Blotting Out Reality

New Blog

2012-01-11T22:41:00.005-06:00

I've started a new blog. I've been wanting to get serious about writing, so I figured I should have a new place to put it all and get a fresh start. If I have anything else to say about politics I may cross-post it to here since that was the original intention of this blog, believe it or not. Lately, I've just been too disgusted and disillusioned with politics that I don't want to get invested in it for now. So, basically fuck politics, poetry and prose away!

The address is dripdropdripdropdripdrop.blogspot.com

Right now I'm posting up old poems, I'll have some new content up soon.

School and Bullying

2010-10-14T22:02:00.001-05:00

Schools exist to teach children two things: conformity and submission to authority. Anything else a child learns is completely incidental. This is why bullying persists. Forcing children to go to school and be around bullies is part of training them to believe they have to submit to horrible people for the rest of their life.

Update

2010-10-14T21:56:00.004-05:00

Wow, it's been way too long. Since I last posted I've moved out of my Grandparents house to a different city and gotten a job. It's not a great one, but I can wear what I want and it gives me plenty of time for thinking. I've started turning ideas over in my head and I think I'm ready start posting here again, if anyone's still reading.

I need to do some housecleaning on the layout. I've removed the music player because it's not working anymore. Just go to the soundclick or myspace if you want to hear anyone of it.

Anyway, stay tuned.

The Green Hornet trailer

2010-06-24T22:11:00.004-05:00

Recently, the first trailer for the new Green Hornet film was released. I gots me some opinions on it!

First of all, I had some hope for this film. Casting Seth Rogen as Britt Reid/The Green Hornet hardly seemed like a good idea. But, Michael Keaton, who previously played mostly comedic roles, was cast as Batman in the Tim Burton movies and those turned out pretty good. So, I decided to withhold judgment. Now that the trailer's been released, I think those doubts about Rogen as the Hornet were justified.

I really don't like what they did with Reid's character. Like most people, I came to know about the Green Hornet through the '60s television series with Van Williams as the lead role and, most notably, with Bruce Lee as his faithful valet Kato, the role that introduced him to America. Though it was made by the same people who did the campy Batman show, it was played straight and felt more like a crime drama than a superhero show. It only lasted one season, but it had enough of a following that it got reruns all the way into the '90s, when I saw it as a kid. I've watched the film serial from the '40s recently. In both of these, Green Hornet is a fairly serious character who occasionally cracked jokes and as Reid, feigned ignorance and played the role of the rich playboy as part of his cover. Why in the world did they feel the need to take this character and make him a complete goofball as well as genuinely incompetent? Most of my hope for this new film was shattered when the trailer showed Britt shooting himself in the face with the gas gun, the Hornet's signature weapon.

Yes, the Hornet didn't have that much of an origin story and this movie is obviously going that route. But this trailer makes Reid look childish in putting on the mask and trying to be a hero, rather than heroic. That may work for something like Kick Ass, but not for a classic pulp hero. Kato is a better fighter than the Hornet in the TV show and in the serials he's the one who designed the weapons as well as the Black Beauty. Plus, he was played by Bruce fucking Lee. So it's understandable that they want to take him out of the servile role and put him onto a more equal footing with Hornet. But in trying to do so, they've made the title character look incompetent. It's like Hornet is playing the Watson to Kato's Sherlock Holmes.

I've already read some comparisons to Batman, which I feel are a little unfair considering the Green Hornet (1936) premiered three years before Batman (1939). This may be an attempt to try to distinguish the Hornet from the Bat, but it doesn't seem to be working. I've heard some other compare this trailer to Iron Man and I can defiantly see that.

I also don't like how the Hornet and Kato have this huge arsenal of weaponry. While it's not as explicit as with Batman or Superman, Hornet is adverse to deadly force which is why he used a gas gun that only knocked people out and the Hornet's sting which fired electric shocks and was mostly used for breaking locks and disarming enemies. The Black Beauty should not have a pair of mini-guns on it.

Another thing that really bothers me about this trailer is the music they use. I have to assume whoever made that decision knew very little about the source material. “Hmm, what music should we put in the trailer? Let's see, the theme in the radio program was 'Flight of the Bumblebee', the theme in the film serials was 'Flight of the Bumblebee', the theme in the TV show was a completely AWESOME jazz arrangement of 'Flight of the Bumblebee'. I've got it! Get me Royce da 5'9 on the phone!” Christ. Even the 2007 fan film had "Flight of the Bumblebee" in it.

Now there are some good things about the trailer. Jay Chou, the guy playing Kato, looks pretty good, the action looks decent as does the cinematography. Though if any movie should have had a more retro kind of noir look, it's a Green Hornet movie. Plus, the basic story as laid out by the trailer is something one would have expected a Green Hornet film to be. Though it's execution looks like it will leave a lot to be desired. This is just the trailer after all, I don't want to declare the movie bad (though I expect it to be) until I've seen it.
____________________________________________

This is cross posted at my new blog Nerdo Flux. Go check it out!

Alas, I Return

2010-06-08T07:25:00.003-05:00

Well, it's been more than a month since I've made a post. Shame on me, I guess. If I have a blog I really ought to manage the thing.

Anyway, a lot has happened in the past month or so. I've graduated and I'm back home, looking for work. We may be moving soon. Or I may be moving soon. I'm not sure, the road is split off into several ways.

I plan to start a couple new blogs in the near future. One will be a review site. Reviewing things on the internet seems to have become a popular trend, so I figured I may as well jump on the bandwagon. I plan to focus on reviewing web comics, but also anything that happens to pique my interest. The other I plan to use for putting up short stories, poems and lyrics. This blog will be used to promote my music (if I ever get around to making anymore) and for personal, political and philosophical ramblings.

