Monday, December 30, 2013

New Poem


Loss of Identity

By

Anthony Labson
 

I don’t need a book to tell me what’s right

because I have a heart and a conscience.

I don’t need to be told whose right and wrong

because I can listen and decide for myself.

 

When somebody tells me they heard something

then I ask where did they hear it from

and decide whether or not it’s a credible source.

 

If I speak to someone and they don’t agree

then I listen without interrupting.

If we still disagree then we still shake

and show respect.

 

I have only hated a few people in my life

but that’s because they offended me

physically, emotionally and psychologically.

Not because someone says it’s wrong.

I am for different laws and new amendments

not because I’m a member of a party

but because I truly believe my country

will benefit from them.

My loyalty will always belong to my country

not to any party or specific group.

I don’t sacrifice personal feelings

just to secure other people’s insecurities.

 

Peer pressure is the killer of individuality.

Don’t let it control you because if you do
                                                
                                               then the world loses something precious.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

From Fluke to Fact!

    Last night an unexpected outcome happened when mixed martial arts legend Anderson "The Spider" Silva lost his rematch with current Ultimate Fighting Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman. What made this loss unexpected was the fashion in which the 39 year old fighter lost and that was when he broke his leg in the second round. After being hammered by Weidman in the first round, Silva went on the aggressive side and went for a side kick to Weidman's legs. However Weidman blocked the maneuvering his get so Silva's leg would meet bone instead of Weidman's kneecap. This resulted in the immediate end of the match thus granting Weidman the victory via technical knockout.  
   It was clear that it was a clean break and Silva was in no condition to continue as he was immediately surround by trainers. Silva was the favorite to win the fight over the champion who is now undefeated at 11-0. With this victory Chris Weidman cemented the fact that he deserves to be recognized as a champion. Many critics and fight fans believed his win was merely a fluke or even fixed because of Silva's suspicious immediate announcement that he was taking time off. This fight meant something to both fighters but it's clear that Chris Weidman deserves much needed respect.
    The question now on everyone's mind is what does that mean for Anderson Silva? Silva is 39 years old, a time where most fighters should be on their way out. Silva will no doubt need at least 6 months to heal and even more time rehabilitating just to get back in shape. By the time he could come back into the ring, he will be 40 years of age so retirement is a huge possibility for the living legend. Whatever he decides to do you, you can't deny that he was and in most ways the greatest fighter alive.
    Anderson "The Spider" Silva has had a career that most people would see if they played a video game with the difficulty level set at easy. With only 6 losses and over 30 wins in multiple companies around the world. He held the Middleweight title for over 6 years and had went against the best mixed martial arts had to offer. When he went to the UFC he was undefeated until he fought Chris Weidman. Some hated him for his cockiness and others loved him for his superiority but all respected him for his accomplishments.
    It would be a real treat to see Silva return to the ring but again Silva has reached an age that most fighters should be retiring age. Most fighters however feel as though they need to have that one last great fight before finally hanging up the gloves so that's why I wouldn't be surprised if Silva gives it one more shot. Chris Weidman proved to the world last night that he deserved to be respected as a champion because he didn't just beat a former champion. He beat a legend which in sense is grabbing the torch and now running with it. Will he reach a status such as Silva's I can't say but if he tries, he better put an S on his chest then because that's what he'll need.   

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Leo: The Cold Killer


The first EBook in the "Leo" trilogy is done! Should be released in late January. Until the next is written.

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all my fans and friends of the Christian faith. Be safe traveling and enjoy the day.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Who You Are and What You Have.

