"Dreams shattered like broken glass, when you try to make plans God is known to laugh"

The title of the blog comes from a song by Talib Kweli called Broken Glass.  When I first heard the song I was around 14 or 15 years old. Initially, I loved the line because it just sounded cool. The way Kweli dropped his lines on that song made those long bus rides out to Carter High School a little less painful. However, like many other songs, the line hit me waaaay after I bought the album "Beautiful Struggle." The way I listen to music is Sound First. Then, the words slowly sneak into existence. At the core, when it comes to hip-hop, lyrics are what keep me listening. But for some reason, my mind does not notice them until my ear kinda accepts the music alone.
The line first hit me when I was talking to a friend about the lyric. At the time I was still 15 and was pretty Christian. My mind focused on the God part of the phrase. I concluded that the song actually meant that all plans are determined by God. So when one decides to do something, it is not set in stone until God puts his big ol' soul smitin' hand on it. However, now I hear the lyrics differently. Instead of focusing on the God part, my mind heard the entire sentence. Its not so much about God as much as it is fate. To many "fate" and "God" are the same. But if you are not religious, the line kind of seems to convey a similar message but one that is not so religious as much as it is common sense. Now the line means although a person may plan for their fate/future, it is not really known. Therefore, the plan may not be so helpful.

Today is the perfect example of what Kweli was talking about. I woke up this morning knowing only two things would be accomplished today: Japanese Studies and song writing. Its so simple when you make those hard things two sets of two words. It makes everything easier. Try it. "Today, I am gonna do just two things: Get money and buy a car." Seems easy, right? Well, fate/God/Zeus, thought otherwise. I get a call from my brother asking me to pick him up from Nashville and drive him back to Knoxville. Boom! I refuse to leave my brother in that kind of situation. So, I went and picked him up. 7 hours of my day have completely vanished. Instead, I had a really good 3 hour convo with my younger brother. Wouldn't trade that one for a few hours of study time.

It happens all the time. I make small plans and something gets in the way. So, I figured out a way to remedy this kinda of problem. Instead of making specific plans, I should make a bunch of things I should do. That way, if something does come along when I need to study Japanese, or write a song, I can always view the list of things I should do as back up plans. So, if I don't have anything to do, I should start writing songs for that album I'm working on. When I am just watching my friends play Yugioh, I can always just write Kanji. Setting up time to do things never seems to work for me. So now, I think I will just "use time wisely."

Oh shit...That whole paragraph was a big, fat plan.



Villainy...but...not plotted.

Shit talking: My ultimate flaw and favorite characteristic

 Talking trash is really hard to avoid for me. When someone is playing me in a game of chess, it becomes a game of WWE--without the muscles and spandex. I don't know what started it, but talking trash during any competition becomes more appealing to me than the game itself. In fact, I realized that I cannot even play a game if I can't make myself excited about it to the level that I want to talk trash. An even stranger thing that occurs when I am talking trash is that sometimes I perform better. And even when I fail, at least I looked pretty falling. It is through trash talking that I am able to show my wit. So when I lose, I am at least the most entertaining in the room. Petty? Of course! But it doesn't stop there. Sometimes I find new ways to talk trash. If I make a sandwich, its the best damn sandwich out there and I think its better than yours, his, hers, and theirs.

Today was of no exception. I went to Barley's, a pizza joint in downtown Knoxville, and played pool with some friends. Pool is not really trash talking sport, but it can be. So, I did it. But here's the kicker: I did it before I was even playing. That's right folks, I wasn't even playing the damn game and still interrupted someone else's game (don't worry, they were my friends).  

Don't believe me?

However, there was a dangerous side to this as well. I talked so much shit, I made a bet. If I lost the first game (which I was losing at the time I made the bet) I would have to record a song about how awesome Andrew is. But I won so he has to make a 12 page comic about how awesome I was. 

Sweet deal, right? Well, that was all cool until I made the same deal with his sister ( the chick in the video) and lost... now I gotta make a 3 minute song about her... Why? Because  I got too crunk and then I made a bet I should not have made...Oh well.

The story is not over!

Then, when I was done talking shit to human beings. I began talking shit to Frogger! 

Shit Talking Villainy

...and then I went to the Malibu...Again.