Speaking of my music, a rapper by the name of MC Pillow has used one of my beats for one of his songs. This song, called "Hopeless Artist", can be either at soundclick or at his myspace page. Be sure to check out his other songs too.

Quote of the Day

2010-04-26T15:52:00.000-05:00

"You can run a government without police if your conditioning program is tight enough but you can't run a government without bullshit." - William S. Burroughs, The Ticket That Exploded

Dance, Monkey!

2010-04-01T22:12:00.003-05:00

The other day I saw a flyer for a job hung up somewhere on campus. I think it was for a kitchen job or something. Anyway, what I noticed is at the bottom it had a piece of clip art showing someone chasing after a dollar bill on the end of a piece of string. I applaud the honesty, but isn't it bad marketing to admit that's what the job your offering is?

Warning: Anti-Tobacco Activists May Cause Ulcers

2010-02-28T00:33:00.002-06:00

I've been seeing a really stupid ad making the rounds online. It shows a lollipop and the caption says 'cherry-flavored', then it turns into a tin of chewing tobacco and the caption changes to 'to addict kids'.

Uh-huh.

Yeah, the tobacco companies now have an insidious new plan. See, they get your kids addicted to chewing tobacco, which causes their teeth to rot and pop out of their ugly little heads. Then when the kids have lost all their teeth, they'll track them down and fuck them in the mouth with no worries about them biting down! The evil bastards!

Seriously, why the fuck would a kid want to chew tobacco? That shit looks nasty. I wouldn't have put it in my mouth when I was a kid. I wouldn't have cared if they marketed it as tasting like chocolate or pizza. I wasn't that stupid.

People That Really Irk Me

2010-02-11T17:41:00.003-06:00

- Evangelists
No, I don't want to hear about the imaginary friend you have to beg for forgiveness for your oh so evil existence. Fuck off.

- Cops that think they're Judge Dredd
You are not the law. Or as Stallone said in the movie “duh lur”. That badge is not an entitlement to being a bully. Just because you can get away with harassing and beating the shit out of people doesn't mean you should.

- Obnoxious kids and their parents
Nothing is worse than going somewhere and having to listen to a bunch of screaming kids, while their parents stand around doing nothing. These kids should have their heads beaten against their dad's balls until they burst. That way they'll finally shut the fuck up and their stupid parents won't be able to produce more of them.

- Political pundits
In an enlightened culture, these people would be considered on the same level as the homeless old guy on the street corner yelling “Repent! Repent! Floss often!” Especially the conservative ones. Look, I hate Obama to. But could you please wash the taste of George Bush's dick out of your mouths before you open them to criticize him?

- People who celebrate their illiteracy
I have an uncle who once proudly told me he's only read 5 books in his whole life. He's almost 40. You have no idea how happy I am that I don't have any of his genes.

- Anti-smoking activists
I'm not a smoker, but I've seriously contemplated taking up the habit just to spite these whiny cunts.

- People who use the word “fuck” every other fucking word
Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with these fucking people? I mean, fuck!

- Drivers who fuck with cyclists
Yeah, you think you're invincible in your car? You think you can just yell and throw shit at the poor guy on the bike next to you? Well, just wait until I mount a machine gun on my handlebars. We'll see who's laughing then.

- Politicians
Do I need to say anything else? I can't be the only one praying that everyone in Congress dies of painful rectal cancer.

- People with peanut allergies
“But Ben, I'll go into shock if I eat anything with peanuts!” Fuck you. Man up and eat the delicious Reese's Cups, you pussy.

Happy Birthday Ayn Rand!

2010-02-02T00:06:00.003-06:00

Here's a reading of some of Rand at her best.

Here's a link to a reading of the whole speech with some well done visual aids.

THIS IS JOHN GALT SPEAKING

Also, be sure to check out these places for all your Objectivist needs.

Importance of Philosophy
The Ayn Rand Lexicon

Jan. 29, 2010

2010-01-29T15:30:00.000-06:00

2010. Howard Zinn is dead. JD Salinger is dead. That is all.

Happy New Year.

2010-01-01T00:05:00.003-06:00

Another year over, another year closer to the sun burning out and consuming the Earth.

I hope this year is good for all of you.

Here's Your "Change"

2009-12-22T23:24:00.001-06:00

We're fucked.

Merry Christmas.

Rapists in the US Military

2009-11-07T19:30:00.002-06:00

via Skeptical Eye

Some Food For Thought This Halloween

2009-10-31T00:47:00.003-05:00

I was raised in a very religious household. For me, most of the monsters that haunted my dreams at night were devils that I was taught to believe in. Still I recall having nightmares of being chased by a chainsaw wielding maniac. I would run into a church, a house of God. How could such an evil thing enter a holy place? Still, before I would wake up I would sit in the pew of that church with this overwhelming dread that I was not safe. I would be caught and chopped to pieces soon and no god would save me. Looking back, I have to wonder if I subconsciously knew that there were no supernatural powers that would save me from the monsters that really exist.

This comic comes from a website called "Electric Sheep Comix", a collection of comics by Patrick Farley who is one of the pioneers of webcomics. While the artwork is somewhat crude, especially compared to the latter works, it's still excellent and worth a read.

TERRORS OF THE NIGHT

G. Stolyarov II on Education

2009-10-20T23:45:00.000-05:00

Obama Won the Nobel Peace Prize

2009-10-09T12:57:00.002-05:00

Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize.

