[The Shadow Chronicles]_10.24.2008_

Chapter 3: Houses Of The Holy

First off, last week: “Won’t Get Fooled Again” is by The Who. 5 points to those who guessed right and those who didn’t… you suck, not really. Well….

4:30 in the afternoon on the Friday, to some people, myself included this is the longest half hour in all of humanity. You’re tired, you’re hungry, you’re sore and you just want out. I’m probably not alone in thinking that breaking the window in the corner office and sliding down the tree to my car below sounds like a great idea. As the week finally comes to a close I’m also thankful that I can breathe again. As soon as I took two weeks off TBF for some down time, I catch a cold and start swearing my head off; unfortunately my nose was all plugged up so my anger came off like a bad cartoon:

“Dis stufid, fuggin cole! I hate being fugging thick… God hep me!

As I’m reading this back I’m wondering if I really needed a doctor or a refresher course from Hooked On Phonics? I was almost beginning to take this as a sign to never take a vacation again, but then I realized that I need my breaks. I love to write but it does drain me. A nice break away from all computers recharges me and still keeps some color on my skin. Hell, I need my breaks, you can’t just work 24/7 and think you’re still 100% afterwards. I know for a fact that nobody works 24/7 here at the TBF office. Though I admit the way we are sincere about relaxing and the way we fight to go relax, you’d swear they were our churches. Yeah, actually yes, now that I think about it, they are…. The churches of reinvigoration, and they follow as so:

Angel has the church of her family… and actually Church!

Temptress has the church of pain and pleasure…

Marie has the church of porn, of which I was a member until I developed a major case of carpal tunnel… completely unrelated, but still I figured it was time for a change.

And so now I am a member of the holy church of “I want to get the fuck out of here and go on vacation!”

As we inch closer to 5 p.m. I’m also thinking about what I’m writing about next Friday, I was thinking out loud last time and I’ve been really putting some thought into my idea ever since. After conferring with Marie, who incidentally surprised twice within a 24 hour period, First coming to visit me for the first time since the beginning of June and secondly writing an incredible article for “Unhindered” I feel pretty solid now. So after this weekend it’s time to get back to work and getting writing. So any minute now, my ass is planning to jump in the car, haul ass back home, jump on our couch and watch nothing but horror films for the next 48 hours (A yearly family tradition). But just as those happy thoughts flood my brain I made the mistake of looking at my watch and just groaned all over again…

for I started writing this at 4:30pm on the dot and it is now 4:35pm….

I wonder if the tree is sturdy?

Longest. Half – Hour. Ever.

Brian's Twisted Fairytales_10.21.2008_

Hey Kids, gather around, as it is time once again for one of “Brian’s Twisted Fairytales”.

Today’s story is a special one in the eyes of your friend, Brian. This is a story that played a very powerful part in my upbringing and perhaps may be what made me into the man I am today… Now you know who’s to blame! As usual I will tell this story like I tell everything because we all know if there’s one thing I am, it is real!

So turn down the lights, settle yourselves in and get ready for our next little tale.

I now present: “Brian’s Twisted Fairytales”

The Tale of Bearskin

Once upon a… Don’t worry I’m getting it down. So You ain’t gonna believe this shit!

Our story begins upon a lone soldier, upon his return from war, he discovered that his parents were dead, and that his brothers were complete dicks who refused to put him up until he could get back on his feet. (Because they were those holier than thou Berkeley types and we all know what I’m talking about.)

Alone, with no place to go he began wandering around until a green-coated man with a cloven hoof appeared to him, with a menacing look in his eye his noted the man’s sorrow and offered him a deal. When the soldier asked him who he was. The green-coated man removed his coat and to revealed himself as the Devil. He offered to make the man rich if for seven years not cut his hair, clip his nails, bathe, or pray, and he must wear the same green coat the Devil was wearing and a cloak that Devil would give him. At the end, if he survived, he would be rich and free; but if he died during the seven years, the Devil would have his soul. Desperate, and feeling that he had no other options (I mean this guy couldn’t do jack! He couldn’t give blood or some of his other fluids… Hell! He couldn’t even do porn!) the soldier agreed, and so the Devil gave him the green coat, telling him he would find its pockets full of money, and then killed a bear in front him and skinned it where upon completion presented the skin to him, telling him that he had to sleep in it and henceforth be known as “Bearskin” because of it.

