Montage OST

The sound varies, but the core is identical.

The Low End Theory

First off, let me preface my comments by saying that the following sentences might seem a bit offensive for they are as forthright and honest as possible. On numerous occasions, I have encountered with utterly negative and deprecatory statements about the genre of hip-hop. Or at least with a shrug accompanied by exalted, pompous grimaces. These reactions are not restricted only to people experiencing a midlife crisis, however. No, this phenomenon is not limited by age. The reserved attitude towards this musical form stems greatly from a mix of disinterest, contempt, and a fortiori sheer ignorance. This general conjecture is of course generally misguided. But what is more ironic and iconic at the same time - the general surmise that this sort of music is flat out bad is usually ventured by people that to some extent appreciate blues and jazz forms notwithstanding the fact that all these genres, hip-hop included, come from the same cultural centre and thus share stark similarities - the core of the music has remained pretty much the same.

A Tribe Called Quest - Excursions

The Low End Theory, a premier album of the 20th century, reflects on the indelible connection of the aforementioned genres with hip-hop. The initial song of the album called "Excursions" is one of the most elaborated and decorated tunes ever recorded. The staccato rhythm entrenched by Ali Shaheed Muhammad and the first-class neoplatonic poetry of Q-tip were altogether instrumental in intellectual flowering in the field of lyrics writing as well as musical composition at the peak of the 20th century. Another fascinating thing about this song is that it is played in 4/4 time that is typical for the repetitive twelve bar blues progression.  The most evident sample in the song is the bass part by Blakey's Jazz Messengers that is originally played in highly improvisational be-bop 7/8 time. Furthermore, this continual change, transition is amply noted by Q-tip himself as he starts off the song:

Back in the days when I was a teenager
Before I had status and before I had a pager
You could find the Abstract listening to hip hop
My pops used to say, it reminded him of Bebop
I said, well daddy don't you know that things go in cycles

So yeah, to conclude that the second and last revolutionary musical form since the 1920s is negligible is wrong, asinine, off the mark, positively stupid and absolutely blasphemous. Because Tribe is "prominent like Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe or Langston Hughes." 

Philosophizing With a Flower, or, the Battle Against Tyrannizing Unity

FROM THE ARCHIVE: INFLUENCE (2014)

Nature is the most influential piece of literature within the confines of the hive. The inference is drawn from the fact that the best things are those one can maximally relate to and agree with. In order to fully corroborate the prefatory note of this article, it is important to briefly scrutinize the work's strident impact.

Nature is a non-fiction philosophical essay from 1836, the fundamental cornerstone of the transcendentalist movement and the first work written by Ralph Waldo Emerson. It is divided into an introduction and eight chapters: Nature, Commodity, Beauty, Language, Discipline, Idealism, Spirit, and Prospects in chronological order. Each chapter reflects on weaknesses of human being and serves as a guide to living a meaningful, independent life. 

Emerson laments the fact that the world and all mankind tend to be misguidedly retrospective, tradition oriented and conservative. He finds this approach frivolous and demands a change by becoming an independent, self-reliant human being. He emphasizes the importance of living in the present and directly experiencing what nature has to offer. 

Nature is a pivotal and essential work that led to the foundation of Transcendentalism, a literary, political, religious, and philosophical movement of the early nineteenth century. (FINSETH 1995) 

In comparison with Henry David Thoreau's Walden, another significant work of the Trascendentalist movement, Emerson's Nature stresses more nature's philosophical aspect instead of nature itself. Walden is mostly about appreciation of nature's tangible and corporeal benefits. Nature, on the other hand, elevates an insight into human nature. Both works value personal and character traits such as self-sufficiency, independence, and solitude. They both focus on one goal: Immersing oneself into nature. 

The Prelude, a philosophical conversation poem by the English Romantic poet William Wordsworth, is also very similar to Emerson's Nature. The Prelude as well as Nature celebrates the human mind and both works share its strong abstract aspect. 