   Growing up, we make a lot of decisions that affect our lives. The major one is who we are going to be in our lives and that's what the subject of his entry is about. Growing up I knew I just wanted to have a life worth living. I wanted excitement, a mark to leave on people long after I'm gone, and to create a legacy for others to aspire to. The problem with going down this path is you come across people who will like you but may go on to resent you.
   You'll befriend them, hang out with them, and maybe even trust them someday but there will be that one friend that becomes envious and the seed of jealousy will take over. They'll think that because you want to move up in life, being around them wasn't good enough for you. They'll believe that you'll forget them once you move on and achieve your dreams while they are still trying to achieve theirs. It's at that moment my friends that you must remind them that just because you want to change the way you live, you don't want to change the way you are or the company you keep around you.
   We all want a better life. Some more than others but that doesn't mean that we don't treasure the friends we make along the way. That the company you now have is more important than the people who supported your dreams. Money changes situations but it doesn't change people, it only makes possible the opportunities you didn't have before. Nothing is more important than the people who support you and the bonds that keep you together. The people who only have money in life have the biggest handicap because when that money goes, whose your friend?
    I've been blessed for having a balance thanks to the love and dedication of my parents and now I'm standing on my own feet to try and make something of my own dreams. I have friends who have never convinced me to give up or to settle for less. For that my I consider you all family, blood could not make us any closer than we are. The greatest treasure in the world isn't made of gold, jewels or paper. You can't put a price on a helping hand.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Freedom or Contracts

     Phil Robertson is a elderly popular character on a hit show called Duck Dynasty. Now  I've never seen the show because I'm always busy doing other things and it doesn't seem to be my cup of tea. It's basically a reality show about a family, the Robertson family whom are a wealthy family because of a successful business selling duck hunting products. Like all hit reality shows, there's one breakout star, one comic relief and one moral leader that brings the ratings in. Which category does Phil Robertson fit in, I don't know because again I don't watch the show. So you're probably asking yourself why am I talking about this then?
     The answer simply is, he's news and this is the reason I'm writing a blog. Recently, Phil Robertson said negative remarks towards homosexuals during an interview which got him suspended indefinitely by A&E. Phil Robertson did not apologize for making the comment but did make it clear that he does not discriminate against gays but he does disagree with their lifestyles due to his Christian beliefs. This has sparked outrage on both parties because on one hand he's expressing his views and beliefs under the protection of Freedom of Speech therefore he shouldn't be punished. On the other hand, others believe that his remarks cast a negative image over the network that shows his program and the network has a right to protect their image.
     This is my opinion on the matter. I don't agree with Robertson's views or his use of them and I do believe he shouldn't be punished for his remarks. However, here is the problem people don't seem to understand with that important right we have here in the U.S. The Bill of Rights was created to protect the people from government control and not corporate control. Duck Dynasty is a show on a network and when you become a part of that network then you become a representative of that network. Like any celebrity, when your in public you have to conduct yourself in a way that will make sure people keep watching.
     Years ago, famous country star Hank Williams Jr. compared current president Barack Obama as Adolf Hitler. Again, his right and I disagree but respect it because it's his right as an American but this eventually led to his termination with the NFL as the Monday Night Football opener. Football fans are a very patriotic fan base and when you compare the President of the United States to the most evil man that ever lived, termination is inevitable. The purpose of any network is to get ratings and anytime someone says something unpopular that can affect the ratings in a negative way is given the ax. Numerous celebrities have fallen prey to this fact such as Alec Baldwin and Duane "Dog The Bounty Hunter" Chapman for their racist or homophobic remarks.
     We have the freedom of speech but when you sign a contract, if you want to make the big bucks, then you have to follow the rules of the contract. The networks only care about making the viewer happy so they keep watching but if the viewers think the network endorses someone they disagree with then that person may stop watching. If people strongly disagree with this decision then I encourage everyone in the United States to take advantage of another right and that's the right to protest. To anyone that enjoys the show, I hope you see Phil on there someday again.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Sunday, December 15, 2013

New Poem

Show me Love

You give us shows about

“True Love”

by giving a guy and girl

a few weeks to choose

who they’d love to make out with.

 

That is not love.

Love doesn’t take a few weeks to work

unless it’s something you read or

watch in a movie.

