22.7.09

loves, new and old - part 1


The Free Design

The Free Design is a vocal group that had a cult following in the 70's. Sometimes dubbed "baroque pop" for their classical influences, the group consisted of the Dedrick family. Their albums had a few covers with Chris Dedrick writing most of the original songs. Poppy, catchy and sometimes over the top with its cutesiness, the sunshine and rainbow songs still made evident the Dedrick family's musical talent with jazz inspired chord progressions and its mainstay in the underground, inspiring some noted musicians and groups such as Beck, Stereolab and Pizzicato Five. Despite a lack of commercial success and the group's break up less than a decade after they emerged, as many small groups have, they gained notoriety with their songs appearing in commercials and soundtracks.

My dormant love affair with this group was revived when watching Yo Gabba Gabba with the kids and saw a cartoon bit set to "I Found Love". I don't have a favorite song. But when the mood hits or I need a little sunshine in my life - because I can't stand the actual sun - I hit up the few tracks I have on my ipod and it puts a smile on my face.

I know if my dad had heard this band, he would have loved them.

Il Postino

An Italian language film by Michael Radford, Il Postino tells the story of the exiled Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda, and the unexpected friendship he develops with his postman while in Italy, a deviation from the novel and original 1983 movie, which took place in Chile. While Pablo Neruda is, indeed, a real person (and one of my favorite poets), the story is fictional.

Exiled to Italy for his Communist views, Neruda makes a home in a small Italian fishing village and meets Mario, who turns out to be his own personal postman. In learning who Neruda is, Mario becomes interested in poetry and the two men become close friends and the poet assists Mario in courting Beatrice by using poetry and metaphor. The rest of the film explores this friendship, the simplicity of love and companionship set against the simple life.

My father said it best. This movie is simply sweet. I cannot get enough of it. Despite its bittersweet ending, I've watched this movie rather often, thinking about the simple love that existed between the main characters, whether that love be friendship or romance. Simplicity. Purity. The foundation of love and life in a world that is getting increasingly complicated and fast paced.

Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell
Though this is both a song and the album, I am talking about the song, here.
A contrast to the band and the movie mentioned above, this song is a sad one or rather, a melancholy song about growth and change and how we once saw things a certain way in our youth and how they change as we grow.
My favorite line...
"Well, something's lost and something's gained in living every day."
It's a spark of hope in having learned and grown. Losing the innocence of youth isn't always that bad.

20.7.09

stop being stupid

Let's just say I know someone who is affiliated with the delivery of goods purchased from a well known American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services. This American retailer would be only one of two we have on Guam that sells such products and services. It's also the latest one, a home improvement giant in retailing that many locals were looking forward to shopping at when it opened its doors for the first time no too long ago. From all of this information, I'm sure those of you on Guam can deduce which one I'm talking about.

You've probably also been to this store and witnessed firsthand what their idea of customer service is like. I'm sure there are intelligent people who were hired there, who knew what they were doing before having to deal with the BS lack of training. I'm sure there are people in orange vests who do more than just walk around aimlessly with a look of complete confusion. I'm sure there are people there who can answer questions knowledgeably without a dumbshit smile, saying "Uhhh..." and "I'm not...too...sure, but let me check on that for you." or simply say, "I don't know." I'm sure there are people who work there who actually come back to you in a reasonable amount of time with someone who does know what he is doing. I'm sure of it. But I've never seen it. In fact, all I've seen are a bunch of people who seem as though they had to FAIL a test in order to work there.

Add delivery to a system that is just a big specimen of rusted machinery of mismatched cogs and gears that don't quite fit to do what they are supposed to do, and the whole thing threatens to fall apart and hurl into the cosmos, leaving us to wonder what we all got excited about in the first place. Even when those delivery people (who are not employees of that store, by the way) actually know what they're doing.

Without going into the whos, the hows, the wheres and whens and all the whats in between, I'd like to appeal to everyone who reads this to consider a few things and pass the word along.

First, this is Guam. Please remember where you live when requesting for delivery. Many of us, and often those of us with the nicest houses in the most private and scenic locales, have to traverse an unpaved road that is barely wide enough to fit standard sedans, in order to get home. Think, long and hard, about how difficult it is to fit a delivery truck (box truck, flat bed, etc.) on that road. Consider overhang and the lush green foliage that graces our island and makes it so beautiful. Consider what a bitch it is to get past those branches on a rather small dirt road when you are in a very large truck.