Oh God. It happened again. Every time I go, I tell myself "Fuck that place. I'll never return." Then one year later, I open my eyes and I am there again. Who did it? How did I get there? It's a mystery. But I do know this time was a little different from other times. But I think I should start with describing the other times first. Other times I had gone to the Malibu, or as some call it, "the Bu," I usually go expecting it to be kinda "meh." In fact, a lot of people groan about going. Why? Well, for one, the music. Its like the Malibu has 4 the most southern, dirtiest, gangsta mixed CD's and plays them from least gangsta, to most. And it is strictly southern hiphop. Once, the DJ made the mistake of trying to sneak in a Jay-z song (he's from New York for those who don't ever leave from under their rocks). The moment Alica Keys opened her wonderful mouth, followed by Jay-z's nonsouthern dialect, half the place just started hollering "booooo"or "Man that nigga worships tha devil." (okay, I might not have heard that last one, but it sounds like something people would say...if you know what I mean.)

"Say Hova! C'mon say it.....please"

Also, there is a group of alumni from my old high school that go almost every weekend. However, there are more alumni that come from various high schools all over the city. Ranging from the classes 1812-2011. If all of your beard is turning white, please don't go to the Malibu. Go to a Jazz club or a checkers club (haha). But whatever, old people's money is as green as mine.

In addition, there is something slightly insecure about the music that is played. Most of the songs are big ol' dedications to your various haters that may or may not exist. When the DJ plays these songs he usually tells everyone to put their middle fingers up to all the your haters in the room. Middle fingers go up. But to the ceiling. Who is up there? No one. Just like the haters. They aren't there. And when they are there, they are too busy flipping off their haters.

But this time it was different because all of this felt new to me. I had been away from this kind of club for a long time. Instead, I had been going to fun clubs. So seeing all this again was new, which answers the question posed earlier in this post. Why the hell did you come back? Because every time I find myself there, it has been a long time since I had last been. I am telling you, some places are like black holes for fun luggage: Funerals, a War's battlefield, and The Malibu. 

But one year from now....Hell naw. I'm done.

Bad Fathers in Anime

I was watching a lot more anime recently, which is ironic because I didn't watch a lick of it while I was in Japan. I guess its the nostalgia. Whenever I watched Anime, I'm was all like "That looks like that one place in Kyoto" or "She dresses like a that one girl," compared to when I watched it before visiting Japan. When I was Otakuing it up this past week, I realized something about the anime I watched: there sure was some terrible fathers in these shows. For every determined young woman or man with some kind of important goal to accomplish, there was a insensitive, misguided, unloving father. Freud would have a field day.

So who are the bad ones? Who is the worst?

Let's start!

Yeah, go ahead and get angry! Minato Namikaze, Naruto's dad, did a lot of good things for a lot of people. The series is in love with this character. But remember the title: Bad father's in Anime. You put a freakin' demon inside your son. Yeah, sure, Minato had a reason. He said that he had faith that his son could handle a giant fire breathing, country destroying fox inside him. A fox that could break free from Naruto's body prison whenever Naruto, a hot head, became uncontrollably angry. So getting bad grades, fighting with rivals, stubbing a toe, breaking a bone, losing a loved one and other things that would piss someone off(and things that happen to Naruto all the time) were not considered in his decision making process. Bad judgment! I the real life equivalent of this kind of action would be me surgically installing a bomb inside the chest of my son and telling him not to blink  more than 7 times a minute. So just don't dust anything or exist in a dry summer's day. YOU SUCK.

Charles Zi Britannia: Lelouch's father from the series Code Geass.

When he isn't taking over the world, encouraging class prejudice and expanding military, he likes to be a bad father.  Following the ostensible death of Lelouch's mother, he comes up with the silly idea of exiling his family to Japan and...he thinks its funny. Seriously, he laughs about it with the most smug  kind of smile. Plus he uses his "power" to kill "god." Calm down religious folks. Not your God, but his idea of God: collective unconsciousness, or individuality. Why? Because he had a bad childhood. Ironically, his son, the main character of the series, is almost just as childish. He becomes a tyrannical ruler controlling almost the entire planet. He differs from his father by doing it for the purpose of giving the world a common enemy, himself, and then had his best friend kill him in public thus (cutely) making the world come together to prevent it from happening all along. So the apple falls FAR from the tree. But he sure did grow on the same evil branches.

