Puff Pieces by Adrian: February 2013

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Desiderata

I sometimes come across things in this crazy life that I have somehow missed before. It is exciting because it makes me wonder what is there out there yet to come; but it is also depressing because it means that I have been missing out for so long.

Anyhow, I just found this from another blogger out there in the blogosphere, er, I mean in here in the blogosphere. It is a poem by a man named Max Ehrmann. You can read it about it here on wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desiderata

I hope it inspires you as much as it does for me.

Desiderata

Go placidly amidst the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its shams, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

Friday, February 1, 2013

SNL Flash in the Pan? TV Update.

SNL has started up again for the new year, providing some funny entertainment for a change. I was getting to thinking that maybe SNL is turning the corner on the level of comedy that it is providing, but then again, I’m not so sure. Far be it from me to be that naïve.

The newcomers are coming along, slowly but surely. Taran Killam is pretty funny too, but I still miss Amy Poehler and especially Kristen Wiig. The duo of Amy and Seth crushed it on the Weekend Update, and Kristen had so many funny skits that I wouldn’t even know where to start. Strike that. The skit where she played the lady who had trouble keeping secrets and always ended up jumping out the window was money. Remember this? http://www.hulu.com/watch/114930

Two weeks ago, the best skit by far was the piece with the dogs doing the Top Chef. You didn’t have to be a dog person to get everything in that skit, but it probably would have made it so much better. You can see it on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hadAhW1RS6s

SNL was pretty good last weekend too. The “YOLO” digital short with Andy Samberg, Kendrick Lamar, and Adam Levine was awesome. Having Lonely Island back in the mix makes those bits that much better. The Sopranos skit was hilarious too –I’m not sure if that one will make a comeback, but it would be nice if it did. I’m glad to be seeing that one new guy, Bobby Moynihan, being this good in a skit. That reminds me, he was also good as the Italian kid in that one skit with Vinnie Vedecci.

So am I going to change the acronym of SNL from Snoozing, Not Laughing, back to Saturday Night Live? Probably not. Not yet. I know that from watching the show for so many years, it has its ups and downs. We are in a downcycle, for sure.

The rest of my TV repertoire is coming along nicely though. Vampire Diaries is wicked good, as is Two Broke Girls, New Girl, and Modern Family. American Horror Story did not live up to last season’s greatness, but I still have 5 episodes on the DVR, so maybe there’s hope? How I Met Your Mother dropped off a bit for me as well this season –and what’s with Barney marrying Robin? That will ruin the show.

I did see the pilot for the Americans, which is the new spy series running on FX. It was a bit long, but I seriously didn’t notice because it was so good. I won’t tell you what it’s all about, but I will say that it has everything: action, deep characters, spy games, sex, love, intrigue, and rock n roll. If the characters can pull me in completely during the first episode, then that’s good writing. I never really looked at Keri Russell that closely before, but you know something? She’s kind of hot.

My last note is sad one. As painful as it is to admit this, I end up watching Allie’s crap on TV too. I can’t help it. I am busy working away on my computer and she watches the Real Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, Glee, the New Normal, and American Idol in the background. I wouldn’t say that I “watch” any of those shows, but I definitely know what’s going on in them. I will admit too, that they are pretty good. I would probably watch Grey’s Anatomy on my own too, because I’m in so deep. The Real Housewives can get pretty dramatic, and you know, I’m all about the drama.

Revolution of the Soul. A Mission Statement.

I am by default, and through no fault of my own, different. I’m not out cruising the boulevard on the weekends, blasting oldies-but-goodies with the homies. I am also not listening to rock en Espanol, speaking in Spanish-only with my friends. I could fit into either stereotype perfectly though, and to an outsider, I probably appear to be from either or both worlds. I have brown skin, which is pretty much all it takes. It’s not that simple though, as others like me surely understand. I speak some Spanish but I also speak perfect English. I went to college. I love hamburgers and fries, and hip-hop, and alternative music. I have simply integrated into American culture from the start, because I was born here, and because I wanted to.

I’m glad that I’m not still stuck in Mexico somewhere, growing up a third world existence, which statistically would have been the case, had my familia never come here. But I am glad to have come from a country and peoples with such a rich and vibrant history. There are many reasons having such a heritage is a good thing, and I am proud to be a part of it. I am glad to have been born here in America, and happy to be part of this system. I’m happier yet that I didn’t grow up as a cholo gang-banging, tagger, too-cool-for school type of guy, even though I’ve had plenty of chances, given my surroundings. That subculture is not all bad either, depending on the level of involvement and the choices one makes. In other words, you can look the part without being a thug, or a social, or immigrant, or anything else, que no? This is true of all life.

So even though I am different, I am by no means alone, and I know this. The problem for me is that I’m not seeing enough representation out there in the media. I’m not seeing a lot of works written, or filmed, for people like me. It annoys me, too, for a lot of political reasons, because our image is grossly misrepresented. Sure the gangbanger cholos are fun to include in film, because violence sells. However, that only perpetuates a false image. These days, it seems as though everyone in this country sees us either as cholos or as immigrants that refuse to assimilate, legal or not. This angers me because we are so many different things including a multitude of diversity within our own subculture. It’s pretty frickin’ beautiful, if everyone only knew…

Either way, I decided to make the changes I wanted to see, on my own. I’m writing stories for me, for you, and for everyone else, and my main characters are all Latino, and not just Mexican-Latino either. My stories are not about quinceaneras or growing up as a pocho in high school. They are not about crossing the border, or starting any revolutions. The only revolution I write about is the Revolution of the Soul. My stories are meant to entertain and inspire people, and hopefully many of you will relate to them in one way or another, and see yourselves there in them, wherever that may be.