 

Then you show me

the lives of celebrities.

Their marriages don’t last

as is, but when they get on television,

the process just speeds up.

 

You want to give me a show on

“True Love,”

here’s how you do it.

Give me a reality show about two people

who get on each other’s nerves

every moment of the day.

 

Getting into arguments about work, about the house,

about life in general.

Have them ready to go nuts. If, at that point,

they still go to bed together, and they still kiss each other goodnight,

then that’s a show I would love to see on the air.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Remembering Sandy Hook

    I remember Columbine like it was yesterday. I was running late to my 4th period class in middle school because I was busy messing with my friends talking about something that happened in physical performance. I made it just in time before the bell rang but there was an awkward feeling in the air, I thought the teacher was giving a pop quiz but when I saw the teacher had the television on. When I saw what had happened in Colorado, I was stunned how something so horrific could happen. I had seen for the first time the evil actions of evil people.
    I thought I would never hear something so evil being broadcast over the news but just like September 11th 2001 surpassed Pearl Harbor in terms of casualties and horror. Sandy Hook surpassed Columbine. I was at work stocking shelves thinking of when to start my next EBook, The Wall and I saw a lady crying on aisle 10 which is cleaning products. I thought she got bad personal news to which I was right about the news but wrong about it being personal. She showed me the news clip on her smart phone and I couldn't believe what I read.
    So many lives lost both children and teachers who became heroes by sacrificing their lives so their students wouldn't die. Parent's received calls that their children were not just killed but mauled in a way that they can't even be identified because of a maniac with a gun. A day so dark, the whole nation mourned with a town that had lost so much in just a matter of hours. Now a year later we seem to be arguing about the same issues such as gun control and school safety. You know what these two issues have in common with Sandy Hook, irrelevance.
    Gun control has been argued over for decades and nothing has happened and never will. Schools are doing what they can to stay safe but the fact is, evil tends to strike where and when you least expect it. Yesterday a kid that attended a high school 8 miles near Columbine went to the school with a shotgun and shot two student then himself. Everyone's already pouncing on the issues just mentioned but the fact is still the same, a maniac wanted to kill someone and on an ordinary day, he almost accomplished his mission. The two kids were at the hospital and are expecting to live but this is why we should remember Sandy Hook and Columbine.  
    Innocent lives were taken without provocation and without reason, so instead of playing the blame game let us do the right thing and mourn them. Let us pray for the families who lost children, the spouses who lost their life partners, and the friends that lost other friends. It's not fair that good people find themselves in horrific situations. We can prevent it but not by playing the blame game instead we can remember the fallen and not take any day for granted.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Cover Photo From the "Leo Trilogy"



Coming soon in 2014! To learn more follow at A_Labson@ Twitter or like me on Facebook. Until the next is written!

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Poetry from my EBook!

A Fallen Angel

An angel is falling from the sky.

She is in a vortex, helplessly

going down a downward spiral,

screaming for help in mid air.

 

She looks so pure and innocent.

She is an angel, but she can’t fly.

And, as I look with a hawk’s eye, I see

her wings are broken.

 

I wonder why she has been sent to this realm,

a realm of my vision,

an endless forest were disruption meets oblivion

and lost souls meet renaissance.

 

She lands in the lake of my forest.

She is 5 foot 2 and about 130 pounds,

But, like a small stone, makes no splash,

just ripples in the water.

Yet, the impact sounds like that of an atom bomb.

 

I get on my stallion, the eternal mustang,

and ride to the lake where I see her

floating on her back like a flower.

I pull her out and go back to my cabin in the forest.

 

I put her in my bedroom

because there is no other.

I sleep in front of the fireplace

and wonder where to start.

 

The next day, she wakes up,

and I come in with breakfast.

She is startled, but I calm her down.

I tell her that I am a friend.

 

 

“I am one who cares for all.