As opposed to Nature, a man is not outright a part of nature. He admires and appreciates nature, but his whole relation to it is based on distance. From Emerson's point of view, man harmonizes with nature and is an integral part of it. (FINSETH 1995) 

Drawing on Platonic philosophy and the leading figures of the Neoplatonist movement (notably authors like Iamblichus, Plotinus, and Proclus), Emerson altered and created an ethics of self-improvement in his own image. Emerson was also to some extent influenced by European Romanticism, especially by major English Romantic poets like William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and an Irish empirical idealist George Berkeley. Equally important for his work were German Romantic authors as well as Hindu philosophers. It is worth mentioning that Emerson was an avid reader of Indian literature and a strong sympathizer of the philosophical teachings of Confucius. (ALCOTT 1882)

Emerson's Nature was also partly influenced by German philosophy and Biblical criticism, which both disputed supernatural and divine origins of the bible. (PACKER 2007)

Considered as the heart and soul of the American Transcendental movement and as a champion of individualism, Emerson served as an inspiration for not only his fellow trascendentalists including Henry David Thoreau and Walt Whitman, but he also influenced a highly praised and illustrious German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Emersonian themes as power, fate, and the critique of Christianity can be found in Nietzsche's widely recognized works such as Übermensch or Thus Spoke Zarathustra. (ALCOTT 1882)

The spiritual role of nature's beauty and its effect on a human individual might be the finest and the most intriguing aspect that needs to be highlighted. By nature's beauty the author means everything that surrounds an individual and his mind, even his own appearance. According to Emerson's words, a man can fully understand the beauty of nature only when he is in his solitude and that society is the biggest distraction in individual development of man: "A man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society." (EMERSON 2009) Emerson is of the view that we take nature for granted, which he illustrates with an example with the stars: "The stars awaken a certain reverence, because though always present, they are inaccesible; but all natural objects make a kindred impression, when the mind is open to their influence." (EMERSON 2009) We take them for granted even though they are inaccesible and out of reach for us. 

We may not neccesarilly be able to touch nature but we do not have to be in awe of it, we just need to strive to get a grasp of it. Due to the impact and strong influence of society, we are not able to absorb nature at full blast. In order to create a bond with nature and to be properly attached to it, it is crucial to look at it as a child. Because it is only a child that can seize the moment rather than being content with what he is accustomed to. 

In Beauty, the third chapter of Nature, Emerson generally demonstrates the positive impact of nature on the human body and mind. He believes that nature provides physical and mental enrichment, and that its effects are outright conducive to health and well-being: “To the body and mind which have been cramped by noxious work or company, nature is medicinal and restores their tone. The tradesman, the attorney comes out of the din and craft of the street and sees the sky and the woods, and is a man again. In their eternal calm, he finds himself.” (EMERSON 2009)

Emerson concisely explains that this enchantment is caused by man's perception of time and environment rather than by nature's tangibles. "But in other hours, Nature satisfies by its loveliness, and without any mixure of corporeal benefit. I see the spectacle of morning from the hill-top over against my house, from day-break to sun-rise, with emotions only an angel might share." (EMERSON 2009)

Every moment in life is unique and so is nature. A man's inspiration is unlimited due to nature's diversity and infinity. Each moment has its own distinction and rarity which ultimately influences the mind of human being mentally, physically and spiritually. "To the attentive eye, each moment of the year has its own beauty, and in the same field, it beholds, every hour, which was never seen before, and which shall never be seen again." (EMERSON 2009) 

Emerson celebrates any act of nature with great excitement and appreciation. He interpretes each and every single process of nature as a perpetual intervention of divine power. "Beauty is the mark Gods sets upon virtue. Every natural action is graceful." or "A man is a god in ruins." (EMERSON 2009) 

If I was polled to pick a single historic period or a movement, I would probably choose Transcendentalism. Its philosophical thoughts correspond and resonate with my beliefs and convictions to a degree where others just fail to serve this purpose. It is hard to determine Nature's literary significance and importance because of the work's philosophical magnitude. But I believe that the vast majority of Emerson's thoughts orchestrated in Nature are current and relevant even nowadays. I opted for Emerson's Nature for these following reasons: Given the fact that Emerson happened to be the unanimous leading figure of Transcendentalism and his essay Nature is still notoriously considered as the center of the movement, my decision making process was not really a drawn-out one. Emerson's profound fervor and vigour for nature are beyond comprehension. His writing style is often depicted as too complex and scarcely apprehensible, albeit highly sophisticated. 