He WON the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Ballad of Lucky Bud

2009-10-03T23:30:00.001-05:00

A poem I'm working on. Any feedback is appreciated.
___

There's a man who just seemed
To have all the luck
Named William Post the Third
But his friends call him Bud

Born in Pennsylvania
and when his mother died
He was sent to an orphanage
What a lucky guy

No car, no home, no money
He spent his life drifting
Taking any job he could
Just trying to make a living

Six marriages that all
Ended in divorce
At the age of 66
He couldn't take it anymore

He bought a lottery ticket
One day on a whim
No one would have thought
that Lucky Bud would win

Lucky Bud was ecstacic
His ship had come in
With 16 million dollars
The world seemed to be his

He collected his winnings
And bought a restaurant
A house, cars and planes
And of course a yacht

But people came to Lucky Bud
With envy on their minds
His brothers his sisters
His landlords and ex-wives

Lucky Bud was deep in debt
The pressure made him ill
And his own brother took out
A contract to have him killed

So to save his own neck
Bud took it on the lam
But bill collectors found him
No matter where he ran

Bud was at his limit
It had all gone to hell
So he tried to pay off
a collector with shotgun shells

All that got Lucky Bud
Was a few nights in jail
And he could barely afford
To pay for his bail

He sold everything he bought
To pay off what he owed
He wished he never won
He was happier broke

Well he's broke again, but still in debt
And he will be until he dies
Yep, that good old Bud
He's quite a lucky guy

Quote of the Day

2009-09-28T22:45:00.000-05:00

"It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning" -Calvin of "Calvin and Hobbes"

I Still Hate You All

2009-09-26T19:01:00.002-05:00

So my bicycle got stolen. Again. Thankfully my grandparents have my old one and are going to bring it to me next week.

Still, going a week without my primary mode of transportation is going to suck. No more locking it outside. I'm bringing the fucking thing up to my room from now on.

Fuck Hope.

2009-09-18T19:00:00.000-05:00

How To Make An Omelette

2009-09-14T17:19:00.000-05:00

...

2009-09-11T18:30:00.002-05:00

I Am Possessed By Evil Spirits

2009-09-07T01:59:00.002-05:00

So I just had a rather odd experience. I currently live in a dormitory that has a shared bathroom. I was taking a shower and while in there I was mumbling to myself about various things. Things I have to do tomorrow, some funny jokes I remembered, things like that. I come out and there's someone standing by the sinks. I go to brush my hair and teeth and he starts a conversation that goes like this.

Him: Are you okay?
Me: Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine.
Him: Because, I thought I heard someone... *points to showers*
Me: Oh no, I was just talking to myself.
Him: Do you do that often?
Me: Heh, yeah.
Him: What do you talk to yourself about?
Me: Oh nothing really, I just babble.
Him: Are you sure you're okay?
Me: I'm not crazy if that's what you mean.
Him: Well, there are things that talk to us that aren't us
Me: What?
Him: Like spirits
Me: ... Okay, if you insist.
Him: Cuz, you know, you don't want one of them talking to you.
Me: I'm fine, I wasn't talking to any ghosts.
Him: *long pause* Okay *he leaves*
Me: ...

I have to wonder if he was on something, because he seemed a little out of it.

And the tree found an audience...

2009-09-06T15:13:00.001-05:00

This isn't my best poem but I like it enough to post it here.

And the tree found an audience...

she saw the invisible man
she looked so intently he was afraid she'd see through him
he left her pouring water from blue pools into glasses of red
he left on a great smoking horse as he dreamed of nothing
soon he left a hole in a man in the same place he left in her
just to be seen again
he sat in a chair of sparkling heat
as she stood up and dusted off her heart

New Forum!

2009-08-28T18:25:00.002-05:00

The new Underworld Rap Coalition forum is up.

Join up here.

Holy Crap, A Post!

2009-08-21T05:45:00.002-05:00

I started working on an album over the summer. I got pretty much all of it done except for recording and mixing vocals. But school is starting again and I have to put that on hold.

I started a novel too. I'm still in the very early stages of writing it.

Well, classes start Monday. Time for the cost of textbooks to fuck me in the ass.

"A Softer World" Sums It Up Nicely

2009-07-28T05:54:00.005-05:00

Click for full size.

Source

Blown Out Comb or I Am A Freaking Weirdo Freak

2009-07-17T22:04:00.003-05:00

I bought a comb the other day. While I was using it I saw that it had "unbreakable" written on it. "Huh, that sounds like a challenge, motherfucker!" I said to myself.

It wasn't unbreakable, the liar.

I need to buy another comb now.

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-04T20:48:00.000-05:00

I think Anti-Flag said it best.

Late Night Ramblings.

2009-07-03T03:20:00.004-05:00

Well, it's 3:20 in the morning and I can't sleep. I haven't posted anything here in a while so I figured I'd let anyone who's still reading know that I'm not dead.

I don't know why I've been having trouble posting here lately, I guess I didn't think I had anything interesting to say. There's not much in the news I can really comment on that hasn't been said far better by others. I've been trying to write some poems and short stories and I have ideas but I haven't been able to motivate myself to write anything down. The same with making music. I have a few song ideas but I just haven't had the motivation to do anything with them.

I've had a lot of trouble just getting up and doing things lately. In fact I've just been feeling really down. Not really depressed, more like ennui.

Maybe it's because I just turned 21 a couple months and I still have no idea what I want to do with my life. I don't think I'm entirely happy with the idea of growing older. It's kind of strange to only be 21 and be depressed about your age. But there's nothing I can do about aging. I really need to think harder about what I'm going to do when I finish college next year.

I think perhaps I should use this blog to announce projects and ideas. There may not be anyone interested but I think if I put it out there it might motivate me to set deadlines and actually get things done.

Well, now that I've bored you with all this I think I'll try to get to sleep.

Holy World Theology, Batman!

2009-06-13T10:26:00.001-05:00

(Hat tip to Cork over at Skeptical Eye)

Uterus Puppies!

2009-05-26T15:29:00.007-05:00

Outside of a church in my town there's a big sign that says "Embryos Are Babies!". OK, not too unusual for a conservative church, but right next to it there's a picture of a newborn baby.

