September 14

Today's dilemma seems to be I want to write, but I don't know what to write about. I have no direction at this very moment; None what-so-ever. Maybe if I keep typing something interesting will come up.

Novel just started playing on my iTunes playlist. This particular song has a real triumphant, euphoric melody that accompanies his lyrics. Tracks like this are a lot of fun to listen to.

Wow...and it happens to be followed by a song that is the exact opposite in terms of optimism and wonderment. In fact, The Streets' "Dry Your Eyes" is probably one of the most depressing songs I've ever listened to. It's about the dissolution of a relationship and the trouble our protagonist has in dealing with what has just happened. Every movement/word/reaction is described in such detail that you can't help but feel heartbroken for this guy when all is said and done. Kudos, Mike Skinner.

A great, great, great concept album.

Sorry about today. Somethings you have it and sometimes you don't.

You really got a hold on me,

B

September 13

I love this in so many ways.

A constant factor in pieces of art that "awe" me is simplicity or the illusion of it. More often than not I find myself going, "Why didn't I think of that?" Hopefully one of these days I'll beat someone to the punch.

September 10

"Boys will be boys and girls have those eyes that will cut you to ribbons sometimes."

Have you ever looked at someone who instantly shot right through your being and you felt like you've known each other forever? Me neither. But I plan on this happening at some point. A desperate fool or a hopeless romantic . I really, really hope I'm the latter.

You know why I was adamant over the fact that 500 Days of Summer was one of the best and most underrated films of last year? Because I was that character.

I know what it's like to hope

and find

and live

and forget

and lose

and obsess

and deal

and accept

and move on

and restore

and hope again.

Completely ruined or a hopeless romantic? Definitely option 2.

Great soundtrack, by the way.

DAMN IT! See what happens when it's 2:30am and there are no signs of fatigue in sight? I don't even know where that all came from. Haha.

Well, this is definitely becoming a more personal blog now, isn't it? Took long enough.

Let's end on a high note. That announcement concerning work I mentioned yesterday lasted all of 24 hours. As of earlier today, I am the active editor of a documentary that's been 3+ years in the making. This means, if all goes well, by the turn of the new year I'll have my first feature film editing credit. To potentially have a life accomplishment met in the next 6 months is something I haven't completely wrapped my head around yet. For now, I need to take it step by step and do my best to finish this project.

It's an exciting opportunity, that's for sure. Best of all, I'll be able to do this from home.

Step one: Go over the hours and hours of archived footage, take notes, and learn this story from the ground up. I'm not exaggerating when I say this will take at least 2 weeks. I'm also not exaggerating when I say this smile hasn't left my face all day.

Recently I read something that made more sense to me than I thought it would at first. It had to do with "learning how to trust life". I pride myself in being a fairly logical thinking person, but I realize there are things that just can't be explained. The more I reflected on the last few years, the more I realized how, for some reason, I never felt panicked or even that worried. Something in the back of my mind always calmed me down, but it was something that I couldn't put into words until a week ago. Trust life. It's almost too simple, but it can't be described any other way. Funny; All it took for me to get it was 25 years and "an unromantic blog entry."

Her words, not mine,

B

September 9 (B)

"Music...true music - not just Rock ’N’ Roll - it chooses you. It lives in your car, or alone, listening to your headphones. With vast scenic rituals and angelic choirs in your brain. It’s a place apart from the vast benign lap of America."

Mr. Hoffman as Mr. Bangs.

Good film. Now that we have that out of the way...hello, world. And by "world" I'm referring to the US, UK, and Denmark. Crazy, huh?

Today was one of the more interesting days I've had all year, if not the last couple years. Without going too in depth right now, I can say that a meeting was had regarding a particular editing project and good vibes were felt. Really good vibes. Not only that, but a part of the industry that I hadn't studied since college was opened back up. Since I've been doing more guerrilla/freelance filming since I graduated I had forgotten how much really goes into the entire process. Specifically, from inception to completion. Listening to these people negotiating the film rights to a book, from budget to production company to screenwriter, was exhausting. Mind you, this was something completely separate from the project I was talking about. Being able to multitask was shown to come in handy today. Wow.

What this means is, in the next week or two, I may have some pretty cool news as it pertains to work. We'll see what happens.

On a side note: Inception was a fantastic film. Christopher Nolan is pret-ty, pret-ty, pret-ty good.

Witness the "inception" of Strutting Leo. Sorry...