And no, dumbass, people don't deliver such goods in a regular pickup truck. What do you expect the delivery men to do? Haul one washing machine to Umatac in a pickup, drive all the way back to Home De...improvement store, pick up another large appliance to deliver to Agat, etc.? Is that how YOU do things? Do you go to a store, buy one case of drinks, go home, go back to the store, buy a sack of rice, go back home, etc.? I didn't think so. So stop asking if they can just deliver it in a pickup.

And while we are talking about that, how about YOU pick up your appliances in a pickup? If it's that simple, take your shit home yourself. If you're going to be a dick about delivery, then don't ask for it!

Next, lets consider the adage, "Don't shoot the messenger." When you request delivery, you're speaking to the first person in a long line of communication. The actual delivery people are the last part of that communication. That first person you speak to, again, may not be very good at his or her job. He probably doesn't care about you or what you are purchasing. He just wants you to get the hell out of the store so he can move on to daydreaming until the clock tells him he can go home for the day. He may make promises he cannot keep because he's not the one who will have to deal with all the other parts of delivery after his job is done. And remember, his job is to smile, tell you whatever the hell you want to hear and wash his hands of all of it. So if he messes up, if he promises same day delivery when he cannot deliver, if he gets your address and name wrong, that's not the delivery person's fault. You see, the only thing the delivery person does is DELIVER. Someone else takes down your info. Someone else process the paperwork. Someone else tells the delivery people what to bring to whom. If something gets messed up, there's a good chance that the first, second, third and so on, person in that chain of communication messed up. So don't take it out on the delivery person.

Now, also remember that it is YOUR responsibility to provide accurate directions. I realize not everyone is like me. When someone asks me for a map, I am very careful about them. My maps are easily understood. I've even had people from various agencies look at my map with amazement. But really, there are certain things that should be expected.

Yes, this is Guam and we don't do streets. We use landmarks. But be REAL! How are people going to understand directions when the landmarks you use are AFTER the turn to your house? Don't tell people it's the second to the last turn. You don't know if it's the second to the last turn until you get to the last turn!!! It's not rocket science. It's common sense. Use it! Don't use "the cement bus stop" if there are fifteen cement bus stops on your street. And mango tree?! How many houses have a mango tree? In other words, don't use a landmark if there are several of them in the same area.

And learn your colors. If you are color blind, go ask someone right now what color your vehicle and house is. Go ahead. Ask. Remember. Jot it down for further use. It makes things rather difficult when you tell someone you have a gray truck and it's actually green.

Now here's something I learned. People who deliver large good are to delivery people as bartenders are to food and beverage service workers. People always remember to leave a few bucks on the table after eating food. And then they don't tip the lady at the bar getting you good and drunk. So if you tip the guy who brings you cold pizza, how about you tip the guy lugging the heavy ass double door fridge into your house? Capiche?

This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many people out there who don't know what the hell is going on. So please, people. Pull your head out of your asses and get a fricking clue. And if you're going to be stupid, don't be an ass about it.

And have a pleasant day.

11.7.09

vh1's great debate - caliente hour


VH-1 has decided to put together a debate regarding the issues that really matter. And I've decided to comment on them because that's just what I do. Why? Because I'm a pop culture junky. But I truly am not that bad. I've never visited Perez Hilton's site and I'm quite certain that I'd lose a pop culture trivia test if pitted against some of the most notorious addicts of our time. But I do pay attention if for no other reason than this is the industry I wanted to be a part of.

Keep in mind that these topics are rarely about what was best. It's mostly about significance.

If you'd rather watch the show yourself without spoilers, stop reading now.

Also, I am watching this in incriments. Meaning even one program takes me more than a single sitting. So I will be updating single posts as I review more duos in a single episode.

The Caliente Hour

Best Teen Soap: 90210 vs The OC

And we're talking about the 90210 that lasted a whole fricking decade. Not this new revamped crap I avoid at all costs.