I find Emerson's compelling reasoning and philosophical thinking in this work as very enchanting, especially his celebrating of nature's spiritual gifts. I can easily relate to Emerson's thoughts and his close relation to nature. Despite the fact that the Transcendental movement was comprised solely by Emerson at the time prior to Nature's public release, this essay is truly the magnum opus and arguably the most important work of the entire Transcendentalist movement.

References:

FINSETH, Ian Frederick. Liquid Fire Within Me:  Language, Self and Society in Transcendentalism and Early Evangelicalism, 1820-1860, 1995

 [cit. 2014-01-06]. URL: <http://thoreau.eserver.org/amertran.html>.

ALCOTT, Amos Bronson, Ralph Waldo Emerson: An Estimate of His Character and Genius: In Prose and in Verse, 1882 [cit. 2014-01-06].

URL: <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/emerson/>.

PACKER, Barbara L. (2007). The Transcendentalists[cit. 2014-01-06].

URL: <http://transcendentalism-legacy.tamu.edu/ideas/club.html>.

EMERSON, Ralph Waldo. Project Gutenberg - the first producer of e-books, Nature, by Ralph Waldo Emerson, 2009 [cit. 2014-01-06].

^{URL: <http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=3277960>.}

Where I'll Live, and What I'll Live For

FROM THE ARCHIVE: PAST TO FUTURE (2013)

The Sun newspaper recently released a pessimistic estimation that says Great Britain will have to face its disintegration within 25 years. However, this initial apprehension is going to be soon overcome by my active presence and reigning in the Throne Room of Buckingham Palace.

Queen Elizabeth II will be forced to submit her resignation by public vote after being caught speeding at 150 km/h in the middle of Piccadilly Circus. This event will be commonly known as the Lonsdale scandal and will ultimately lead to publicly highly anticipated dissolution of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. All of these above mentioned events will occur on the 3rd of July, 2023.

"Lonsdale Scandal" as documented by www.royal.gov.uk

Due to these circumstances, every seat in the House of Commons will become vacant. As a result of this British inability to preserve its sovereign nation status, the European International Committee will send me, the leader of the European Parliament, to this country to restore order as a new head of the British Parliament. On my way to the disintegrated British Monarchy, I will be sailing for three days. Considering the fact that I have been prone to become seasick at sea for most of my life, I'll be drinking scotch to relieve myself a bit during the adventurous journey to the promised land.

As I get to Great Britain, I will be immediately celebrated by the British national orchestra and it will be playing "Pomp and Circumstance No.1 in D Major" on the occasion of my arrival.

As a temporal Prime Minister of Great Britain, I will personally name my youngest sister to form a new administration and afterwards I'll voluntarily abdicate my job and duties to enter the first time election to the British throne. Having all the accolades and public support of the British people, I will be unanimously elected to rule the British Monarchy. I am serving a notice that I'll become king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on the 4th of March 2024.

By 2025, the British Parliament as well as the House of Commons will have been filled by my close and distant relatives. As a new head of the British Monarchy with no direct successor, I will come back to the Czech Republic to find myself a queen. I will not be able to choose just one so by the year of 2028, I will have had 22 children with 7 different wives and no queen by my side.

Bearing in mind that scotch helped me from the painful suffering and agony on my boat, I will, based on this lifesaving experience, promote Glasgow to become the capital of Great Britain. Tea will no longer be regarded as a national drink of the United Kingdom and the Johnnie Walker distilleries will be vastly spreading all over Great Britain within 6 years after my accession to the British throne.

As a result of my increasing power, I'll be trying for 3 consecutive years to invade the United States of America and get back the Plymouth colony that once belonged to the British Empire. The area of New England will have been known since the beginning of my reign as the biggest ally of Great Britain and the biggest congregation of my followers. But my public protest in Boston for separation of Massachusetts from the United States will fall on deaf ears and eventually come to naught on the 4th of July, 2032.