OK, they do know that newborn babies look nothing like embryos don't they? They look like this. But having that next to the sign wouldn't give the people who pass by much empathy. They need to have an actual baby there with a, "Please, oh please don't abort me!" look on it's face.

They should take a tip from PETA. Not too long ago they figured out that people can't get behind banning fish sandwiches because fish are "slithery and slimy" and just not cute at all. So they came up with this adorable little campaign called sea kittens. Where they have a flash game with fish drawn with cute little anime-esque eyes and you can dress them up in clothes and wigs and all these accessories. Awww, isn't it just precious? And they're hoping this'll get people to stop eating fish sticks.

The pro-life people should adopt a campaign like this. They can make a site where you can dress up first term fetuses and call it "Uterus Puppies". And they can talk about how abortion hurts the poor little uterus puppies and put them on their signs. It would also make them look less creepy than the signs with bloody, dead fetuses on them. I'm totally going to sell them this idea.

"Uterus Puppies" is my intellectual property by the way. Steal it and the copyright ninjas will come to you while you're sleeping and rape you in the ass.

So, I Turn 21 Today

2009-05-08T00:09:00.000-05:00

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an off hand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way

Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun

And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but its sinking
And racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in the relative way, but youre older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death

Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the english way
The time is gone, the song is over, thought Id something more to say

Home, home again
I like to be here when I can
And when I come home cold and tired
Its good to warm my bones beside the fire
Far away across the field
The tolling of the iron bell
Calls the faithful to their knees
To hear the softly spoken magic spells.

A political post

2009-04-16T17:41:00.000-05:00

So, I've been hearing a lot about the Constitution a lot lately. Mostly due to the tea party protests yesterday, and my university having a "First Amendment Day" today.

Regarding the first, Jeremy said it better than I ever could. I'm pretty sure the vast majority of people attending these things wouldn't give a shit about Obama's policies if they were being enacted by a Republican. The mainstream conservatives are just pissed that they're out of power right now. The people on the Right who condemned the Ron Paul types during the election are now cuddling up to them. Oh, the irony.

And of course, I've had to hear for the past week about how freedom of speech comes from the First Amendment. Nonsense. Rights do not come from an old piece of paper. The constitution is utterly meaningless as Lysander Spooner showed. Plus it's pretty clear that the government doesn't give half a damn about the Constitution. It practically started violating it at day one. As soon as the Constitution gets up and starts beating up Obama and the assholes in the Congress, I'll start buying that it protects my rights.

Bleeeh...

2009-04-09T17:27:00.000-05:00

This comic pretty much sums up how I feel these days.

Straight is the New Gay.

2009-04-07T22:02:00.000-05:00

Surreal Killa, you'll probably really like this one.

Just venting.

2009-04-04T21:03:00.000-05:00

I hope gas goes back up to three dollars a gallon. I hope it goes up to ten dollars a gallon. Maybe then the idiots who think it's funny to yell and throw things as they pass by the cyclists on the road will shut up.

Ok, it doesn't happen very often. But it always happens to me when I'm tired, riding home from work and in no mood to deal with that shit. I wish I could mount a machine gun on my bike to deal with these douche bags.

My state legalizes gay marriage.

2009-04-03T16:58:00.000-05:00

HERE

About goddamn time.

The Most Evil Corporations

2009-04-01T00:33:00.000-05:00

A good article at SomethingAwful.

As an advocate of the free market I think it's necessary to point out the evils of corporatism as much as as the evils of socialism.

Stop whining about the AIG bonuses.

2009-03-24T17:48:00.001-05:00

[attempt at a witty title]

2009-03-12T04:05:00.000-05:00

[long rant about shit you don't care about]

[lame joke]

Great...

2009-03-11T19:05:00.000-05:00

So I go to unlock my bike this morning, but when I put the key in the U-Lock it refuses to turn. I try the other key and that one doesn't work either. I try to force the lock out of frustration but that does nothing but hurt my hand. So I have to walk to work instead and I'm 20 minutes late as a result.

What a great way to start a day.

While on the topic of "Watchmen".

2009-03-10T00:38:00.000-05:00

Look at this shit.

My comic book geekiness thinks this is ridiculous and my anime geekiness thinks this is awesome.

A Brief Review of "Watchmen"

2009-03-09T22:39:00.000-05:00

Rorshak (1313)'s Journal: March 09, 2009.

Saw Watchmen this weekend. Enjoyed it. Nowhere near as good as graphic novel. Didn't expect it to be. Even cutting out subplots, still a long movie. Almost three hours. Might make more sense if familiar with novel. Good soundtrack. Actors fit roles well. Beautiful effects. Pretty good action scenes. Ending changed. Not bad. Considering original wouldn't have made sense without subplot. Biggest complaint is Ozymandias. Made less ambiguous. Minor, but it annoyed me. Overall, probably best that could be done. Even if bad, would have been worth seeing for my namesake.

Random Stuff of Death

2009-02-26T05:58:00.000-06:00

1. I'm planning on seeing "The Night Thoreau Spent In Jail" tomorrow night. It seems like an interesting play with an anti-authoritarian theme. Maybe I'll post a review of it.

2. Classical music from the Baroque era is pretty damn awesome.

3. Also relevant to the above video: countertenors are fascinating.

4. Know what else in the world of music is awesome? Kurt Weill

5. It's 6:00 in the morning and I haven't slept. Man, sitting through my lectures today is going to suck.

Quote of the Day

2009-02-16T16:57:00.000-06:00

From The Outsider by Richard Wright.

"Only jailers really believe in jails... Only men full of criminal feelings can create a criminal code. Only an enemy of Christianity, like Saint Paul, could establish Christianity. Men who fear drink want laws passed against drinking. Men who cannot manage their sexual appetites launch crusades against vice..."