So Bearskin set out into the world, realizing his deal he set out to do as much good as he could and gave much of his money to the poor so that they would pray for him, to both bless him and for him to live out the seven years. Over time, his hair and nails grew as he had promised and in turn grew so hideous that he had to pay heavily to get any shelter available, often times being turned away for his appearance. In the fourth year, he came across an old man with such worry on his face, Bearskin spoke to the old man and persuaded him to tell his tale: the old man had lost all his money and didn’t know how to provide for his daughters, as well as pay the innkeeper, so he would be sent to jail and well as go bankrupt and live on the streets. After hearing the old man’s tale, Bearskin paid the innkeeper and gave the old man a purse of gold and wished him well.

Turning to leave, the old man stopped him and said that he would offer one of his one of his daughters to marry him as gratitude for his help. Bearskin was taken back by the Old Man’s offer but at the same time yearned to meet someone and fall in love, but still declined. Then the Old Man also threw in a free meal as a thank you, finally Bearskin accepted. So the pair traveled until they arrived at the old man’s home, upon meeting the three daughters, their reactions were mixed, but not unexpected. The daughters were used to certain standard after growing up with money and in turn always had a level in which everything must be met… Basically they were spoiled bitches. The eldest daughter ran away, screaming, from the very sight of him; the middle daughter looked him over from top to bottom and said he was worse than a bear that was trying to pass itself off as human; the youngest daughter took a liking to him and had no problem agreeing to fulfill her father's promise. She saw Bearskin as more than what he was and saw what laid behind his eyes and knew he was a true and good man. Knowing that his deal wasn’t over, he told the youngest daughter that he still had to wait three years before they could ever be together, but as a sign of his promise to return he took his family ring and broke it in two. He gave her half of the ring and carried the other half promising to return in three years. Her sisters ridiculed her at length because again… Spoiled Bitches!

And so Bearskin continued on his journey and time flew by until finally he had arrived at the end of the seven years, Bearskin found the devil again and demanded he fulfill his promise. The Devil, noticeably upset that he was defeated kept his word and with a snap of his fingers fulfilled his end, Bearskin found himself instantly clean with fresh clothes and with his money, finally dressed as a fine gentleman he rushed back to the old man's house, where he was reintroduced to the three daughters. Both the older sisters (bitches!) who had pretty much shunned him during their last encounter were now waiting on him, hand and foot all the while trying to appear as great wife prospects and then finally he re-met his bride, still beautiful as the day he left her, She all the while dressed in black, and chose to show no reaction to him. When he asked her why she was so hostile to him, she merely said: “I already have someone I’m waiting for.” Upon hearing those words a smile was firmly on his face. He told the old man that he would like to marry one of his daughters. The two older sisters ran off to dress splendidly, and Bearskin offered to pour the wine to celebrate this union. While pouring the glasses he dropped his half of the ring into a wine cup and gave it to his bride. When the family toasted she drank her wine and saw the half of the ring. She looked into his eyes and realized that he was her bridegroom. Naturally the other sisters were shocked to know that this fine, wealthy gentleman was the same man they insulted and shunned only three years prior. Embarrassed, they ran upstairs where they both had meltdowns because they lost… because they were bitches!

Bearskin and his bride soon married and went off to live happily ever after. Though not everything went that smoothly for everyone, the two sisters, both embarrassed committed suicide, one sister hung herself in rage, and the other jumped off a cliff and fell into the sea. As for the Devil, not long after the wedding he appeared again knocking on the front door. He wished Bearskin all the best on his new life and also thanked Bearskin… For now he had gotten two souls instead of Bearskin's one. THE END.