Iron and wine doesn't taste great, but sure can play a damn good tune,
B

September 9 (A)

It's that time of night again. About the time I get lost in my own thoughts. I remember making a post like this a long time ago (at least 6+
months back) and, in terms of my belief, nothing has changed. It always seems that late at night, especially the time when you're laying in bed trying to pass out, you're more vulnerable when it comes to dealing with your emotions. I often find myself thinking about following my heart and throwing caution to the wind when that hour hand is well passed the 12. I'm not complaining, though. I like the feeling. It's almost as if you're dreaming while wide-awake. Every action is that much more vivid, and while you're well aware this is all in your mind, you let go of the reins and let your subconscious be. This is by far one of the hardest things I've had to explain, but it's also one of my favorite.

Now realize this isn't an every day occurrence. If I'm exhausted or have had a rough day and I just want to sleep, you can bet that's what's going to happen. It's more of a mind set; And I happen to be in it this evening.

And why is it that the majority of the time the subject is always the same: love. You've all heard the saying, "It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." I completely agree. As much as the loss portion hurts - trust me, it hurts - the good times will always put you, for at least a moment, right back on top of things. And in life, I feel it's essential. Not the living in the past part, but more so having those experiences to learn from and knowing how to approach things in the future. When you can step back, see the big picture, and think critically of yourself, you've accomplished something.

Now, getting back to the topic at hand, I don't know of one person who says, with a straight face, that they'd rather be alone their entire lives. I have friends that have been through some pretty rough relationships in their life. A lot of them said at the time they were happy to finally have time to themselves, to be their own man/woman, to "play the field". Then the novelty wore off and all they kept mentioning is how stupid they were, or how they took so-and-so for granted, or how they can't sleep alone without tossing about all night. But where the good news comes in is the majority so far have found that one person and it's really a thing to behold. True happiness.

I guess my point is this: Don't take your relationships for granted. From the outside looking in, I can tell you I'd give a lot to feel like I did 5+ years ago. So when I see different couples bickering over utter nonsense I usually will just shake my head. And for a moment I may try convincing myself, "See, do you want to have to deal with that?" To be honest with you, "Yes." To have a shoulder to lean on, an ear to vent to, somebody who allows you to let down your guard and be completely at ease... I'm just saying, it sounds like a good deal to me.

I'm looking up at the clock on my phone now and am realizing it's well passed "that time" (around 3:10am). That's my que to stop typing on a small touch screen and get some shut-eye. I wonder if I'll dream tonight? Maybe if I think of the same thing over and over until I fall asleep it will show up. I could try that...or just wait for the next time I'm wide awake at 1 or 2am. That way there's a better chance I could remember. For now, I'll take my chances.

I support truthiness,
B

September 8

I find myself being attracted to anything that's original or creative. Mind you, I'm talking about ANYTHING: music, film, writing, graffiti, bicycles - when I say anything, I mean it. Where does this come from? I was in bed trying to fall asleep last night when I thought back to a conversation my Mom and I had when I was driving back from Detroit. I had just picked her and my Grandma up from the airport and was headed home when the topic of hip-hop music came up. My Mom started talking about how she doesn't get popular culture these days and how she doesn't consider that genre of music, well, real music. I looked at her a bit confused and started what would end up being about a 30 minute debate. All the while my Grandma sat quietly in the back, probably laughing to herself at the conversation. Anything you could think of was touched upon, from citing poetry to referencing Bob Dylan, 2Pac, Lupe Fiasco, the Beatles, Green Day (don't ask), etc. In the end we simply agreed to disagree; However, my Mom did say something that rang very true.

"People want to listen to music or watch movies to escape from real life. They don't want to have to think or decipher."

The majority of people out there like "it" cut-and-dried. They want to turn on the radio, hear a certain melody regardless of message, and go with it. I'm not built that way. I'm not exactly sure when the change happened, but it did. I admit, I've listened to my fair share of embarrassing, brainless music and watched a ton of terrible films. But back then I thought if the majority liked it then I should too. I'm a lot happier now. Haha.

Yes, I completely agree that music or film or any form of entertainment should be just that: entertainment. It should be an escape from the mundane routines people find themselves in. And people are free to experience that in any way they want as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else. For me, though, that just isn't enough. Let's stay centered around the music portion in this instance. I listen to music some friends are playing in their iPods and it's all the same to me. The record labels are doing what they do best: taking something that sells, signing cookie-cutter groups/bands, pairing them with similar producers, and manufacturing hits. There's no soul in a lot of what's on the radio. I'm not saying that EVERYTHING you hear on pop radio is rubbish, just that a lot of it doesn't do much for me.

