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Writers & Reporters: Crash Override AKA Corey D. Bayless AcidBurn AKA Erica Lopez Xicano 073 AKA Rick Reggie T. The Frosted Flake Junior Writers: Princess AKA Mariah Hailey Bayless Fonkey Monkey AKA Cynthia Marie Lopez Artists: Crash & Burn Layout & Page Designs: Crash & Burn
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Today I found myself listening to the radio on the way to pick up my homie. It was nothing special, just your typical radio show; they played music and occasionally a caller would ring in. Well, a girl called in and threw me for a bit of a loop with a question that I had a cut & dry answer for. I only wished I could've called and spoke to her. She said that she has always been a push forward feminist kind of girl and wondered if she should feel guilty about being a stay at home house wife while her husband works. She went on to explain how long and serious she has been a strong advocate for feminism. At some point her husband was making bank, and she decided to stay at home and take care of the house for just a little while. Now that she has been home for a little while, she has grown fond of cooking for her man and gardening; she claims to love being at home. Her friends are now giving her a hard time about the entire situation. "Should she feel guilty" is the big question. Hell no, she should not feel guilty. First you should never feel guilty about caring for the ones you love, nor should you ever feel guilty about doing whatever it is that will make you feel happy in life. Seriously now. Think about this for just a moment. Have we regressed to a day when women had no rights or have we merely evolved into a state of which women now have new obligations? In today's modern society, do women now have to pay for what the women before them chose to fight for by getting out and getting a job? Is this really what those pioneers, those strong bold women, fought for? Are you kidding me? The answer is simple. No! Of course not. This is not what the women's rights movement was all about. The women's rights movement is all about giving women the choice. The choice to choose opposed to being forced into some new obligation. Alright ladies, not only do you now get the privilege of working in the same workforce as men, but now you have no choice but to get out there. Well, you know what they say, "be careful what you ask for." How stupid does that sound? After a little prying, she admitted that these women, her supposed friends, have children and have to work whereas she does not. She does not have any children and has no obligation to work. These women are merely jealous of what they believe to be her privileged life. Being a housewife, first of all is not nearly as easy as many seem to think. And who really cares if it is anyways. She is doing what makes her happy and her husband is happy. If the women's rights movement was all about giving the women the option of choosing for herself, then how can these hypocritical people condemn a woman for making a choice that they deem unreasonable or irrational. Lindsay, this one's for you, girl. You are a strong, independent woman and apparently a great wife. Your husband is a very lucky man to have you as you are to have him. You keep doin' what you're doin', girl and just be happy as true happiness is rare and hard to find. And to the rest of you out there, just do what it takes to find that certain some one that you want to spend your time with and do what ever it is that you would like to regardless of what others may think or say. In closing, I leave you with the words of the late, great Joseph Campbell, "Follow Your Bliss."
I wasn’t expecting it to happen like this. Before I realized the time, it was ten o’clock and at that moment, NBC’s Brian Williams called California for Obama and said it was over, Obama would be our next president. I frantically flipped the channels to see if the other networks agreed. First to PBS, where they were too busy analyzing data, being all types of informative (don’t ever change). Then, they seconded NBC’s call. It still didn’t hit. “Fox News,” I thought “those rightwingers haven’t called it yet, no way.” Another channel flip, and there were the words-- “Obama Elected President.” I started smiling and couldn’t stop, I was as giddy as a little kid in Toys R Us. What happened next surprised even me. My eyes began to tear up. I mean, I hadn’t even voted for the man (thank you for running, Cynthia McKinney). As they talked about the unprecedented thing that had just happened, so many thoughts raced through my head. Was it possible that America had actually elected a peacenik, socialistic, radical Black man? I knew that the propaganda from McCain was as far from the truth as you could get, but people believe what they are told. Is it possible that the voting public believed all of the Republicans’ lies and said “it’s still better than McCain?” That thought alone got me through several minutes of news coverage. If nothing else, my tears of joy were at McCain’s loss. The truth of my tears was probably completely emotional, not in keeping with my cynical look at politics. It hit me, that in a country that was unapologetically and undeniably racist just forty years ago (and nothing’s changed, but that’s another topic for another day), this day seemed impossible to people who had lived the Jim Crow laws, fire hoses, assassinations, and intimidation. For every ignorant, hateful-since-diapers racist who ever got their kicks by putting someone down for their skin, it was their worst nightmare come true. What could they say about Blacks being “inferior” now that the most powerful politician in the world would be a Black man? I was pumped and in high spirits from the call at ten until I went to sleep. Even through Obama’s acceptance speech (where he said a whole lot of nothing) I didn’t stop smiling. I went to sleep, but like so many things, it all looked different in the morning light. This is still the same Obama who won’t advocate single-payer health care, for fear of putting the insurance companies out of business. This is the same Obama who heaps it on to the struggling families of this country with tired, elitist rhetoric about self-responsibility. This is the same Obama who favors working with Republican demagogues instead of appealing to the more giving nature of the American people. This is the same Obama who says he wants to bring everyone together, but denies the gay community equal rights and favors American interests over the more morally justifiable human interests. This is the same Obama who may want to pull out of Iraq but wants to refocus on Afghanistan. This is a war that is just as illegal, just as immoral, and just as devastating to the civilian population of the country. His
if you seek amy
by Crash Override
