Books: This Book Will Change Your Life

I am going to, for the next 365 days, read this book. So as of right now, this is not a review, but rather an explanation of the book and the journey I am about to embark on. This Book Will Change Your Life, was written or should I say, put together by someone that goes by the name of Benrik. No other information was really offered. But basically, the book is filled with things to do for every day of the year.

And starting the first day of the year, I am going to begin doing each event for every day and letting you know how it goes. But in order to see how well this book actually works, we are going to have to see where I am in my life at this point in time.

So as of right now:
I would say I am pretty content with life. Definitely wishing for that little bit more, because if we're not moving somewhere, then we're not getting anywhere. But with Bomb$hell on the rise, and a potential opportunity with Cong's business things are looking up. I got a few interests that have yet to come into fruition but as far as right now, they seem like they are going to remain where they are at. I'm not sure what else to say. But I'm going to be busy the next few days, so I'll so you all on the 1st and we'll see how my life changes over the course of this next year.

Sports: Alonzo Mourning

A Day In The Life: Resolutions

I've said a bunch of times what I want to be and what I want to do. It's definitely a hazy subject in my head because there's so much to do, so much to see and definitely not enough time to do it all. But while I'm here on earth I am going to try my best to explore every facet of who I am. This year I'm going to do that through resolutions, and you all are going to help me.

Here are my resolutions

Take care of business:
Here at Bomb$hell, we take pride in the life we live. Whether you see it as good or bad, we are who we are and we love the lives we live. No matter how different we are. And that leads us to business. This is what everyone hopes they can do, live the life they live, have fun, and be able to live off of it. This year I am making a promise to you, that I am going to take care of business here at bomb$hell, and things are going to develop.

Do something new everyday:
This is going to be fairly simple, but only because there's another post behind this one.

Take my mind off of relationships:
I've always said that I don't need a relationship to be happy. And really, I don't. Thing is though, that I've spent too much time thinking about how relationships could make my life better, and not enough time on how I can be better without being in one. This doesn't mean that if the right girl comes along, that I'm going to deny her. I'd be an idiot if I did so, but what I am saying, is that I'm going to stop pressuring myself into finding interest in people, but instead letting it come naturally. This one actually coincides with taking care of business, because as far as I'm concerned right now, relationships are not anywhere near the top of the priorities list. (But pray that I find a good girl this year) HAHA! So here's the gist of the resolution. As per my next resolution, I want to talk to you, and hopefully you'll be a regular good conversation. And from there we'll see where it leads, if it's nowhere that's fine, and if not that's okay too. I'll keep this updated with information, but we'll see how it all goes.

Have a good conversation at least once a day:
We meet so many people everyday, but not too often do we really get into how they are. I admit, I ask and I wouldn't mind hearing if they are doing good or bad. But all too often it's used as small talk. "How are you?" is usually answered with a "I'm good" or something of the like. But this year, I want to get to know how you are doing, how life really is, if there is anything on your mind or if you have any good stories you've been waiting to tell. A tough task indeed, because there are definitely going to be occasions where things will be referenced that I might not have been part of before. But nonetheless, I want to get to know my community (you guys) a lot better this year.


We'll see how this year goes, and hopefully I'll get to have a good conversation with you sometime soon. But as far as right now we've got 2 days left in the year, and I've been saying it, so I'm going to say it one last time. I WANT A REALLY DIRTY SLATE TO WIPE CLEAN THIS NEW YEARS! So let's get down with the nitty gritty and do something gangster. Haha (just as long as no one gets hurt)

A Day In The Life: Bomb$hell Christmas

Last night we had our gift exchange. The big group of friends, that have seemingly been there forever. And you know when we get together it's always good things

It was a dinner/gift exchange/white elephant/drink up. And you couldn't really ask for more.

Big ups to Tran for letting us have it over there and being a good host allowing us to do all the dumb things we usually do. The night was perfect. 100 pieces of nuggets and 20 Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers from Wendy's, Char's 7 layer dip, Ana's pasta, and the classic party tray from King Egg Roll. We had our food set up, a Wii to bowl with, Rockband to sing to, Foosball and drinks to toast to.

It's always fun with these folks and that's why I'm thankful that you guys are all here.

PICTURES UP SOON!

He said, she said...

“Friends are like bras: close to your heart and there for support.”

Events: Kingpin Disco

I know this is a little too late, but it doesn't hurt to post at all. Shit, who wants to dance, drink, and bowl?! Check out Kingpin Disco, which will be held in Daly City. Few famous and resident djs from the bay will be on the 1's and 2's.

Spinning your favorite Disco, 80’s, Hip Hop, and Bowling Beats
APOLLO * MIND MOTION * SAKE 1 * MR.E * SIMILAK CHYLD
Hosted by FRAN BOOGIE & KIETH O

6 Players per Team
TEAM with HIGH SCORE WINS! 1st Place Trophy, Cash Prize & Bragging Rights!
BLIND PRIZES & TROPIES! Best Dressed Team, Worst Bowler, Best Strike Dance, Worst Team, and more…

Get DRINKS for POINTS! 10 Points per Pitcher * 5 points per cocktail/shots

ALL AGES * YES, you can bring your kids - just like a regular bowling night!
Please note: bring the kids with Parental Advisory

Early arrival strongly suggested!
8pm - 9pm: registration and lane assignments
9pm – 2am: Dance, Bowling, Beats, & Booze
Winners will be announced at 1:30am!