When it comes to this particular position, only a few friends are on my side. What's on the surface shouldn't be the entire story. How about an example? Exhibit A is a modern country hit with all the production, pop references, and that radio friendly sound; Exhibit B is an old school, stripped down, roots type song by an artist who, live, only needs a guitar, stool, and his voice.

A:

B:

I realize that they're two different types of songs, but on any day of the week I'd rather listen to Mr. William Elliott Whitmore. I've been lucky enough to catch him live. The inflection in this guys voice when he's up there stomping his feet, sweating, and completely immersed in music that he believes in - that's coming from his soul, for lack of a better term - was one of the best shows I've ever seen. And he was the opening act.

Any day of the week. I will stand by that.

Indeed.

In the end, though, this is just how I feel. I recognize that many people out there disagree, and that's fine. Like I said, if it makes you happy and it's not a burden on others, go for it. Live and let live...

BUT, if you're someone who's constantly looking for that something "extra," then rest-asured you're not alone.

Just pretend,
B

September 7

And I said this wasn't going to become an everyday thing. Figures. I don't post anything for 3 months then I get the bug again. However, I am approaching this different. Because it's no longer a chore I consider what I'm going to be writing from now on a truer form of a "blog" than it was to begin. I started out wanting to write for a year straight just to see how much one could actually reflect on the past. I wondered if you could draw any conclusions about yourself by simply typing a few sentences a day. I was ambitious at the start and it shows. I took my time and posted a few things that had nothing to do with the particular day in question; Rather what was on mind. And then...yeah. Sorry about that. If I don't have anything to say, I won't write. If I get the bug, I'll jump on my iMac and start a-typin'. Simplicity can be a savior to one's sanity.

DOCUMENTARIES! One of my favorite genre's of film. I love them. You name it, I probably have watched a D-O-C on it. Political, sports, environmental, coming of age, etc. "The truth is stranger than fiction" is a cliche I very much believe in. The Cove is a film I was finally able to catch a few weeks ago and I really enjoyed it. It might not be your particular cup o' tea, but the way it was put together definitely put the filmmaker's message through a bullhorn. The typical formula was there: Introduction of main players; a couple turning points; point of no return; potential failure; and the resolution. Still, it was really well done and I do recommend it. Check this out for a quick synopsis.

Spoiler alert: It's in Japan...

Let me close by saying that "A Girl In Port" by Okkervil River is still one of the most beautiful songs (tragic, too?) I've ever heard. Haha. Didn't see THAT one coming, did you? Hey, it's my blog, so I'll do what I want. But seriously, it's going on 3 years since the album's release - The Stage Names - and I can still listen to that song on a continuous loop and not be disappointed.

"I've come to feel, out on the sea,

these urgent lives press against me.

I'm just a guest. I'm not a part,

with my tender heard, with my easy heart.

These several years out on the sea

have made me empty, cold, and clear.

Pour yourself into me."

Big next couple of days planned. Hopefully everything works out.

My MacBook Pro is very old, my iMac is very new, and I'm content with this,
B

September 6

It's time for your Beatles' themed post of the day.

White Album.

"Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except For Me and My Monkey" is the longest title given to any song the Beatles ever made. Lennon said it was about his relationship with Yoko, Paul thought it could be interpreted as a ballad to John's heroin habit, and no one really knows what Ringo's opinion is. What do YOU think?

I don't know, John...

September 5

Hello, world.

I'm back. Miss me?

(Don't answer that.)

I was just inspired to write something after a few months hiatus. Unfortunately said inspiration far surpasses anything that was ever written in this "blog" so know ahead of time you're not going to be impressed.

Now that that's out of the way, let's get down to brass tacks...

Wow, that didn't take too long to draw a blank. How about we pick up where we left off. Since June 5:

• I've worked.
• I've filmed.
• I've edited.
• Tori's internship at Genesys has gone and passed - she should be driving into California as I'm typing this.
• I finally bought a new computer (a sexy 27", quad-core iMac) that is working better than I imagined.
• The Tigers went from leading the AL Central at All-Star break to...
• College football has started.
• I've seen some great films.
• Listened to some great music.
• Hung out with some great friends.
• Played cards with some great family.
• I found yet ANOTHER Hallmark card that makes you think out-loud, "People actually send these." (Yes, I bought it.)
• I've smiled.

Here's a little sample of what this summer has brought:

I love editing.

Fun times, indeed. Now when am I going to buy that T2i? (Shut up, Rhett.)

After this post is published, I'm pretty sure I've paid more attention to this blog more than I have my facebook account. Oh, social networks.