The moral of the story?
-Uh. Always hook up with the youngest sister because she won’t be choosy?
-No, wait. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, unless you make a deal with the Devil?
-No. Wait I know. You miss out on the good things in life when you’re a bitch!
-Also guys who aren’t “conventionally attractive” usually have money.

Side note: I was going to rename this story “Brian Begins” but there were legal issues and blah blah blah….

Next Time on Brian's Twisted Fairytales…I don’t know.

Until Next Time,
-B

Unhindered: Anarchy

anarchy |ˈanərkē|
noun
a state of disorder due to absence or nonrecognition of authority;
absence of government and absolute freedom of the individual, regarded as a political ideal.

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Lemme go off on a rant here. You think that anarchy is cool? Well, you'd better be pretty handy at foraging for food and beating off attackers with a stick.

Anarchy is a lack of government. A lack of laws. No presidents, no senators, no economy, no police, no schools, no doctors. There are no rules, and you are on your own. It would, ultimately, be a free-for-all chaotic state of nature.

There would be no check on people's behavior. A serial killer could go around killing and you would have to hope some vigilante would eventually take him out- but you would have no guarantees that you would be safe yourself from that same vigilante. (For that matter, there would be no vigilante, for that term implies that there are laws and ineffective law enforcement; just another on-the-loose killer.) There would be looting, rapes, and disease wiping out thousands because there would be no CDC to quarantine or manufacture medicines. No more mass production of food, clothing, newspapers, gasoline, or shelters. Electricity would stop eventually, followed by the cessation of the electric pumps that pipe water into our homes.

Sure, there will be groups of people who band together to form some sorts of communities, but that would be the end of anarchy. Individuals giving up freedoms for protection is what government is, which negates the concept of anarchy. So, you people who argue that anarchy is the "natural order" of things are wrong: sane, reasonable human beings will always form alliances and make contracts to increase their chances of survival. Even if those contracts are as simple as "You will watch out for danger while I pick these berries."

Seriously, I find any anarchist who has actually thought in depth about what the long-term effects of anarchy would be and still persists in wanting society to disintegrate into chaos to be insane; a maniac who wants to run around smashing windows with rocks, eat all the Doritos off a store's shelf, and defecate in the middle of Main Street.

And all you so-called "anarchists" who meet to discuss the Eden of a lawless world? You are hypocrites. "Anarchy Club meeting: 9 pm at Revolution Cafe" is oxy-moronic. You cannot plan anarchy- for planning implies interpersonal contracts and hierarchy with doled out responsibilities: Bob makes the flyers, Theresa makes the cafe reservation, etc. There is no chaos is planning.

Therefore, true anarchy has to be spontaneous. And, thank god, it is therefore unlikely.

Brian's Twisted Fairytales_10.16.2008_

Hey Kids, gather around, as it is time once again for one of “Brian’s Twisted Fairytales”.

Today’s story is about love and longing and maybe occasionally some hobbits… Wait that was Led Zeppelin. Well anyway today’s story is another classic given a “Brian Twist” which basically means I keep the story real… Just like I was taught.
I now present: “Brian’s Twisted Fairytales”

RAPUNZEL

Once upon a… Sorry, so you ain’t gonna believe this shit!

Our story begins in the far off enchanted land of East L.A. There in a Quaint part of the Latin ghetto lived a couple that had wanted children for a long time. Thinking that they would never be blessed they decided to pray and asked God to give them a child. Apparently God was in a listening mood that day because shortly afterwards the wife eventually got pregnant. As expected, the hunger pains had the husband running back and forth catering to his wife’s very surprising appetite and he was more than up for the challenge until one day while hanging up laundry she eyed her neighbor’s garden filled with ripest fruits and vegetables she had ever seen. The image of her neighbor’s garden stayed with the wife until she knew she had to sample some of the fruit it bore. Unfortunately, the neighbor next door wasn’t going to share, she was the neighborhood “Vieja”, the old lady that everyone in a four block radius would come to see when they didn’t have enough money to go the doctor as well as be the resident spiritual advisor. Long story short… no one messed with “La Señora” and no one dared go into her backyard.