she was on her way home just a young teenager naive to the world in all its ugliness she saw only beauty in her eyes as the rate of the speedometer increased she heard the faint sound of a siren in the distance glances in the rear view make visible the police car quickly approaching the lights flashing and sirens getting exponentially louder unsure of what is wrong or what to do somewhat frazzled she gradually pulls off onto the shoulder sitting awaiting the officer not knowing whats coming her soft lips begin to quiver her palms sweaty she is at a loss for words fearful yet optimistic she rolls down the window an older man reeking of old spice with a chiseled jaw walks seemingly in slow motion across the hot asphalt approaching the window he can smell the innocence in the air taking a long look at the beautiful sweet young girl as she smiles politely up at him directly he asks for the young ladys drivers license she smiles politely asking what have i done officer staring at her id while asking what a young pretty girl is doing out all alone then simply tells her that he will let her off with a simple warning you just be careful out there she goes on her way thinking of how lucky she has been to be let off the hook as night falls that evening she feels so comfy and cozy in the safety of her bed when she hears a noise thinking nothing of it she turns over and attempts to go back to sleep her sleep is hastened by her milky white thighs being pried open struggling she tries to fight him off but her efforts are tiresome and unsuccessful he has his way with her only to get up to reveal his face the officer that let her go earlier that day had taken her virginity you had it coming is all he says as he walks away many thoughts run through her mind not really knowing what to do being violated by a man who claims to be her protector taken advantage of by a man who carries such an image as to infer an element of power she sees no other option if you seek amy it gives me the power its all about me all the while you the man thought you were in control i say again its all about me the control you thought you had i have taken away never again will they wield any power over me i am in control they are nothing but insignificant miniscule puppets that dance on the strings that dangle from the well manicured tips of my fingers if you seek amy Forever Marilyn...having changed the world for women with her own sacrifices
In 1886, workers in Chicago staged a three day general strike for the establishment of the eight-hour day. During one day of the demonstrations in Haymarket Square, police attempted to break up the gathering and a bomb went off, wounding dozens of officers and eventually killing seven. Although it was never discovered who threw the bomb, eight of the strike organizers were arrested for being anarchists, with five eventually executed. In 1890, the Second International declared May 1st “May Day,” in honor of the Haymarket martyrs and the worldwide struggle for the eight-hour work day. It’s always a mistake to label anything as the “first,” but in my mind, this is the one of the first examples of an attempt to unite the people of the entire world for a common cause. It is in relation to this same cause, the constant struggle between labor and capital, that we dwell in times that are increasingly more difficult. Unifying all the peoples of the world has never been as important as it is now, and it is time to take major steps to make this happen. The time has come to stop thinking as Americans, Chinese, Russians, Mexicans, etc. The idea of “country” has lost any silver lining that may have existed, and all that remains are the dark clouds. To explain my position let’s jump off from this struggle I just mentioned, labor versus capital. I can hear the criticism now, that attacking our companies won’t help us in these tough times. But, for all this talk of protecting an “American way of life,” most fail to realize that this can only be done at the expense of people somewhere else in the world. Many of the problems that are associated with the economy have to do with the idea that transnational corporations have the free will to move operations or jobs to wherever they stand to be at the best economic advantage. For the company, it’s an issue of money. They can buy their way into the country of their choice, including the land, building materials, realignment costs and the money and incentives to the local government. They do this for obvious and effective reasons in a global capitalist economy. Wherever there is lax environmental protections, weak government oversight, low taxes, a weak labor movement (weak/corrupt unions, no benefits, unemployment/underemployment) or any combination of the above factors, corporate policy will dictate that the company set up shop there. For all the hyping of the Toyota factory on the Southside, the weak labor movement in Texas (a ‘right to work’ state--ha) had to be a determining factor in their final choice. And despite any posturing to the contrary, it is the duty of the corporation to do just this very thing. They are mandated by law to make money for their shareholders and hold no allegiance to community and, more and more noteworthy, to country. If anything, this illusion of allegiance is merely an obstacle to be overcome. This is proven every time a factory is shut down that was once an institution of a community, replaced with the dreaded “outsourcing.” The term outsourcing implies that companies are “national” institutions with responsibilities to the place where they “come from,” but in a global marketplace they have allegiance to only one thing and it’s not a flag or a country, it’s profits. Wherever they can find the cheapest labor, raw materials or resources they will invest, to the detriment of workers worldwide. To the benefit of corporations, the opposite sentiments are being expressed than those that created May Day. Instead of solidarity between workers of different countries, workforces are pitted against each other so the real enemy is unseen, or at least able to operate with little outside interference. The fact is, companies don’t think locally and they sure as s**t don’t act locally. They think and act globally. Do you think for one second that any Fortune 500, multinational company (as an entity, not any individual executive) really gives a damn if the U.S. economy tanks? No, because they have the option of moving their base of operations to some country without unions, without worker’s rights, child labor laws, worker’s comp, death benefits and pensions (not that any of those are guaranteed here anymore). If the dollar fails they’ll trade in Euros, Yen, Rupees and whatever they use in China. This won’t change as long as the climate of “profits before people” is allowed to continue unchallenged. But who is there to challenge it? Well, as stated earlier, it is up to the “people”/workers of the world to change the “way things are.” But, is that even possible within the existing “rules?” In sharp contrast to the easy mobility of companies, people cannot just “go.” We have families, homes and responsibilities, including a responsibility to