I will be captured right after my speech in Boston by the Central Intelligence Agency and brought before the court of justice. I'll be accused of being a public nuisance, but no criminal liability will be the verdict. Dazed and disgusted by the strict Constitution of the United States, I'll sail after one day of imprisonment back to my beloved Britain. 

As I step out of the boat, some drunk member of the British artillery and a former influential member of the British aristocracy named José Incognito will pull the trigger on me. Severely wounded and with no chance to retaliate, I will crawl back to the stern of my boat. Meanwhile, the traitor will be captured by my loyal subordinates and then interrogated by me personally. The attempt of my assasination will be harshly punished. In front of 200,000 of my servants and over 150 million watching worldwide, Incognito will be exemplarily deported to the Chukchi Peninsula... and all British graveyard colognes too.

Once You Go Black, Never Turn Back

If you keep asking the question "WHAT IF?", it basically means that your life is driven by regret and instead of focusing on the new, you are preoccupied with the past. Holding grudges and living backwards juggle a meaningless life with no rational values. If you hold on to your past, in all likelihood, you'll only devalue your new experiences. We all stumble over the truth from time to time. The only way to put our past behind is to look one way: forward and never look back. It may seem cynical, but we should be content in the present. For instance, I met a really wonderful person yesterday, but I won't meet this individual again. Life is a ride with no fixed destination. That's what I firmly believe in and that is what drives me every day of my life. We should always try to be above reproach, no matter what.

Sometimes I project myself playing football. Does it mean that I lean on the past? I do not consider my departure from football much of a loss, as I never quite lived up to my potential here in the Czech Republic. With my high school years thumping in the rear-view mirror, I have grown weary of the endless acccolades directed at my gridiron years, which were, let's face it, nothing but poor in every sense of the word. To conclude, those years played such a small part in my life and didn't enrich me the way some people believe they did. I started to blossom after football. Haha.

If there is one thing I partly regret, it is definitely my departure from track & field. One of the most qualified trainers and simply the best coach I have ever had almost begged me to return on the field multiple times. My cockiness and youthful indiscretion took its toll and created a hole I now need to prop up regularly. I have always been a bit frisky and have never astutely followed through on a task. The ability to spark off the edge each day, I partly owe to him. One thing remains certain: If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd have Easter every day.

When The Levee Breaks

Yop, my blotter runneth over. It took me a week to find out what the place where magic happens is. Since the time of my first grade in Elementary school, that place has been a rug. The absolute best part about being at school was the time spent on a rug. I don't have to be Aladdin to understand that the place surrounded by the most magic happens to be a rug. Why so? During a recess, we could wrestle and fight on this rug with fervor only boys have. Fine breaks like these demonstrably cut down on misbehavior and make you focus while studying a little bit more. True magic.

That is not the place I'd like to expatiate on, of course. Though I'd love to have my own rug in the place I am going to depict.

For active readers of this blog, my factors determining the choice of a site are more or less obvious. Mississippi, the home of the Delta Bee, is a southern state of the USA. The Magnolia state is bordered on the west by Louisiana and Arkansas, on the north by Tennessee and on the east by Alabama. As usual, southern states are predominantly socially conservative, and Mississippi ain't no exception. This place is with wonder often neglected by tourists which stems partly from the fact that the state is the poorest in the nation. On the other hand, the place is notoriously known for exceptionally alluring viridity woodlands that create a feeling of cosiness, magnolia flower with the unique creamy sweet scent with a light citrus nuance, and the largest river in the nation with trees planted by the water - I shall not be moved. What a harmonic blend for living.

There ain't no place for the Wicked

If you ask me what is my "magical" or favourite place, I definitely need some time to contemplate about an appropriate answer. Simply put, I don't think like that. I am no longer a 5 year old kid playing at a playground, which might justify my initial tepid reaction. Don't get me wrong, I have grown up in a quite controversial neighborhood and haven't had the opportunity to meet bevy of wonders of the world so far.

