The Old Couple In Church

I approach writing in a very unorthodox way (sort of). While some people just write to write, I choose to write with emotion. This can cause some problems, because sometimes it is hard to write with emotion every single time. This is why I take breaks from writing. Long extended breaks. And I wait for something to not necessarily inspire me, but just kind of make my imagination smile. 

I usually tell people that I do not write, I think. Meaning, half of the stuff I "write" down, I do not write down. I more or less just store it in the noggin. I organize it in my head and then from the head it goes through my fingertips and onto the computer or note-pad.

This poem is a perfect example of that. I have had the first line in my head for about two weeks, and I kept on trying to think of the rest. Then I was forcing it too much. Then I stopped thinking about it all together. Then it all came to me when I saw them in church today.

I swear to God, the best things to write, are the things that write themselves.

The Old Couple In Church

Fifty-five years married

But still as innocent 

As high school sweethearts

You can see their love

In the little things

The way he finds

The hymn for her

In the Missalette

Because her vision

Is not as good as

It used to be

The way she leans in

To tell him what the

Lector just said 

Because his hearing

Is not as good as

It used to be

The way he squeezes

Her hand at the end 

Of the Our Father

The way she hugs

Him when they offer

A sign of peace

The way he slips in

A kiss on the check

When no one is looking

As I sit in the pew behind you

Seeing how in love 

You two still are

All I can do is crack a smile

And think to myself:

"...Fifty-five years married

And still as innocent

As high school sweethearts..."

22. Song that reminds you of being a child

"Hold your breath
Make a wish
Count to three..."

That was a clue, any guesses?

I like this game, so here is another clue:

"...Living there
You'll be free
If you truly wish to be..."

I love movie soundtracks, I am a sucker for them. I just bought the Star Wars soundtrack on vinyl today, well because I could. I have the soundtracks to Fiddler on the Roof, Sound of Music, Jesus Christ Superstar and even the Wiz along with a hand full of others on vinyl. Sure some of them are my mom's but who is counting.

But there is one soundtrack I would love to add to my collection, and that is the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory soundtrack.

It was by far one of the most memorable movies of my childhood. I remember being absolutely transfixed by it. I wanted to be Charlie and I wanted the Golden Ticket. The only movie that I can remember that had this same amazing experience watching as a child was the Wizard of Oz.

As a child those movies feel so colorful and new. Yet, they were made decades before I was even born. And the best part of being a child watching those movies, is that you do not care about that. You do not care about the video quality or the sound. If it is 3D or if it is IMAX. You watch those movies because you want nothing more than Charlie and his grandpa to be happy and for Dorothy to get home.

I could have easily picked another Beatle's song for this day, and I was about to. But then I really thought about what song really stuck with me as a kid and that I really loved. I looked through my iTunes library and I found the Willy Wonka soundtrack and I went to one song in specific.

Pure Imagination.

Everytime I hear that song, I am worry-free, I am six-years-old and I am in my grandpa's living room watching Willy Wonka for the first time.

And what more does a six-year-old want to hear more than:

"Anything you want to, do it"

It did not matter if I wanted to be a fire fighter, baseball star, musician or scientist. If Willy Wonka taught me one thing about changing the world it was as simple as this:

"There's nothing to it".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ-uV72pQKI

21. Song that gives you goosebumps every time you hear it

I usually build the suspense with my "reveal" but this one was the biggest no-brainer out of all of these.

When I think about A Day In The Life, I get goosebumps. I do not even have to hear the song. But when John starts singing, "I read the news today..." Instant goosebumps. Simple as that.

This is one of those rare songs, where every thing about it is just perfect. There is no flawed part about it. The orchestra, Paul's bit, everything is just perfect.

I can not tell you how many times I have listened to this song, it is in my top three favorite songs of all time and is one of the most well written songs ever. And need I mention how underrated Ringo's drumming is in this song? Sure, it is a simple bit he does, nothing spectacular, yet to me his drumming completes this song.

And do not even get me started on when John screams, (rough translation) "Ahhhhhhh ahhhh ah ah ah ahhhh". Before the last verse and after Paul's verse. You can be anywhere in the world, but when you close your eyes at that part it feels as if you are having a religious experience.

It is for those reasons and many more, that A Day In The Life is a song that gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.

It always has and it always will.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xljFT44Y1Y

20. Song that makes you think deep thoughts

I think this counts as a song at least.

This little ditty makes me think like no other song I has ever made me think.

When I listen to this song, I am happy, sad, scared, optimistic, pessimistic and many more emotions.

This is one song that grabs everything going on in your life, bundles it up and and puts a bow on it for you.

I can not even tell you how many times I have listened to this before I have to bed and just cried and or drifted off into a peaceful dream.