$10 / non-bowlers
$20 / bowlers (includes cover charge, 3 games & shoe rental)
$120 / per team (includes cover charge for 6 players, 3 games & shoe rentals)

Pre-pay your team to guarantee lane reservations next to your friends! Remaining lanes are 1st come 1st serve!

For more info, details, team sign-ups & pre-paid lane reservations email: kingpindisco@gmail.com

CLASSIC BOWL
900 King Plz.Daly City
www.classicbowling.com

He said, she said...

“Humor is a whisper from the soul, imploring mind and body to relax, let go and be at peace again.”

- Unknown

Rockband!

It's official.. This shit is fucking addicting. Its seven in the AM and we're still fucking tryna rock out... Someone, something please save us.

Merry Christmas yall.

sloppy chop to show some love.

He said, she said...

"A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!" cried a cheerful voice. "Bah!" said Scrooge. "Humbug!"

- Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Everyone here at Bomb$hell wishes you a Merry Christmas.
Don't be a Scrooge.

A Day in the Life: Black Light

It's always good to make the best of the situation. Admittedly hard to do at times, but nonetheless, we should want to see the fun that can be had at any given point in time.

Here at bomb$hell, it's about living the life. You have the one you have, let's all go out there and enjoy it. I think there's room on our blog to let you in on stories, good and bad, that have happened over the course of our lifetimes.

This is a more recent one, and I don't know how it'll come off but it's a lot of paranoia going on.

I was living out in Fullerton for a bit. And it was actually really nice. The only problem was, that I had no clue what kind of events were going on. This left me stranded a good half of the week. The usual result was a day in the library and some shows on the DVR. But this day was different

It was pouring rain outside, and my roommate Nick, that worked at Disneyland, got the day off. We spent the first half of the day watching shows on TV until his friend Alex came over. Let's just say, the next events were a bit HAZY. This resulted in random conversations and a hunt for the perfect munchies.

A few thoughts/questions that came up:
"I wonder what it'd be like to smoke with someone famous"
"Eddie's buying blacklights for the party"
"What's a candy that's not messy?"
"It's weird how in the supposed happiest place on earth (Disneyland), the customer service can be entirely dependent on if the 16-24 year old workers get laid"

I know things that you really did not want to think about, but this is the way these Disney kids were talking when I hung out with them. They basically said, sometimes I have a horrible day at work if I don't get to get down with my girlfriend, but I digress.

The hunt for the perfect munchies went on. The plan went: In N' Out, Dollar Store for candy, blockbuster for movies and then off to that party. So we started our walk toward the car. (This is where the thoughts and quotes come into play) Alex started talking about how he just got together with this girl. He laughs about how he's been having the best work week in his life, and how she LOVES his car. Wink Wink.

We get to the car, and I hop into the back seat, because these are big people I'm kicking it with. Alex is like 6'3" and Nick is at least 300lbs. I find a spot, buckle up and we head out to our first stop.

As I'm sitting I start to feel something soaking up on my pants. And I notice the seat is wet. Yeah I'm a bit slow, because my senses are numbed but I start to put two and two together, and I'm thinking. Good week at work, new girl, loves his car. WHAT THE! This better not be what I think it is. It's on my freaking pants! We get to In N Out, and I'm freaking out. We're headed straight to Eddie's party, and I'm going to get put on blast room raiders style. Great.

The two continue to devour their massive size meal of 4x4s, animal style fries, x-large coke, and large milkshakes. Completely oblivious to my situation as I sit in complete and utter dispair.


Now, that was basically the end of the story. Nothing much more to say, but know that there is good and bad that comes from smoking. Paranoia, random conversations, munchies and something to pass the time. But it's nice to live the life.

P.S. it was water.

Another crazy night at The Rickshaw

We rolled out to the city last night to attend Blow Up once again. And once again, it was off the chains! We'll have more pictures up as soon as people recover. Hope to see you at the next one. Peace!

Finds: someecards.com

It was a good find. I got this site from my sister. I started looking through it and couldn't stop laughing. But seriously, it's a card for EVERY occasion. Yes they even have break-up cards.

To be honest, it's not for everyone, but it is definitely our kind of humor. So don't take it personally when I send you that card.

But check it out, if anything, it's something fun to look at. www.someecards.com

He said, she said...

"Smile. You're worth it."

bomb$hell life in review:

I just finished watching Lakai's first official skate video Fully Flared. Not only has this video inspired me to get off my lazy ass and skate, but also to post my very first blog, yaaayyyy!

Spike In all seriousness, this video rocked hard! Its been a long time since I've actually watched a skate video, and even longer time since I bought one, but I have no regrets with this film. Fully Flared is far more than a gutter punk skate rat video, it is a damn near epic cinematic masterpiece, haha well sorta. Directed by Ty Evans and Spike Jonze, muthaeffin Spike Jonze guys, what more can you really ask for.