The wife’s hunger proved too much and she sent her husband to sneak over and swipe two lemons from her tree, so waiting until midnight, the husband hops the fence dividing the backyards and proceeds to search the lemon tree for the ripest of the ripe, until just as he was about to reach, a whack came across his hand and there stood beside him was La Señora with her trusty cane and the “mal ojo” on her face was undeniable. He beggd and pleaded with La Señora to let him go but she told him that in order for him and his wife to be forgiven, they must give La Señora their first born child. While first hesitant La Señora brings up the fact that she foresaw them having many children and that they wouldn’t suffer long. As with that the child was soon born, she was a daughter and was beautiful.

La Señora took her and raised her as a ward, naming her Rapunzel Garcia. When Rapunzel turned twelve, La Señora realized that she was going to start looking at boys so save herself the grief of an early pregnancy, La Señora took Rapunzel and shut her away in the tallest tower bedroom in the house with the only door in/ or out was dead bolted with La Señora having the only key. So Rapunzel stayed in the tower constantly staring out the only window hoping someday to be free to go out into the world and begin living her life. Years passed and our dear sweet Rapunzel grew up and became mega hot babe, Rapunzel. Still stuck in her tower, still dreaming and filling her days by working on her sewing. In the entire time since first being locked way Rapunzel never cut her hair to symbolize how long her time in the tower. By the time she was 21, her hair had grown to the point that it could easy reach the ground outside her window. La Señora eventually lost the key and couldn’t get another made so she decided to have Rapunzel’s hair do the work for her. She would come by once a day and whenever La Señora went to visit Rapunzel, she stood beneath the tower and called out:

Rapunzel, Rapunzel! Let down your hair right now and help my old ass up! If you don’t, Sabes Que I ain’t feeding your ass!

Upon hearing these words, Rapunzel would wrap her long, dark hair around a hook that sat beside the window and drop it down to La Señora, who would then climb up the hair to Rapunzel's tower room. Getting down was a little more easier and for Rapunzel sometimes a little fun.

One day, a prince (I’m sorry I mean his name is “Prinze” with a Z!) was ridin dirty in his ’64 Impala through the neighborhood pondering his future and wondering if he would ever meet the one when he overheard Rapunzel singing from the tower. He immediately turned down his radio and hiked up his hydraulics as far as they could go to search for the girl who’s voiced beckoned him from afar. Entranced by her ethereal voice, he went around the block to look for the girl and eventually came across the house of La Señora and went around to the back and was below the tower, he tried to get a better look at the girl but she was just always out of sight. After that day he would returned often, listening to her beautiful singing, and one-day saw La Señora visit, and after leaning the mystery girl’s name and more importantly how actually get up to her tower. When La Señora was gone, he bade Rapunzel let her hair down. When she did this, he climbed up, made her acquaintance, made a couple of cheesy moves and convinced her to go out with him, Since she could never leave they agreed to meet every night and kick it and so that was their relationship for some time until almost a year later he finally asked her to marry him. Rapunzel agreed.

Together they planned a means of escape, every night when he came to visit (thus avoiding La Señora who visited her by day), he would bring her the strongest fabrics he could find, which Rapunzel would gradually weave into a ladder. Before the plan came to fruition, however, Rapunzel foolishly brought up secret nights when she innocently asked why her dresses were fitting tighter around her belly (you know what they did! Don’t act like they were being all innocent and playing Playstation or something all day!); and then to really add emphasis on the list of “stupid things to say” she also asked La Señora why it was easier for her to draw him up than her. In anger (mainly cause she was sensitive about her weight), La Señora broke down the door and cut Rapunzel's long flowing hair off leaving only enough that barely kissed her neck and cast her out into the barrio to fend for herself.