This song puts things in perspective and shows me that you have to love the small  things in life, as it is too short and unpredictable.

So hear is to you, Mr. Baz Luhrman. Always reminding me on the importance of sunscreen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI

More Things I Hate

After I wrote about the things I hate, I realized I hated even more things than I wrote about. So, apparently I am the Grinch. 

And people think I am a monster, my heart's an empty hole, my brain is full of spiders, I've got garlic in my soul and people wouldn't touch me with a thirty-nine-and-a-half-foot pole!

More Things I Hate

• I hate when I have to text too much. Meaning, I hate when I hate having to type the intro to the Bible to a person. 
• I hate when T.V. stations play re-runs of shows out of sequence. Perfect example, That 70's Show on both ABC Family and MTV. I hate when they jump from the first season to the fifth in the next episode. Tisk Tisk.
• I hate people who take and or use the word "bro" too often or too seriously.
• I normally hate change. Not money change, I actually like that. But, going from one point in life to another. It depends on the circumstances though.
• I hate when bands charge too much for concert tickets. 99 smack-a-roo's for a concert at Pine Knob? Ridiculous. 45 for lawn seats? I will just listen to your compact discs for free.
• I hate when people ask if this seat is taken, when there is clearly some type of coat and or object on said chair to denote its occupancy. Either that or the invisible man is sitting there.
• I hate people who say rock, paper, scissors, shoot. But, they go on scissors and they fail to admit that they are a dirty rotten scoundrel of a cheater.
• I hate when people say it was the "funniest movie ever". I heard that about Paul Blart Mall Cop and I heard that about Bruno. Number of times I personally laughed watching both of those movies (combined). Once. And the time I laugh had nothing to do with either of the main characters, it was when Harrison Ford told Bruno to F off.
• I hate when the analysts on ESPN make every single team "a championship contender" after they sign a moderately to above average player. In their eyes every team in the league would be undefeated, which would pose some scheduling and other assorted conflicts.
• I hate how the Harlem Globetrotters are not a on T.V. more often. So you mean I can actually watch people play basketball and have fun while doing it? Say it ain't so, Joe DiMaggio. I would rather see a fixed game, than see a post game conference about LeBron crying about how DeShawn Stevenson called his mom a street-walker and how J-Kidd should have been called for a foul, because he stepped on his shoe-laces and he could have fell and gotten a boo-boo.
• I hate people who deny the existence of Unicorns.
• I hate people who do not think that Tupac is alive.
• I hate people who think that Biggy is. He is definitely dead. He was a mercy kill. And he led a very unhealthy lifestyle.
• I hate people who think all Muslims are terrorists. I do not get why Americans can not just get over themselves and treat everyone equally. We always have to have one specific sect or group of people that we have to be prejudice against, I do not get it. Humans are humans. It does not matter what you believe.
• I hate the New York Yankees.
• Subsequently, I hate Barry Bonds. (Subsequently does not even fit there).
• Which leads me to this... I hate segues. 
• I hate how Art Garfunkel clearly got the raw end of the deal, post Simon.
• I hate people who only listen to new music.
• I hate white people (specifically teenagers) who talk like they are black. You live in a two story house in the 'burbs, with an inground pool. Keep on preaching playa.
• I hate people who cause traffic.
• I hate when stores say that they have a sale, and when I get there all of the stuff is sold out or the only size they have left is 4XL.
• I hate people who always have to be right, no matter what.
• I hate having to play phone tag with people.
• I hate people who buy like 7 cars. Why? That is like 500,000 dollars that you do not have now.
• I hate people who have gaudy/extremely big houses. Why do you need a gold plated toilet and why do you need 8 acres of beach side estate?
• I hate having to see Donald Trump's face. Or hear his voice.
• I hate when people say it is done deal, before it is a done deal.

Yeah, that is it.

19. Song with the best music video

This one is a tie.

When I think good music videos I think of two things.

Foo Fighters and the Beastie Boys.

Both the Foo Fighters and the Beastie Boys always make stellar music videos. They always push the envelope of creativity and are never afraid to make fun of themselves in the music videos. Most importantly you can tell that they are having fun.

Right Music Television?

So my picks for song with the best music video is any Foo Fighters or Beastie Boys song.

Specifically Learn to Fly by the Foo Fighters and Sabotage by the Beastie Boys.

This might have been the hardest one.... That is what she said.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VQ_3sBZEm0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5rRZdiu1UE

Things I Hate

Bikes rides should be a peaceful and calming excercise.

Yeah, whoever thinks that has never been on a bike ride. On my bike ride today I pondered the things that annoy me/I borderline hate. And there were alot of them.
So....