The skating is so official, with classic parts from Eric Koston, Mike Carroll, and Rick Howard. These guys are straight OG's in the game, but still rip it hard with so much steeze. Also an up and comer named Mike Mo Capaldi, absolutely destroys his part. This kid is only 15! (he looks 30 though). To top it off, my favorite skater Marc Johnson's unique style just flows through his whole part, he's a bad asss dude.

Nothing really more to say, but just watch this ishh! Even if your not a skateboarder, one can still appreciate the cinematography in this video, its beautiful! So here is a tease trailer for Fully Flared, don't be mistaken by it, there is some seriousness skating held down:



p.s. I have the movie, so if anyone wants to watch it, just holllla!

Riskay - Smell Yo Dick

Yup. Exactly what it sounds like. "so whatchu need to do is let me smell yo dick" haha. sometimes thats the only way to know if your SO is creepin for sure huh?

http://thebeebblog.blogspot.com/2007/12/riskay-smell-yo-dick-remix.html

New Year's Eve: Champions of the Arena III

So we all know New Year's is around the corner. Who's all down to go party and have a fucking good time?! Check out the flyer to see the line up, PEACE!

Thoughts: Vulnerability

It's been a minute since there has been a post like this. There's an irony to the vulnerability I'm going to talk about. It's because it's about allowing yourself to be a bit vulnerable.

That sometimes, allowing someone into your life is the most vulnerable you'll ever be. It's not easy for most to let people in on the things that truly weigh on your mind. And let me just say that there is just cause. To be honest, I don't think I've let anyone into the world within my brain in a while.

It's all too easy to tell someone about your deepest dreams and desires, but people don't always know how to handle it. From then on, they can do with it as they wish, and you can only hope that they're gentle. That's the irony of feeling comfortable with someone, it's leaving yourself completely vulnerable. It's trusting this person with everything and knowing you'll be alright.

Maybe this isn't making sense, but it's weird that comfort can go hand in hand with vulnerability.

Events: Blow Up

This Friday! Check it out, we're gonna head out there, so go live the life with us. Rickshaw Stop!

2nd Annual Amoeba Art Show. 01/25/08 7PM-2AM

My first post, which is an event that will be held in the city. Check out artwork done by Amoeba employees, maybe this is another oppurtunity for us to network. Come out and check it out with us!

Azuki San Jose

So a few of us stopped by the Azuki store party last night. Took a couple pics. It was chill..






They're over on 112 Paseo de San Antonio by Tangerine Hair Salon and across the way from Circle A.

and another one.

Dang these guys from bootleg sessions are some badass riders. Just gotta post this video for everyone to see a different side of riding.

Colin of Macaframa

I know we have nothing to do with Macaframa or Colin, but we are about our culture and lifestyle. Biking is definitley some thing we love. This is a short video with some awesome wheelies and bar spins.

Colin with some tricks from Jason Yim on Vimeo.

He said, she said...

"Rock and roll to the beat of the funk fuzz.
Wipe your feet really good on the rhythm rug.
If you feel the urge to freak, do the jitterbug.
Come and spread your arms if you really need a hug."

- A Tribe Called Quest

"Can I kick it? Yes, you can."

He said, she said...

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

- Dr. Seuss

Food For Thought: Seared Scallop

I'm hungry for some scallops.
Today's installment for food for thought will be seared scallops. Searing is a basic technique in cooking that is a fast processes. Using a high heat pan, the outside of the scallop is given a golden color while caramelizing the sugars on the scallop creating a delicious savory flavor with a touch of sweetness without over cooking the delicate scallop. Hopefully after reading this, you can avoid the colorless bland scallop that has the texture of rubber you get at those restaurants you never go back to.

Scallop?
How can you tell if a scallop is fresh? Let's go through the five senses.
Smell - The stronger the odor, the older it is. The less, the better. And if it smells bad, then it's probably bad.
Sight - Look for nice round evenly shaped scallops. The whiter the better.
Sound - Wait till you sear it. I love that sizzle sound, don't you?
Touch - Shouldn't be sticky. Also it should be fairly firm. A droopy looking scallop is a sad scallop.
Taste - It should taste good. It probably will after you sear it.
As to wear to get good ones, all leading supermarkets probably won't have the freshest of scallops. The best would probably be sold at a fisherman's market sold straight from the fisherman. But if you can find frozen Japanese Hokkaido Scallops, those would be perfect.

To prepare scallops, rinse under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. If there is a small tough muscle that appears on the side of the scallop, remove it gently. Do not season yet, it is best to season it right before searing. The salt would draw out the moisture out of the scallop if seasoned to early.

Tools
The best pan you can find is an all-clad saute pan. Or if you want to make things easier, a non-stick pan would be good. Also a fish spatula would work to flip your scallop. Tongs would be fine as well.

