true story, this film has you riveted to the screen, using New York City, or more specifically, Brooklyn as a 'Best Supporting Actor'.

From it's compelling direction, to it's hysterical dialogue, Dog Day leads you through a maze of emotions-drama, comedy, and the timeless social issues as police brutality, gay-rights, and the human desire for 15 minutes of fame. My only problem with the film was the uncharacteristic act of Sonny to betray his friend and partner. The real-life Wortzig, as I later found out, protested this inclusion as being false to the story.

Regardless, this film has certainly stood the test of time and makes one yearn for the days when a film could prosper on a diet of great acting, an interesting story, and great directing.

My 5 year Plan

If you asked me a year ago what I'd be doing in 5 years, I would have have said "more of the same". At this time, my goals have changed dramatically.
I have a new partner who I would love to spend the rest of my life with.
I have a new career path, Nursing, which I've just begun to pursue.
I have a new home, a Co-op, that I've just moved into and have just begun to decorate.
So, in a nutshell, in 10 years I hope to be a competent and caring nurse, living in comfort and good health with my loving wife, spending our time off traveling to new and exciting places.

Worst Job Ever

"Irrigation Technician" is a fancy title for a Sprinkler Guy.
Early spring is the busiest time for any Sprinkler company. It was at this time I got hired by the biggest one on Long Island. The man who hired me said I was overqualified but I told him I was willing to start at the bottom and learn this "skill".
My first day was spent assisting a guy whose name I have successfully forgotten. He was a total bullshit artist, a horrible driver, and just an all-around moron who didn't know his ass from his elbow. Our job was to do spring start-ups. We were given what seemed like a hundred customers and had to clear the sprinkler heads of the grass that had enveloped them. You had to check every "zone" so you'd run the sprinklers and make adjustments, or replace broken hoses and heads.
There was incentive to charge the customer for replacing broken heads, so this asshole would purposely break them.I requested another partner.
So true is the expression, "be careful what you wish for".
The next guy was a total douche bag. I conveniently forgot his name. Let's just call him Dick. Well, this Dick must have thought I was just off the boat or something. He gave me no consideration or respect. Had no patience, and worked a hundred miles per hour. I remember getting soaked on a cold, March morning. It was the first job of the day. Usually a normal person would stop and get a cup of coffee, but since this Dick had a cup on the way in, we didn't stop. Being the passenger means going where the Dick wants to go. Upon completing the first job, I told Dick to take me back to the shop. "But we've got a lot of jobs to do, man", Dick uttered. "No, YOU have a lot of jobs to do, Dick. Just drive me back, OK Dick"?
Back at the shop I told the guy that hired me that I had had enough of working with Dicks, had enough of the irrigation industry. He offered me a job running the supply room, again saying that the labor part was beneath me.
This time I couldn't have agreed more!

Growing Old

My co-worker and I were talking about how fast time goes by.
Then we started comparing our personal, physical evidences.
He's got dark spots on his inner thighs. I've suddenly got a skin disorder, just had a bunion removed, and both of us have lingering hand injuries.
Although we laughed about it, it's sobering to see yourself as "getting old".
At least Stan has a legacy, his four sons that will carry on the Jones' name.
When I die, it all ends with my selfish ass. I guess I'll keep myself so occupied that I won't have time to think about such a depressing subject as growing old and dying

Creation vs. Evolution

Until a year ago I thought I had all the answers when it came to God.
I had great faith in those beliefs until the religious organization which taught me those beliefs was exposed as being wrong about a lot of things and intolerant of criticism.
What I believed...---,,,God created the earth and everything on it in preparation for human life.
The first two people were perfect until they willingly disobeyed their Maker, forcing him to enforce his promise to punish them if they did (He governs himself with his perfect justice and righteousness). God withheld from himself his ability to see future events as this would make meaningless his gift of free will.
When the two sinned, they became imperfect, and that genetic defect was passed down to all their offspring. God would allow time for humans to conclude that they are incapable of prosperity without the guidance of their Father. That's why He allows suffering.
Upon their becoming defected, God put in place an arrangement by which man would be released from the bonds of sin and death. He promised a Messiah, or Anointed One who would make everything right again. Jesus Christ fit the description given long before he appeared, spent 3 years teaching and showing off his miraculous healing powers then died as a perfect man (Jesus did not inherit the defective gene since he was not the result of his parents having intercourse) Therefore, his death can be considered an equal exchange for the perfect life that Adam lost, just as God's people of the past, the Israelites offered blood sacrifices at the temple. That ancient Jewish arrangement is said to have foreshadowed the Messiah's sacrificial death.
By heeding his commands and imitating his way of life, anybody from anywhere has the opportunity to receive forgiveness for their sins and redeem themselves to God and receive future blessings.
What are those blessings? That's where the Bible can be interpreted differently.

Cliches vs. Stereotypes

Man,I used to hate when my father used cliches.
It was probably because they proved he was right and I was wrong.
I now, as an adult, find myself tapping into his old treasure chest of cliches.
Why? Because they stand the test of time. "Haste makes waste" will always make sense.
And until they stop making them, "a penny saved is a penny earned" will endure.
Stereotypes, on the other hand, are fleeting. They're accurate for a generation or two, but then then become irrelevant. Polish people are dumb? Not the ones I know! Black people eat fried chicken and watermelon? Who doesn't? Women are bad drivers? Orientals too? A six course meal for an Irishman is a 6-pack and a baked potato?
Stereotypes are bullshit! Cliches are where its at!

What I Believe

I believe too much of anything is no good.

I believe a man spends 9 months trying to get out of the womb, and the then spends the rest of his life trying to get back in it.

I believe that human life begins at conception, but a person can choose what they want.