community that the companies reject. To go even further, from the socialists to furthest left on the political spectrum, it is believed that the means of production belong in the hands of the workers (it‘s what Rage Against the Machine meant when Zach de la Rocha said “f**k the G-ride/I want the machines that are making ‘em”). Following this ultimate goal, it is a slightly easier argument to claim that the reason that a company is profitable at all, is because of its workers dedication. These are the same workers who end up unemployed when jobs relocate and they can’t. As this global economy goes even wilder, immigration laws and language barriers become serious obstacles that have to be respected when discussing relocating for a job. The answer to this problem is both simple to understand, and difficult to implement. What we need are global worker’s rights, a global living wage and global safety and environmental standards to protect the people/workers of the entire world. We must unite globally to show the companies that there is nowhere they can try to operate where we won’t be. But to do this, we must do away with the idea of country once and for all. This is the challenge. There is no way any country will give up sovereignty to create laws or regulate business while other countries keep theirs. To those who’ve been rolling their eyes at my confusing country with government, let me clear that up for you: I see no difference. At one time there may have been a way to differentiate country from government, but this no longer seems possible, especially in the G8 (the richest and most powerful eight countries on earth). In seemingly democratic societies, an attack on the government is seen as an attack on country, because the politicians can say, “You voted us into office. This is the way you want things. If you want a change, vote for somebody else.” If only it were that easy. Also, I’ve shown that the companies have no allegiance to country or government, so why should we. You say I sound unpatriotic? I don’t claim to be. I love a lot things, and I love every single person in the community of humankind, but I don’t love abstract concepts. Not anarchy, not socialism, and certainly not country. What has being an ardent supporter of one’s country done for the world anyway? Nationalism brought us Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, the Cold War, World War I and more despicable s**t than the most warped mind could ever imagine. Many of my fellow travelers like to joke about God being responsible for the most death throughout history. That may have been true in the past, but the twentieth century (the American century), saw the killing of men, more often than not, the product of some ridiculous notion of allegiance to a flag, or a land of imaginary lines inside other imaginary lines filled with real people. The only way to stop this never ending blood letting for ‘God and country’ is to realize that some things are only as real as we make them. (I really don’t want to get into the idea of “Holy War” or war in the name of some religious motivation, but it couldn’t go without saying that there is a connection. As long as we live in a country where a significant percentage of the population believe the world is less than 5,000 years old, you can get them to believe almost anything.) Now I know some are scrunching up their faces, and saying “how did we get from jobs to war?” It’s the attitude towards both that needs addressing. As long as the lives of people “over there” (wherever ‘there’ may be) are worth less than lives “over here,” then people’s livelihoods in other countries are worth less than nothing. Also, nationalism sets up issues like economics and war within absurd parameters. Is the war what is in the “national interest”? This is the kind of question I feel is too ridiculous to even answer. I have no doubt that most people on the left who choose to participate in that argument have sympathy for the victims of war, but they have been boxed into a way of thinking where “our” lives are more important than “theirs.” When, if you look at issues like war in a global perspective, they are obviously not in “our” (humanity‘s) interest, only in “theirs” (the war profiteers). So, instead of rational and humane arguments about what we may need to sacrifice or change about ourselves to ensure peace in the world, we get the same arguments we got back in Vietnam. “We” are incurring too many losses, it’s costing “us” too much money. As my daughter’s uncle used to say so eloquently, “F**k the dumb.” To all of you who are fearful of what I’m saying, and see this line of reasoning as the coming of the end of the world, you must stop acting foolish. The global government prophesized in the Bible is not coming. Too many of you paranoid religious nuts on the right, and you paranoid conspiracy theorists on the left, will make sure that never happens. I could try to reason with you, that a worldwide government could be no worse than the ones already in existence, but you’d never listen anyway. (But as long as we’re on the subject, the Illuminati is a freaking joke. The UN has no authority other than what the permanent five let it do, and any “North American Union” the xenophobes rail about, could only benefit American interests.) Besides, I don’t want an all encompassing government to replace the ones trapped behind imaginary lines. I believe in the utter fail and destruction of all governments. Eventually. It will take time, but once we all have the same rights, the same standards of living and recognize the sameness of all other human beings on the planet, there will be no need for a government to protect us from what’s “out there.” There will be no out there. A spiritual companion to May Day occurred before the U.S. invaded Iraq. Millions and millions poured into the streets to protest a war that hadn’t even begun yet. This occurred across race, gender, class and, yes, country lines. The human race came together to say “We don’t want your f**cking war.” And while it couldn’t stop the war pigs, it
made them throw temper tantrums like five year olds who dropped their ice cream in dog s**t. They couldn’t understand why the world would question their motives. Popular will be damned, they were going to have their war to make the world safer. Besides entertaining us with ridiculous statements like that, anytime the ruling class abandon all pretext of democracy, we can smile and know they’re scared. Actions continue to occur worldwide to protest wars, corporate globalization, injustice and the destruction of Mother Nature; always with compassion and solidarity. The chanting goes, “The people united will never be defeated.” Look, I believe in community. That unique way of thinking and living that says “we’re from here.” But that exists less and less in an ever shrinking world, where the most inane American fad (ghostriding the whip, dogs in purses, Barrack Obama, etc.) can be seen and imitated by people in Turkmenistan. I also believe that America as it was created (genocide on the indigenous people, immigration from all over the globe), never had a communal identity, and this myth in itself has been the source of much conflict. This explains why the rest of the world is most fascinated with our subcultures that ignore/reject the bourgeois ideals of God, Mom and apple pie. Hip Hop, punk, skate, hippie, gay, blues and Black culture become a part of people’s lives in Europe and Asia, in a way that the NFL and Barbie dolls do not. Even “in country” I think it’s pretty safe to say most of us don’t have a common “well of culture” to draw from. We agree on nothing, except maybe who’s the sexiest woman (it’s still Scarlett Johansson, right?) And while I do accept my regional identities (Midwesterner by birth, Texan by default), I’m not an American. I’m a father, a son, a brother, a friend, an overworked underpaid, and a once and hopefully future husband. As I live my life, being an “American” don’t even factor in the equation. As much as I worry that too many of you will dismiss or misunderstand my ideas as too radical, you must know that they are not new, not radical, and not solely my own. “Imagine there’s no country/ It isn’t hard to do/ Nothing to kill, or die for/…Imagine all the people/Living life in peace.“ John Lennon said these words long ago and I’m sure more than a few of the millions of Beatles fans actually heard what he said. And though it may be easier to dismiss Bob Marley’s words as too open to interpretation, I think he had these same ideas in mind when he sang “One Love, One Heart/Let’s get together and feel all right.”
