Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Bates Motel is Closed


After five seasons, Bates Motel has come to a close with mixed reviews from fans of the original Psycho, and fans of the show itself. Bates Motel kicked off on a very slippery slope because this was a prequel leading up to the events made famous by the iconic director, Alfred Hitchcock. It immediately grabbed the attention of would be fans and fans of the original story by staying true to the eerie world of Norman Bates and Mother. The show introduced the audience to a human side of the famous serial killer while throwing a curveball here and there. Now the series is over and it’s been a hell of a ride for Freddie Highmore (Norman) and Vera Farmiga (Norma/Mother).

Allow me to digress for a minute so those who may not know what I’m talking about can catch up. In the film, Psycho, Norman Bates is a lonely man who lives with his mother in a creepy house that oversees their motel. Then a famous scene happens involving a woman in a shower with a knife and Hersey’s chocolate being poured down the shower drain. The film would go on to become a phenomenon and would spawn several sequels with Anthony Perkins, then a remake starring Vince Vaughn in 1998. In 2013, A&E would bring a different version of Norman Bates to life with the help of Vera Farmiga.

The first season was focused firmly on Vera Farmiga as Norma Bates and how her dark past was somehow passed onto Norman. Slowly but surely, things become clear as Norman begins to go down his dark path that would eventually lead him to his iconic fate. Now there were some surprises thrown into the mix with the arrival of Norman’s brother, Dylan (Max Thieriot). The other addition to this crazy pot is the local sheriff, Alex Romero (Nestor Carbonell). The world of Norma and Norman Bates only gets darker with each season that passes and the show did a superb job showing Norman’s “blackouts” from his point of view.

More light is brought into the dark mind of Norman that makes the audience connect with him as a person just when you start to think he’s just a savage killer. Norman is always trying to do the right thing to an extent until something happens that triggers his alternate personality and the rest is history. It’s been a long ride filled with homage to the classic and surprises that makes this series its own story that separates it from the original. The finale ends with an epic showdown between brothers when Dylan must realize the monster Norman has become due to his mental instability.

The series ended in the best way it could in my opinion. It didn’t end the way most fans of the original thought it should have ended, but everyone else seems to have accepted it. Instead of seeing a dark ending that leaves the possibility for a revival, fans see closure with a heartwarming ending that brings people together in different ways. I hope this won’t be the last time that I see Freddie Highmore because he did a fantastic job as Norman. Bates Motel was a short but sweet series that’s well worth the watch and so all I can say to close this is, “Goodbye mother.”

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Dedicated to all the Another Ones


Another Someone

By

Anthony Labson



Everyone has a job to do

but someone doesn’t care.

So someone gets lazy

and another one has to do it.



Somebody says a thing to someone.

Trying so hard, just to get someone to do their job.

But Somebody has done everything that can be thought of.

But someone is unwilling to get involved.



Another one keeps picking up the slack,

hoping that it will lead to advancements.

But the commitment turns to handicapped.

Another one becomes too valuable to lose.



Instead of another one getting what they deserve,

they are crippled by the actions of someone.

Somebody won’t make their job worse

by losing another one and be left with someone.



Another one is getting tired of dealing with someone.

Someone ignores another one’s frustration.

Someone keeps doing the same routine

and another one has had enough.



So another one leaves with

hopes that someone will finish for once.

But someone remains lazy and useless

and Somebody just gets frustrated.



Instead of just getting rid of someone,

Somebody lost another one.

Now Somebody has nightmares of what happens

if Somebody hires another someone.


Sunday, April 23, 2017

Nice Guys Finish Best


Who was it that said,

“Nice guys finished last?”

Was it a philosopher or a doctor

who made that claim off years of study

and research?



Or was it some douche that

had nothing better to do than sit around

and not make a thing of himself

and spend so much time in regret that

he would make one claim make his life have meaning?



Who turned life into a race?

I haven’t lived a fast life, and here’s why.

I wasn’t the bad boy in high school who

got in trouble with the police, but

I also wasn’t the nerd who didn’t go out

and studied every minute of the day.



I was just a guy who did what felt right

whether it was studying for a test

or going out to spend time

with the people that made my life great.



I am not a millionaire like so many others

that have taken the fast route.

Some went down the path of drugs,

others the path of sports and entertainment,

and some just became thieves in the political or financial ring.

They all started getting what they wanted quick --



the money, cars, house, company.

But then came all the stuff that took up their time:

promotions, shoots, and meetings.

Twenty-two-hour days that go by so fast

it only feels like an eight-hour shift.

The price for being a millionaire.



I took the slow route --a job that may not make me rich but

will give me the time I need with my family.

I may not have the fancy cars or the big house but

there are some things I have that make me

better than any millionaire out there.



I have my privacy because nobody wants to hear

from someone who isn’t on the top of the mountain.

I have children whom I can recall their birthday, know their favorite color,

go to all of their soccer and baseball games, and go to their school plays.



