Death's Messengers

Hey there.  When I was in high school, I would enjoy going to my AP Physics class.  Not so much because physics are thrilling, but because my teacher would start the class with a zen story.  These stories were meant to have the students think outside the box.  He deemed them, "thinking can't tales" and I looked forward to them.  They fascinated me.  They were indeed thought provoking and more often than not, I thought about the story well after class ended.  Well today, I came across a story that took me back to those days in class.  Let me tell you the story of Death's Messengers.

I believe in Evolution... Pokemon Evolution!

Thoughts On... Bioshock Infinite

Hey there.  I am finally getting around to posting my thoughts on Bioshock Infinite.  After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, finally we got to play the game.  The game is beautiful.  The game is awesome.  The game lived up to MY expectations.  I purchased the Songbird Edition of the game and when the kids saw it, they asked that they get to watch me play the game.  lol  My older two kids (14 and 11) have seen me play through Bioshock 1 and 2 and they wanted to know how the next installment would play out.  I promised them they could, but it proved costly on my end.  There were many nights where I itched to play but couldn't because the kids were asleep. lol  Anyways, after finishing the game, I knew I had to give some insights, but before I do, be warned!  THERE WILL BE SPOILERS IN THIS POST!  If you have not finished the game and plan to, do not read below!  Go and finish and then come back.  Trust me, you'll get more insight from this post AFTER finishing the game.  Also, keep in mind that this is NOT a review.  This post is simply my thoughts on the game.  I did write a review for Dragonblogger.com and you can check that review out here.  Now, my thoughts on Bioshock Infinite.

Deja Vu

MIND.... BLOWN!!!  It all makes perfect sense now!

Thoughts On... LIMBO

Hey there.  I have always been fascinated by PlayDead's Xbox Arcade megahit, LIMBO.  When the demo was released, I immediately downloaded it.  When the price of 1200 MS was announced, I was extremely hesitant in purchasing the game.  Many reviews at the time criticized the "short gameplay" and I really like to get a good bang for my buck.  Today, you can get LIMBO, Trials HD, and Splosion Man for about $20.  I managed to score enough free MS points through the Xbox Reward program so I ended up coughing up the 1200 to download the game.  I know... I know...  Playdead's LIMBO was the talk of the town when it came out and I'm just getting around to it now.  Aside from a few screen shots, I made a conscience effort to stay away from ANYTHING that would spoil the game for me.  Thank goodness, I did.  LIMBO is more than just a game, it is art.  If you haven't had a chance to play the game and plan to, step away now.  Go kill a few hours and play LIMBO and then come back to discuss.  SPOILERS BELOW!  Now, after my first playthrough, here are my thoughts on...  LIMBO.

Motivational Monday - The Church of Gaming

And may the power of the triforce be with you!

The Loss of a Baby Cousin

Hey there.  I've been kind of missing this past week.  I found out this Monday that my baby cousin (2nd gen cousin) passed away recently.  It devastated me.  Especially since my little baby cousin's dad (1st gen cousin) and I grew up together and I've always felt close to him.  It's tough to have to bury a child.  It is the most devastating thing that a parent would ever have to endure.  While at the viewing, I couldn't but to get choked up.  A small angel... lying there motionless is not what a baby should be.  A child is the epitome of life, the essence of joy, and the very definition of a growing family.  To have a young one be taken away from you before he had a chance to experience the outside world, shattered those thoughts for my cousin, his wife, and the whole family.

What the Hell Happened to Music?

I don't think anyone could match what Freddie Mercury created!

Hey there.  I saw this online sometime today and I realized something...  The music of today sucks.  Well... let me rephrase, the majority of the music of today sucks.  Quite frankly, I just don't listen to the radio anymore... unless it's AM sports talk radio.  I feel as if the musicians of this generation have so many hands in "their music" that it's not really theirs.  Some writer or writers came up with the words, another one came up with the composition, and the "artist" is just the voice that sings (or lipsings) the crap out of that song.  I wouldn't really call myself a musician if that's how my career ended up.  Anyways what do you think?  Was the music simply better back then?  Am I really the only one that feels this way?  Later!