90210 had more testosterone than The OC did. With only two main male heartthrobs in the under 20 sect, it simply can't compare. Nevermind that neither program had any real testosterone. Neither's resident bad boy was at all threatening. Neither's pretty boy made of apple pie and bicycle spokes were remotely attractive. The only guy from either show that even made it on the heat scale was that guy that beat up Donna. So all we have is numbers and 90210 had them.

But what about the girls? This is fact: Brenda could beat down every single girl on both programs, blindfolded and missing two feet. 90210 wins again. Bring in Valerie, Janet and Gina (look it up) and we're talking about a trifecta of heat that none of the girls in The OC can even touch. Once again, numbers.

And that's all it really is. Numbers: 4 seasons vs. 10. No contest.

My pick: 90210
The winner: 90210

Best Talent Show: Star Search vs American Idol

I'm trying really hard to take my age out of this one. And if there's any proof that my addiction to pop culture is not that severe, it's the fact that I've never seen an episode of American Idol in my life.

My first consideration was simple. One dealt with all kinds of talent. The other, just singing. I think that is enough to put Star Search a step ahead of its opponent. Yes, it needs to be considered that American Idol is this huge phenomenon that has millions and millions of people tuning in and sending in their votes. Star Search didn't have that. But Star Search also didn't have the Internet.

With all of that, ultimately it's once again a numbers thing. American Idol had more numbers.

My pick: American Idol
The winner: American Idol

Primo 80's Teen Queen: Tiffany vs Debbie Gibson

One was the quintessential saccharine infested, pop princess. The other a mall queen who did silly things with her hands. One had a few hits, one of them being a remake. The other was the youngest female pop singer to actually write and produce one of her own hits, the very song I sang a capella for credit in front of my fifth grade classmates (you shut your mouth).

The reality is that Gibson was HUGE. Tiffany, not so much. And again, those silly hand movements. That's not what they meant when they said to use your hands, Tiff.

My pick: Debbie Gibson
The winner: Debbie Gibson

Bigger Attention Whore: Criss Angel vs David Blaine

For a split second once upon a time, Blaine made my top ten. But then I saw him more. And more. And more. Talking very, very slowly in that coma inducing tone. There was no magic. Not much of an illusion. And then he switched gears and just started doing stunts. Huh? I don't want to watch that.

Enter Criss Angel. The name is bad enough. Your name is CHRISTOPHER! Spelling it strangely does not make you interesting. And then the Angel thing? I cannot stand to look at him or listen to him lisp long enough to appreciate whatever it is he does, even if he does stick to the program more often that Blaine does.

But that's the point, yes? They are attention whores who are more annoying than they are interesting. But Criss Angel just pisses me off more. And he's not good looking.

My pick: Criss Angel
The winner: David Blaine

Most Hated Reality Show Villain: Omarosa vs Spencer Pratt

I cannot bring myself to talk about them. I really can't.

All I really can say is that platinum blond eyebrows scare me.

My pick: I refuse to add to their 15 minutes any more. No soup for you! NEXT!
The winner: Omarosa

Best Maple Syrup Mama: Mrs. Butterworth vs Aunt Jemima

I need to preface this with a bold statement that the Canadians are going to lynch me for. I cannot stand the genuine article. I can't imagine what prompted anyone to turn tree sap into foodstuffs. It's disgusting. I only appreciate it for the fact that it had companies scrambling to create a similar product in a more preservable form. And nothing is better than brown high fructose corn syrup and sotolon over pancakes. Unless, of course, it's real coconut syrup on macadamia nut pancakes.

I really have no opinion on either regarding taste. They both do the deed well.

But Mrs. Butterworth came in a much cooler bottle.

My pick: Mrs. Butterworth
The winner: Mrs. Butterworth

Wildest Toy Craze: Cabbage Patch Kids vs Tickle Me Elmo

I've been the owner of both toys. And yes, I was more adult than not when I got my TME for Christmas one year. No, my mom did not have to beat anyone up to get me either.

On one hand, there's my age. Of course I'll appreciate CPK more. I had two of them. Rebecca May had short hair. Jennifer Renee had long hair. My parents didn't think to get me dolls whose hair matched my own and I ended up with two blond "babies". I had smaller toys and some animal thing that was the same size as the babies. Those two dolls also had a picknik basket filled with clothes and accessories, not to mention those birth certificates (I kind of resented having my dolls pre-named as I wouldn't have chosen either Rebecca May or Jennifer Renee). I also thoroughly enjoyed my Cabbage Patch Kids magazines.