When Prinze returned that night, he called up to his lady and as expected the long flowing braid of hair fell down to him not knowing that it was La Señora that let the severed braids down to haul him up. To his horror, he found himself staring at the La Señora instead of Rapunzel, who was nowhere to be found. When he demanded to know where she was, she told him that he would never see Rapunzel again, he attempted to get by her to search the house for Rapunzel, La Señora grabbed Prinze and threw him from the window from whence he came (Like I said earlier, No one messed with La Señora, that bitch had grip!). As Prinze fell he landed into the nearby rose bushes and was blinded by the thorns below. He left, defeated and fearing that he had lost his love, forever.

For months he wandered through the barrio wondering if he would ever find her again and even if he couldn’t see her, he had his vision of her forever embedded onto his mind and knew no matter what, he could see her, every inch of her from top to bottom, from inside/out and that vision always put a smile on his face even in his darkest time.

During this time, Rapunzel gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl and had set up her own little house across town and became the local Vieja in her own neighborhood. One day in her backyard Rapunzel sang as she hung the laundry while walking through the same neighborhood Prinze heard Rapunzel's voice again, and followed it until he walked into a backyard and called her name, she turned around and smiled so brightly that even he could see it. She ran to him, embraced him and both were reduced to tears and they were finally reunited. When they fell into each other's arms, her tears immediately restored his sight and he beheld his Rapunzel once again and promised to never lose her again. Soon afterwards Rapunzel and Prinze got married and with their children began to create their own little kingdom, where they lived happily ever after.

THE END

Next Time on Brian's Twisted Fairytales, I bust out the story many say made me the man I am today. As for what story that is, you'll just have to wait and see!

Until Next Time,
-B

[The Shadow Chronicles]_10.14.2008_

Chapter 2: Won’t Get Fooled Again

(Let me first start this off with an announcement: every chapter will be titled after a song I grew up with, 5 points to anyone who can correctly name the artist. The grand prize: nothing, except mad respect from yours truly for the vast musical knowledge you possess. But if you’re a woman, I may also ask for your hand in marriage. Game On!)

_10.10.2008_

It’s around Midnight on a Friday, so I guess this is now Saturday. Even though I plan to post this up next week, I got nothing better to do and figured “Why not start now”? It’s easy to get caught up in what you do, some call it dedication I call it an instilled intense work ethic. I finished posting “Echoes” earlier today after realizing that I completely forgot to post it a week prior, so now my schedule is way off and MY LIFE IS RUINED AND WHAAA!!!

Ok, honestly: I’m not freaking out, mistakes happen, things get lost in the shuffle, I’m human. Speaking of mistakes, apparently my last entry gave off a different impression that I had planned. I had previously wrote:

“After finishing up the ideas of future topics I spoke to a couple friends who commented on my recent posts. First off, I love it when my friends like my work, my only pet peeve is that they tell me, not write it! Because I need constant admiration and approval from random strangers across the land!!”

My intention was a combination of a joke on people who need constant praise from random strangers, A laugh at myself for sometimes taking myself too seriously and my admission that I truly appreciate my friends for their kind words towards my work. But as the saying goes: “If you have to explain it afterwards, then you got it wrong in the first place.”

I got more I could say but it’s late and I need to sleep since I have to be in Oakland @ 7:00 am. Pray I don’t get shot….

_10.11.2008_

6:30 am on a Saturday, to many people there is no such time and prior to today, I was one of them. A full tank of gas, the BriPod loaded up with classic rock and out the door I go, Please guide me Whitesnake and pray I don’t get shot.

_10.14.2008_

I didn’t get shot! I spent four hours at a business seminar that both made me wish I did get shot and also taught me to skip the next one. I got to spend time around Jack London Square, ate a good meal and enjoyed a beautiful day. After the morning I had I realized what I love about writing as opposed to business. You can’t really fuck up writing, business on the other hand… another story. Sure the delivery and the approach of the story are open for debate about how bad aim and delivery disrupts the story, but the overall idea/ goal isn’t. You take from what’s around you and you instill yourself into the perception and reality of the situations around you, comedy, drama, even a little science fiction, all of that can pop into your head just by standing on the edge of a pier on the edge of Oakland.