Things I Hate

• People in cars who clearly see you coming and think they can make their turn before you have to cross and end up creeping up, realize they cannot make the turn and completely cross-block you.
• Sales tax on water bottles/Having to pay more than free for water.
• Girls who have Facebook pictures where they are giving the middle finger. I just find it really unattractive.
• Girls who go out of their way to look trashy. You are beatiful the way you are, you do not need a shirt that is three sizes too small and a cheetah pring bra to proove it.
• Traffic lights. Everytime I am stopped at a red light for too long, I often shout at them, and ask them why they exist.
• People call soccer a "pussy" sport. Yeah, you try running for three hours straight, while 90,000 people are chanting about how much you suck, people blowing those horns and then recieving death threats if your team looses in the World Cup.
• People who ask me if I mind if they smoke in front of me. Does a deer mind when they get shot in the face when they were just chilling in the forest? Yes.
• People who take playing sports too seriously. Of course you can be competitive, but when a the outcome of pick-up baseball actually has an effect on the rest of your day, that is just too much. Every sport is a children's game.
• People who say they are "confident". No, you are just saying that so no one calls you an asshole.
• People who are too political. It is very important to know what is going on in the world, and have views on major issues. But when it gets to the point where you troll and intentionally instigate political arguments, you need to find a hobby.
• Hot pockets when one half is lava and the other half is the arctic. Or better yet, when you think you made a good one and you get to the middle and it is colder than the dickens.
• People who spell their "favorite" band and or song wrong. I want to straight up duel these people. "Hey man, what are your favorite bands?" "Oh you know, Led Zepallin and Mettallica.. the basics."
• People who do not use turn signals.
• Bandwagon sports fans. Especially ones for the Detroit teams. Notice how no one likes the Pistons any more and come June even Cindy likes the Red Wings. And once they loose, they automatically "suck".
• People who say movie lines wrong.
• People who quote Step Brothers or the Hangover ALL THE F'N TIME.
• Bullies.
• I hate people who think they are funny, when they are really just not. And they are just really rude and ignorant.
• People who say fag too much. Then same can be said for the N-word. It just makes you look ignorant and less of person than you are.
• When my friends do not want to play soccer. Boom
• Rich white people. Especially the rich white middle aged man, who probably has not been outside of Michigan and freaks out when he goes to Detroit.
• People who rip-apart Detroit, say it is a horrible city. Yet, they still go to Tiger games, Lions games, Red Wing games, concerts, the Hoe-Down, Greektown, the Fox, The Fillmore a.k.a. the State Theatre, all the casinos, Belle Isle and the Auto Show. Where do you think all of those places are located? And do not tell me that those are in the "good part of Detroit". It is still Detroit.
• When Nickelback comes on right after a good song.
• When DJ's talk over songs.
• When I am not caller number nine.
• People who only like Abbey Road.
• People who ask me to list my favorite bands and or songs. There are too many.
• Over protective mothers/parents.
• People who abuse animals.
• Having to sit through that commercial about abused and abandoned dogs. I have to turn it off, because I get too angry that people would actually do that to dogs/it is too sad.
• People who forget that Michael Vick killed hundreds of dog just because he is good at football again.
• Atheletes who think the world owes them everything.
• People who complain about the economy.
• Half of the writers on ESPN.
• People who do not pay their dues.
• When teachers do not answer your question, and they ask you if that answered your question. And your back is against the way and you do not want to be the bad person, so you just say yes.
• People who do not respect their parents/grandparents. They are the reason you are alive. Show them some respect.
• 12 year-olds/younger kids who think it is cool to smoke or say the f word alot in public. It is just sad.
• People who think they are driving a '65 Mustang and rev their engine at every stop sign/red light/and just to feel cool and help forget they are driving a '91 Honda Civic.
• People who hate Obama just because he is black. Really people? I think as a Nation we should be passed this.
• People who tip poorly. Personally, I am a 35 percent tipper at minimum usually.
• People who say, "Man this would be better with a smoke/with a beer." Multiple times throughout the course of a night. If you are that bored, leave.
• People who go out of their way to give their tattoo's meaning. Really, that tattoo is supposed to symbolize being free? Because it really looks like a tiger drawn by Stevie Wonder.
• People who like bands because they represent drugs and what not a.k.a. people who where Pink Floyd, Beatles, Nirvana, Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead, the Doors, Hendrix and Bob Marley t-shirts or apparel because "they smoked weed man". Those bands and artists did more than just that.
• People who say I am doing a good thing for my brother and that I am being heroic. I do not hate that, it just kind of annoys me. I am doing the transplant because he is my brother and that is what brothers do for brothers.

Okay, I think I am done.