I'm sitting here listening to The Bens while caught in a cross-breeze thanks to two windows on opposite sides of the room. What a summer day. Beautiful. I love the cooler weather, which is probably why Fall is my favorite season. The past week has felt more like mid-October than early September. Still, you'll get no complaints from this guy. Tell me, what else do you really need?

You wonder if Bailey is ever going to stop barking to go outside, then come inside, then outside, then inside, then outside, then inside, then... You'd think by now she'd realize she isn't allowed to take her 36" rawhide passed the sliding mesh screen. I'll give that dog one thing, it's persistent. Or dumb. Let's go with the happy medium and call her stubborn. Then again, what would you expect a beagle/basset hound mixed animal to be?

Don't you love it when you've got the music playing in the background and one of your favorite songs come up on the playlist?

And now for something completely different:

I love Zingerman's, too. Mmmmm.

Well, here's the deal. From now on, when I feel like throwing in a random blog post, I will. No more set schedule or once-every-day mandate. I think we can all agree the "writing" suffers almost as much as the reader's attention span when I do that. And that's not fun for anyone.

Good evening, good afternoon, or good morning - depending on where you're reading this,

B

P.S. - I will stand on a mountain and scream this until my lungs need a good air-compressor: "Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son about his Father" is the SADDEST documentary (MOVIE for that matter) you will EVER see; but it's SO FREAKING GOOD! More than 2 years later I'm still saying this. Rhett and I have come to the conclusion if you get through it without crying at least 3 separate times, you probably find pleasure in drowning puppies. Who DOES THAT!? I hope this horrible tidbit of news doesn't take away from the fact that "Dear Zachary" is amazing. Goodnight, you princes of Maine, you kings of New England.

Just start tearing up now. Get warmed up.

June 5

Even though it was overcast for the majority of the day, it felt great outside. You knew rain was imminent, but the temperature was pretty mild and you couldn't really feel the air. A perfect relaxing type of day. Luckily it wasn't thunder-storming in Kansas City, so I even got to watch the Tigers pull off a win. Yup, just a calm day. Very nice.

Fans will suffice tonight,
B

June 4

Wow, it seems like there has been a ton of sports talk the past few days. It will be no different tonight, as it was announced that John Wooden has passed away at age 99. The string of national championships he won while at UCLA are unmatched, even today. It's a number that should hold up for years to come.

Undefeated,
B

June 3

A day later, and the nation is still buzzing about what happened to Galarraga. From morning shows to newspapers, everyone had an opinion. But all that really mattered was a new day and another game. Before it got underway - and to the surprise of the fans and Armando - Chevy presented him with a brand new Corvette. The smile was priceless. Also priceless was the reaction by Jim Joyce as he walked out onto the field toward home plate. The camera never moved from his face, which was trying very hard to hold back tears. Fans shook his hand, cheered, and boo'd. But as soon as Galarraga walked out to present him the line-up card there was nothing but cheering. The other umpires high-fived Joyce, as did Cabrera and Laird as they made their way onto th field. Again, he was trying hard to hold back the tears, but wasn't succeeding. Just a great show of sportsmanship from everybody involved today. And on top of that, the Tigers got the win. Austin Jackson made another unbelievable defensive play in deep center field and had 4 hits! Both Mags and Cabrera hit home runs, adding to their AL leading RBI totals. Hell, the entire team stepped up, ending with 17 hits on the day. Porcello's outing was shakey at best, as was the fact we committed 4 errors (all on the infield). Still, it was much needed win to help everybody move on. Speaking of, during said game the Commish released a statement basically saying that decisions will be made sooner than later regarding the expansion of replay in baseball and praising the class of all parties involved the last couple of days. And as we found out later, he also mentioned he would not be overturning the call to give Armando the perfect game. I didn't think that was going to happen, but in the long run, this event will have a bigger affect on the MLB now than it would have if it was called perfect. Finding the good in everything - it helps.

Tori went to East Lansing for the night to visit some friends. I relaxed a bit this evening and hit the bed hard. That was until I woke up a bit ago and couldn't get back to sleep. Getting tired again. Mmmm.