Thoughts on... Insidious

Creepy kid?  Check.  Scary thing in the background?  Check.
Red?  Check.  Rating... wait what???  PG13???  o_O

Hey there.  Last night, I sat down with the wife and caught the movie Insidious on Netflix.  I love me a good a horror flick and the wife... well...  she gets spooked.  lol  Don't get me wrong, she'll sit down and watch them, but it usually has to be day time or she'll freak out.  The fact that the movie is rated PG-13 made me believe that it will not be as disturbing as other movies that I have watched.  The idea of the film is a good one, but I think it could have been better.  I really think that the rating hurt this film more than anything else as I'll explain below.  There will be spoilers below, so if you have not seen this movie and plan to... go do that now and then come back!  You have been warned!  So here are my thoughts on... Insidious.

The True Meaning of Deja Vu

Whoa!  This just blew my mind!

The Rise of American Soccer in the United States

Hey there. I love sports. I'm also Mexican American. So when both countries end up going against each other, who should I root for? It's a common dilemma for many Mexican Americans out there. My parents were born in Mexico and I in the US.  I'm a first gen American in our family.  You want to root for both countries. You want to go show pride and acknowledge your roots but you also want to show pride for the country of opportunity. Why the question? Soccer. Yup. Soccer. lol

CDC Recommends We Prepare for a Zombie Invasion

Hey there. At first, I thought this was a joke... but it's not. Yahoo News has posted up an article from the CDC (Center of Disease Control) that states that we should prepare for all natural disasters... INCLUDING ZOMBIES! That's right, The CDC is saying that zombies are a possibility and that we should prepare in case it happens. Can you imagine that? A world, not unlike that of Left 4 Dead, Dead Rising, Resident Evil... and many other kill em up zombie games. I don't know if I should be scared or excited. lol

Classics V. Technology

Hey there.  You know, I was thinking about nature and what not and have decided that I want to start hiking.  Maybe even write about what I see and do while out and about with the family.  The problem?  If you don't have tough, rugged equipment, you will find your stuff torn by the elements.  Rocks, branches, brush... they will all nip and tear at your bags and what not.  I was telling myself that if I were to play a Henry David Thoreau type person, I would need my laptop to write about nature.  Hey, it's the 21th century.  lol  While Mr. Thoreau may have used ink and quills, I'm using a laptop.  Just at a glance, I would need a laptop messenger bag that is built for the elements. Something that will stand against nature or at least give my laptop a fighting chance of surviving.  How else am I going to write the next Walden without my laptop?

I've been on a mission recently to read more literary classics.  So far, I've read Catcher in the Rye and Siddhartha.  While more books are coming my way, I started to think how these classics would be written today.  Going back to Thoreau's Walden, I don't think we would be able to create such a masterpiece of solitude today.  There is technology everywhere.  Cell phones, laptops, smartphones, tablets...  Pen and paper have been replaced with keyboards and software.  Would Sheldon be so full of angst if he could take it out on a game of Angry Birds?  Would Siddhartha use GPS tracking to navigate through the jungles to find himself and total bliss? 

It's awesome that tales from the past rely heavily on the art of story telling.  So while I'm trekking across rugged terrain, I can stop, look at my kindle and read up on some classics.  What books do you recommend?  There are still a few that I would like to own, like Billy Budd.  It's a short story but a good one nonetheless.  Later!

Ancient Aliens: Zues is Odin and Odin is Zues?

Hey there.  I love the show Ancient Aliens on the History Channel.  I think it's thought provoking and I love that each show has a different center of focus to lend credibility (or discredit) the ancient alien theory.  For those of you not in the know, the ancient alien theory suggests that many of the wonders of the world were made by not only man, but with the assistance of aliens.  It suggest that mythologies and art across the globe have striking similarities and they could very well in fact be depicting the same "alien figure".  The episode that I caught last night mentioned the similarities of gods throughout the mythos of ancient civilizations. 

The episode I caught last night were trying to lend credibility to the ancient alien theory by saying that many of the gods in mythologies were in fact aliens and the fact that many mythological gods were striking similar, were more than likely the same alien god.  This is a stretch in my opinion.  The show argued that both, Zues and Odin, were sky gods, both were the rulers of "all gods", both had epic beards, and Odin is a shapeshifter where as Zues could be symbolized with an eagle, and both fathered many children with "mortals"  Now check out their appearance.