Process
```Warning. Searing scallops uses a good amount of high heat oil/butter that may cause splashing. Wearing long sleeve may help against hot oil spitting at you. Other than that, be careful.
Start by taking your all-clad pan and putting a good amount of grapeseed or vegetable oil (olive oil can't hold well in high heat) in it. Enough to scare you. Which means that not only the whole bottom is covered in oil, it is about 1/4 inch deep of oil. No worries about fat, you drain off any extra oil. The scallop won't absorb oil. Turn the heat on the highest level.

Next, season your scallop. Salt and pepper will do just fine. But if you would like, add any spice you'd like. Cayenne and/or paprika would be a good addition. But feel free to experiment.

Wait till your pan is hot enough. You can tell your pan is hot enough when the oil ripples when the pan is moved around and the oil gives off a light smoke. But it would be to hot if there is too much smoke. At this point add your scallop to the middle of the pan. After, quickly lower the heat to a medium to medium-high. See if the scallop could be moved around. If the heat was high enough, the scallop should not stick. Once one side is a nice golden brown flip the scallop over.

*Option - Basting. At this point add one clove of smashed garlic and a small sprig of thyme directly to the hot oil. Be careful because the oil should act up from the moisture of the thyme. Then quickly add 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Turn the heat back to high. With a spoon, continually spoon the flavored hot oil/butter over the scallop. Note* - Basting should be done fairly quick and has a high risk of hot oil splashing. Be careful if you choose to do this. It adds a nice flavor to anything that is seared.

If you choose not to baste the scallop, staying on a med-high heat, simply flip it over and let the other side become a golden brown. Depending on the thickness of the scallop, if both sides are a nice golden brown at this point the scallop should be cooked through and not over cooked. If you'd like to have it at a more well doneness, simply place your scallop in a oven. The more you cook, the tougher it will be. A nice scallop should be around a medium doneness. Place your scallop on a paper towel to let any excess oil be absorbed.

Viola, you got yourself a seared scallop. A good sauce accompanied with the scallop would be great. An easy one would be if you were to take your pan and 1/2 cup of white wine and let it boil/reduce till its half of what it was. Then remove pan from heat and add half a stick of butter while constantly stirring. After all the butter has slowly melted away, add salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Spoon over your handsome seared scallop. But any sauce of your choice would be great.

Well I hope you enjoy your scallop and that I covered everything with searing a scallop. If you have any question fell free to leave comments. You can also myspace me or even call me. I'll be happy to solve any questions that you might have. Invite me over and ill give you a hands on lesson. Also if you try this, tell us how it went. Thank you for your time and thank you for reading. Enjoy your grub.

He said, she said...

"Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare."

- Japanese Proverb

House of Commons.

Hey guys check out my friend's (Joe Ison aka Mr. MMTF) new shop in vegas, he is from SanJose. Support the community. They open up on December 18th and will have a grand opening party in the following month of January. A more imformative update will be coming soon. Keep it up joe. www.houseofcommonslv.com

He said, she said...

“Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.”

- James Dean

Argument Hour - Memories

Thanks to my sister for getting me on that Radio Lab tip. But here's the deal. Is it better for you to not remember your fondest memories.

As of right now, I am arguing yes. Imagine this. Your first kiss. Or the best one you've had. How do you remember it. Was it soft? Was the timing right? Was it with an amazing person?

Who knows how it is now. It happened. Now let me make a few points

• Purity. Why is it that there is no time that the memory of your first kiss is as pure as it was when it first happened. Why does it seemingly become less and less special everytime you think about it?
• View. How are you picturing this memory. In terms of what it was or in terms of what it is now?
• Memory. How exact is the memory you have of your first kiss?

What I am trying to say, is that perhaps there is good reason for you not to remember your fondest memories. If every time you think of this memory, you recreate it in your head. Aren't things going to be a bit different? Aren't you going to get some details wrong. Perhaps even skip out on some of the key elements of that memory. Maybe everything that built up to that first kiss made it special. Do you remember every single reason and moment that occurred to make this kiss so amazing?

Furthermore, when you recreate this memory, you are viewing it from the person you are now. Maybe you hate this person now, and you no longer see the kiss for what it was at that time. Something special. You are now distorting this kiss to be something that it is not. And the next time you choose to recall this memory, you default to the last way you described it. So after years of thinking of this first kiss, it has turned from something special, to something different.

So, if you do not recall all of your fondest memories, and reserve them for other times, then perhaps you are preserving these memories, in their purest state. You are saving them for what they first were, and not distorting your thoughts to make it something different.

Just a thought.

Music: R.I.P. Pimp C

It's a sad day in Hip-hop. Always is when someone passes on.

I admit I didn't listen to too much Pimp C, or really pay much attention to him. But as soon as it hit, where I was in music, I started checking it out. I mean I started listening to UGK just recently, but as far as some of Pimp C's other work goes, it was pretty gangster.

Pimp C started out in a group called Mission Impossible, until they disbanded, and Pimp C joined with Bun B to form UGK. Their debut album came out in 1999, when they signed a 5 record deal with Jive Records.

Although there were a few set backs, in the way things were all planned out, UGK recently came out with the album Swishas and Dosha, a two disc medley of songs.

He had some work on the way, including more collaborations with Three 6 Mafia, as well as his solo career with Jive.

A life that'll definitely be missed on the scene.