The Baron - Another Limerick.

2009-02-13T03:12:00.000-06:00

Yes, another dumb limerick. Go cry about it.
____

There once was a woman named Karen.
Who found out she couldn't have children.
So she joined the Air Force.
But then felt remorse.
When they started to call her The Baron.

At The Lake

2009-02-10T22:34:00.001-06:00

Here's a piece of microfiction I wrote that I'm rather proud of.

_________

I stared at the lake. All I could think about was Dante's Inferno. The very bottom level was a frozen lake, where traitors were frozen for the rest of eternity. I knew that's where I was going. I thought I may as well stand in the lake and wait for it to freeze. It was November, so it wouldn't be too long until it froze. But I didn't have the courage. Oh yeah, now I lose my courage. I had plenty before. I looked up at the moon. It was tangled in the bare vines of the trees. The way the branches moved across it it looked like a cracked egg, or an embryo with the veins visible. I shuffled back and forth with the fallen leaves shifting beneath my feet. They say the human mind evolved to recognize faces and that's why face like patterns seem to be everywhere. Especially now. The trees all had accusing faces. What was that noise? Was it the wind blowing, or was it the sound of the gas chamber? Were those just leaves rustling or an electric chair? Were there broken branches swinging from the tree or was it the gallows? Christ, I was losing it. I had to get out. I tried to find the path I took here. It was gone! But it was here just a moment ago! Now there were only trees there! I reached out to the nearest tree and felt a long, cold metal bar.

Book Review: Panorama of Hell by Hideshi Hino

2009-02-07T21:18:00.001-06:00

I've decided to start posting reviews of books, movies and albums. Here's the first one, a horror manga by the artist Hideshi Hino.

__________

Warning: May Contain Spoilers

To horror buffs, the name Hideshi Hino will probably be associated with the "Guinea Pig" movie series. He directed "Flowers of Flesh and Blood" and wrote and directed "Mermaid In Manhole". Hino is also a mangaka (manga author) who writes wonderfully grotesque and bizzare manga. The one said to be his personal favorite is "Panorama of Hell"

"Panorama of Hell" (POH from here on) is loosely based on Hino's own life, from his birth in Manchuria to his family's escape to Japan at the end of WWII and his career as an artist. At the beginning of POH we are introduced to the Hell Painter. The Hell Painter proceeds to explain how he makes his paintings from his own blood, describes the hellish town he lives in (he lives across the street from a guillotine and next to a crematorium and graveyard), and shows us his paintings based on his family.

It is quite obvious that the author Hino has severe family issues as nearly every manga story of his I've read involves someone abused, betrayed or murdered by family members. This is not a bad thing however, the plot of POH is driven by the interesting though grotesque and insane characters of the Hell Painter's family. We learn first of his wife and children who are quite clearly as insane as the Hell Painter himself. Then the three generations of Yakuza in his family; his grandfather and father, the abusive gamblers and his brother the Fight Freak. Fight Freak is probably the only character in this book who could be considered "good" as he attempts to protect a young Hell Painter from his father's abuse as well as from bullies.

Next is the story of his mother who was driven mad on the trek from Manchuria back to her home country of Japan, which just had Hiroshima destroyed by a nuclear bomb. We learn that the Hell Painter was not conceived by his mother and father but from a beam of radiation that shot his mother from Japan. The Hell Painter was a perverse immaculate conception by the Emperor of Hell, that is the mushroom cloud. For the Hell Painter's last story we learn of a frightening ability he's had since childhood. The ability to make horrible things happen simply by wishing them to the Emperor of Hell. The story ends when the Hell Painter has a breakdown and the events that follow call into question most of his stories.

Overall, this is an amazing manga driven by the evil characters. The artwork is extremely grotesque and in a very different style from most other manga. This surreal and terrifying story is one to be read if you are a fan of horror.

Some problems with the book is the violence is so over the top at times it borders on self parody and many of the questions raised during the story go unanswered. Though the latter may be forgiven as we are dealing with an unreliable narrator. The book is also out of print and will probably be hard to find. I managed to find a copy of the book from Amazon for a little under $20.

As for a rating, I give it 4.5 mushroom clouds out of 5.

Amazon Link

Amusing.

2009-02-02T20:02:00.000-06:00

Staff Sergeant (A Limerick)

2009-01-28T21:34:00.001-06:00

Here's a dumb, funny limerick I wrote just a moment ago.
___

There was a staff sergeant named Pilate
who everyone said was a riot.
Until early last March,
they had him discharged
for being caught wanking his privates.

Truth

2009-01-28T17:58:00.001-06:00

That's what this video is made of.

Nor Forsake You.

2009-01-25T14:52:00.000-06:00

Still nothing much to say. Want to read a short story I wrote for my English class? You do? Ok, you asked for it.
____

I met him on the stairs. That's where he is pretty much everyday. On some days I get lucky and I can go up the stairs to my apartment without him bothering me, but today wasn't one of those days. As I expected he stopped me, “Hey! Hold on a sec, buddy.”

I stopped next to him and glared down at him angrily. I looked at his dirty face with his scraggly gray beard, his clothes full of holes and his unkempt hair. He looked like your stereotypical homeless old bum. “What do you want now, needle prick?” I said to him.

“Can ya spare some change for an old drunk?” he said at me, his voice like a rusty iron door being forced open clumsily.

“Every damn day you ask me that and every day I tell you no.” I sneered at him, “The only way I'd give you any money is if you used it to buy a knife to cut your throat.”

“That don't sound like a bad idea.” he replied, “So how about it?”