Plus with Berkeley just a hop, skip and a jump away… that gives me a great idea for TBF….

[Echoes]_10.10.2008_

I can’t believe I forgot to post up Echoes… Anyway my bad, here we go and TBF returns in two weeks.


[E]_September_2008_


Re: The Shadow Chronicles 10.06.2008.

Comment Submitted by Harlean Carpenter:

“So here I am typing with one hand and trying not to drop my sandwich with the other. Just so you know, by the time you read this, this article went through three levels of spell check because the typos and misspells were a plenty.”

It could be worse; you could be typing with the hand that's trying to not drop the sandwich, and fending off disgruntled armadillos with the other. I don't think even spell check could help you then...

<3


Response From Brian Rodriguez:

Armadillos I could handle… spilling my Meatball sub on the keyboard, Marie would never let me hear the end of it. I’ve decided to go with the lesser of two evils.

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Re: TBF: Close But No Cigar/ Prostitution

Comment Submitted by Marie:

Prostitution is purportedly "the oldest occupation." I'm not going to argue that; it's been around forever, and will probably continue to be around forever. So why can't it be legal? As George Carlin once said: "Fucking is legal. Selling is legal. So why isn't selling fucking legal?"

It is legal in less and more developed nations than the U.S. Out Puritanical society considers the act of casual sex to be a sin. (But let me point out the tendency for the most conservative Christian men to have unconventional casual sex; hypocrisy, much?)

Point is, it's being done despite laws. Wouldn't it be better if it was legal and regulated? Some sort of Whores' Guild to which women can apply for membership, pay dues, and receive health care and protection from abusers. Sure, some pimps and brothels might slip through the cracks, but if the vocation was legalized, there might be fewer sex slaves smuggled into the country and less drug use.

With proper oversight, American males could get their pie (and eat it, too) with less risk of STDs. Women could keep a higher percentage of their earnings and wouldn't have pimps getting them addicted to drugs, and would have more respectability, fewer health issues, and more rights.

I fail to see how that is not a win-win for everybody. Well, except for the hard-core Christian dogmatists who keep pushing their religious beliefs on the political and judicial systems. But we're tired of them anyway.

Response From Brian Rodriguez:

It sounds good and it sounds easy so ultimately... It will never happen.

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Re: TBF: Obesity

Comment Submitted by Harlean Carpenter:

"The future was yesterday, darling, where have you been? Now we're in the Ultramegaplus Future. With cheese. It's good to have you back, and better to see you haven't lost your edge.

Adding insult to the obesity injury is the fact that while obesity is at an all time high, so are anorexia and bulimia. Actually, no, I guess that's just more injury.

Here's something you might get a very small and rather sad laugh out of. Once while at an amusement park (I think it was Disneyland but I'm not certain, this was a few years ago) I jumped onto one of those combination scale/BMI-measuring gizmos just for the hell of it. Brian, you know me but for those of you who don't know me, I'll tell you that I'm 5' 3" and usually weigh between 130 and 135 pounds. It fluctuates and I don't worry much about is as long as I feel well. So, onto this contraption I step during one of my closer to 135 phases. It took a moment to ponder my weight in conjunction with the height I had punched in, then proceeded to tell me that I was overweight, bordering on obese and should consult my doctor about a weight loss plan immediately.

5' 3", 135 pounds = borderline obese. But school lunches consisting of grease, starch and sugar, consumed by kids who spend the majority of their time indoors playing with computers, and models with legs no thicker than my arms setting the standard for beauty = the norm. No wonder we're so screwed up."


Response From Brian Rodriguez:

First off: AMEN!
Second: 130 lbs?… I may have to rethink this relationship ;)
Third: Actually, that’s not so bad... One time I got on one of those scales as well and a digital image of both John Belushi and John Candy appeared and started waving at me… That was the sign that I needed to start working out.