Community: Parrots

Well I got this off of a friend. A real good friend. But he was the one who first made me want to go see this. So now you can or rather should check this out sometime. It actually is pretty amazing



This happens everyday, you can go see these wild parrots in San Francisco. Although I guess you are no longer able to feed them. It is still something to see. Wild parrots in San Francisco!

Thoughts: Courtesy

Now when did we all of a sudden turn into this barbarous people. I mean, we started from there, but it seems sometimes as if we are regressing.

Funny the event that sparks this post, occurred only moments ago. But nonetheless, quite true.

Do you say thank you when someone holds a door open for you? Do you let ladies go first? There are things to be said about courtesy and manners, and I think sometimes people don't have any

I just recently held a door open for someone. With not so much as a mutter of thanks. I admit that I may lightly say thank you when someone opens the door for me. But I at least make sure that I'm loud enough to make sure the mutter is heard.

This is my point:

If someone has the courtesy to go out of their way to do something, no matter how small. Say thank you. If you do not know how to act around someone, be polite. If there is anything you are unsure, use your manners. That's it. Civility is what I'm supporting. Let's not regress any further, I don't want to be sleeping in cave's and dragging my women by their hair tomorrow. Thanks!

Update! Week Ending:12/09

Well you know how we like to keep you informed. So don't worry, we just took the weekend off to have a nice little break from the grind, and we'll be back this week with some new things. Expect a lot.

There has been talks of something coming out of this blog we got going. Stuff we like to keep on lock right now, but will be out for the general public in no time. So keep on checkin in, we got lots of new things going on.

He said, she said...

“You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”

- Dr. Seuss

Argument Hour - Writer's Strike

I'm not sure how many people are following this, but I NEED my TV shows. But with this writer's strike, not nearing any sort of compromise, it's time to voice my opinion. You may have your opinion, but I have mine, and that is what you are going to hear.

Now as a business major, I can see this in the business sense. And actually the studios are doing a pretty good job at keeping this on the low. It has made news, but no major headlines, no drama, just a strike. This is all working for the studio's favor, they get to hold out longer, and keep postponing resolution.

Here's how I feel:

• Right. The writer's deserve this. They are justified in their actions. They are asking for 3% of profits off of web content. They may not put the web content together, but they write it. How hard is it to give them 3% of what you make off of those things.
• Cost. How much more is it costing you to not pay these writers. Let's calculate this. There are tons of losses. Re-runs do not get any where near as much viewers, that means less demand for advertising space. This also means less views on the website, because of the lack of new material, which also results in a decrease in demand. You are losing viewers and also
• Losers. I took this one from my sister, but it seems that with this strike, you have to wonder, who are the real losers. The corporations and their profits? The writers? It might actually be hurting the little people. I don't mean me and you. But the unseen heroes in the studio. The camera people, the lighting and effects people. All these people are out of work. It's not like the corporations are crying over the loss of these employees.

Just some thoughts for today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G76igEUtxCA&feature=related

E-race Racism!

Clever title from a bunch good hearted people. There is a marathon to "e-race" racism coming up this weekend. The marathon is either a 5K run, 10K run or walk, or a 1 mile walk. There is a fee to enter the marathon, it is $30 at the door. Proceeds benefit youth leadership programs of the NAACP. The marathon will be held at Lake Cunningham and the doors open at 7:30am. Come out and support! For more information, go to this link: http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?CHECKSSO=1&RESET=0&EVENT_ID=1462453

that good feeling.

all amazing artists on stage, wish i get to see a show like that some day. enjoy.

He said, she said...

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.”

- Dr. Seuss

Movies - I'm Not Here

Well it's tough to describe in words, but it definitely is a must see. Let me try to explain my enthusiasm for this movie.

It is a very artistic film based on Bob Dylan. Now I know right there some people got a bit turned off, but so was I. When I heard what it was about I thought, "I'm not going to understand any of it, I don't know what Bob Dylan represented, what his music was like, shoot I don't even know the titles of any of his songs." But like it or not, he was a an artist of phenomenal magnitude.

The layout of the movie, isn't in your normal format. Basically, they take apart the life of Bob Dylan, his love, his friends, his thoughts, his idols, everything. And they characterize them. Each facet of Bob Dylan is depicted in a separate person, in a different way. Now given, you're going to go through perhaps the first 30-45 minutes thinking, "What am I watching?" But once you get through that, onto some of the more provoking scenes, you'll get hooked. Just like I was.

The film has a bit of an entourage, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, Cate Blanchett, and Heath Ledger are some of the people that get to portray Bob Dylan. And let me say, that they do not disappoint. If you know what Bob Dylan looks and sings like, then you'll be okay. Because believe it or not, in the clip I posted, Cate Blanchett is supposed to be Bob.

Now to the reason why I believe it is a great movie. It brought up a lot of really great points. Some that I actually plan on reviewing. For example, idolatry, poetry, lyrics and the masses. They spoke about how some people just listen to the sound, and do not really listen to the words. They also discuss, the concept of "selling out" and becoming something other than what you're viewed as.

Now, I liked this for personal reasons, and I saw the film in a way that may not be apparent in other people's view of the movie, but for me, I'm giving this movie an 8.5 out of 10. A point deduction for my complete loss at the beginning, and the .5 deduction because it is quite a lengthy movie. So go look up the trailer, or maybe a few clips, and if you like, check it out.