Alright boys & girls, go ahead and grab yourself a pad and a pencil cause you're going to want to take some notes. I'm planning on learning you something today, so listen up and pay attention. "What gods do you pray to" is merely an expression that refers to the center of your life, your main focus. Simply put, it is what is most important to you. The importance of this statement is that many don't seem to know what is most important to them. Of course, if you asked someone, more than likely they would have an answer. Well let me tell you, based on this philosophy, it is really simple to evaluate these thoughts. First off, let’s just evaluate some typical answers from your average lip-service giving people in this modern shallow society. Some Christians are going to say that God is their number one priority. Is He; I don’t know. Many parents out there will say that their beautiful children come first; very interesting. Some of the great career women in America will tell you that their career is number one in their life. The environmentalists will try convincing you that Mother Earth should always be top priority, but is it theirs? Even potheads will try to tell you that weed is their life. Okay, let’s be real for a minute. Some of these could be considered great priorities and others not so much, but that is really a relative opinion and that’s not what we are trying to determine here. That is a whole other issue. Our goal is to determine what exactly your top priority is in an effort to see where you stand in life. Are you where you want to be? Do you have your priorities straight? Is there something that needs to be changed? Don’t get me wrong; I am not here to judge. This is to assist you in reflecting upon yourself. It is really simple too. The key to know “What gods you pray to” is where do you spend your time. That is exactly what this means. What gods do you pray to? Where do you spend your time? If you say God, do you actually spend more of your time with God than anyone or anything else? If you say your children, do they really come before all else? Do you spend the majority of your time with and for them? Those who say their career, is that what you really spend the most of your time working on? I could go on, but I think you get the point. Again, not passing judgment, I say, this is for you to decide. Only you know where you spend your time, focus your attention, and exhaust your energy. I think most of us probably need to sit back and reflect upon this from time to time to make sure that we haven’t lost our way. We need to sometimes give ourselves a reality check to make sure and keep ourselves in line and keep our eyes on the prize. Just some words of advice to close with; there are no wrong answers. You need to figure out what is the right answer for your life to ensure you are spending your time exactly where you want to. It’s never too late to make a change in your life. Good luck to you all.
“This the only kind of music they play in this joint? I hate this funk s----.” Joe Hallenbeck Not to oversimplify the genre, but the post-war culture that produced film noir was one that was paranoid, existentially pessimistic, and subversive. The purists who claim that the genre died at a certain point (consensus says after Welles’s Touch of Evil) are correct only in so far as the filmmakers who have attempted the genre since have been unable to harness those same qualities. Aside from a few hiccups in the 1970s, the movie industry has made it a point to present “…and they lived happily ever after” rather than the world as it is. I mention film noir because this is the genre that made the private detective famous (with stories adapted from the pulp writers of the time). Getting involved in mysteries was the way noir writers and directors had their heroes relate the dark thematic elements to the square world. The Last Boy Scout’s (1991) protagonist is a detective but it isn’t a noir, it’s not subversive, and it’s hardly a mystery. Nothing says it has to be a noir, but since writer Shane Black openly acknowledged Chandler and Hammett as his inspirations, it’s a curious thing to find such an obvious Hollywood action movie. On the surface at least, we have another product of 80‘s action movie fetishism. One lone man will save the day by killing everybody in his path, no thinking required (by the characters or the audience). If, however, we examine Joe Hallenbeck (Bruce Willis) closely, we see a deeply disturbed man who would have fit in with the noir characters of The Big Sleep or The Maltese Falcon: He’s racist, sexist, and has the compassion of a death camp guard. The genius of The Last Boy Scout is that Willis inadvertently does what Elliot Gould did on purpose in The Long Goodbye. Gould and director Robert Altman’s Phillip Marlowe was the hopeless sentimentalist and knight of honor who was lost in a post-hippie L.A. that had no honor or innocence left. In contrast, Willis’s Hallenbeck brings the racism, sexism, and sadism of the 30’s/40’s into a 90’s L.A. that seems to thrive on these qualities. Let’s first delve into Hallenbeck’s racism. It’s first obvious in the strip club where he goes to meet Cory (Halle Berry, in her biggest role up to that point), where he is openly contemptuous about the entire setting; including the music, the patrons, and even his client. She has a less than cordial exchange with him, before shoving her curves in his face to his utter lack of interest. Now granted, this is Halle Berry before she became HALLE BERRY, but it’s still an odd reaction (though this may be part of a larger pattern of disdain for women in general, not just Black women, but that’s the next topic). His attitude towards Cory’s boyfriend Jimmy (Damon Wayans, just before his first starring role in Mo’ Money) is no less disrespectful as he calls him by a litany of monikers: “junior,” “flash,” “ace,” “kid,” “son,” and (in the closest choice to the redneck standby) “big boy.” Jimmy seems to have earned Joe’s respect by movie’s end, but only after