Best of the interweb Episode 1.

Ok so here is what I am going to try to do for all of my faithful readers. Well at least for that one guy who is following my blog...I am going to do a new thing called Best of the Interweb. Basically all this is, is a chance for me to post a link, movie, article or random tidbit that I found on the net and enjoyed.

I am always trying to broaden my horizons in terms of web-u-tainment. I probably don't watch as much Youtube as oh about 95% of the population, but I'm trying to find more to interst me than the 6-7 sites I frequent regularly. Hell the interweb is vast and I've really only ever dipped my toes in.

So here is my first such find. A take on a darker comedy Mario Bros complete with addictions and violence...There will Be Brawl. Absolutley hilarious...just watch it.

Having seen the movie "The Soloist" recently...

One thing I've vowed recently is to watch 60 Minutes on Sunday nights. As a general rule I find the show to be entertaining in a newsy sort of way. Usually there is at least one of the 3-4 segments that I will find interesting and it doesn't glitz up the hard stories. I like this...it is after all news.

So tonight I am watching 60 Minutes and on comes a segment about Steve Lopez and the very talented Nathaniel Ayers. These guys are the basis of the movie starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx. Based on a true story, the movie revolves around LA Times reporter Steve Lopez discovering a homeless man who is an amazing cellist. Interesting to see the real life counterparts of the movie, which I would give 4 out 5 stars. See the thing about Nathaniel is that not only is he talented and homeless, it turned out that Ayers was a Julliard School for the Performing Arts dropout. He dropped out due to mental illness in the form of an extreme version of Schizophrenia.

I cam upon this video on Youtube that is pretty cool.



BTW having seen a few interviews with Nathaniel Ayers now, I feel that Jamie Foxx did a fantastic job portraying him and I would be curious to see a video where Foxx met Ayers.

Deep

Sometimes I might post a short story I've written on here. This one happens to be one of my favourites. It's a little older now. I think I wrote it in 2001 maybe. Anyway judge for yourself. Sorry for the long post.




DEEP

Journal Of Joseph Donaldson entry # 56

Today was like any other day. I awoke screaming. I sat for what seemed like hours trying to think of where my life had taken the turn for the worse. I couldn't recall much. Being an alcoholic ...no former alcoholic, can do that to you. Again I heard the voice. It sounded ancient, maybe a little gravelly. It was also compelling. It reminded me of a horrible accident and a beautiful spring day all at the same time.
It was horrible but it was also intriguingly beautiful. How could something some horrible hold so much hidden beauty. Next time I have the dream i hope to find out more about my dream stalker.


Journal Of Joseph Donaldson entry #57

Last night I awoke in the middle of the night and my wife Jillian was sleeping beside me. No big deal there right. Pretty normal right. Wrong! Something definitely was not right with what had happened last night.
First there was the voice. Same voice as before only a little more intimate.
In previous dreams the voice had spoken words which even in my waking hours were barely understandable. They sounded like Latin. But last night things were different the voice had spoken clearly legible English. At first the voice was still rough but midway through it's standard ramblings it spoke in the voice of my wife Jillian.

"Joseph, my god Joseph it's so beautiful...sooo beautiful.".
Then a hand shook me awake. Climbing out of my iron eyed sleep, I turned to face Jillian, the source of my awakening. Jillian was still asleep and had not moved all night long.

Journal Of Joseph Donaldson entry #103

I have barely been sleeping. Work is not an option. Not anymore. The clinic will have to survive without me. Jillian found an open quart of tequila. The bottle was 3/4 empty. That poses a mystery to me. I haven't touched the stuff. Not in years. Not since the time I...the time my best friend had to do reconstructive surgery on my wife's face. I've been clean and sober for 5 years now. Jillian and I never again spoke about that day. That is until now.

The voices have become more consistent and are becoming harder to ignore. They no longer haunt my dreams. They haunt my every minute. It was when I told Jillian about the voices. She was packing...crying uncontrollably. I knew then things were about to take a drastic change. Jillian left without looking at me. No words no arguments. Just gone.


Journal of Joseph Donaldson entry #274

I got a letter from Jillian the other day. There was no return address. She says in the letter that she and Sam are doing fine...no mention of what happened. The voices have become a constant reminder that I was put here for a different reason. I was not meant to be a doctor.

(Joseph, we miss you....)
(Yeah Daddy, when you gonna visit us. There's lots to do. So many people. Soooooooo many people...)
(DIG!)
(Peterson's pit...)

Peterson's pit? What the hell is that? I've decided to head into town to maybe grab a few beers, I know the townspeople will stare. I don't care I'll just take a little protection. 3 bullets should do it..


Journal Of Joseph Donaldson entry #275

I'd like to say I woke up with a bitch of a hangover. I'd like to say I slept but that would be a lie. come to think of it isn't life itself a lie?

(DIG!)
(Peterson's Pit)

Again the rough ancient voice. Where the hell is Jill's voice? Where the hell is Sam's voice?

I want my life back.

(DIG)

Fuck You. I will not.

(Peterson's Pit).
Give me one reason why I shouldn't just blow my fucking brains all over the kitchen wall?

(Because we love you Joseph)

Jill?!? Is that you?