I give comfort and shelter to those in need.

You may simple call me friend

because that’s all I’ll ever be.”

 

She eats the eggs I’ve made for her and

drinks the water that I’ve purified.

After a while, I finally ask her,

“Angel, why did you fall from the sky?”

 

She says, “I lost my way.

I just got bored with eternity,

so I wanted to leave.

I got my wish, and now I have nothing.

 

That’s why I guess I’m here,

to be forgotten.”

I say to her, “He doesn’t forget, and he does forgive.

Somebody so beautiful should express happiness, not fear.

In time, you will learn to smile again

and never again feel sorrow.”

 

With her wings wrapped and her body healed,

she begins to live with me here in the forest.

We take walks in the morning to see the sunrise and

have dinners in the front window of the cabin to see the sunset.

 

I cook her all my favorite recipes

from lasagna to baked ziti.

But when we get to the desert --

freshly made cherry pie -- her favorite.

 

Weeks after her arrival, she asks me,

“Why are you here?”

 

I tell her the truth.

“I was once lost like you were.

I fell just as you did, but found my way.

But unlike me, you still have a choice.”

 

She asks, “What kind of choice?”

I say, “You’ll know it when you feel it.”

She gets confused, but, months later,

confusion turns into compassion.

 

Many times, she welcomed me to bed with her.

Every time I declined, not because of un-attraction.

It was just going to make it easier on me in the end

because I knew the day was approaching.

 

A year has passed. Her wings are healed.

She flaps them up and down

and gets herself off the floor.

I smile at her success, but she can see

my invisible frown.

 

The time has come, and I say, “Let’s go to the lake.”

But when we go, there is no lake,

just an open field with a ray of light in the middle.

She sees now the choice that must be made.

 

Leave or stay?

There is no turning back.

But, before she makes the choice,

she asks me with a heart-broken voice,

“Why did you stay?”

 

I say, “I wasn’t the first.

I knew I wasn’t going to be the last.

I made the choice to stay

and help other angels like you and I.”

 

She asks, “What if I stay with you?

Help other angels by your side?

I can’t image eternity alone.

I don’t want that to be your fate.”

 

I say, “That’s not your choice to make.

This realm is of my vision.

This is my eternity, and this is how I choose to spend it.

If you decide to stay, I will be the one that goes.

Either way, one of us is leaving, and it’s going to be you.”

 

She says, “How do you know?”

 

I say, “Because you’ve learned again what’s most important.

Eternity is what you make of it.

This is mine, and I do it with pride.

Now you can go and find something to take pride in.”

 

Angel says, “I will miss you.

You gave me back so much.”

 

I say, “You’re welcome.

That complement is why I do this.

Now, it’s time to fly.”

She hugs and kisses me goodbye

then slowly moving towards the light,

never taking her eyes off me.

With new wings, she heads back to paradise.

 

As she disappears into the light,

I say, “Lord,

your child has returned to you.

My love and wishes go with you angel.”

 

I turn back and head for my cabin.

My energy is now spent.

My body is weak.

My head is light as a feather.

 

I now go to bed and sleep

until the next is sent.

 

 
Sample from my EBook on sale on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Madness in a Recession just search for Anthony Labson. Enjoy and until the next is written.
 

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Nelson Mandela: The Man Leaves But The Idea Lives On.

   Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa has passed on but he's left a legacy that can only be best described as revolutionary. He grew up in a country that had an oppressive government and as the years went by dedicated his life to change. He went on to becoming South Africa's first black South African president after enduring nearly three decades of imprisonment and torture. Once released he went on to receive numerous accolades for his activism and accomplishments. What he spent most of his life to achieve is this.
   Nelson Mandela fought most of his life to overturning the policy known as "Apartheid" which is basically segregation among the races in South Africa. This was a time where all the races in South Africa were separated as well as denying rights such as education and medical services. Nelson Mandela stood against these rights and for his opposition, he was imprisoned. He suffered decades through scorching heat and condemnable living conditions. Finally after a strong campaign, he was released and later on in 1994 was elected and finally overcame that ruling body.
   After being elected he would break down the policy that he had suffered for so long to over throw. He received prestigious awards like the Noble Peace Prize and the U.S. Medal of Freedom for his achievements and thus cementing his legacy. He passed away with the streets he spent his life freeing filled with people cheering his name as his spirit went to the paradise he much deserved. The question is now what will happen now that this icon for freedom and equality is gone. This is my honest opinion.
   Nelson Mandela is to South Africa what Martin Luther King Jr. is to the United States. These men are symbols of freedom and equality for all no matter who or what you are. They may have died but their ideas will forever live on through their history and success. History rewards the deeds of great individuals that have survived their struggles and achieve greatness. There will never be another Nelson Mandela but through his legacy, South Africa is on a greater course. As long as his ideas of equality live on, South Africa will prosper.

Friday, December 6, 2013

Head or Heart?

Somebody who listens to their heart sees Beauty and the Beast as a tale about a woman who looks past the monster and falls in love with the man behind the animal. Somebody who listens to their head sees it as a woman suffering the affects of Stockholm Syndrome. Which do you use?

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman

   Recently announced Gal Gadot has been cast to play famous female superhero Diana, Queen of the Amazon but also known as Wonder Woman in the upcoming DC/WB Batman vs. Superman movie. Now I know everyone is asking themselves one simple question and that is this. Who on Earth is this beautiful woman that nobody has heard of and why is she going to play the famous icon? Gal Gadot is a virtual unknown with her only known film roles in the Fast and Furious franchise. This choice has gotten just as much of a mixed reaction as was Ben Affleck cast as Batman.
   Gal Gadot is a former model and is a former Miss Israel who broke into film with bit parts in the films Date Night and Knight and Day. Recently she made a breakthrough working with the cast of Fast and Furious. Now she has reached a new milestone after auditioning for Zack Snyder's sequel to last year's Superman movie. Now many people have reached to negative conclusions already for one simple fact that she seemed to skinny and she's inexperienced as an actress. In this respect I have to come to her defense on the following issues.
     Christian Bale was practically a skeleton for his film The Machinist and he did that film before Batman so if he can buff up for a role then I have faith in Gadot. Second reason is Zack Snyder casted Henry Cavill who was only known for one role as well so to judge based on that is just childish. The biggest problem I see here of course is everyone already made up conclusions of what Wonder Woman should be to them. Everyone had actresses on the brain such as Jessica Biel, Kate Beckinsale and even current pop star right now Jennifer Lawrence. In my opinion, if these opinions come from guys then I'm guessing they just want to see these women in Wonder Woman outfits and they want to be tied up with her golden lasso.
   Everyone has an opinion and unfortunately they make up their minds before even seeing one clip or picture. Give people a chance to prove why they were chosen for the part instead of jumping to conclusions. When they finally release the image of her as Wonder Woman then that's when I say you can form an opinion but until then, please stop worrying. I'm a geek myself and I have my grievances about the choice but until I see a trailer, my hopes are high with Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder at the helm.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

If You Want to Know Me. Read This Poem.


My Closet

Like the phantom of the opera,

I was a misunderstood monster.

Not scarred in the face by fire

but with a body of excess fat.

 

The demons kept hurting my soul.

They tortured me with insults.

Boys threw stuff at me.

Girls called me a freak.

 

I fought back with hatred and fists.

Boys lost teeth and girls lost hair.

My life was becoming a sad fable.

Dante would run in fear of my inferno.

 

So, I ran into my closet and dreamed

in such a small hot space.

I lived in a new world with sunlight and cool breezes.

But the breeze was just hanging clothes running across my face.

 

Silence.

That was my greatest ally to focus on my dreams.

There was nobody else that could distract me

when I was in that closet.