Poet's Demise - Text Messaging

Now once again, I'm going to admit, that I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic. I like the surprises, the highs and lows, everything. It's just grown on me. Chalk it up to spending all this time with my two sisters and my mom. But those dramatic displays of affection, no matter how corny, or how unrealistic were always my favorite part.

I've been coming up with new segments, and not really following up on them, but hopefully this one sticks, because I like this one.

I got the idea for this one, from a number of different places, and it kind of just evolved in my head. I take notes down in my phone, just random thoughts, or ideas and I see where it leads. Bomb$hell has sort of been my testing post for all these things.

Recently I was watching a show, and for the first time in a while, I saw a real romantic gesture. And I started to really think of why it seems that I have been seeing less and less of these things, in movies and in real life.

I used to love planning ways to surprise the person I liked. Understanding what they like, remembering specific phrases or quotes they used or just writing notes. So here it goes:

Text Messaging. Has taken the world by storm. Quick messages, whole conversations or whatever. The convenience of text messaging is overshadowing the connection of interaction and actual talking.

Admit it. We're all guilty of not wanting to talk to someone. So texts get used instead of phone calls. It just happens. I message in class when I'm bored, because shoot, I can't readily pick up my phone in the middle of lecture to chat about whatever hoo ha is going about. But I find that even after class, I continue with the same texts, too lazy to call or unwilling to converse for extended periods of time. Not that I don't want to talk to these people, but more that I'm just a naturally lazy person. But in far too many cases, so much is lost in these messages.

• Emotion - In text messages there is no way you can truly express real emotion. Emotions are hard to explain, and many times unexplainable by words.
  
• Length - We get 160 characters per text. At least I do, I think it varies between carriers but nontheless. How are we supposed to get anything really meaningful across in 160 characters. I think my last 2 sentences were that long.
• Distance - You can text from anywhere at anytime. Well almost, sorry Metro PCS, you're restricted. Haha. But I mean, romanticism is lost much of the time when a text message conversation wins over a perfectly appealing face to face interaction.

Here's my point. Text messages are nice. I love getting them, I love sending them. But in the end it's hard to beat a real, at the least, long letter. Because well, look at it this way, you're not limited to words, you can go over and deliver it and have a face to face conversation. You can express, without limit, what you want to get across. Romanticism occurs when the effort, stuggle and passion you experience, is expressed in a meaningful way. The willingness and effort for the sheer emotion you are feeling comes through is romantic. Ultimately, texting it is a truly effortless gesture. There lies the poet's demise.

He said, she said...

"A beautiful girl can make you dizzy, like you've been drinking Jack and Coke all morning. She can make you feel high full of the single greatest commodity known to man - promise. Promise of a better day. Promise of a greater hope. Promise of a new tomorrow. This particular aura can be found in the gait of a beautiful girl. In her smile, in her soul, the way she makes every rotten little thing about life seem like it's going to be okay."

-Beautiful Girls (Movie)

Consumer Perspective - Weed

Just because it was something different to put, and I got amazing epiphany watching TV yesterday, here is your job as a consumer. I'm applying this to weed, but feel free to apply it to any scenario. For example, drinks at the bar, food at a restaurant, things at a supermarket.

You cannot expect people to tell you everything about a product. They are going to give to you what sells. I had a interesting conversation a few weeks about, a musician and the way she was being marketed to the public. I am not going to name names because that's just rude, and you should not judge people based on what I say, but rather your own personal experience.

The conversation went a little something like this:

"I think it's disrespectful that they are marketing her as if she was just discovered off of myspace. That's all they say, she's a singer of the people, or she's big because of her fans, when the reality of the matter is that she has family in the music industry."

And that's the prompt for this installment.

Weed

• Knowledge. It is your job as a consumer to know what you like. In the case of weed, no what your favorite looks like. What the effect is, and what its name means. I met a guy yesterday, that could give you the name of what he was smoking just by its smell. You're going to need to know what you want, because if your provider doesn't carry it you can educate them on what you like, how to find it or maybe even how to produce it
  
• Alternatives. Know what else is out there. Names provide a lot of information. You think scientists go naming diseases randomly. NO! For example, the suffix -itis, infers inflammation. They have scientific names for this stuff, learn what it entails. So that you can find something with the same effect.
• Conviction. If you are not satisfied with what you get. Let them know. Hard when dealing with stuff of this nature, but you could always just go back and find someone else to get stuff from. I mean, if they refuse to offer the absolute best for your money, don't bother with them. There are many other places to go that's provide you with great service

Now once again, don't hesitate to apply this to any situation. You like Newcastle when you grab a beer? What makes it good, it's not just the color that determines the taste. Know your alternatives. As for now, I'm off. So be a smart consumer! Do your part

Just a Thought: Should and Ought

I should go on a diet.
I ought to do my paper.
I should spend more time with my parents.
I ought to learn how to dance.

Come on, we all do it. We seem to realize the struggles in life and know how to overcome them. Yet sometimes, it never seems to be in our grasp. Something so simple as to watching what we eat or signing up for dance lessons seems to slip our minds, despite the fact we repeat it over and over again to ourselves starting off with I should or I ought to. Of course we know what we want/have to do, but why, sometimes, it just doesn't get done.