acknowledging that his murdered girl was a “gold digger,” that he’s weak for having a drug problem, and that Joe has all the answers. When looking at racism on film you always have to ask, is it the character or film that is racist? The kids who mess with a hung over Joe in his car and all of the dumb as dirt hired guns that Joe kills (despite the upper hand that they have in the moment) are either Black or Mexican (or possibly Italian, it’s hard to tell and Hollywood has a history of lumping them together). This is L.A., so maybe it is a good representation of the demographics, but it still seems subliminally racist. When it comes to Hollywood, however, this is a standard amount of racism so we may allow ourselves to think of Hallenbeck as racist and not the filmmakers. Even at the end of the picture, Joe is happy to include Jimmy in all his future adventures as long as Jimmy is clear about the hierarchy: Joe’s the Lone Ranger, Jimmy is his tonto. Joe’s chauvinism is even more blatant and damaging, as he lives in a house with two women: his wife and daughter. In a twist on The Maltese Falcon, instead of Sam Spade having an affair with his dead partner’s wife,
Hallenbeck’s wife was having an affair with his now dead partner. She defends herself by saying, “You were never around. I was lonely” (not an excuse, but the beginnings of an explanation to any interested husband). Joe’s reply is that she should have just bought a dog, as if the problems in their marriage (that manifested in the affair) are in no way his fault. When Jimmy later asks Joe to confirm his theory that “ You don’t like women much, do you Joe?” Joe responds by saying, “At least I liked the guy she was ----ing. He was my best friend.” He holds the grudge against his wife for far longer than his partner, Mike. It could be because he’s dead, but it seems that taking the Cory case from Mike just after punching him in the gut, is Joe’s way of saying all’s well in their friendship. His wife, meanwhile, has to endure a whole movie’s worth of groveling and looking guilty before admitting at film’s conclusion that she’ll buy a dog. Joe then shows he cares about her by whispering sweet, vulgar insults in her ear. Now, I’m not prudish enough to condemn anybody about the internal dynamics of their marriage (see Secretary), but I don’t think that’s the subtext that the filmmakers were purposely going for. Roger Ebert said in his review at the time of the film’s release, “The only consistent theme of the film is its hatred of women.” I must respectfully disagree. True, Joe’s wife and Cory get a raw deal, but Joe’s daughter Darian (Danielle Harris, before she became the ‘bad girl’ next door on Roseanne) gives as good as she gets against her father, Jimmy, and even the football team owner who kidnaps her (it occurs to me at this point that I haven’t related much plot….car bomb, contract hit, legalized gambling, bribery, bomb, sniper rifle… that about covers it). She’s foul mouthed, disrespectful, and stubborn. She’s exactly what we’d expect Joe’s offspring to be, all the reasons we’re supposed to cheer for him. While Joe insists that she’ll grow up to be a ‘slut’ (just like mom?), that’s his chauvinistic bull---- baggage. An independent, strong personality would be a source of pride for Joe if it were his son (enter Jimmy as the ‘son’ he never had), but because it’s his daughter, he can’t handle it. If Joe’s sadism wasn’t evident enough in the violence (verbal and physical) he directs at those close to him, then the film’s villains provide an abundance of disposable lives for him to cut short. Although the leader of the film’s conspiracy is “good old boy,” cowboy, loudmouth Shelly Marcone; the most ruthless heavy is the awesome Taylor Negron as Milo. In one of those movie moments that’s so cheesy it’s badass, Milo answers Hallenbeck’s “You‘re the bad guy, right?” with “I am the bad guy.” While the sadistic Milo gets killed in a justifiably gruesome way, it doesn’t happen until he loses his cool. Many of the underlings get done in like this, but Marcone gets outwitted by Joe and Jimmy…and blows himself up (to their hysterical delight). This seems contrived, and I speculate it’s supposed to be some kind of catharsis after a decade of Reaganomics to see the “money at all others’ expense” capitalist get done in by his own greed. Like Bogart would wisecrack his way through a tough scene with cops and crooks alike, Willis does the same but faces a much more violent reaction. It seems like some long overdue karma to see a loner, action hero get beat down so much in his quest to kill all the baddies. If you can get into Joe’s head and sympathize with him (Willis explains “You have to find the subtle details in his personality that emerge from the stereotype of failure. Then you can root for him”) you may be satisfied with the ending, but I think the movie would have been almost perfect with an ending like Sergio Corbucci’s The Great Silence (won’t spoil that movie for anyone, but let’s just say I don’t think an American action movie has ever had an ending like this classic Spaghetti Western). If I seemed to lump on more criticism than praise, let me clear it all up: I love this movie. Director Tony Scott (known for cornball action flicks and the admirable, but disappointing True Romance) and writer Shane Black (who went on to helm the purposely subversive, but too clever for its own good, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) just went for another Willis vehicle and wound up with a fascinating character study. As Jimmy says, Joe is the dumbest man alive for “trying to save the life of the guy that ruined your career and avenge the death of the guy that ----ed your wife.” In an era where hypocrisy runs rampant, it is satisfying to see someone with a code of honor that he never betrays, even if it doesn’t really make sense to us (more echoes of noir anti-heroes of long ago). As Joe might say: Water’s wet, the sky is blue, and violence is appropriate in most situations. Who gives a ----?
