Sunday, December 20, 2009

Joyce influence in "Benjamin Button"

 
 

Almost exactly 2 months ago, after reading so much about it, I finally began the enormous task of reading "Ulysses." Fast-forward to now and it's gone very well, yesterday I finished the "Eumaeus" episode which leaves only the final two chapters to go. With the help of a few guides, I have been able to understand most of what I've been reading and I also took notes on each chapter which I will use in the future at some point to put together a chapter-by-chapter breakdown here on this very blog.

But, for now, I'd like to look at something else interesting that I've realized from the book.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

At dhe Shootout

"Hockey Night in My Livingroom"


Enjoyed an evening full of exciting hockey tonight thanks to the amazingness of an obscure little website, atdhe.net, which allowed me to peek at all the games being played around the country. I began watching at around 5 PM Pacific time and my attention was drawn to two northeast matchups: the Ottawa Senators in Boston facing the Bruins and Montreal defending their home arena on a Saturday night against superstar Alexander Ovechkin and the talented Capitals.

The two games had started at the same time and moved along parallel to each other in excitement, forcing me to watch both on my laptop screen at the same time (while listening to the sounds of only the Montreal game, preferring the raucousness of the spotlight game on Hockey Night in Canada). Amazingly, the two games I watched proceeded in the exact same fashion. Both visiting teams, the Senators and the Capitals, jumped out to 2-0 leads in the first period. In both games, the home team came back in the 2nd to tie it 2-2.

Now here is the amazing, eerie part...

Monday, November 16, 2009

Statpowered Rockets


I had the opportunity to take in an entertaining basketball game last night. The defending champion  Lakers took on the Rockets of Houston at the Staples Center in a rematch of last year's playoff series which went a full seven games before the heavily favored Lakers escaped embarassment and knocked out the feisty Rockets. The series was memorable for Ron Artest's antics and elbowings of Kobe Bryant, getting under the superstar's skin at times but in the end only pissing him off enough to make him play better.

During the summer, the Rockets didn't attempt to re-sign Artest and he joined the Lakers while Los Angeles let budding young wingman Trevor Ariza (exactly 18 days older than I am) depart to the Rockets. The pregame talk focused on Ariza's return to LA and taking on his former team who won this season's first matchup between the teams on November 4th in Houston, 103-102 in overtime.

The Rockets won by ten, 101-91, and it didn't even seem that close.

Their leading scorer in the game was tiny unheralded pointguard Aaron Brooks (shown above defying physical laws) and their second leading scorer was this guy:



Rightfully confused...

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Introduction

Welcome.

Have a seat, get comfortable, relax and enjoy the words. This is my new blog which will feature a variety of writings on a variety of topics, ranging from Underground Hip hop music to James Joyce's literature to the awesomeness of Kobe Bryant's jumpshot. I hope that there will be something for everybody to read and enjoy and get something out of on here---and I also hope some of those people will learn something new about a topic or genre they never knew anything about.

Here you will find reviews, critiques, analyses, blabberings, and perhaps even rants (I hate that word) about baseball, basketball, hockey, mythology (didn't see that coming!), literature, psychology, HIP HOP, cinema, artwork of all kinds, and whatever else I happen to decide is worth writing and reading about. There may even be appearances of my own 'artwork' once in a while; attempts at actual real-deal storytelling and writing. We'll see how that goes.

There's going to be some long, epic posts and essays at times. I can be long-winded with my words and my thoughts often arrive in chunky paragraphs. Be not daunted. I'll try to write as clearly as possible no matter what the subject is and if I go down some unfamiliar path or take a shortcut through an alleyway, this is the internet, Google it and you'll catch up in no time. How's that for a prolegomenon?


Instructions for reading this blog:


This blog is meant to be read after a fulfilling, delicious meal or while eating a meal, do not read this on an empty stomach. These posts should be read while your mind drifts at work or when you're focused on some television show or sports game. This blog should be checked everyday to read what new stuff has been written or you could check it once a week and read a few days' worth of new writings all at once. Drink water or chocolate (soy)milk while you read this blog but do not drink anything if you are prone to spilling drinks. Read this in the morning when you first get up although you can also read it while you're settling down for the night. Or in the early afternoon or...early evening. Listen to music (any kind, your favorite kind) while you read this blog or else read it in complete silence. Read it with your friends or family or read it by yourself. Read it out loud or in your head. Translate it into other languages and read it. Print it out on paper and read it. Just please: read this blog. You'll like it.