I believe where there is a design, whether it’s in a wristwatch, the universe or human anatomy; then it’s logical to conclude that there must be a Designer.

I believe that the best things in life are free.

I believe that the Bible is open to interpretation, yet there are some teachings in it that can only be explained one way.

I believe it takes a man at least 30 years to understand women, if he makes the attempt.

I believe life is a gift from God and we are owed nothing.

I believe that no race, nationality, or culture is superior to any other, just different.

I believe a person should be judged based upon their character and integrity-things inside.

I believe microwave ovens kill the life that exists in your food.

I believe what two people do behind closed doors should be kept behind those doors.

I believe laughter is the best form of medicine. (and it’s free)

I believe the reason that bad things happen to good people is not due to fate or destiny, but is a result of simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I believe humans have no business being up in the air.

I believe you can and should find humor in everything.

I believe sex between people of the same gender is unnatural.

I believe my mother has smoked approximately 480,000 cigarettes in her lifetime.

I believe women have the ability to contribute as much, if not more to human development and social progress as do men (and they smell better doing it).

I believe the media and the entertainment industry are setting horrible standards for beauty, ethics, relationships, morals, and basically every other important human element.

I believe honesty is the best policy, but like morals, is an endangered species of sorts.

I believe any two people, as different as can be, can find desirable qualities in one another, grow to love each other, and then and only then be considered “soul mates”.

I believe the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

I believe that Jesus Christ actually walked the earth 2000 years ago.

I believe that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

I believe Jesus Christ was credited with the greatest quote of all time-“Do unto others what you would want others to do to you.

I believe organized religion is at the root of the world’s problems, especially its disunity.

I believe an idiot is someone who never learns from their mistakes or those of others.

I believe nobody’s perfect, therefore, nobody has the right to judge someone else.

I believe people who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

I believe that stereotypes lose meaning with time, but clichés will stand the test of time.

I believe young people are foolish to close their ears to the advice of someone older.

I believe there are only a handful of generations left, and that’s being generous.

I believe belief in a Creator can be explained logically, as opposed to theories about a Big-Bang and an accidental, freakish occurrence.

I believe there’s no stronger bond of friendship than the one made as children.

I believe humans should depend more on nature than on man-made concoctions.

I believe there are few things worse than a hypocrite.

Moving Out

The last few days have been spent packing up all my worldly possessions and moving them to a new home that I recently purchased.
It's quite sobering to see everything you've come to own piled up in one room.
Through the years I have thrown a lot of stuff out because I hate clutter. 'Outta sight, outta mind"
There wasn't a whole, helluva lot left. I'm leaving a lot behind as well.
I've been living in the house my brother owns for 14 years.
I'm moving out of necessity, and it's a bitter/sweet feeling.
Because my brother and his family are religious fanatics, and chose to defect, it was mutually agreed that I should go. Strange indeed, the situation is.
A grown man sneaking his girlfriend in and out so that nobody from the "congregation" suspects my immorality.

I Hope She's Not Like Her

It's very stressful to take care of someone who can't take care of themselves,
it can deprive you of your own happiness, as their misery can be contagious.
When it's time to find a mate, you would want to be free from the stress and depression that loaded you down in the past.
When you see even a subtle sign that trouble may be on the way, it sends up a warning, a "red flag".
All the other great qualities possessed by this person may lose their significance and appeal.
You find yourself expecting the worst, trying to protect your future sanity.
It makes you feel selfish, and shallow, and scared.

Frederick Douglas

I've heard people in the past quote Frederick Douglas.
It wasn't until recently that I learned that he was a former slave. (bad job by my white high school English teachers).
Today I read an excerpt from his autobiography. I enjoyed it very much.
If I ever have time in my life to do some casual, recreational reading, the works of Frederick Douglas will be up towards the top of my list.
Slavery is a concept, actually, not a concept, but a reality that is impossible to fathom. To be a slave owner, to buy or sell a human being and make them a piece of property, or chattel, is so fucked up to consider. The greed, wickedness, and utter lack of humanity makes me sick to think about.
Frederick Douglas' writing enforces that forcefully.
I look forward to reading more of his material.

Porn

First off, let me say that I think the world would be a better place without porn. But porn is in the world, especially the world that I'm associated with. Like any other addictive vice, there will always be a segment of society that is partaking and those who don't. Like harmful drugs , habits, and such, educating kids (even big kids)of the harm might stem the tide. I've only heard the warnings during religious services. For me, the main reason I try to resist it's lure, is that I will never be able to get the full satisfaction that comes from making love to a woman whom I care for and respect, especially a spouse. The article in NY Mag. was very informative and true. Since the majority of porn addicts are men, the women with class, dignity and integrity, who wish to be part of a satisfying relationship will either have to weed through the porn addicts, to find the all-illusive, righteous dude, or will have to settle for a porn guy. She will ever be compared (in the mind of her lover) to the bitch who swallowed, or took it up the @*&%. The man will find her lack of "experience" a bore and will likely continue whacking off to a computer screen, or search for someone who will do those things that will get him off. A person who keeps taking pain-killers will eventually build up a tolerance to them. He'll need more and more to get the desired effect. It's the same with porn. Just making love to a woman will not be enough after a steady intake of lewd sexual images. Resisting porn is a constant battle, but it helps to know the dangers and the drawbacks.

Soul Mate

There was a time when I bought into the whole "soul mate" thing.
I can see why people think they found theirs. However...
When you really think about it, two people will likely become eerily close, knowing each others thoughts, reading facial expressions, anticipating reactions.
It all just comes with familiarity. You can take two people who are totally different, who can't even get along, who actually annoy each other. Give them time, allow them to find the good qualities in each other and have them both throw the fears of relationships or commitment away, and two people will grow to love each other.
Were they soul mates all along? I think not.