In 1943, Port Arthur, Texas, Janis Joplin was born to a couple which the father had been a high school singing star. A typical kid at 16 she started expressing herself with music; Cajun, Zadica, the Blues. At 18, she dyed her hair orange and began to study Beatnik. She also spoke out strongly against racism. Known as the “good girl gone bad” her senior year, every guy in school said they had slept with her, and they called her a ‘whore.’ Janis went to school to study art. She started to sing in bars and got a rough reputation. One of the first to get rid of her bra, known as the “ugliest man on campus.” This was very painful for her. Janis moved to San Francisco, California in 1963. The drugs and alcohol started slowly being part of her life. She started singing at a place called the Coffee Gallery. Along came speed and she became addicted. With this lifestyle she lost to 87 pounds, had terrible tracks, lots of tracks, she looked very sickly – dead even. She got engaged to a dude, JP, and decided to go straight and wanted help. She tried so hard. JP moved away, she would write him and send baked goods, finally realized the marriage wasn’t going to happen. She became so lonely, searching for love. She moved to Austin, TX. Jim Langdon said she had greatness at her fingertips, stunning. She was so afraid the drugs would follow. After a year she moved back to San Francisco, California. A band called “Big Brother & Holding Co.” needed a singer, Janis got it. Then came drugs again; mescaline, alcohol. Even so they recorded “Down on me,” the first album. She needed outside approval, and the focus not on the band, on her. She had trouble believing she was worthy of love. She was using LSD and she really loved alcohol. In June, 1967 she performed an International Pop Fest Concert in Monterrey. Some other performers were The Who, The Grateful Dead, Mamas & Papas. Janis wanted to be a mainstream star. She performed 2 times. She was one of the 2 overnight stars, the other was Jimi Hendrix! Albert Grossman signed her with Columbia. Janis was very unique. Then she started shootin’ heroin, and quickly became addicted – it wasn’t fun anymore.
In 1968 Janis and Big Brother recorded their 2nd album – “Cheap Thrills” released in August 1968. Sold 1 million first month. Everyone raved about her and slammed the band. They broke-up mid tour. Janis felt so guilty about Big Brother; mixed feelings, some being scared. Then there was a terrible article in Rolling Stone Magazine. She was compared to a dog. This caused flashbacks of feeling ugly, insecure, not worth love, etc. Back stage fight with Albert Grossman about quality musicians. Got new band, soul band, “Cosmic Blues Band.” Didn’t work too many horns – too heavy for her. More drugs and alcohol, more distress and bad decisions. Janis was known as “the Judy Garland of Rock.” She felt so alone! Her alter ego she called “Pearl.” She finally got a new band; they were called “Pearl.” She went home to see family. Her mother told her she wished she was never born. She wanted to prove to her hometown she made it. She still had such pain for the abuse from family and the town during her life. Pearl made it! October 4, 11:00 pm they finished for the day. 12:30 pm Janis went to the hotel alone. Janis “Pearl” Joplin was pronounced dead at 1:40 pm, 1970, October 4. For 14 weeks the “Pearl” album held #1. Janis Joplin is an inspiration to me, I was only 14 years old when “Pearl” was released; even that young, some of her pain I related to. Some I didn’t but she used that pain in her music and I will always love her for that! Janis, we lost you too soon, but you will stay in millions of hearts forever. Amazing. Love, The Frosted Flake
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Com-mu-ni-ca-tion [kuh-myoo-ni-key-shuhn] 1. The imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing or signs. 2. The act or process of communicating; fact of being communicated. It happens all the time, not just in business, but everyday every where you go... a total lack of cummunication or your typical miscommunication. This is probably one of the easiest things to fix. The reason it is one of the easiest things to fix is because it all starts with YOU. Yes You! When it comes down to it, the responsibility of communication falls solely upon the boss. Now the peons can attempt to rectify the situation, but they can't control their superiors (Although they will attempt to at times). There is a simple demonstration that you can give that will not only help your employees and coworkers improve on their communication, but it will also assist you in bettering your skills as well. You will need to hold a mandatory meeting for all employees to attend and to ensure that this demonstration is most effective, do not inform them of what the focus will be. Prior to the meeting, you need to have the room set up with plenty of chairs and have them all facing the front of the room. In the very front ahead of the other chairs, you need one solitary chair. You must also place a piece of paper and a pen at each seat. It is important to use a pen or crayon or something that cannot be erased as to help with the overall demonstration. As everyone gathers in the room, you will request a volunteer. Once you have your volunteer, you will instruct them to sit in the seat at the front. At this point you will merely instruct them all to follow the instructions of the volunteer. You will tell the volunteer nothing other than to instruct the others how to draw something on their sheet of paper. They are to draw something silly such as a clown or a cartoon figure; the sillier the better because when people are told to do something silly, they get this burst of confidence and a little arrogance about the situation. It really has no basis on artistic ability at all. It’s just something that is easy. The volunteer/instructor is only allowed to talk to them as he or she draws the same image on their paper; they are allowed to say anything that they want but never show them anything physically. Now this is where things get interesting and a little fun. The volunteer, with their arrogance towards such a silly task and confidence in their co-workers abilities and basic knowledge of such a simple drawing, will leave out vital information in their instructions. You think it won’t happen, but it always does. Trust me. After the instructions have been given and everyone has completed their task, ask the volunteer to show their paper to the rest of the room. Now ask for a show of hands of how many drawings are basically the same, excluding their artistic ability. You will be quite surprised at how few hands are raised and how many chuckles you will hear. The problem is simple. The volunteer left out some vital piece of information about the details of the drawing because they assumed that everyone knows where that goes or how to do that. Well, they either overestimated their colleagues’ abilities, knowledge, or simply their perception.