Tem Ray: Gundam 0079

Although Charles was bad, Tem Ray, from Gundam 0079, is a combination of bad and annoying. Amuro, his son, the main character, bitches a lot. I mean, a lot. But when you look at Amuro's father, you began to understand why he complains. After saving his Space colony from enemy Mobile Suits(giant robots) using a Gundam( a special giant robot), having never piloted one before, while being 16 years old. His dad simply says, "good job." Not literally but his attitude is kind of like "hey, try my new program for the Gundam. Then you can be better." Even when Amuro becomes aware of the fact that the cost of defending people's lives is more lives and seeks wisdom from his father he is all like"meh...try this program." When Amuro finally sees his mother for the first time since childhood, only to have her say that she is disappointed in him for becoming a soldier even though he has saved so many lives. All of that gets a "...." response. Seriously, this kid gets nothing but more programs from his father, who is proud of him but never says it to him. And no, its not one of those "I am pretending to be indifferent so you won't win my approval too soon and become lazy" kind of deals. Tem just sucks. At least Charles admits that his sons a genius before perusing him in a battle.  Tem is just an unappreciative dick.

Afro Samurai's Father

Not everyone should have kids. Especially if you live a lifestyle of people trying to kill you because of a headband you wear. Not only is that what the Father in of Afro in the series Afro Samurai, but he also brought his son to the fight to sometimes. If I had a million haters trying to jack my shit all the time, I would put that kid in some kind of "my dad lives a dangerous life because he has assassins always throwing Kunais and shit at him" home, or just not have kids. Better yet, I would just give that headband away. Any of the above would do, but none of the above was done. Fail.

Goku from DragonBall series

Most of my friends have heard me make this point. But for those who haven't heard this rant before, here it comes. There is a long list of people I would rather have as a father than this guy. Why? Well, he is rarely there for his kids. Never have I ever seen someone that can do so much but does so little as a father. There are several times throughout Dragonball were Goku could be home with his kids, but chooses not to because he loves fighting more. Common excuses made on Goku's behalf usually mention his various deaths. Fair point. Goku dies like 3 times in the series. Death does make it hard to talk to people and hard to literally visit people.  But what if Goku had the gift of talking to people from the afterlife? Well guess what? He did! King Kai was like a cell phone for Goku when he wanted to talk to his family...but he only used it to talk about fighting, or about wishing him back, to fight someone. However, there still is the factor of him not physically being present for his family...if only there was a way he could possibly teleport anywhere in the universe at anytime, even in death. OH WAIT! HE CAN DO THAT SHIT! So basically, Goku is like god. He has all that power to be anywhere at any time and can talk to anyone but seemingly never uses it. He only uses it for one obsession and that is fighting. Everyone who is a big fan of Gohan, Goku's son, often complains about the direction Gohan's character takes towards the end of the series. Gohan becomes a student. Not a fighter. But if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. If Goku wasn't such an ass monkey for fighting, maybe Gohan would learn to love it too. But it was forced on him and always picked first over Gohan. Gohan probably got tired of being thrown into battles all the time. I mean, his dad even convinced him to basically lose a year of his life in a "hyperbolic time chamber" to save the world again. When will you just take him out to see a moive?  And let's not forget the ultimate slap in the face, the last episode of the series where Goku fights some random kid in the yearly tournament (Tenkaiichi Budaki) and then flies off into the sunset with some other child. Why chose to be a father then? You were on a bad father roll! Did your internal daddy clock just strike 12 so you snatched up some other kid and basically raised and trained him. It's creepy. Hide ya kids, Hide ya wife, cause he's training everybody out here...except Gohan and Goten.

I know what you're thinking... "Where is Shinji's father from Evangelion?" He was so bad and boring I didn't feel like putting him on. That and I didn't complete the series... 

However, if you have any other suggestions leave a comment on the bottom!

The difference between a Stan and a fan: The Three traits to watch.

I missed a crap ton of super hero movies while I was in Japan. Green Lantern, Thor, X-men, etc. I am a big comic book reader, so I had to play catch up. I am a bit critical when it comes to...well...everything, but for the sake of the topic, I am way critical of comic book movies. Rest assured, I don't complain about movies and comic story lines being different. You're safe here. But I digress. One thing I am careful of, or try to be, is who I chose to tell my criticism to. Know why? Because they might be a STAN!