On the other hand is the fact that I know I'm not the only adult who owns a TME. I don't know any adults who have a brand new Cabbage Patch Kid. I also don't know boys who had the dolls. Many boys have Elmos. I think that matters.

My pick: Tickle Me Elmo
The winner: Cabbage Patch Kids

Dreamiest Travolta Stud: Danny Zuko vs Tony Manero

God, I hate Grease. Even more, I hate disco. On a smaller level, I'm not a Travolta fan either.

I can't choose either. I lack the part of my brain that finds it possible to find either character dreamy. I lack the part of my brain that uses the word "dreamy".

My pick: Neither
The winner: Danny Zuko

Hotter Russian Tennis Babe: Anna Kournikova vs Maria Sharapova

They are both blond. One looks like she got stuck before puberty and had some implants to convince people she could be a sex pot (and boy did all you pervy men just love that). That same one was only famous for that jail bait aura because, let's face it, she was no tennis player.

But then Sharopova made those commercials with that ugly, little rat-dog.

I can only make a decision based on whose name I've heard more often.

My pick: Anna Kournikova
The winner: Anna Kournikova



10.7.09

one of the brightest stars in my lifetime

So many people touch our lives, personally or professionally, people we know intimately and people we've never met. In the age of celebrity, when we now have access to the details of their lives and the outlets that bring us such information, we know more about our favorite artists and professionals than the mere products they produce. For many of us, knowing a little bit about who they are is part of understanding the inspiration behind those works we appreciate.

Thinking about the celebrities who existed in my lifetime, none is as prominent as Michael Jackson. As a child, I had to learn about the significance of big names such as Elvis Presley and the Beatles who were no longer making music when I was a small child. Jackson was always there. As far back as my conscious memories take me, Michael Jackson was a constant. His was not only the first big name I knew of. His was the biggest.

Many will say that such artists don't deserve the status they've achieved. They didn't find a cure to any disease. They didn't feed all the starving people of any nation. They didn't save any lives. But didn't they?

Those famous for the art they produced are not the only artists in this world. So many of us will live our entire lives never dropping the word "aspiring" from the things we want to do or be. There are many things that hold us back. Sometimes we are our own largest roadblocks along the path to what we desire. Sometimes our lack of measurable success can only be attributed to bad luck and a life that isn't always fair. But that does not mean that people regularly abandon their dreams entirely just because the chances of being recognized for such dreams are slim. Sometimes those dreams live on till our death and provide the motivation to succeed in other ways. Sometimes all these dreams do is provide an outlet for expressing ourselves when we don't get the chance to do so because of our busy lives. As such, sometimes all these celebrities provide is a vestige of the world we desire, a world in which we can do something we love that reaches many people. Often, the one thing they provide is the one thing we need most: Hope.

Michael Jackson provided hope for so many. He's touched many more lives than any of us ever will. He's achieved immortality through things he was extremely skilled at. What's most significant in an age when it seems that so many seem to achieve that celebrity without skill or talent is that Jackson actually did have that talent.

Again, going back to our existence in the information age, we have been given access to Jackson beyond his talent. While most of us can easily see how that access hurt him and his friends, family and fans more than they have helped, much of it also showed us that Michael Jackson was not simply a celebrity but an incredible man with a big heart who cared, who promoted peace and love in a world that sees much to little of it. We've witnessed a man who did some wonderful things with his fame.


While I agree that the hubbub can be a bit over the top, it's difficult to not understand why our worlds have been taken over by the loss of the King of Pop. Perhaps there are those who claim to dislike anything to do with celebrity. Often those people dislike most things. A deep-rooted disdain for everything and the tendency to speak negatively about nearly anything comes from people whose misery is self made and not a terrible concern of mine. I feel no need to go out of my way to find things to be bothered with. There are even more who simply don't understand how big Michael Jackson was in this world and what he meant to so many people. Again, he wasn't just some famous singer. He was a symbol of hope for so many.