Many times it is not that a colleague or employee is not smart enough to figure something out, it is more that they just have a different perception of the situation or task that is at hand. Now after explaining these things to the audience, ask for a new volunteer. Have them sit in the same seat at the front of the room and have them give instructions on how to draw something else as they draw it. With their newfound awareness of the necessity to be specific in the details they give, they will give a much more accurate description of their drawing as they draw their own. Once finished, again ask the volunteer to show theirs to the masses and ask for a show of hands of how many look basically the same. You will not be surprised in the drastic turn around in the amount of artists you have working for you. It is key at this point that you point out the obvious to your staff and make sure to those who have an attention span that can only be measured in nanoseconds that this demonstration has been vital to proving the importance of specifics and clarity. When giving instructions on how to do anything, it is key to be precise and therefore things will run smoother and more efficient. So boys & girls, the word today is COMMUNICATION.
You know how they say you can’t judge a book by it’s cover? I’ve always understood what that meant, but it didn’t mean as much as it did, then, until this one day. I don’t know why I’m always hopping in the car with strange people I don’t know, but it’s an adventure and learning experience every time. On this particular day, it was pretty sunny outside and I had been spending it with my friend, Keke. A friend of hers’ had passed by my house, wanting to hang out, so we hopped into the car with a destination of nowhere. We drove around, smoking good green, and talking about nothing. Suddenly, we came to a thud in traffic and began to wobble our way to the nearest gas station. I don’t know how, but we had gotten a flat tire. This was pretty unfortunate; none of us knew how to change a tire and we were in the summertime heat. None of us knew how to change a tire and, even if we did, we weren’t about to do it in that heat; so we made an effort to ask people for spare change. We had gotten enough money to buy a can of Fix ‘A’ Flat, but it didn’t do us any good. All we had was a flat tire full of useless liquid, so we continued to ask for spare change so that we could see if, maybe, some air would help the tire. Car after car had driven up to this gas station and we had gotten an “I’m sorry” after every “no, I can’t help you” and it seemed as though we’d have no good Samaritans our way. It had seemed as though all hope was lost. No one was taking us seriously, the climate wasn’t getting any cooler, and the perspiration from my forehead and armpits was really getting to me. Just then, a nice car had pulled into the gas pump at the same time I witnessed a homeless man walking the sidewalk in front of the gas station. Keke tried to encourage me to ask the alleged homeless man for some spare change, but I was against this. He seemed broke. I had pointed to the nice car with the decently dressed driver and insisted that he should be the one we ask for spare change from. To my dismay, he told us he had no money, as he walked out carrying a 24 pack of Budweiser. Luckily, the homeless man had not completely finished passing us by. Keke approached the fellow and asked if he could help us. I was shocked when I saw this raggedy looking man reach in his pocket for a good amount of change and hand it to Keke. My mouth dropped. It was funny and ironic to me that the man I assumed wouldn’t help us had actually helped us. The man who didn’t help us appeared to be wealthy and kind. The man who did help us appeared to be homeless with not much to give. This is when I came to realize that this is true: You can’t judge a book by its cover.
What is truly the biggest problem facing America today? Have any of you out there seriously given it the thought it rightfully deserves? Take a moment to sit back and actually contemplate these things in an effort to put the country’s problems into some sort of perspective.
Few people seem to realize that the country’s problems are their problems as well. It is important to be aware. If you find yourself unhappy with the things you begin to notice ...Do Something About It.
One person can make a difference.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR TIME?
Think About It Written by Crash Override.
The little girl held on tightly to a worn and tattered doll, missing an eye and brown with age. The girl's name was Felicia and her doll's name was Kisses. She found it in a box with her mom's name on it (Carmen) whenever she went to school she kept it in her backpack. She took it anywhere she went because it was her mom's, she left when she was about to be four years old. One day she decided to find her mom. She went to her old backpack and packed three pairs of clothes, and the doll, and her passport because she lived 30 min. away from the Mexico border and that's where her mom lived (at least that is what her dad said). She looked back before she climbed down the rope ladder and said, "sorry dad I just have to find her." Then she climbed down the rope ladder. She got on her bike but before she got to the border she called her friend Josephine and told her to come to the border because she needed help finding her mom. She also has a picture of her mom. It was when she was four when she went to Sea World. When Josephine go there they went across the border. They got to the first town Josephine was confused 'cause she didn't know what they were saying but Felicia did. Her mom taught her to speak Spanish. She asked everybody. Only one person she knew lived in that town...Uncle Manny!!! So they went to her uncle's and flew them to his sister's town. They looked all over. Five people told them where she lived so they went to the address. Felicia asked them "ÂżCarmen?" the owner said "ÂĄSi!" "Do you speak English?" asked Josephine. "Yes," she said, "Who are you?" "I'm Felicia and this is Josephine." "I had a daughter named Felicia" "Mommy?" "Felicia? Where have you been all these years?" "Mom!!!" They hugged each other she flew Josephine back home only because Felicia wanted to get to know her mom. After that week Felicia and her mom came home. Her dad was so happy to have Felicia and Carmen back home.