I recently read an article about not saying should or ought to yourself. It seems that by telling ourselves that we should/ought to do something gives us relief on our guilt. We punish ourselves by saying we should/ought to do something, and our guilt is eased by our punishment, making ourselves able to live our life while never doing what we said we should do. "I should go on a diet." I know I should, I know I ought to eat less and excersise. By saying this to myself I am comforted in the fact that I know what I need to do and what I want to do. Realizing it makes me feel a little better. This gives me comfort even tho I actually never do it. And if I never do it, what is the point of realizing it.

I will go on a diet.
I will do my paper.
I am going to spend more time with my mom.
I will win 'So you think you can dance?' next season.
By saying will instead of should, you give yourself a push towards your goals. You actually give yourself confidence by saying will, leading you to actually doing something. Your mind is set with doing, so you are more likley to actually do it. By saying should and ought to yourself will make you a citizen of the biggest nation in the world. Procrastination. Well I know im a citizen, hell, I could be king. But maybe I can get away by listening to what I post. Maybe you should too.

Article.
I know it starts talking about relationships and dating and stuff. But hey, it works for anything.

He said, she said...

I know Thanksgiving passed but heres a good one.

"Be thankful."

- Bt

Thoughts: Thanksgiving

Here's a thought. Before you head off to dinner, think long and hard about what you're thankful for this year. After this thursday, we have exactly 39 days left in the year. What are you really thankful for? What's made you happy? Who's made your life that much more special? Why are you thankful for these things?

Let's give thanks, serious, much needed thanks. There are a lot of things I'm thankful for. And I'm not sure if I've thanked those people enough for it. Sometimes some of the drama in the world would be put aside if we begin to realize how much we are intertwined. That every friendship, every interaction and every second of every day contributes to what you have become. So thanks community, for reading, for commenting, for being who you are, we wouldn't be where we are without you.

Food for Thought: Mashed Potatoes

Since turkey day is coming up, I thought I would start a new segment. We will call it, Food for Thought. My aim is not only to teach you how to make something step by step, but also tell you why you are doing what you're doing. This will not be a recipe of the day kind of post, because you can find recipes anywhere. In fact, I will rarely have measurements posted because sometimes cooking requires more than just numbers. A simple example is, salt and pepper to taste. Who knows how much you will add? Well you do, till it taste good. Well lets get chopping.

Mashed Potatoes
Yessirrr. Let's start it off easy. And hey, if you have to cook something for thanksgiving, tell them you'll make the mashed potatoes.

What do you need?
Ingredients

• Yukon Gold Potatoes - Ideal for mashed potatoes because they hold a good amount of starch and has a clean look. Russets hold a lot of starch and have a dirty outer layer that may cause your mash to be not as white as you would like. And red potatoes are to small to peel efficiently.
• Heavy (whipping) Cream - Let's face it, more fat, more flavor. Also the thickness of heavy cream will make for a smoother mash. Regular/nonfat milk is far to thin for a good mash. If you want to go a little lighter, you can use half and half.
• Butter - Not margarine. And also get the sweet unsalted butter. Using the salted butter will cause uncontrolled salting of your mash. You can always use salt to flavor later.
• Salt Pepper and Nutmeg (if you can get some) - In this case, you should use white pepper. If you use black pepper, you're mash will have a dirty look to them because of the black specs. Black pepper offers more flavor but white pepper gives a cleaner look. You're food should not only taste good, but look good too. Add a small amount of nutmeg. It's one of those things where you know its their, but you don't know what it is cause theres not enough in there to figure it out.
  

Tools - I will explain what you should use and what you need as a go along with the how to.

Procedure

1. Peel the potatoes. (How much you ask? As much as you or your family wants to eat. Roughly, 1 big potato will feed 2 people and 1 med/small potato will feed one person. Unless you eat a lot, then by all means, make up your own ratio. After peeling each potato, submerge into cold(tap) water. This will prevent the potato from turning (browning).
2. Cut into medium sized similiar sized pieces. This will make cooking faster and they will all cook at the same time, seeing they are the same size.
3. Boil potatoes in a large pot of salted water. The more potatoes, the larger the pot. If you use a small pot and dump a lot of potatoes in, you drastically change the water temperature and it will take a long time to boil again. Also salting the water adds flavor and seasons the potatoes during cooking.
4. Reduce (boil down) cream. On the stove put cream in a pot and wait till it comes to a boil. But, at that moment turn it down to medium heat. If left at a high heat, cream will boil over. What a mess. At this point you can add different ingredients to flavor the cream to create different mashes. I'll give a few examples later.
5. Check potatoes for doneness. To do this, stick a knife into potato. And if you can pull the knife out with out lifting the potato, it should be done. Strain water.
6. At this point, if you have a food mill, you can pass the potatoes through so it will become more smoother. If not, have a whisk in hand. In a big bowl and potatoes and some cream that you've reduced. Whisk hard as potatoes will break and "dissolve" into the cream. How much cream? How creamy do you want it? Add butter at this point. Have it cut up in small pieces so it can melt away in the potatoes easily. Salt and pepper to taste. And nutmeg.

Conclusion
You should end up with a white, creamy, buttery, fattening, mashed potatoes the whole family will enjoy. You can also add different stuff to personalize your mash.

• Garlic - Chop garlic very small. Put in a small pan with vegetable oil and butter. Under medium heat, stirring every now and then, wait till the garlic cooks and becomes a golden brown. Add oil, butter, and garlic into the mash potatoes while stirring to make garlic mashed potatoes.
  