Now don't tell me that these two do not look like twin bothers.  Considering that cameras didn't exist back in the day, we can only go by descriptions written on ancient texts but they're both described in a similar manner.

Now, I believe in aliens.  I believe that it would be naive to think that we are alone in this vast universe.  Somewhere out there, other civilizations are present.  I'm sure that some are more advance than ours and I'm sure that some are more primitive than ours.  Nevertheless, the law of averages say that they exists SOMEWHERE out there.  This show, Ancient Aliens, can provide some pretty convincing evidence.  Especially when you bring in artifacts and art work believed to be depicting aliens and UFOs.  But sometimes I think that the show reaches out on a limb, as it has with the theory of mythological gods being aliens.  Then again, what do I know.  I'm not the expert here.  lol  Take a look.  If nothing else, it's an interesting show and I always watch it when it comes on.  What do you think?  Aliens:  BS or real deal?  Later!

Going to Work... With My Dad?

Hey there.  Do you believe in ghosts?  I believe that there definitely is something after life... not so sure of ghosts, though.  Maybe better referred to as energies?  You know, people have always been infatuated with things that go bump in the night and other "scary" occurrences that go on during a normal day.  If that wasn't the case, we wouldn't see films like Paranormal Activity being made.  I, myself, have experienced many things at home that I simply cannot explain.  I'm beginning to wonder if maybe those somethings are beginning to happen at work.

This morning, I walk into my office and I turn on my computer.  Nothing odd about that.  I go and grab my coffee and sit down, ready to tackle today's work load.  That's when it hit me...  why do I smell cigarettes?  I don't smoke, my window is closed, and no one has been in my office.  Why the smell of smoke and cigarettes?  Hmmm...  I walk around and sniff to see if maybe I can get to the bottom of it.  Nothing.  A coworker then walks by so I ask if she can step into my office.  I ask if she can smell it.  (insert inappropriate fart joke here)  lol  She says smell what and I tell her cigarettes.  She doesn't so she calls me crazy and walks away.  Hmmm... maybe I am crazy, but then again... I think I know what it is.

I wouldn't doubt it if it's my dad.

Yup, my pops probably followed me to work today.  Why followed?  Well, because I wouldn't doubt it if all the weird stuff that goes on at home is him as well.  Footsteps in the hallways, cabinets opening on their own, my dog being let inside the house when the doors were locked, corona bottles opening by themselves, cans and jars rocking back and forth... the list goes on and on.  Today... I can add, noticed my dad at work.

My dad had 2 distinct scents to him.  He loved to splash on Brut cologne (yup, old school) and he smoked... a lot.  You know how some people say that you can tell the presence of an "energy" by smelling a scent that they were most associated with.  I would say the two I mentioned definitely would fit my father.  Also, I recently mentioned to my kids that we would go see grandpa this weekend so maybe the smell was his way of reminding me that I better go see him.

It's been almost 20 years now since my pops passed and it intrigues me that most of the "activity" centers around the kids.  Their toys go off on their own, their swing sets swing on their own, bouncers are bouncing without batteries.  Recently, the baby has taken a liking to my dad's drawing on the wall. 

He'll start to point, laugh, and stare at it from time to time.  My oldest, when he was younger, would say that "a ghost" would tell him where things were and to stay away from fire.  And then not too long ago, my youngest daughter started mentioning that she's been talking to "little grandpa" and has shown a stronger interest in seeing him more at the cemetery.  So I guess today turned out to be, "tag along with my son to work to remind him to go see me at the cemetery" day.  lol  No worries, dad.  I'll be there.  And we wont forget the beer.  Later!