My little kitty Patches was just born. I love her a lot more then the others. She is a cute little thing. I love her so much that if she dies I do not stop crying. My other cat Powder died and I am scared. My other one Cookie ran away. That is why I am scared for Patches.
Many of us carry on and lead our daily life without much actual planning or forethought in regards to where we are in life. Some people do what is referred to as a life review at 60, 70, or 80 and people associate it with them preparing to die. A life review is simply stepping back and taking stock in one’s life. Where you are, where you want to be, and how you are going to get there. Many others will go through this at around 30, 40, or 50, and sadly everyone writes it off as a mid-life crisis. It’s really screwed up how unsupportive families & friends can be at times. The thing is that these people wait until they are older to go through it and then refer to it as a crisis. It is not in any way a crisis. Truth be told everyone should sit back and review their life, yet it should be done once a year opposed to every 30 or 40. I urge you all; the time is right. Take a moment and evaluate things, make sure you are where you say you want to be while you’re young enough to enjoy it.
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INDEX: Topics: Business: Business 101……………………………85
Children: Andante for the Children……………….72 My Kitty Patches……………...………101 The Doll…………………...…………..100
Creative Writing: if you seek amy………..………………..49 Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalmistic.……15 My Kitty Patches……………...………101 The Doll…………………...…………..100
Education: Andante for the Children………….……72 Turn a Phrase……………..…………….19
Family Life: “Big Boy” My True Daddy………….…63 Forever Nikki………………………..….51 Party to Make You Happy………..…….23 Spring Is Upon Us…………………….103 Turn a Phrase……………..…………….19 To Lindsay, a Real Powerful Woman….21 We Need More Like You………...…….95
Parenting: The Responsible Parent…………..…….81
Poetry: Kisses From a Battered Angel……….....26 On the Eastside…………………………46 This Time It Will Be Your Heart………65
Politics: I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night...35 The Country’s Biggest Problem………..93 The Vote………………………………..37
Pop Culture: Are You Ready for Valentine’s Day…...28 Gotta Give a Shoutout………………….32 Hell On Heels………………………..…11 Just My Flavor………………………….58 The Greatest Movie of All Time……….78 The Interrogation of Alex……………....88 What Really Grinds My Gears…………76 You’ll Always Be Loved…………….…82
Psychology: Just the Tip……………………………..67 Reggie T., Why You Think My Dude’s Gay?........…………………..…43 Spring Is Upon Us…………………….103 The Interrogation of Alex………………88 The Responsible Parent………………...81 What Gods Do You Pray To…………...64
Religion:
Food:
A Time To Conquer…………………….30 The Poor Man Giveth…………………..92
No Bake Cookies……………….………50 Spoon Bread……………………………13 Very Simple Potato Salad………………94
Science:
Fun: Just My Flavor………………………….58 The Responsible Parent………………...81
Models: Diana Leyton…...3, 14, 39, 51, 56, 75, 105 Reggie T………………..13, 34, 45, 66, 90 She is Choice…………………………...24
Chemical of the Month…………………57
WOW!: Hell On Heels…………………………..11 Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalmistic ……15 if you seek amy…………………………49 Reggie T., Why You Think My Dude’s Gay?........……………………..43 Self-Interest Within Imaginary Lines…..53 The Country’s Biggest Problem………..93 What Gods Do You Pray To…………...64
From the pen of… Acid Burn:
Reggie T.:
Andante for the Children……………….72 A Time To Conquer…………………….30 Chemical of the Month…………………57 Phat Flick……………………………….77 Turn a Phrase…………………………...19
Phat Flick……………………………….77 Reggie T., Why You Think My Dude’s Gay?........……………………..43 The Poor Man Giveth…………………..92
Crash & Burn: Crash and Burn’s Official Hot List…….70 Jason Bayless: Interview……………….59 Ultimate Trilogy War………………..…40
Crash Override: Are You Ready for Valentine’s Day…...28 Business 101……………………………85 Forever Nikki…………………………...51 Gotta Give a Shoutout………………….32 Hell On Heels…………………………..11 if you seek amy…………………………49 Just My Flavor………………………….58 Just the Tip……………………………..67 Phat Flick……………………………….77 Spring Is Upon Us…………………….103 The Country’s Biggest Problem………..93 The Interrogation of Alex………………88 The Responsible Parent………………...81 To Lindsay, a Real Powerful Woman….21 What Gods Do You Pray To…………...64 What Really Grinds My Gears…………76
Fonkey Monkey: Phat Flick……………………………...102 The Doll……………………………….100
Princess: My Kitty Patches……………………...101 Phat Flick……………………………...102
The Frosted Flake: “Big Boy” My True Daddy…………….63 No Bake Cookies……………………….50 Party to Make You Happy……………...23 Phat Flick……………………………….77 Spoon Bread……………………………13 The Vote………………………………..37 Very Simple Potato Salad………………94 We Need More Like You………………95 You’ll Always Be Loved……………….82
Xicano 073: Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalmistic…….15 I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night...35 On the Eastside…………………………46 Phat Flick……………………………….77 Self-Interest Within Imaginary Lines…..53 The Greatest Movie of All Time……….78
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