"Stan" is not a term I coined. It came from a popular Eminem song called "Stan." The song is a story about a fan who loves Eminem so much that he wants to be with him. When he can't, he kills his wife for not understanding his love for Eminem and drives them both into a river where they drown to death.

The term was mostly popularized in Hip-hop forums when a someone was a fan of someone to the degree of romanticizing the rapper.  What usually happens on these boards is someone will post that Jay-z's verse on Song A was really good. That's a fan. A Stan will say, "Damn kid, that's the dopest verse I have ever heard in my life...and F*** lil  Wayne." That is definitely a Stan.  This is not limited to hip-hop but also to video games, comics, politicians and movies.

So folks. X-men was an awesome movie. It was. I loved it. But, I still make fun of it because there are some things in that movie that are just unintentionally flat out hilarious. bad lines, acting etc. Like the one scene when the camera zooms in on Darwin (y'know, that black X-men) when Shaw asks if they would rather be enslaved by humans. C'mon, that's funny folks. But if you mention that to an X-man Stan, he or she will probably defend the scene as if you are taking quality away from the movie.

With that said, I thought it would be a fun/interesting to make a list of the characteristics of a Stan.

Stan trait #1: "You just don't understand it."

I made this...hope it catches on

No matter what your opinion is, your friend believes the reason you don't enjoy Quentin Tarantino movies is because you simply don't understand the artistic quality of it. Also, you missed the important themes Tarantino was bringing to the foreground. I love Tarantino. I do. But I have heard so many arguments between a Tarantino-Stan and someone else who just did not like Inglorious Basterds. I often times find myself fighting the inner Tarantino Stan. But if someone doesn't like his movies, they might just not like his movies. Does not knowing EVERYTHING about some obscure element Tarantino throws your way mean you have no taste in film? No. It just means you just weren't feeling it. However, if you diss any of his movies then come prancing out of the latest sequel to Transformers, talking about its deepness or clever, elaborate plot, I may question your judgement....

Stan Trait #2: Getting Emotional

Really, are you gonna cry?

Getting emotional over nothing is super easy to do because we are all human. But there are times were we become a little more human than other times. When that happens, we should just take a step back and chill. Stans occasionally make something more personal than it needs to be. After you have stated that you not only hated Coldplay's 2000 hit "yellow," but have a hard time differentiating their music from sounds two cats in heat make in the alley outside your window, a Stan could tell you that you have offended them because their music inspired the Stan to quit heroine in his/her adulthood. I mean, that's great. It really is, but don't expect the world to appreciate what you love or to stop having fun on your behalf. And now that you have just revealed to the world that Coldplay is your Kryptonite, you can expect a surprise visit from Lex Luthor. Oh and Don't cry. Then you just lose. If you feel like you are getting emotional or are going to get emotional, remember, Piccolo died man... He died for you not to be a big ol' baby. There are more serious things to cry about.

BTW I like Coldplay by the way. I am just picking things at random.

Stan Trait #3: The Pretender

Oh you know the ones. It's hard for them. Their identity has been revealed as a Stan and now, no matter what they say, it will be biased. So, they overcompensate. Kinda similar to the way the one homosexual hating football player that is secretly homosexual does. When he sees his chance to prove that he is definitely not gay, he takes initiative by slapping a girl's ass, or punching a homosexual. Prime example: Obama Stan. You can't admit it. You have too much to lose. For some reason you cannot disagree with a single thing he has done. Last week someone called you on it. So you began pretending. "Nah, Obama gets on my nerves. I can't stand that policy that I don't like....(yes I think there buying it)." We aren't. We see you. This Stan is a tricky one, because usually he really is not a Stan. In fact, he is probably just the football player the people think is gay, but actually isn't, but is still stupid enough to throw himself under the bus to prove his heterosexual point. 

Tip: only use Stan loosely. Use phrases like "you are being a Stan right now" or "thats a bit Stanish, ya think?" Because calling someone a Stan might make lead to more trouble down the road. Such as making a valid point about something and it being completely disregarded because he or she has been marked as a Stan of something. And that is just more trouble.

Villainy. Stan Villainy.

What they don't tell you about reverse culture shock...