While there are several places I really like, only a few are truly worthy of the "favorite" designation. As for now, I think that it is safe to say that I prefer mountains to flat lowlands and waterfalls to seas. Fresh air along with dangerous but equally beautiful untouched nature. That is an ideal picture that has remained ingrained in my mind since the time of my early childhood. Though I will once more say that I don't like long–drawn–out lying on the beach, I don't necessarily condemn such travel destinations. Spending time on the beach may be fine for a few hours, unfortunately, not for days.

For instance, Poprad in Slovakia matches all of the above mentioned expectations. This city is surrounded by beautiful mountains, nature and it is also a place I'd love to come back to.

The Art of Making Sense out of Nonsense

I believe that not many people understand divinatory and tawdry ocult teachings presented in TV. Even I have never got a solid grasp of the esoteric principles up until now. Given that I am now clearly able to clear this issue up, let me break it down for you...

Some not-yet-conceived fixed law of the universe give certain people the ability to gain insight into other people's current and future situations. The people with such power are called soothsayers or more often than that, in our cultural circles, they are erroneously reffered to as naysayers. They are always right on the money and solve your problems in detail, while maintaining maximum precision. The workers of this craft system are always highly skilled, but only the best of the best can work in TV and charge for their highly valuable services. If you don't know what to do, call them immediately. They're better at life and know exactly what to do with limited beings.

Learn from the best in the biz

Don't be misled, there are always two sides to every coin. It is always a lot more convenient to be dependent  on other people, especially if they possess the divine power. This leads me to the conclusion that there is no other side of the argument, which means one thing and one thing only. There ain't nothin' bad about esoteric tv programmes as long as you've got a sense of humour.

Slip and break the 1st Athletic Commandment

My former sports coaches and coordinators used to tell me that regular stretching is as important as exercise itself. Stretching  is the best pre-race warm-up and the best way to improve your performance. It should also help you to avoid some muscle injuries.

I have to admit, I neglected this essential aspect of a usual athletic regime on everyday basis, except for championship and race events. I could stretch for nearly 4 consecutive hours before a race started. What I lacked in consistency, I needed to make up for in intensity. I always felt extremely stiff after stretching my legs and I knew even at the time that it slowed me down. I can't see by any stretch (haha) that it could increase my range of motion as well.

Recently I read a scientific article about revealing that stretching before a run can result in a 5 percent reduction of efficiency. WHAT? I was right all along! Stretching is counterproductive! Aha-haha-ha, coaches, who shot ya'? The sad truth about this is that the world familiarizes itself with this fact too late. That's a huge emotional letdown.

I have never stretched since 2009 anyway. The bee can fly without any preparation.

Link to the research

Just another Swagger Tirade

For as long as I can remember, I have never seen a TV rant receiving such an intense backlash. Sherman's one post-game interview sent ripples across the world and set off a firestorm on social networks right after it aired on televison. I really did not understand why would it create such venom in public view at first. But then I have come to realize that not many people know that Sherman has always been a polarizing figure among professional athletes. Furthermore, one thing cannot be denied: Sure, he talks a lot. But he always backs his trash talking up.

Who is Richard Sherman actually? He comes straight outta Compton, has a master's degree from Stanford university and is an outstanding athlete, "a true shutdown corner". All in all, he was right on cue here and anybody who says otherwise probably does not know the difference between swagger and arrogance. All he did was good for the sake of entertainment and I certainly don't think that there's anything wrong with having this drive. Besides, his actions here are completely justified because he has to play in the loudest stadium in the world on a weekly basis. Haha. During sports events, tirades like these just put the icing on the cake. It is always pleasure to hear Sherman talk and quotes like "I've seen better legs on a snake." or "Aha, you suck! You wanna this knowin'. You wanna this knowin'." will never get old. A big fan of Richard Sherman here. "And that's the result you're gonna get. Don't you ever talk about the best. LOB."

Keepin' it real.

got draped?