People know the shape of my heart

when I have time to donate the little money I have

and spend time with the ones who lost their way

and spun off the track.



Unlike the millionaire who gives just for

“Good publicity,”

who throws money at the problems

thinking that’s all that’s needed to solve it.



I have a wife who also has a good job

and does her part by the kids.

She knows me and knows she’s my reason for living.

My muse, my love.



Unlike the millionaires wife.

She sits around and watches “The View”

or the food network, like she could cook anyway.

She is probably some teen out of high school that’s obviously

digging for gold and waiting for her husband to die.

When that happens, she won’t be there for him,

and that’s when he’ll realize his mistakes and cry.



When it’s my time, my family will rejoice,

and I will be thankful for all that I’ve experienced

because, unlike some, I may have finished last,

but that just means I had more time

before I reached that line.



Life may be a race, but that doesn’t mean the fastest ones win.

Remember the hare lost the race for a reason.

We only get one chance at life.

It’s a shame to go so fast that you don’t know

where you’ve been.

Friday, April 21, 2017

A Helping Hand.

As an aspiring writer and author, it's important to always offer a helping hand to others in the same pursuits as myself. So I was asked to listen to The Acoustic Project and here is the link to their page. It's a five track project that's available for a purchase of $4.00 and was well done by this group of independents. While their feature track is Forget the Truth, my personal favorite is Prayers for Peace. I think that's what we all need right now considering where this world is heading. Good luck to the group and I wish them good fortune in their future.

https://taptheacousticproject.bandcamp.com/releases

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Doctor Who Arrives to Welcome The Class


Peter Capaldi returns for his confirmed final season as the universe’s favorite doctor with a new companion in Pearl Mackie who plays Bill Potts. Bill Potts is a worker at a university that catches the eye of the doctor and a friendship immediately emerges when a new threat arrives. Her introduction comes off clueless at times, but it’s forgivable considering she’s dealing with extraterrestrial forces and the Doctor must explain everything. The Pilot foreshadows a plot when it’s revealed why the Doctor is at the university and there’s several eggs in the episode that will have people reflecting on the doctor’s past. There was some issue considering Pearl Mackie’s character because she’s gay in the series.

Personally, I think it’s sad but overall, that’s how people feel, so whatever. The only problem I had with her again is she’s clueless. Probably the most clueless out of all the new generation of the Doctor’s companions but it’s forgivable. Bill Potts comes off as a good-hearted individual who makes the most out of life with what she has. Being without a mother, she sees the doctor as the one figure in her life that she can rely on for guidance. It was a good first episode for her and it’ll be interesting to see how she’s connected to the season in the same way most of the doctor’s companions are.  

The episode was moderate at best considering the roller coaster ride that season nine was. After losing Clara Oswald, it was clear that Peter Capaldi’s reign as the Doctor would soon come to an end as he enters his third season. It’s normal timing considering famous doctors such as David Tennant and Matt Smith. Don’t know how many of you feel, but Peter Capaldi isn’t one of my favorite doctors but he will be missed. There’s no word on who will replace him as the doctor but we will find out when the doctor regenerates in the Christmas special this year.

Class kicked off last night and I had to watch it twice because I didn’t know how to feel about it the first time. It starts off slow with the introduction of the main characters at Coal Hill School which was featured in the first episode of Dr. Who back in the 1960s. The school has been seen in several different seasons since and so this is almost a homage to that. The chemistry between certain characters is strong but some characters feel irrelevant or replaceable. Things get serious when one of the main characters reveal his origin and why a mysterious creature is hunting him and his “protector.”

The main villain comes off strong which saves the show and the Doctor makes a special appearance which was nice. By the end of the first episode, it’s clear where the series will go if it continues production. Class is a 50/50 considering how much of a fan you are, but I’m willing to give it a few more episodes. The only thing that could hurt it is if it relied too much on the doctor’s presence in the series. So far, Class gets a grade of C but the season is far from over and there’s time to improve.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

We Are All Equal


The Deviant

If God forgives killers, rapists,

and all forms of evil,

why is being what I am

a one way ticket to hell?



I have a common name

you would give to any other child.

Yet you look at me like my name should be

Hitler, Bundy, or Dahmer.



If God is my judge, jury, and executioner,

if his judgment is the only one that matters,

then who the fuck are you

to tell me where I’m going when I’m gone?



To say I will burn for eternity

in a constant lake of fire.

Compared to the pain I’ve suffered from you,

the lake of fire sounds like a blessing.



You say my culture is evil,

yet you’ve never experienced my culture.

You’re like a blind man,

speaking about violence in television.



Where do you get the balls

to talk trash about the way that I live?

The way you talk trash about our culture

is like how a child doesn’t want to eat spinach.

Without even touching it,

you see something that looks disgusting.

Even though it can make you a strong person,

you still turn it away and you hate it

because of how it looks.



If Jesus says love your enemies as well as your friends,

then why do you harass me?

You insult me with words

and hit me with your fists.