There are even then people consumed with the negative that seemed to follow Jackson around. As a fan and a genuine believer in his innocence, my only sentiment can reflect that of Marlon Jackson at his brother's memorial, "Maybe now they'll leave you alone."

Another thing to keep in mind when losing such a celebrity or those less known is that aside from everything else, this was the loss of a person who was loved. This was someone's son, brother, friend and father. While his death overshadowed those who also died around the same time, very few of us ever truly forgot how we lost others, celebrity or not, at that time or sooner. And we were sadly reminded of how many more people we'd lose in our lifetimes.

So the man is gone. His music still lives and his legacy is immortal. I've joined the masses who have mourned such a loss and I was sad for the people closest to him who felt this tragedy much deeper.

See you later, MJ. Thanks for the memories and a childhood filled with music.

a throwback - misunderstood biblical references

(I've found another gap filler with old blog entries from myspace. If you're on my myspace and waste time reading my crap, you should skip this one and any other entries with the word "throwback" in the title. When possible, I'll be reposting the entries with major edits. I'm also doing this as another place to keep my drafts in case I end up losing my myspace.)

There are a number of words and phrases out there that are commonly misunderstood to the point of their improper definitions being accepted, as their original meanings are abandoned or forgotten. For example, "saving grace" is often used to describe something that helps a person get through the day or the one positive value of an object or event. While the actual definition isn't too far off, a saving grace refers to the speaker's good attributes, not the situation the speaker is referring to. A saving grace is a redeeming quality. Your saving grace is the one good thing about you when other parts fall short. When beginning a sentence with, "My saving grace...", you wouldn't really be referring to yourself if that grace is a cup of coffee and a down moment in an otherwise hectic schedule. That would be the day's saving grace, not yours.

Situations like this do not indicate, to me, a lack of education or a kind of ignorance. As language evolves, definitions change. The dictionary often notes a word's accepted definition along with it's origins and a description of how others commonly define it. I feel that as long we know what the other person is talking about, in most informal settings, being proper is unnecessary and rather annoying, at times. Harping on people for improper grammar that is very widely accepted is especially eye-roll worthy.

Still, I like to think about those original meanings and pass the information along when I can.

Two other phrases that I instantly think about are especially widespread. Both are from the bible.

The Immaculate Conception

In casual speak, people often use the phrase "Immaculate Conception" to refer to a situation in which a woman managed to get pregnant without the act of sex. This is not what Immaculate Conception is.

While the story of the Immaculate Conception does refer to the Virgin Mary as the mother of Jesus Christ, it does not have anything to do with her status as a virgin. What it deals with specifically is the concept of Original Sin. Catholics believe that all human beings after Adam and Eve were born with Original Sin. Original Sin is part of a soul the moment of conception, after an act of intercourse, months before a baby is born. The act of baptising a baby in Catholicism and other Christian sects as opposed to using baptism as an act for a conscious, decided believer in Christ, is done to wash away that Original Sin. We are not simply born with Original Sin, we are conceived with it. And nearly every person in this world was conceived with that sin. The only person that isn't, according to this Christian tradition, is Mary. Because Mary was chosen from conception to birth the Christ Child, she was conceived without that sin to be a pure vessel. Jesus is not the Immaculate Conception. Mary is.

The Prodigal Son

Most know the parable whether they are of faith or not. This tale is of a man with two sons. One is obedient. The other is a wanderlust. The disobedient son asks his father for his share of his inheritance so he can leave while the good son stays home and takes care of business. The son who wandered spent his money unwisely, giving into instant pleasures rather than securing himself a future, both in the material world and presumably, in heaven. When this son returns home, penniless and worse for the wear, the father welcomes his son home with open arms while the obedient son, who had not wavered, complained.

This son who left and came back would be the prodigal son. But the fact that he returned is not what made him prodigal. He was called prodigal because of his actions concerning his inheritance. Prodigal means wasteful, especially with unaffordable extravagances. The prodigal son was wreckless with his money.

***

Again, we usually know what people are talking about when they use such phrases and it makes little sense to get upset about how these and other phrases have changed. But knowledge, in this sense, really couldn't hurt, whether we decide to use or not. And if you do usually prefer only using words properly, perhaps this helped you in doing so.