As I put my last encounter with the 6 Mad Men consecutive seasons squarely in the rear-view mirror, my conclusion was that I sure as hell had not started to watch this show for its cultural authenticity and illustrious historical precision. However, my initial interest in it has remained unknown ever since...

Be that as it may, let's just cut to the chase... The main plot revolves around an advertising agency on Madison Avenue in New York City and it depicts the urban life of Americans in the Sixties. It shows how this particular period of time has changed and shaped the cultural landscape of contemporary America; its consciousness, its stereotypes and social mores. You won't find too many TV shows of this kind. Concisely, ever-present nostalgic mood that permeates the show along with richly drawn characters that provide highly dramatic and congruent television content are just a few out of many unique elements I have never seen in a television series before. And I'm not even mentioning that ravishing storytelling which is quite extraordinary among current popular TV shows.

 One of the show's best scenes.  
                                          

Bearing in mind the complexity of the story and how the series is deeply sophisticated, I realize that Mad Men is not for everybody. But at the same time, the last two seasons did not boast the staggering features which their predecessors had initially introduced. Another season begins next month and I have a feeling that this will be just another show that faded down the stretch. A strong start but weak end.

Updated: 3/26/2014 8:44 AM - "Big Leopard", this is just for you:

Far From Any Road

Smoke can be seen for miles and a relatively small portion of field crops is inevitably burned out for good. Still, the lost maize is the least of the Louisiana State Police's concerns. The sinister atmosphere intensifies as the sirens of police cars are coming howling to a large lonesome tree. Some macabre deed just happened here a few hours ago. Two old detectives are about to witness the most baffling and peculiar case in their professional lives. One of the detectives is rather averting his gaze, knowing that the crime scene is just too much for his eyes.  The look on the face of this detective in the foreground appears to be so dejected as well as gloomy that it completely underlines the environment of oppressive ambience.  The other detective, on the other hand, is steadily examining the place near the tree. Some odd-looking twig latticeworks attached to the tree make the whole message of its instigator even more creepy. One detective feels obviously disgusted by all this, but the other seems to be perilously curious and hooked by this case.  Anything but optimistic.

Bright was the day, warm was the ground.

No Marching. The Saints Will Never Come.

I really don't know where the zombie fascination comes from. Some say that it's given by our survival instincts and mentality which we inherited by our ancestors affected by the two world wars. This idea is certainly intriguing: Blood spattered and gruesome looking zombies as a cultural image and a still living reflection of the horrifying witness of our predecessors. I was highly attracted by all this at a very young age in the turn of the 21st century and that's why I am completely able to fathom this skyrocketing obsession and need of fictionalizing the total annihilation of the human race.

And at long last, that's exactly why the AMC's tedious soap called The Walking Dead dramatically increases in its fanbase as well as in pop culture circles.

Yeah, Science, biatch!

Ehm. Argh. Bits and pieces from the recent OJA2 lessons. Haha. From the 1960's to the 1970's the public interest in zombies fluctuated mildly mainly because of the prolific movie industry embodied in Hollywood. From the 1970's to the 1980's the interest increased slightly. The 90's experienced a huge zombie boom and the interest rose dramatically which stemmed from worldwide success of the Resident Evil series. Due to these facts it is more than apparent that the genre of zombie apocalypse has now two chapters: Before Resident Evil and after Resident Evil. From the 90's to these days the interest has not reached its spike yet.

4 Things The Hive Has Taught Me

(Each of the statements below reflects to my precedence and serves as an insight into the hive. Cold slammin' & Dead serious.)

It is not a punishment, it's a gift

It is exactly what it says on the tin. When it comes to priorities, it's always about attitude and commitment.
Each and every single "punishment" inflicted upon me enriched me in some way to some degree. It is easy to just comfortably hide in the corner and complain as opposed to learn from mistakes and grind. At this stage, being comfortable and at ease would be the final nail in the coffin. If I could pass a lesson by virtue of my experiences and mistakes, it would be this: You are gifted, don't waste your talents. Mistakes are inevitable, thankfully. You can either dwell on them or take advantage of them, they shape you one way or another. You can get marred or jacked. It's entirely up to you. If you embrace your struggle, however, no obstacle will be big enough.