The night air is great,
B

June 2

Armando Galarraga was robbed tonight. Flat-out, no bones about it, ROBBED! Jim Joyce botched what should have been one of the easiest "outs" of the night when he inexplicably called the Indians' hitter safe. In one moment, all of baseball was up in arms - literally. On ESPN they cut to what seemed like every other game to hear what their announcers had to say about what just went down. Shock, awe, sympathy, anger, etc. was heard from the Yankees' press box to Boston and Cincinnati and all around the States. Hall of famers phoned in to voice their disapproval and the internet was on fire. And yet, during all of this, Galarraga showed how good of a sport he really is. While Cabrera was barking at Joyce, Jim Leyland started mouthing off, and what seemed like the entire coaching staff got their two cents in, the only reaction Armando gave was a small moment of shock and a slight grin. He never once got up in Jim's face to argue, kick dirt at him, or raise his voice. Hell, he didn't even give him a heated glare. He simply smiled, got back on the mound, and caused the next batter to ground out to Brandon Inge. Class.

After the game the players celebrated in the locker room, but even then the tempers were still high. Galarraga pitched the 21st perfect game in MLB HISTORY tonight. HISTORY. And it was taken away with one missed call.

It wasn't over, though. After the game Jim Joyce watched the replay and realized what he had done. Not only did he admit he was wrong and missed an obvious out call, but he went into the locker room and apologized to Galarraga and Leyland personally. In professional sports the one person you never can question is the refs/umpires. Doing so will not only get you thrown out of a game, but could end in a fine by the league or even suspension (just look at the NBA). And very rarely do authority figures such as these ever admit to being wrong. Jim Joyce, from what I've read and everyone has said about him, is said to be one of the more stand up umpires in baseball. Not just that, but one of the best, too. After hearing what he did and the words that came out of his mouth, I can guarantee you he feels terrible about that call.

"I just cost that kid a perfect game... I don't blame them a bit for anything that was said. I would have said it myself if I were Galarraga. I would have been the first person in my face, and he never said a word to me."

Honestly, both men showed as much class as I've seen in any sport recently. It was a huge call to be missed, but just like Leyland said, these things happen. It's the human element in baseball that makes the game so great. Even still, I don't see why instant replay can't be used in situations such as these. I don't agree in expanding the usage to review EVERY call, but why not implement a challenge system like in the NFL or a review process specifically geared toward the 9th inning? Oh well.

Listen, I was as upset about it as anyone. Hell, I was talking for a good hour-and-a-half after the fact and going well out of my way to lose my voice. But what I failed to realize was regardless of what the record books say, Armando and the players acknowledge it as a perfect game as do all of the fans. Not only that, but we got the "W" and Austin Jackson made a spectacular play for the first out of the 9th to keep hope alive. So many good things that happened that are going to be overshadowed for all of the wrong reasons. Most importantly, the way both men handled it afterward. I feel sorry for Galarraga, but not nearly as bad as Jim Joyce must. Rubber game tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully we can get back to just playing baseball.

What are you gonna do,
B

PS - This is the thing I love about true baseball fans: they love the game first. It doesn't matter who it is, if a player of any sort accomplishes something historical on the mount or at bat, baseball fans will recognize it. When Roy Halladay threw his perfect game it didn't matter if you were a Mets fan, Yankee fan, Red Sox, Tigers, Twins, etc. it was something to celebrate. I was in awe, myself, and happy for the guy. On the opposite side of the spectrum, EVERYBODY, from Cleveland blogs to New York newspapers, are up in arms about this tonight. They collectively feel terrible for Armando and recognize that even if the records don't show it, he pitched a perfect game tonight. I don't expect Major League Baseball to change anything about tonight, but the outpouring of support from across the country shows just how great this game is.

June 1

Late again - but no worries because nothing really happened today. It was the start of a new month. That was about it. WOOOO!!!

$2 pencils,
B

May 31

A happy birthday to Mr. Aaron Ramberg and Mrs. Colleen Kildee-Thibaut. Both turn 25 today which means...CAR RENTAL TIME! I'll take an Audi, please.

Anyway, I slept in a bit today which was nice. Recovered from the lack of sleep the night before. My sister and cousin had gone to visit my Grandma and were then off to Novi to spent money. So the entire afternoon was spent relaxing, cleaning up, and waiting a LONG time for the Tigers game to start. Stupid rain delay. Unfortunately, once it did get under-way, the we were fighting from behind. We only scored 1 run the entire game and lost. Verlander was on the mound, too! I guess we used up all of the runs yesterday.

After dinner my sister ended up having some of her friends over again. There was some visiting, some fooding, and some NBA Live playing. Finally found someone else who's played the game. Haha. It was a good Memorial day overall, and tomorrow it's back to the routine. Well, maybe. The schedule could change with the re-arrival of one Josh Kennedy back in MI. Yessir, he's coming back after finishing his schooling and living out in LA for some time. It will be great having yet another industry friend around. One more to bounce ideas off of.

Blackhawks are looking strong,
B