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Comment Submitted by Angel:

I have to say that I agree with you when you say that it starts with the parents...It starts with the freaking parents. What parent does not want the best for their kids? I too have notice the damaged done to my 7-year-old daughter by my husband giving in to her constant "I want McDonalds" or "can I have a cookie" and he gives in to her wants. So I have begun to make changes in my life to show her that eating healthy is better way of life. But by doing that...I had to change what I ate too. So now I have been not eating dinner, when I do I eat fruit and water instead of soda. And she is starting to eat more healthy things for dinner. The good thing with my kids is that they love water, and they have never drunk soda. They love salads, they love fruits they love veggies, its just that if we don’t have it at home how can they eat that. So yes, I have stared to show by example, and I am enforcing exercise, and a healthy eating habit, I got to admit
these past two weeks have been somewhat hard, Because my husband does not change, but my health and my kids health is more important to me and if he does not want to change with us, then he is just going to have to be a part of my "was then" Because he is literally weighing me down. (Don’t get me wrong he is a great father, he just has a weakness for his little girls, and he does want them healthy but he just does not want to change "his" eating habits. Well keep up the good work Brian.


Response From Brian Rodriguez:

I do agree that it starts with the parents but Schools definitely lend a hand with their lack of healthy options. I also definitely agree that to best way to illustrate how eating right and being active is good for them is to do it yourself as well. It’s classic psychology: monkey see, monkey do.

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Comment Submitted by Tessa:

WOW...great to have you back Brian
Touchy subject to start off with...I like your style!!!


Response From Brian Rodriguez:

It’s great to be back! Who doesn’t like my style? It’s simple, it’s straight to the point and most importantly… it kicks ass!! Instead of easing back into things, I figured that the best way to snap back is to go full throttle on their Asses.

Unhindered: Link day

I know this is a day late, but Blogger wasn't working for me yesterday. And since I've been busy with various things, I haven't gotten around to writing anything good.

We all know that the major news issues are the economy and the presidential race. I'll probably get around to writing my own opinions here or on my blog, but for now I'll just give you some other people's genius.

Radar's article "MACHO MA'AM: Is Sarah Palin a "muscular feminist," or simply a dumb jock?"




I'm leaving you with a picture that I thought was rather thought-provoking, despite it having LOL origins:


see Pundit Kitchen

[The Shadow Chronicles]_10.06.2008_

Chapter 1: Genesis

It’s 1 in the afternoon and I’m staring at a blank page… As I’m staring at the page I go over my expectations/ requirements for this week:

1. Brian’s Twisted Fairytales: Rapunzel
2. Revive Brian’s Song
3. Contact Marie to see if she’ll be posting
4. Write this week’s TBF
5. Come up with a new writing idea… oh wait, this is it.

The general idea for this is to be my record of everything that happens behind the scenes. It also gives me a place to vent my own frustrations with TBF and I feel will also present me in a different light. Or worst-case scenario: I’ll end up looking a like a dick. Looking at my general schedule I’m surprised that I even have time to do ideas like this. But in retrospect, when you have a passion for something, you make the time for it. So here I am typing with one hand and trying not to drop my sandwich with the other. Just so you know, by the time you read this, this article went through three levels of spell check because the typos and misspells were a plenty.

After finishing up the ideas of future topics I spoke to a couple friends who commented on my recent posts. First off, I love it when my friends like my work, my only pet peeve is that they tell me, not write it! Because I need constant admiration and approval from random strangers across the land!!

Ok, that’s not true. Well it is, but it isn’t my truth. Years of writing in a digital world where anyone with a keyboard becomes the opinionated messiah with a wealth of knowledge as far the wiki will take you have finally begun to influence me… God help us. Personally, I’m really indifferent to how people reply to my work, some like it some don’t. It’s how life usually goes. Ultimately I write for myself, everyone else just happens to read it as well.

So that’s what you’re probably going to come across as you continue to read The Shadow Chronicles. A point of view without any real form, structure or direction, A place where we will just ramble and burn on everything that comes across my line of sight… even if the only thing in my sight is myself. Ultimately it is everything and nothing. The beginning and the end.

Well, it can’t be the end… We’re just beginning.