I ignored him and continued up the stairs. He was an annoyance but really, he's not such a bad guy. After all, he's honest enough to admit that he just wants money for booze. I suppose the real reason I treat him like crap is I'm afraid I'll end up like him soon. Ever since the ban on non-state approved reporting was put in place, my career as editor of the local paper came to an end. With the economy in the state it was, I couldn't even find a job at a fast food place. Right now, my only source of income was allowing myself to be subjected to the weird experiments of that crazy doctor. 50 dollars a day, it was barely enough to make my rent at the end of the month.

As I got to my apartment I noticed that the paint bucket that was tipped against my neighbor's door was still there. I saw it when I left earlier but it only now dawned on me that if he opened the door, the bucket would fall over and the paint would stain his shoes and carpet. I'm not sure why I didn't notice something that simple this morning, goddamn pills. It must have been put there by the four kids of that ugly whore that lives one floor up. I remember when those little brats got a hold of a big, long knife and duct tapped it across my door frame. I almost walked into it and cut my face and saw those kids hiding around the corner and running away as I ducked around it and took it down.

I suppose I could have moved that bucket and spared him the clean up, but honestly I didn't care much for him either. Worthless hermit. I unlocked my door and walked in. My lovely little dump. A stained couch that folded out into a bed, a television that hasn't worked for ages, garbage all over the floor and a carpet that's in desperate need of vacuuming. I used to keep it in decent shape, but ever since I started letting that lunatic use me as a guinea pig I just don't see the point.

Screw the mess, I just wanted to eat. My stomach was kicking inside me asking for food. I wanted to pick up the phone and order some pizza or maybe Chinese food, but I couldn't. As part of this latest fun ride the doc had me on, I could only eat yogurt. Then after I'd eaten it I would have to take one of those pills. He had given me two bottles. The one with the sun on it were to be taken in the morning with breakfast and the one with the moon on it were to be taken at night with dinner. No lunch. The former made me depressed and distracted and the latter just knocked me out. He even drew the sun and moon on the bottles with smiley faces, like a little kid. Well, at least he gave me yogurt for free.

I went through my usual end of the day routine, I pulled the bed out of the couch and stripped down to my boxers. Then I ate a cup of strawberry yogurt and took my pill. I was out before my head even hit the pillow and didn't dream. I haven't dreamed since I was a kid.

I need to update more often.

2009-01-23T00:24:00.001-06:00

I really need to update this thing more often. Unfortunately, I have nothing to say at the moment so all I have is this.

Good lord it's cold.

2009-01-14T19:00:00.000-06:00

-21 degrees with the windchill tonight and it's supposed to be colder tomorrow. Christ...

Two Top Ten Lists

2009-01-11T17:27:00.000-06:00

My top ten favorite rock songs.

1. Nick Cave - Do You Love Me pt. 1
2. Tom Waits - Hoist That Rag
3. The Beatles - I Am The Walrus
4. Mr. Bungle - Quote Unquote
5. The Velvet Underground - I'm Waiting for the Man
6. Radiohead - No Surprises
7. Acid Bath - Scream of the Butterfly
8. Nick Cave - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
9. Tom Waits - Downtown Train
10. The Ramones - 53rd and 3rd

My top ten favorite rap songs.

1. Buck 65 - The Ballad of the Rambler and the Free Spirit
2. Sebutones - Sebutonedef
3. Sole - I Don't Rap In Bumper Stickers
4. De La Soul - The Magic Number
5. Alias feat. Dose One - Opus Ashamed
6. Digable Planets - Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like That)
7. Knowself - Does the Pope Eat Pork?
8. Recyclone - The Earltown Hermit
9. Public Enemy & Anthrax - Bring the Noise
10. Main Source - Just A Friendly Game of Baseball

New music!

2009-01-11T11:56:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I put up any new music, but I finally have some up. Two new instrumentals, "This Is..." and "It's Raining Skulls". You can hear them in the player I have in the upper right-hand side of this blog. Or go to one of these places to hear them.

MYSPACE
SOUNDCLICK
YOUTUBE

Let me know what you think. Enjoy.

Cops murder someone again.

2009-01-09T07:31:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year.

2009-01-01T00:08:00.000-06:00

So..it's 2009. Funny, I forgot it was even New Years until ten minutes ago, since I'm not doing anything. I haven't been doing much over my Christmas vacation. I guess I need friends or something.

A bit of Christmas cheer...

2008-12-25T02:29:00.000-06:00

Courtesy of Tom Waits - "A Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis"

Carl Jung on Individualism

2008-12-15T22:11:00.001-06:00

Just a thought...

2008-12-14T14:28:00.000-06:00

Fighting fire with fire doesn't work when you're a firefighter.

Whining about a triviality

2008-12-08T20:38:00.001-06:00

Whoever created bathroom sinks that automatically start when you run your hands under a sensor should be brought before me and have his eyes run through with toothpicks. Perhaps that will teach him to design something that's able to run water hotter than 33 degrees Fahrenheit.

Market Anarchist Blog Carnival No. 21

2008-11-29T19:45:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the 21st edition of the Market Anarchist Blog Carnival!

For our first entry we have David Gross from the Picket Line with his entry: The Picket Line — 31 October 2008. This article addresses the issue of organization in an anarchist society. Anarchy is not a "system". It's free association and society organizes from the bottom up rather than the top down.
_____________________________________________________________________________

The next entry is from Cork of Corktageous with this entry: Bringing Spooner's Vision To Life...Realistically in which he explores how to make work relations more egalitarian in the context of modern industry and why it is desirable.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Next we have Francois Tremblay from Check Your Premises with his article Statism as a sign of immaturity. In his submission, Francois explores the psychology of the statist mind and how it is indeed a very immature one.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Our final entry comes from Michael Wiebe at Libertarian Anarchy with the article Root Causes and the Libertarian Debate where he argues that libertarians who support closed borders are in fact taking a very unlibertarian position and that they should instead be attacking the root of the problem of forced intergration, government borders.
_____________________________________________________________________________

That's all the entries this month. Thank you to everyone who submitted entries! Enjoy the articles.