In all honesty, it has not happened for me. Never once since I returned to the US have I experienced culture shock  while readjusting to American culture.  I don't even know what would be so shocking.  I mean, I could imagine being re-exposed to your own countries' food being the core of the shock. Maybe politics, and even transportation. For me personally, it was a little strange not being around a convenient way of travel like trains and Shinkansens. But after the first two days, I was already used to my good ol 96 Mazda. On a national level, culture shock has yet to occur due to my Internet sources keeping me up to date on politics, pop culture etc. While Skype and Facebook helped me keep in contact with friends. Although I tried not to keep too many tabs on what was going on at home out of fear that it would rob me of my experience abroad. I tried to steer away from American TV shows, movies etc.


However, if at all, culture shock did occur on a more personal level, which is what they don't tell ya. For example, readjusting to old personalities and habits. For example, if you are not so loud and all your friends are, and you have been away from them for awhile, then you might be a little slow on getting used to them, and vice versa. This kind of thing happened with me a few times. References to old jokes that I have forgotten, elaborate jokes flying over my head, etc. are the kinds of culture shocks I had. That ranges from being the butt of a joke and not really even realizing it and being annoyed quicker than I should have over something I shouldn't have.

Example #1: Smash Bros.

I have seen this game turn tiny voices into Aretha Franklins

Anything competitive can quickly turn into a hollering match when playing with the right folks. Monopoly, Risk, even chess can turn in to a battle of who did what to someones mama the night before. For my group of friends its Smash Bros, Marvel vs Capcom and various board games. When I first got back, I played Smash Bros, the game above, and Marvel vs Capcom 3. Both games I have either not played in about a year or haven't played at all. And it Showed. Hard. Believe me, there were quite a few hollering matches. Something that I will learn to re-love.

The other thing:

I cannot begin to tell you how many times someone has sat me down to watch some video I "missed out on" while I was in Japan. Sometimes its used to show music, other times its used to show songs. But most of the time its used to blow through an hour of your time. Don't get on your high horse just yet, because WE ALL DO IT....sit down. What people fail to realize is that the Internet is a world-wide thing so if "Hide ya kids, hide ya wife" is famous in the states, it is probably popular on the Youtube front page when I go abroad on my computer.

Also, no one else show me the cat on the keyboard because that's just old all together.


Villainy.

From Japan to Washington D.C.: Oh the Crazies

Back Up In the States....Doesn't sound as good as "all up in japan." Therefore, I decided to name the blog after something I mentioned in the last post of allupinjapan.com. Go read it.


After being in Tennesse for three days, I went to North Carolina and then to Washington D.C. with some friends of mine. In my hometown, they got a new bus system called "The Megabus." It takes your places far away for really cheap. So my Jet lag would be cured by my Bus lag.

D.C. is an interesting place, filled with diverse people. So much race and religious backgrounds...

and so many crazies.

In most cases, people I interacted with were really really nice. 

However... The first person I came across was so nuts and its F-ing hilarious. My friend, Mark, his father, Mark Sr., and I waited at a station for our hotel reservations to start. My cell phone was dying because I kept playing Angry Birds on my way to D.C. that night. In the station I was going to charge my phone, but the only free plug was behind this one ladies' chair. I asked the lady if I could use the plug and she smiled and let me plug my charger into the wall behind her. Suddenly, she slammed the newspaper down on the table and shouted, "Fuck, we should just shoot 'em in the fuckin' head! The Pentagon is keeping secrets. Just shoot 'em in the fuckin' head!" She stormed out promptly. For a second I thought I Was a dead man.

Later that night, something even funnier--slightly more pathetic happened. After a long day of walking, and being sick, we went to a convenient store to buy some tissue and medicine. When we walked in a man approached and asked me--as if reading off a teleprompter-- "Excuse me sir, may I borrow a dollar." I was in a giving mood and  gave him 4 quarters. He said thanks then asked my friend and his father for a dollar too, which was successful. Immediately after getting around 3 dollars, he turns around and says "May I please have a black and mild, please?" 

It was so bad, but so funny that Mark, Mark's dad, and both store clerks laughed. But silently. We all just opened our mouths and laughed without making no noise. It is incredible sharing laughs with a stranger. Its just one extra thing you have in common with someone else: all parties find the same thing funny.

Fun Luggage Forever.