(NOT YET. DIG)

Where? What? What the hell do you want from me?

(PETERSON'S PIT)
(DIG)

Journal Of Joseph Donal,,.....................

Peterson's Pit. After a little research at the library I found the following article:

Midisle Graphic Sunday Edition
July 23rd 1897

6 Local Boys Drown While Stranger Looks On
6 local boys from Midisle drowned today in John Peterson's pit.
The pit was a local swimming hole dug by the slightly retarded Mr. John Peterson
as a gift to the local kids. It has been in use for 4 years. That is until today.
7 friends went to the pit just like they would on any hot summer day. Only 1 returned, Graham Donaldson told this reporter the following grisly account of what had happened:

"Me and the other guys were just hot and decided we did not want to sit around
flinging dung at the girls all day. So we decided to go swimming in the pit.
By the time we got there I wasn't feelin so hot cause the apples I stole from
old Mrs. Rabisham turned out to be crab apples. I went to the bushes to pee,
when I came back the other guys were just turning blue in the water. I went
to see what was the matter, that's when I noticed the woman standing there.
She looked at me and said something I didn't know what it meant mister but it
scared the bejeesus out of me, 'Joseph will open the gates.', so I ran."

Local town officials are baffled by the presence of the mysterious lady in our midst. If anyone has any details please call the local constabulary.

Graham Donaldson? That was my grandfather. Joseph will open the gates? what the hell does that mean?

(DIG)

Get out of my head.

(Not yet...Soon)

Why? What the hell is so important there? What do you want from me?

(Joseph....Please we need you.)

Jill? Please Jill I don't understand. How can I see you again...

(Joseph honey just dig...that's all just dig.)

Jill?


Journal of Joseph Donaldson entry # The end of sanity.....9:15 p.m.

I've been digging now for approximately 4 hours. The earth is not as hard as i had thought. Mind you it would be easier if I Had a quart of tequila to ease my thirst. I know Jillian and Sam are down here somewhere and they would not want to see me in a drunken stupor.

(Almost there hon just another 10 feet or so)

10 feet then my life returns to normal right?

(That's right Daddy, just keep digging.)

Sam? Daddy's coming Sam.

Journal of Joseph Donaldson 14 feet under

Finally into the home stretch now. I can almost feel Jill's arms around me.
just a few more shovelfuls. I have hit something hard. It looks like...like ivory.
It's a gate!?!

(Joseph honey open the gate and come in so we can be together.)

Jill? I'll be right there the batteries on my flashlight just died. Oh my god! How
can there be so much light in there? And where did all the children come from ? They seem so happy.

(Yes Joseph we're all happy down here this place is Utopia.)

As I open the gates my sense are filled with the sights and smells of the unfamiliar place that seems so much like home. As I venture forward through the gates I almost pay no heed to the gates slamming shut behind me.

(Joseph come feel our embrace...)

Jill?

(Not Quite)

Your voice it's rocky...almost ancient.

(For decades I have waited for your arrival now on the day of your 32nd birthday, your life shall come to an end and
you shall open the gates and allow us to once more roam the earth as free beings...)

Who are you?

(Lady Death.)

What do you want from me?

(You have served your purpose. You may leave if you can....)

When I turned around to run I noticed the gates had opened for me..
I tried to climb out of the hole that I had dug in search of my former life.
Deeeeeeep NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO soooooooooooooooooooooooo DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPP!

(Come to me Joseph Donaldson, and let the embrace of Lady Death send you to your eternal torment......)

Laughter and then blackness and pain...oooohhh the pain...

The Glory Days and The Wonder Years

Ok let me take you back a little bit. First there were the arcades and even as a young lad I pumped as many quarters into the things as I was allowed to get my grubby little hands on. Games like Centipede, Space Invaders, Asteroids and Battlezone. These were the first I encountered and they paved the way for the future of gaming led by Pacman, Defender, Q-Bert and a string of other games. Ahh those were the days right? Well I for one am not a retro gamer. In fact I have played some of these retro collections and think them to be crap at best. But they were the best crap of their day.


There is one thing that sticks out in mind as when the gaming landscape changed for me. Yes it was the Nintendo Entertainment System. When I first saw one I knew I had to have one. I had to be the first kid on my block to get one. And you know what? I was. But even before you plugged this miracle in. Even before that fat little plumber Mario sucked you into the Mushroom Kingdom, perhaps long before you even gave a damn about the Princess, there was the unboxing of the system.


By the way...if you look closely at the box it states that the NES was the most challenging video game system ever created. I dunno about that...but if you watch the following clip, could you tell me you didn't want a NES? I didn't think so...who wouldn't want their very own robot. Too bad they only ever developed 2 games for poor old R.O.B.



And this is to blame for making me the "Man" I am today. ;') Oh and if you wonder what the top arcade game of all time was... I'll give you a couple of hints. 1). He was yellow. 2). I still annoy people with the sound effects from this game...just ask people at my work!

Beatles Rockband commercial...!!!

You'll be seeing a lot of this commercial on tv over the next couple of months. Great. As much as commercials can sometimes annoy the ever living crap out of us all, some are pretty cool or just too damn funny. This one falls into the latter category.

This is cool and yes...it does make me want to play it. Alot.

What do you think?