9.7.09

when comic books come to life

By the time I was born, Hollywood had moved way beyond classic literature, recent bestsellers and widely known tales to find resources in other forms of art and literature, one of those forms being comic books and graphic novels. As a child, Superman existed as a comic book character and a film character, immortalized by who I'd later consider to be a real-life superhero, Christopher Reeves. I was able to see him portrayed even more by several different men on the small screen .

The 80's and 90's were filled with such movies, though many of them were actually lesser known comic tales that were originally produced by comic houses that weren't mainstream. Many of these comics were mainstays in the comic book geek realm but not nearly as popular commercially. Ask many film goers from the 90's about movies such as The Crow or The Mask and a good number of them probably didn't know they were first comics. Even if you consider movies created to maintain the comic book feel such as Dick Tracy and Tank Girl, many people were still unfamiliar with those works before they became movies. Despite it being before my time, I am still shocked to hear that many did not know that the three Conan inspired movies were comic books.

With the turn of the millennium came an onslaught of huge blockbuster movies based on comics that were widely known, many of them coming from comic book giant, Marvel. In the past nine years, we've seen 19 movies based on Marvel comics alone. There have been over 50 films inspired by other comic books under DC and other houses.

Among those almost 100 films, we've had some hits and some misses. Some have rocked the mainstream's world, becoming wild blockbusters and catapulting their previously unknown stars into mega stardom, all the while sending the comic fanboys and girls into a hysteria, clawing their eyes out and screaming in agony at how Hollywood raped their most cherished superheroes and villains. Others had the geeks in tantric ecstasy, weeping with elation at how the film industry stayed true to its stories' comic origins while a larger population simply didn't get it, whether it be an excess of gore, amoral stories devoid of humanity, gratuitous violence that only glorifies the acts of sociopaths and terrorists, elaborate tales with over-lapping sub-plots with even more tangents, or computer applications that were wasted on color and light and not simply large explosions or flying people. The few in between were barely noticed by anyone.

Now I would be one of those fan girls. I'd be a geek. In a not so obvious package, I am a fan of more boyish pursuits and a geeky, somewhat awkward boy prone to bouts of fancy, at that. I am annoyingly so. So I'll try not to get too passionate in either direction depending on the company. I can sum it up by saying that the past few years have graced me with a handful of new favorite movies such as Sin City and 300 (if that's not a cliche, I don't know what is). I could spit out all the marvelous aspects of Sin City that had be salivating even over a graphic novel I admittedly knew less about in contrast to such favorites as Tank Girl or the X Men franchise. I could also relate the negative reviews and explain why my opinion differs, finding the strengths and weaknesses of all arguments. I could do the same with 300, adding both to my short list of approved comic book to movie adaptations along side The Crow, another cult classic of a relatively unknown sub-genre, throwing in the prayer that Sin City does not fall into the trap The Crow did with preposterous sequels. They would all merely be reflections of the same things that have been said about all movies ad nauseum.

I should also say that a few movies did have me disgusted and feeling betrayed. With the X Men easily topping my list as favorite comic book stories and characters, I could not join the majority of reviewers who praised this film, even slightly. I appreciated the obvious choice of Patrick Stewart as Professor X and thought that no film maker would be so blind to not cast him in that role. Watching the rest of the cast struggle through the film had me wondering if Stewart was just a fluke. Noting Jackman's extreme attempt and the care with which he handled the character of Wolverine did little to expel the reality that he simply didn't fit the bill. Further reading had me throwing my arms in the air in frustration, finding out that Eric Mabius was passed over for the Cyclops role in favor of pretty boy James Marsden who admitted to being unfamiliar with the X Men before his assignment. With each sequel there was at least one element that was extremely pleasurable, both only attributed to the skill and talent of the actors themselves in Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler and Kelsey Grammer as Beast. Their appointments, again, become just flukes as the rest of the elements were utterly atrocious. And again and again we watched Jackman become more comfortable in his role and start to be believable by the time X Men Origins: Wolverine was released. Or perhaps we just got used to him.

If you think that rant was long and opinionated I should also inform you that it's usually much longer and inflammatory.