My Love for Horror and Disturbing Films

Hey there.  I don't watch as many movies as I would like to.  Don't get me wrong, I do watch plenty of movies, but rarely do I come across that gem that makes me go, whoa.  Movies like Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door or 3 Extremes are movies that I not only enjoy watching but highly recommend that people watch them.  These are not films that one would describe as "good".  I would describe them as "wow" or "damn".  A movie that can stir inner emotions is definitely one that is worth the time to check out.  And with that, I came across a list of "disturbing" movies that I definitely want to check out this year.  The quick synopsis are all from IMDB.com

Blade Runner Never Fails To Impress

Thanks to Roman May

Blade Runner is a futuristic film based off the cult class sci-fi novel. This movie is one of the most well recognized cult-classics and is a favorite for many different movie watchers. Blade Runner is full of acrobatic action, guns, drama, and a multitude of emotional themes that make you appreciate the skill behind Harrison Fords acting.

The sci-fi aspect is what makes this film so interesting. Human clones roam in space freely, but their lifespans are set to end at a certain point. Deckard, the main character, is the one that is involved in ending the "life" of these clones. The main action comes into play when these "replicants" escape and come to the Earth with the wrong intentions.

"Deckard: [narrating] The report read "Routine retirement of a replicant." That didn't make me feel any better about shooting a woman in the back. " This quote is one of my favorites, and so powerful in meaning. Deckard is in a conflicting situation throughout the movie, but despite these non-human creatures needing to be "killed" he doesn't feel good about it.

Blade Runner is an excellent movie to watch on satellite television from www.bestchoicetv.com/, as most channels play it frequently. I am always happy to catch a showing of this film anytime, or anywhere.

Motivational Monday - Heaven & Hell

Hey there.  We may all have our own idea of what heaven and hell will be like.  Some people simplify it and say heaven is where the home is and hell is at the workplace.  lol  Anyways, I love the interpretation of Heaven and Hell depicted below and you know what... I wouldn't doubt it if that's exactly how it is.  Later!

LOST: 'The End' of an Epic Journey

Hey there.  I told myself I wasn't going to post about Lost.  There are so many outlets online that there are more than enough ideas, thoughts, interpretations and all things Lost that I didn't feel the need to have to throw in my two cents.  However, after watching the series finale last night, I decided that I would give the show my one and only post.  Grab some coffee friends, this is going to be a long one.

For those of you didn't see it, go watch the finale.  Once you do, come back and read this and give me your opinions.  There will be spoilers.  You have been warned.

Lost has been a great journey.  On island, off island, love interests, dire situations, sacrifice, good, bad, light, dark... the list can go on and on showcasing some of the great themes of Lost.  But thinking back on Lost as a whole, the focus of the show is not that of the Oceanic 815 survivors and their adventure but that of Jack Sheppard himself.

The show started with an opening of an eye, Jack's eye, and we are immediately thrown into the chaos of the crash.  Seeing everything through the point of view of Jack.  The fact that Lost started with his eye opening is important.  Since the show predominately featured eyes as a theme, it's imperative that we understand from the the get go that this is Jack's story.  Within Jack's journey, we are introduced to the other characters and as a means for us, the viewers, to better understand their plight, we are treated to the origins of their stories, which also are signaled by the opening of their respective eyes.  And one of the great aspects of the side character stories is that we're never let in on more than what we need.  We are never given information that Jack himself would not have any knowledge of.  The perfect example of this is given recently with Desmond in the well.

Now you're thinking that conversation between Desmond and Sayid happened well before Jack knew of it.  That's fine.  We're being told a story that needed that scene to take a place for the story to progress.  The brilliance of it is that we don't know what was said between Sayid and Desmond and we'll never know, and that's because Jack himself was not told of the conversation.  For those that followed the show, that conversation is critical to the character growth of Sayid.  Sayid was on a path of darkness, not feeling emotions and was very much looking the part to take over Smokey's spot as the island terror.  After that conversation with Desmond, Sayid lightened up, culminating with him sacrificing himself to to save his friends.  Right before his death, he uttered to the words to that Jack that Demsond is in a well.  This is all happening during's Jack's journey, not Sayid's.

In regards to the ending and the flash sideways, I thought it was a fitting ending to Jack's journey.  A man of science, needing to know how and why, needing to fix people, transforms himself into a man of faith, trusting others and himself, to simply go with the flow and trust his instincts.  No one knew of the outcome of Desmond going into the heart of the island but Jack had faith that whatever happened, it needed to be done, since Desmond was brought back to the island for this particular reason.  Cutting right to the end of Jack's journey, you see him lying in the same bamboo field where his journey first began.  A close up of his eye was the last scene, the difference was that this time, it was closing.  Very strong imagery.