• Herbs - Chop up some parsley, chives, scallion, or whatever you want and add at the end.
• Bacon - Cook bacon separately, chop and add at the end.
• Buttermilk mash - Instead of cream, use buttermilk.
• Healthy Mash Potatoes - Just eat a baked potato with nothing on it.
• Truffle - Add truffle oil at the end.

There are many other things you can add to specialize your mash. Have fun with it. If you have any questions, comments, or what not, feel free to comment this post or email me. Also if you did make mashed potatoes, send me feedback. How was it? What went wrong, if anything? Did the cream boil over? Tell us. And if you'd like to request a certain dish, just ask and email/myspace me. At bombshell , we write what you want to read. Well tell me what you want me to write about so you can read it, cook it, and hopefully, if it taste good, enjoy it.

Politics: Presidential Debate

Well, to be honest, I've been lagging on some things and maybe I should be more on point with this stuff, but I'm doing my best to muscle all these posts out there so you all can have something to read and to think about. I've been pushing you to think about the things that are affecting you and those around you and here's something positive to check out whenever you're free.

Presidential Debate

It's an easy way to get to know the people who could potentially run your country. They divide videos by topic, by candidate as well as see any media coverage. So when you're free, watch a video or two and see some of the issues being discussed.

Youtube

Here's another place you can go to watch a few videos about the election. Just in case you run out of things to watch on the other site.

Thoughts: Perception

You know to be honest. I want to be liked. Not more than anything, but I want to be friends with everyone. I want a lot in this world. I want to learn this, and I want to learn that. But one thing I want, is I want people to enjoy my company. I want to be able to talk to people and understand what they are going through. I want to feel the highs and the lows. It's just something that I've always wanted. No background story, it was just there.

This is random, but I've been watching some Nip Tuck lately, and it brought about a few thoughts.

Perception. How much thought do we put into the things we do? I heard this line, that went about the lines of, "you went to school, so that people would look at you differently" And it made me think. Why am I out here learning anything? How much of what I do is based on how I want to be perceived. I do a lot because I like to do it. But I think maybe somewhere along the lines, I might have lost direction. Started using the things I love, to inflate my self esteem. And perhaps, somewhere along the way, I lost this love.

Like I said. I want to be liked. But part of being liked, is being perceived as a person that you can relate to. Am I lost, in my constant need to be perceived this way? What is really me. Everyone has their own perception of everything else in this world How they view love, how they view truth or whatever. If not, then we wouldn't have so much to talk about during the argument hour. We can change the way we are perceived, in turn changing other people's perception.

We live every second of everyday around other people. Whether it be physical or mental. It directs us in ways we can't imagine. I may not achieve everything I plan on achieving, I've come to terms with that. But one thing we can all do, is realize this. Perception is not devoid of truth. Not all perceptions are true. Not all truth is perceived. But we can all exude a pattern of truth, honesty and outright goodness. Drama people is bullshit. Hope we can all do our best to cause the least damage possible

He said, she said...

"I tell you one lesson I learned, if you want to be something in life.
You ain't gonna get it unless, you give a little bit of sacrifice.
Ooohh, sometimes before you smile you got to cry.
You need a heart thats filled with music,
If you use it you can fly, if you want to be high."

- The Roots

The Struggle to Keep Pace

Are you comfortable where you are? Should you be? What is the argument for being content?

The world is constantly growing, constantly moving. Do you want to know about politics, history or the human genome? There's so much in the world. How are we suppose to consume all this information in the world. How do we decide what is important to us?

I heard someone say once. That we are standing on the shoulders of giants. In other words, that we don't need to start from the beginning because we have our past to work with. But if we are a part of these giants, how do we know ourselves. How well do we know our fellow giants.

Using this metaphor, these giants are constantly growing. And say we give the giants names. Like science, math, history, art etc. Can we ever be comfortable with where we are? With our place among giants?

The struggle to keep pace, is long and hard, are we ever supposed to stop wanting more? How much time are we supposed to spend trying to improve, trying to become more.

From now on, I dedicate myself to learning something new every week and teaching it to you. Whether it be small, or it be large. We are a part of these giants. Let's be the biggest part.

Premature Christmas

I've been busy with school work and what not. But Bomb$hell defiinitely has a lot of ideas. Since, the new year is coming in less than 2 months, I came up with a few things that our little community needs to discuss, just to get the new year started off right.

- Can we get our ideas together?
- Can we come up with some new ones?
- There has been some serious discussion about serious business. Who's serious?
- Anyone down for a Christmas present for Bomb$hell?
- Can we set at least 1 goal?

I don't want to keep pushing people if they do not want to be pushed, but personally, I am pushing myself or something more. So who's down for some serious brainstorming?

But as for everything else. Man guys, people been on point lately. Definitely proud member of this right here. Real proud!

For all you people lining up on Black Friday

This is a list of all the known sales that will be taking place on Black Friday at various stores. From Ace Hardware to Walmart, this spreadsheet covers it all. Enjoy! (Link)

Attack Of The Killer Kung Fu Wolf Bitch

One of my favorite shows, The Boondocks has it's episodes up and streaming on adultswim.com before they are aired on Mondays. This is the latest one, Enjoy! (Link)

He said, she said...

"Life is a beautiful struggle."

- Talib Kweli

Freestyle: Battle - Juice vs. Supernatural