So many, still, have been much closer to the center of either extremes. Watchmen, another extreme favorite, had me torn in two directions (the love of the film eventually won). There were above average receptions, both personal and widely, for movies like Ironman, the Spiderman movies and some of the Blade films. There were the not well received movies such as Daredevil, Ghost Rider and Electra. There are many reasons all these movies worked in some areas and fell short in others. To be fair, where only comic books are concerned, much of the blame falls squarely on the shoulders of a handful of people involved with conception if that comic book does not work. Placing it on film becomes more difficult when each character is portrayed by a different actor, each with his own interpretation under the guidance of writers and directors and producers who have their own agenda. In such a cross-over, translation becomes quite a difficult task. It's an undertaking that many would be excited with over the concept and scared shitless when the task becomes real.

The trend does not seem to be ending any time soon. At this point, I don't think it can even be considered a trend. There are countless reasons comic books are a gold mine of film inspiration. They give us ongoing stories that are ready made sequels despite the difficulty present in having to transform something, as opposed to creating them from scratch. There is action. There is drama. There are colorful characters and elaborate situations that are only limited by imagination. What can be created with pen and paper, with a combination of dialogue and illustration, becomes an infinite well of scenarios begging to be put into motion.

Despite a few disappointments and very close calls, I still retain a certain amount of excitement whenever a new comic book/graphic novel to movie comes out. Even in this information age with access to the conceptualization process, with rumors about casting, writing and direction, and the ability to access bad news before I fork over the $8 for a ticket to watch a movie with people I probably don't want to sit next to, I still insist on seeing certain movies in the theater rather than waiting for them to be released on video or, God forbid, having to wait over a year to see on cable. Yes, I even did this with the X Men movies while I plotted an elaborate scheme in my mind to punish Brett Ratner. I spent years talking to fellow comic book geeks of varying degrees of expertise and fanaticism about who would be the best Gambit or Thor and braced myself every time I heard a rumor about the actors cast in those roles. As with so many art forms, I expose myself to the good and the bad. Being able to recognize the good involves some exposure to the bad. And we never know who or what may suprise us. Despite bad experiences I am ready and willing to nose dive into the next adaptation, no life jacket necessary.

Besides, if comic books are not my favorite form of literature, the classics are and I kind of like having something else to distract me from the way movies ruin my high school summer reading lists.

And for the record, Taylor Kitsch was not anywhere on the list of best actors to play Gambit. Recent news tells us that Chris Hemsworth, relative unknown outside of Australia, who played George Kirk, Captain James T. Kirk's father in the most recent Star Trek blockbuster, is going to be Thor. Wildly unfortunate considering the ready-made Thor in Paul Levesque, also known as Hunter Hearst Helmsley, the WWE's Triple H.

If that's not bad enough Hemsworth is also supposed to be reprising Patrick Swayze's role in the remake of Red Dawn. I'm not sure which one I fear the most.

8.7.09

puntan and fu'una

Every culture has a story of creation. This is ours:


The world was created by Puntan and Fu'una, gods who were brother and sister. Puntan told his sister to take different parts of his bodies to create different parts of our universe. His eyes would become the sun and moon; his eyebrows would be rainbows and his back would be the land. Using her own supernatural powers, Fu'una breathed life into the parts of her brother's body that now made up the world. She made the sun and moon shine and the earth, fertile. When she was done, she flung her body into the earth and from that came Fouha Rock, the rock from which mankind had sprung.

It seems to be a short and simple story, and at the core, most creations stories are. But simple creation stories speak volumes for the ruling forces of many of its religions and cultures.

The fact that the earth was created equally by a male and female deity lay the foundation for Guam's matrilineal society, one that honors the man and woman equally. This goes deeper when analyzing the specific roles of our two creation Gods and their relationship with each other. These gods were not husband and wife but siblings. This enforces the strength and permanence of family with the siblings acting as the caretakers of the unit, whereas a married couple were not believed to be indebted to each other for life the way siblings would be.

The following is a short video of our Creation Story:





Information taken from Guampedia.

Anne Perez Hattori, Ph.D., 'Puntan and Fu'una: Gods of Creation', referenced July 8, 2009, © 2007 Guampedia™, URL: http://www.guampedia.com/category/53-interpretive-essays/entry/26