Life fucking sucks.

2008-11-27T10:17:00.000-06:00

OK, first the fantastic Tom Waits Library goes down and now Billy Beck's brilliant Two Four is down.

Dig Yourself!

2008-11-24T17:14:00.001-06:00

Eyes Like Emma Goldman

2008-11-21T16:23:00.000-06:00

She has eyes like Emma Goldman
She refused to play any roles
She saw no line she would ever fall in
She's a rose that grows through cracks in roads
She's a nail that stands tall and straight
She can never be hammered down
She's clear on who she loves and hates
She robs rulers of their crowns

Dear fucking god.

2008-11-21T07:03:00.000-06:00

If I have to listen one more insipid rant against "consumerism", I'm going to gouge out my left eye and play hacky sack with it.

What if you're wrong?

2008-11-12T01:21:00.000-06:00

"Well, what if you're wrong?"

I usually see this question in response to someone who argues strongly for any kind of position on anything.

I really wonder why people ask this, there's no purpose to it other than using it as a clumsy attempt to plant seeds of doubt. Who cares if I "might" be wrong? What if you're wrong?

The same seems to apply to pseudo-philosophical questions like "What if everything is an illusion?". What if we all die in five minutes and this conversation was pointless (though if someone's asking you this, it probably already is)?

Instead of asking "what if you're wrong" why don't you actually give me a reason to think that?

Interviews with Joe Peacott and Richard Garner

2008-11-09T16:53:00.000-06:00

After my shower.

2008-11-08T01:19:00.000-06:00

I took a shower and when I got out I found that the world had ended.

I guess that shower was pretty pointless.

I hate everything.

2008-11-06T01:23:00.000-06:00

I like to read the political comics over on Cagle even though a lot of them are really insipid.

This series they posted is terrible.

Lincoln Likes Obama

*sigh*

"I have no purpose to introduce political and social equality between the white and black races"

- Abraham Lincoln, Aug. 21, 1858

Need more? READ THIS

So Obama Won.

2008-11-05T16:21:00.000-06:00

As I expected him to. Because let's face it, McCain's a fucking moron.

Now that it's done, it's time to wait. Wait until he fails to fulfill his promises. Wait until he he continues to follow this senseless "War on Terror". Wait until the economy gets worse and worse. Wait until his "change" turns out to mean "same shit". Wait for disillusion to set in. When that happens, maybe people will start to realize it doesn't matter who's in charge. Maybe they'll start to realize that the problem is the state itself. Maybe.

We can only hope.

Tomorrow's the Big Day

2008-11-03T15:34:00.000-06:00

Well, tomorrow is when this little side show called the Presidential election finally comes to an end. I'm predicting Obama will win.

I won't be going to the polls of course. I've got better things to do. Like watching reruns of Whose Line Is It Anyway.

I have to admit, it was fascinating in a very morbid way. Sort of like like watching starving dogs fight over a corpse. But the ugliest part happens after one of them wins.

Listen you little snot...

2008-11-03T03:22:00.000-06:00

I don't play Frisbee with galaxies just for the goddamn excercise.

Quote of the Day

2008-10-31T04:38:00.000-05:00

"Sacred cows make the best hamburger."

- Mark Twain

"I Once Kicked A Dog Cuz It Needed A Bath"

2008-10-27T17:32:00.001-05:00

MURDER!

2008-10-26T15:33:00.000-05:00

Some idiot's car alarm keeps going off right outside. I've had to listen to the goddamn thing for the past hour! It finally stopped.

I swear to Dionysus if it starts up again I'm going out there with a sledgehammer.

"I Knew Him Well" Reading

2008-10-25T03:06:00.000-05:00

Reading my poem "I Knew Him Well"

A Response To Surreal Killa on Immigration

2008-10-24T23:15:00.000-05:00

This is a response to Surreal Killa on this comment he left on my post on The Immigration "Problem"

The nations in which we live (America, Australia, etc) have a far greater standard of living than most other nations. That being the case, people who are willing to work for bread crumbs migrate illegally and subsequently take your job. The only way to combat this is to be willing to work for bread crumbs yourself, which will drastically decrease your standard of living, thus taking a once great nation down to the substandard level as the rest.

First of all, the current market is not a free one and not actually representative of what wages in a free one would be due to govenment intervention that most often favors big business. With an unfettered market, wages would likely be generally much higher due to there being no artificial barriers to entry and therefore more competition.

Second, while illegal immigrants are "willing to work for bread crumbs" they also have their bargaining power greatly reduced due to the fact they have to work under the radar. Without immigration laws they would be no more different from anyone else looking for work.

Third, immigration is also encouraged by government due to the welfare state. I am not saying that all immigrants come to the US and Australia to leech of welfare but if someone knows they can get free shit from the government people who would not otherwise immigrate, they probably will.

Finally, as the video in that post points out, the standard of living in their countries are due to the fact that their governments are even more corrupt and tyrannical. You can't solve problems created that way by becoming more like it.

I'm tired so this post isn't as eloquent as I hoped it would be.

Spider Jerusalem On Voting

2008-10-24T00:37:00.001-05:00

Click the image to see the whole thing.

The Immigration Problem Simplified.

2008-10-23T00:08:00.000-05:00

A fun and simple look at the immigration "problem"

The Highway To Serfdom

2008-10-21T23:15:00.000-05:00

Courtesy the Mises.org Blog. An updated version of the Road to Serfdom comic.

Trying To Write.

2008-10-21T21:16:00.000-05:00

A poem, a verse, a short story, some philosophical thoughts.

Nothing is coming to me.

I guess I'll study for that exam I have Friday instead.