I got mine

Society is an unsanitized form of advertisement. It is human nature to create a need. But a need creates insecurity. And insecurity leads to animosity. Everybody has his own distinctive taste and needs.  So why not fulfill and develope those? You need to bear in mind that it is not about what you have, it's rather about how you work with what you have. These following lines accurately and utterly explain the abstract meaning of the word "society": "They stand in line to watch themselves. For themselves. All for one. And none for all." That is not mine. It belongs to Nathan White. I really don't want to dissect a topic of this magnitude, but let's get down to brass tacks: Probably unwittingly, though nearly all of us prize society above individuals. Still, society doesn't stand a chance. But at the same time, each person is better at something. (Just kidding, I'm the best. Haha.)

---

"At this stage, being comfortable and at ease would be the final nail in the coffin."

---

No label, I outright own my material

It's funny how people quickly label and stereotype someone. We all do that. Ultimately, you are what you want to be and that is the only thing that truly matters. You reap what you sow and if someone says disparaging things about your contribution and achievements, he probably does not feel well in his own skin. Don't let these perspicacious detractors and naysayers affect your life.  Just accept them and don't have a negative attitude.

Talk? Nah...Walk? Yahoo!

Actions make a man, words a windbag

I grew up under impression that men should always back their talk up. Besides, talking has always been a privilege of women. I mean, there is nothing more embarrassing than a man that cannot keep his mouth shut. Your actions speak louder than words. Actions are your resume. That is what you should leave it up to. When I'm around a guy who talks a lot, I am on the verge of going away, because of the male embarrassment in the air all around the room we're in. Silence is a valid option.

Fairytale: Better than Utopia

Once upon a time, many, many years ago. There was a little Swag. It was a small and weak sheep that needed to project its insecurities on other animals. And then there was a wolf named Mojo.  Swag looked at Mojo in vain, because it could not stand the fact that all forest animals would be chanting Mojo's name.

No weapon, homie!

Boston T Party

It all began with a Terio dancing contest. Fully aware of my dancing varied repertoire and (in)capabilities, I knew right away that above mentioned contest is rather a slippery slope for me. The Terio is a physically highly demanding dance by the homonymous dance artist, who has recently become a phenomenon on the internet. Such complicated choreography puts fear in the eyes of other widely recognized but less talented dancers, which was the only thing that stimulated and motivated me at the time.

Sheesh, you know I owned the main stage with finesse. I was completely ironed out and my staggering performance was flat out off the charts. The whole party turned into a wilderness and everybody had to wear an electrifying t-shirt designed by me personally.

Maybe I was a bit overzealous, but all I did was rise to the occasion and seize the initiative. It did not break my stride as I had expected and I must say, it was totally worth it.

Me and Jeffrey, Elvis and Michael took all over the place and during that night I realized that when it comes to England, New is always better.

Semester under Review

JAC 3  has been an extraordinarily pleasant and enchanting course as a whole. Both teachers have shown an evident interest in developing students' understanding and knowledge. Of course, I am unable to get a solid grasp of the methods used in their teaching ethics, but I believe both teachers don't mean us any harm. In my mind, their attitudes towards students are entirely different from each other, and I can't say that either one is wrong.

As it pertains to interior assessment, the point that needs to be highlighted is the question of heating. If there is one thing I cannot stand, it is a heater in the classroom. For reasons unknown to me, I resent synthetic heat and I find it mostly intriguing that when spring comes, no air conditioner is turned on. Inconvenient moisture conditions all year long! This complaint has to be verified. Haha (pun intended). Benches have been to some extent clean for once, but there is still enough room for improvement.

And that Nickelback song really softened my heart & I hope that Voodoo Child is on the clock any time soon.

Blessed Beyond Buzz

Considering the fact that Thanksgiving day is one day behind us, I would love to make this announcement. This is my moment of clarity. Haha. I should start off by saying that words cannot express the gratitude I feel each and every single day for the life I live. I come from the best family I can imagine and I have a really wonderful group of people around me - I mean, I could not be any luckier. The truth is, people have always been the most intriguing inspiration in my life. Just the idea that the people I care about exist motivates and gets me fired up. In a positive way, of course.