There will be much speculation as to what the flash sideways really is.  Is it purgatory?  Christian Sheppard tells Jack that this is a place that they, the Losties, created so that they can find one another.  It is a clearly a form of afterlife where our characters are working on their issues.  But how long before they learn to let go?  This was a strong theme between Jack and Locke in the afterlife.  They each tried to push each other to "let go" of their past, not knowing that letting go will enlightened them to what they really are.  In the end, despite their differences in their philosophical views, Jack needed Locke just as much as Locke needed Jack to push each other into enlightenment.  And once all the characters have come to grips with their pasts, and ultimately, their deaths, they allowed themselves to let go and move on.  The fact that Ben decided to stay a little while longer add credence to the fact that there is a chance for redemption in their after life and how long before they accept their progression is unknown, but I believe that it was a great way to send off our cast.  Especially Jack.  His realization that he died was a strong revelation to the audience.   We all knew that the rest of the Losties were aware of their island presence, but we were not aware that they knew of their deaths.  Jack's realization is our realization and it was difficult to not have a somber heart once that was a made a fact.  Our beloved characters are in fact, dead.  However, this afterlife does not recognize time.  Christian made it clear that there were those that died before Jack and there were many that died after Jack and yet, they are there to welcome him and continue their journey.  So we can take solace in the fact that some of our friends managed to live long lives after the island.

It is interesting to note that some characters were not in attendance to this transgression.  Micheal, for one, was not there.  I strongly believe that he's stuck on the island as part of the whispers.  Looking back at that conversation between him and Hugo, it makes it clear that there are others still lurking the island.  Does this mean that the island also has an "afterlife" and that is the real purgatory?  Or simply a form of hell for those that died on the island with blood on their hands.  Michael killed Libby and Ana Lucia so he may not have been allowed to leave the island and join the sideways afterlife like many of the other characters.  Another one that raises a question is Richard Alpert.  I understand that he was there for centuries so did he get a free pass and was instantly allowed into the "light" that Christian was about to lead our Losties?  It's all open for interpretation and it's all dependent in your spiritual beliefs.  And even though this was the journey of Jack, all in all, it was a great way to send off our group of friends, together, into their next journey.  Later!

New Neighbors and Religion

Hey there.  About a week or so ago, we got to meet our new neighbors.  The family that lived there before moved out and it turns out that they are renting out their home.  It turns out the the neighbors are good people.  They seem friendly and they have kids that seem to get along great with our kids.  They call each other over, which seems like every day, and they hang out and have a good time.  Which is great, because the kids didn't really play as much with the previous neighbor kids even though we would push them to go play so it's a good thing that they hit it off right away with the new neighbor kids.  On Saturday, though, they came home from being next door and asked if they could go to church with the neighbors on Sunday morning...

Now...  we're not really church going individuals.  I strongly believe that people can worship however they see fit and if going to a church every Sunday is their thing, then go on, my friend.  But us, we're not those kind of individuals.  My wife and I are also not one to block our kids from what we don't do so they expressed interest in going to church.  Which is fine... but considering that the neighbors have only been there about a week or so seems too recent to allow them to take off with our kids.  I don't know... I don't feel comfortable with that idea.  Knowing that our kids are not exactly early birds... we told them that if they got up, got dressed, and cleaned their rooms by 8:30 the next morning, they can go.  Of course, they slept right through the morning and got up closer to 10 am without a mention of church.

The question I pose to you, dear readers, is how do you feel with the notion of allowing your young ones to accompany a neighbor to their family outing?  Something doesn't feel right about allowing your kids to go with a neighbor... I mean, unless, they are extremely close with the family and are like best friends for life.  Since we've only known the family for a little over a week, are they out of place by asking the kids if they want to join them?  I don't know.  The whole thing seems a little odd and uncomfortable so I'm wondering how others have dealt with similar situations.  Until then... Later.