 

The price for paradise was cheap --

my heart and my sanity.

I had no use for those things anyway.

I wasn’t happy when I had them.

 

Time went by fast when I was in the closet

and slow when I was out.

For 6 long hours I’d be in hell.

I would cut off my right arm

to hear that final ring.

 

For years I was in my closet,

praying to God for mercy.

Finally my parents found me

and dragged me out of my closet.

 

My parents were scared

to see their baby boy look so cold.

They couldn’t understand this boy who is so sweet

look so morose and so angry.

I would try to get back in my closet,

 But they would keep me out,

kicking and swinging.

 

Later, I was sent to see someone.

I felt like a wounded animal backed into a corner --

scared, confused, and ready to fight to the death.

The doctor looked at me with such pity.

 

I would say, “Go to hell.

How could you blame me for what I’ve done?

If you’d lived my life you would understand.

For some people, dreams are better than reality.”

 

I met others who had my problem,

who had scars of their own

and were outcasts of society for different reasons.

Some cut their arms, some were loved too much by their parents.

There was even one a boy who wanted to be 6 feet under.

 

Even though they opened their arms to me,

I pushed them away.

My anger made me numb from the heart down.

I was the boy with a permanent frown.

 

But something happened one night.

Somebody got their wish.

That boy was going 6 feet under

because he purposely drowned in his toilet.

 

When I saw him covered in sheets,

I realized where my anger was going to take me.

So, I decided that it was time for me to go home.

I told the doctor everything he wanted to know.

I met the requirements and became healthy again.

 

After months of treatment,

I was allowed to live again.

I moved away from my demons and my torture.

I now have a new home and a new closet.

 

But I don’t use it.

I put all my clothes in drawers

and boxes in the garage.

Now, I feel the warmth of a real sun

and the smooth breeze on my face.

 

I still have my anger,

but I keep it under control.

I have friends now and a girlfriend.

Will it last? I really don’t know.

 

But when I wake up in the morning

and I look at my life today,

I can actually see that my prayer was answered.

I am free from my torment and my closet.

I have been granted my mercy.


Sample from my EBook Madness In A Recession. If you love poetry then please give my work a chance. Thank you and until the next is written.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Rest In Peace Paul Walker

   Yesterday, Paul Walker was killed when he and a friend were driving and crashed into a tree and were killed. Paul Walker was only 40 and leaves behind a daughter and a fan base that has followed him since his break out in the famous franchise film, Fast and Furious. With Paul Walker's death a lot of questions have come out since it was announced around 7 p.m. last night. Questions like where they on some kind of drug and what does this mean for the upcoming next Fast and Furious movie? Well here's what we can definitely see happening in the near future.
   Paul Walker and a friend of his were in a car driving when the car ran into a tree presumably at high speed because the damage of the wreck was so severe, the car exploded after the crash. Even if by some miracle either man survived, the blast would've killed them as they were engulfed in flames. There is still an ongoing investigation so there will be an autopsy and hopefully we'll get the story in a few days or maybe a few weeks. What does this mean for the movie?
   Plans are already underway to redo the script the movie so Paul Walker's character, Brian, is killed off somehow leaving the driver seat open for either a new character or possibly ending the franchise completely. That will remain to be seen until the movie is released. No doubt the movie might also be pushed back due to Walker's death, it was due out in Summer of next year but now we may see it pushed back to a fall or winter release. The decision will ultimately come down to what the writers do and whether the company agrees to do. There is a lot going on and nobody seems to know exactly what's going to happen but here is what we can agree on.
   Paul Walker was an actor, a friend and a father who left this world way too early and he left in a very tragic way. Nobody should have to lose a family member in such a horrific accident especially during the holiday season. My heart and prayers go out to his family and his friends at this most difficult time. He left behind a legacy that can never be duplicated and I hope that he rests in peace. Goodbye Paul Walker and thank you for the memories.