In the hindsight, I thought to myself so many times: "Well, there is nothing left to prove. I've reached my peak. That's it, I'm done." But as I got older, I realized that there are still so many obstacles I have to overcome. That's why I am still super-excited about things in life. I always try to find new ways to get better. Of course, there are times when it's very challenging... But I believe that, at this point, I have navigated these challenges for my personal benefit.

I'm tellin' ya' how to do it right! Brum. Brumm.

Just don't expect any preachy and would-be heartbreaking advice how to do things right. I am too young for this bull. The moral of the story is that there is not just one right way. Don't believe everything that you breathe. Period.

Those with loaded guns, and those who dig

I must say - there is no better game than Red Dead Redemption. Computer games may be beyond my craft threshold but I am 100 % certain and positive that when it comes to Red Dead Redemption and its exceptional storytelling, other games just don't stand a chance. Even now, in the age of higly praised Grand Theft Auto 5,  I still believe that John Marston's story has not been matched yet. I finished the game 3 years ago but the only thing I can hear in my head each and every single morning  is the song "Exodus in America". What a brilliant job with the soundtrack composed by Bill Elm and Woody Jackson. Morricone must be proud.

The sounds of the game might be a pivotal aspect for my assessment, but nope, this game has many other things and remarkable features to offer. The storyline is touching and very deeply elaborated like never before. From my point of view, just a look at the raw, vast swath of a southern american countryside is a glittering lure enough.  If there is any negative criticism I could level at the game, it is perhaps the playable character of Jack Marston. And that's just because of the fact that I can't see by any stretch of the imagination anybody  filling the shoes of his great father.

"I'm many things, most of 'em bad."

(picture courtesy of ps3blog.net)

The old bar set by RDR is still at its highest. It's a standard upcoming games must strive to reach. Rockstar Games are like American Movie Classics. There is simply no mediocrity. The best or nothing. As far as the story is concerned, the latest western movie blockbuster Django Unchained is nowhere near compared to this soon to be called masterpiece. The game of Marston's redemption will never be rendered obsolete. Ever.

So, which "R" you filled with?

When it comes down to movies about lying, the first one that comes to mind is unquestionably Kill Bill series.

The way I see it, along with the famous pub scene from Inglourious Basterds, Kill Bill is probably the last properly made and positively acclaimed movie directed by Quentin Tarantino. Yep, I am going out on a limb by saying that he's a bit long in the tooth and slightly overrated. Of course, so many scenes and shots can be interpreted as totally characteristic for him. For example a classic Tarantino scene goes like this: An epic fight full of hatred, violence and gore is soon stopped because of a friendly coffee break. The fact of the matter is that he is highly influenced by other directors. Enormously I should say.

However, the whole film is piled up with machination and lies. All this is caused by individual diversity of villains and bad guys. They suffer from disunity and are eventually under fire from own ranks. The plotline is all about setting out for payback and revenge.

It's the final countdown!

4 biggest lies in the story of Beatrix Kiddo

1) The Black Mamba is dead
People and even zombies would not survive a headshot, but Beatrix Kiddo is clearly a different breed. A coma, the Pussy Wagon, wickle your big toe and here we go again! But Bill does not have a clue.

2) The baby is dead
Apple doesn't fall far from the tree. It stands to reason that even Kiddo's fetus can survive anything by any means necessary! But Kiddo does not have a clue.

3) The guy from Okinawa will never make Japanese steel
Poor Hattori Hanzo. That blonde American woman moves insolently into his apartment and forces him to break his promise. Shame on you, Hattori! But Bill and the rest of his crew do not have a clue.

4) Just an ordinary suitcase full of money
Little blonde sister Elle Driver... She did not think this through. One of the most venomous snakes in the world has nothing to do in your baggage.  As for credulous Budd, this is rather a dubious pleasure indeed. But he does not have a clue.