Your souls must be dried up

because I’ve been surrounded by mountains of salt.



All because you don’t know me.

You only know that I love something you don’t.

I’ve done nothing wrong except being me,

And, what hurts the most is, you’ll never change.



You’re completely dead from head to toe.

You can make a quadriplegic feel grateful.

For that I will always pray and yet pity you

and this is the reason why.



You live by the book,

always fearful of the very word damnation.

But, in reality, you’ve hardly ever paid attention

to the simple meaning of life:

“To live and let live.”



You judge me because you want to be God yourself.

Who the fuck are you to be telling me how to live

and how to act with my life when you’re as mortal as me?

Maybe it’s you that should be named Hitler.

You’re being more of a heretic

than I ever could be.



You hurt me with your words

because your being so devoted.

Have you’ve ever listened to the word?

Deaf men look at you and think God made you

as a joke to make them feel better.



You beat me with your fists

because you’re getting tired of beating your wife.

who only wishes that she could be just as happy as me.

Since she’s stayed with you so long,

this shows that she has bigger balls than you.



You can’t love me like other enemies

because I’m not your enemy.

I’m something you want to be:

a person.



So, I will go on ignoring you.

What happens to me when I die?

I will leave that up to God,
the creator of you and I.

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Personal Belief

I choose to be the one who thinks I'm never right because the people who believe they're never wrong always cause the most trouble.

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Iron Fist Punches Ticket

Netflix and Marvel recently released the last series before the release of The Defenders this week with their final Defender in Iron Fist. Here’s the rundown for those that may have no idea of what I’m talking about. Marvel made a deal with Netflix to create a series first with one of their most popular character, Daredevil. The success of that series gave the go ahead to start production on the creation of some of Daredevil’s allies who eventually team up with him to create the team. It started from the dark and depressing world of Jessica Jones, to the violent and crude world of Luke Cage, and the mystical world of Iron Fist closes all introduction.

Iron Fist is about a rich billionaire by the name of Danny Rand who re-emerges after 15 years of being declared dead by some of his closest friends. When he arrives, Danny comes off as being a clueless and naïve individual except when it comes to fighting. He’s eventually committed after revealing to several people that he was raised by a certain order dedicated to destroying their sworn enemy, The Hand. The way Danny fights them is through mastering a form of Kung Fu that allows him to channel his Chi and make his hand indestructible.

Danny, played by Finn Jones is immediately thrown into a world of chaos and his only friend in the fight is a beautiful young woman who teaches self-defense by the name of Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick). Danny’s world only goes into more turmoil when he discovers that the reason behind everything the Hand. Danny fights tooth and nail to find all the answers from his past so he can continue forward as the legendary protector. The season does answer a lot of those question but it ends in a way that leaves a lot more questions to be asked later. This hero is probably my third favorite of the four with Jessica Jones last, Luck Cage second and Daredevil first.
Iron Fist was slow in the beginning but it all starts to pick up in the third episode and the fight scenes are well choreographed. I didn’t read the comics; so I don’t know how accurate it was to them but from what I’ve seen in certain shows that the character appears, Danny in the show is completely different. Maybe it’s due to the fact that he’s still becoming the Iron Fist but the character is known to be wise and seems to always know how to proceed but he’s been clueless and just rushing into any fight to get answers. There’s good twists in the show that keeps things interesting but some issues were too repetitive and kept dragging on too long. The choice for the main villain was great in David Wenham (300) who plays a very cold and calculating father.
Iron Fist almost shows a resemblance to Batman Begins when it comes to how Dnny Rand became the Iron Fist. Two wealthy billionaires who come back from the dead to save a city that is littered with bad people and the good people too scared to do anything about it. The exception is Danny Rand found his way by accident while Bruce Wayne went looking for his special training. I give this season a 6 out of 10 because it’s slow and repetitive, but also the story can be confusing for people with no knowledge of the character. Iron Fist is a great end to the introductions of the characters and now everyone is ready for The Defenders.


Sunday, April 2, 2017

Savings

I’m tired of this bullshit!

It’s a never ending cycle

because no matter how much I save

something always happens that

makes me waste my savings.



Tires go bad,

I go to the hospital,

computer needs repair,

phone needs repair,

hair needs to be cut,

toenails are ingrown,

loans have to be paid,

taxes go up,

gas goes up,

flu shots,

physicals,

birthdays,

anniversaries,

my girlfriend’s birthday,

car battery died,

cable bills,

oil changes,

health insurance,

life insurance,

dental plan,

did I eat today?



How will I ever save money?

I’ll never know.

I feel like a horse

in medieval times.

I haul shit for miles

only to get a couple of sips

at each end of the trip.



What’s the point of trying to save money?

Just because you have it in case shit happens

doesn’t mean you actually want shit to happen.



I’m going to go out to a bar

where guys go to see skanky girls

and shove 151 right down my throat.



At least this way,

I’ll feel that I’ve accomplished something

that I’ve wanted to do for a while

with my savings.