I Hate All Of You

2008-10-20T22:43:00.000-05:00

I watched a video on Penn Jillette's youtube channel where he asked why Obama didn't just change his middle name to keep it from being used against him.

Now that's a bit of a silly question because his opposition would just dig it up and use it against him anyway. But reading the comments makes me want to start snapping the necks of puppies. They said he was 'ignorant', 'racist' (what?), a 'wingnut' and a 'Republican'. Penn is a member of the Libertarian Party by the way.

They said he was ignorant and yet they post this kind of crap. Yeah, that kettle is one black motherfucker ain't he? I hope that isn't racist too.

Newsflash, Obama is not above criticism just because he's black (well, Mulatto actually). I'm tired of hearing people who oppose him being accused of being racist when their opposition to him has nothing to do with race. I'm looking at you Bill Maher

I don't understand human beings. Thank god, I'm not one.

Iowa Should Secede

2008-10-20T21:20:00.000-05:00

While looking up information on secession movements in the United States, I came across this debate on whether the state I currently live in should secede.

Check it out.

Favorite Tom Waits Lyrics

2008-10-19T01:49:00.000-05:00

"All the good in the world you could put inside a thimble, and still have room for you and me." - Misery is the River of the World

"There's always free cheddar in a mousetrap" - God's Away on Business

"Well we stick our fingers in the ground, heave and turn the world around" - Hoist That Rag

"We're chained to world and we all gotta pull" - Dirt in the Ground

Can't sleep, god'll eat me.

2008-10-18T03:38:00.001-05:00

I spilled the inkwell and flooded the whole earth.

3:20 AM

2008-10-18T03:20:00.001-05:00

There's something breathing down my neck, I can't see it, but it's there.

I hope it never stops.

Box of Bullet Casings

2008-10-16T23:42:00.001-05:00

I remember a weird incident back in elementary school. We were having an indoor recess and I went to the shelves in the back of the class to find a game. I found a box that looked like a shoe box only it was covered in drawings of sci-fi characters that looked like space birds. I opened the box to see what was inside and it was full of bullet casings. Bullet casings! The teacher had no idea why it was there or what it was for and neither did anyone else in the class.

That just seems really odd to me. A box of bullet casings in an elementary school class.

Ah, screw it.

2008-10-15T16:21:00.000-05:00

I'm gonna run for president. Don't give me any crap about how I'm "too young" or any of that bullshit. Anyone who says that is just an America-hating communist ...er terrorist.

For my first act I'll abolish Congress and replace it with 1,000 gorillas on laptops typing up my new policies. I will also drag dead animals of various kinds into meetings with foreign leaders and smack them in the face with them. Finally, everyone in Ohio will be named Neville.

Vote for me, bitch.

I'm Rorshak (1313) and I approve this message. I also approve of giving drugs to little kids and driving drunk.

Against Electoral Politics: "Our Enemy, The Party" by SEK III

2008-10-13T18:02:00.001-05:00

Wally Conger has just posted the text from a pamphlet by Samuel Edward Konkin III. Very well written and very relevant with upcoming election and Bob fucking Barr running as a "Libertarian".

Can means inconsistent with an end ever achieve that end? Can violence obtain peace, can slavery obtain freedom, can plunder protect against theft? The statist who pursues war, conscription and taxation answers yes. The libertarian responds no. Then why will an abolitionist anarchist pursue political means to abolish the political process? The end of the libertarian is a voluntary society where the market has replaced the government, where economics functions without politics. The purpose of politics is the maintenance, extension and controlling of the State — power. The market lies not on the road to power but on the road away.

Go read the whole thing.

In other news...

2008-10-09T23:39:00.000-05:00

Here's something really amusing I found on the Mises.org Forum.

i can has baylowtz?

Forums You Should Join

2008-10-09T23:31:00.000-05:00

Underworld Rap Coalition

Surreal Killa's URC forum.

Forums of the Libertarian Left

Wombatron's Left Libertarian forum.

...but they're really the same thing.

2008-10-04T22:58:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Francois Tremblay over at Check Your Premises for reminding me of this excellent video.

I spoke too soon.

2008-10-02T20:26:00.000-05:00

I should have known.

The ruling class wants that bailout and they're going to try to get it, one way or another. They've already been given one by the Fed.

Between this and everyone saying the mess was caused by "deregulation" when it was in fact caused by government intervention, it's enough to make me nauseous.

YES!

2008-09-29T15:43:00.000-05:00

No bailout for you, corporate welfare queens!

This came as a real surprise to me. I was certain congress would roll over and pass this.

(Hat tip to Sheldon Richman)

Shiny and new!

2008-09-28T09:15:00.000-05:00

So the fan in my other laptop conked out and I'd been having having problems with it overheating. At first I was going to get a new fan for it but it was starting to get pretty old so instead I just got a new laptop.

So far it's pretty damn good. It's much faster and has a much bigger hard drive. The only problems were some trouble connecting to the internet which was fixed with a call to my University's IT services and I had to install Open Office because this only had a trial version of Microsoft Word on it. Only I'm glad I did because it's much better. Plus, I need to ...*ahem* obtain Photoshop again, and I forgot to back up the brushes and fonts from my old laptop. Oh well, it'll be a fresh start and I can always mess around with GIMP until I get Photoshop again. Once I get some time I'm going to give Linux a whirl and see if I can't switch from Vista.

Obama Sucks.

2008-09-23T13:57:00.000-05:00

I can't believe he actually tries to be more neo-conish than that shit head O'Reilly.

I read a really insipid cartoon by a left-liberal that had a guy saying "I don't like Obama's politics and it has nothing to do with race." And in a box next to it read "Translation: This has everything to do with race."

What an idiot. I hate election season.

Don't worry. I'll be picking on McCain next time.