Michelle and Stanley are by a waterfront eating ice cream. Abbud is enjoying himself with his new fount love, Daisy, but I think it's more about sex since he's playing with a bunch of condoms. Chris is still living in the tree house and cleaning himself off in the morning with some wet naps, instead of a normal shower.
Eura, Tony's sister, comes downstairs to find parents are talking about Tony. Her father says "He just lies up there all weekend. No noise. No getting up in my face. No undermining my authority. I'm, telling you, Renee, it's creeping me out." It seems he's taking rejection and being ostracized from all his friends badly by hiding. Eura strips down to her underwear and takes some kind of cream from the fridge and just pours it over her head. That scene was just crazily hilarious. Her parents just ignore her. It's like they are so focused or oblivious, they don't even have peripheral vision.
Cadie is telling false stories again, her psychologist or therapist negotiates for her to tell a real story, original around 70%, she's says something like 40% and it was negotiated to 50%. This episode elaborates why she is telling these fairy tale stories. It may be the reason she is seeing all these shrinks. She asks Dr. Rich if he likes her. Dr. Rich responds "what's not to like", she is simply happy with that. Eura is up next, but Dr. Rich says he'll be doing reports until Eura is ready to talk. In a later scene after she kisses Stanley outside the house, she goes back to the therapist. The therapist is ready for the 50% real story now and asks what her issue is. She's not ready to tell her truth story. She responds "I don't want to know what's true. I don't know if I can take it." Stanley is the issue. Their relationship is only a story.
Back to Michelle and Stanley at the waterfront. They say it's peaceful without Tony but a bit boring. Michelle asks about Stanley and Cadie. He explains he's growing out of humiliation. He leaves to meet Daisy for help with a creativity project. Michelle would really like to see Stanley's creative side. After Stanley leaves, Eura shows up. Michelle tells her it's not nice to follow people around. Seeing that her brother is suffering being ostracized, Eura gives Michelle a letter that reads:
"I've never been here before so I'm not sure what I'm suppose to say or do. Trying to think of what I can say to you. Don't run away from this. Unless we try, it's going to be something we look back on, like when we soul danced in your club that night and you wanted me right there. Don't say you didn't want me."
Michelle looks at the back of the letter and there is a drawing of Tea. Michelle says "You should look a little closer kid. This isn't me. You must love the little bastard." Michelle tears the paper that is already ripped and a piece floats in the water. Eura runs off. She enters Tony's bedroom, Tony's laying there in the dark. He tells her that Michelle sent him a text message and told him what she did. He tells Eura she should not have done that. He also says "No, I don't want to talk about it." She sits in her room as if contemplating this situation. The lyrics "I believe you don't deserve my love" plays. Eura leaves the house at night.
In the creativity project, Stanley is playing the guitar with a song he made up. As he sings to Daisy, he explains that if he doesn't get an "A", he will fail the semester and if he fails the semester, her will fail the year. If her fails the year, his mom will keep doing the trainer or some guy at the gym and his dad will go into an introspective state and hang himself. Daisy asks about Cadie and tells him he needs to send signals to her. Daisy shows Stanley the look. The look is this wanting sex trance but in like outer space, not being in reality. The mesmerized look of being in love. Physically her eyes are moving in rapid directions. Stanley with a frozen look on his face replies "Um... Wow. That's pretty good, actually." Daisy replies "Self-expression, man"
Come back from commercial and a Realtor is showing Abbud's father's house to a potential buyer that climbs the tree house to find Chris, who is living there, naked. The buyer falls from the tree house. Tina is away, later Chris and Abbud break into Tina's apartment so Chris has a place to stay. We find that Abbud's father may have lost the potential buyer because of Chris. We also find that Abbud is Muslim and from Bangladesh.
Tea is following Betty because I think Tea still likes her. Betty is still upset and ask her did she clear her "clap", the Chlamydia. Betty also states she has an appointment to fix her broken ankle. In another scene Tea enters Betty's room in the hospital. Betty goes "Look who it is, Ms Clitoris... They gave me a shitload of drugs." Betty comments that she still hates Tea because Tea is a bitch who screws boys and just doesn't give a shit. But Betty is drugged out. Tea responds "You're wrong, Bets. I try." Betty says "Screw it. Screw everything. I want you in here. I always want you in here."
Stanley is watching old videos of him and Michelle playing prince and princess. He gets an instant message from Cadie and she is outside. But so is Michelle standing in the near distance, Michelle is holding a six pack and what looks like a bag of snacks. Stanley greets Cadie asking where Warren is; Cadie then responds "Warren went... Wyoming... because it's warm." Cadie wants Stanley to make real decisions about their relationship, she kisses him, while Michelle is watching. Michelle leaves, but then so does Cadie and Stanley goes back in the house.
Tony is speaking to Tea on the phone when Tea is apologizing for making Tony love her. Tony does, he says he loves her. Right after they disconnect, he gets a text message from an Unknown Number showing "took ur lil sister... she's a fighter hahahahahahahaha" He goes to the bedroom and she's not there. (A poster hangs there that shows Lolita.)
Tony goes to Stanley's house and asks for help to find his sister. They eventually all end up at Tina's place even though there is still hostility amongst them due to their social issues, as Tina is still gone. Chris has broken in earlier and is now residing there. They are being informed Eura is missing. Michelle states "call the National Guard" out of sarcasm. Stanley shows Michelle the text "Cum get her ass. Dare u" The text message says don't bring the cops and they discuss the police will not be involved. The last text message comes in with a symbol on it, it's identified by Chris as a Techno club. They all go.
Tony gets into a fight and is bleeding from the head. After the fight Michelle finds Tony and Tea holding hands, when discovered they quickly let go. Her shirt reads "I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD", written in with a marker. Stanley just entered VIP, as he searches, he finds Eura. Eura is on the screen and Tony calls their dad, who both freak out. Stanley says to Eura "That's pretty mean... What are you doing here?" Eura finally speaks. And she is just as potty mouth as the rest of them. The first words you hear from her mouth are "Is he here?" Stanley responds Tony is there and so is everyone else. She asks Stanley "What's he doing". Stanley replies that Tony is going crazy. She comments "Good. Got out of bed." Stanley says to her that she is the only person in the world Tony really really loves. Eura tells Stanley that he never understands anything. Stanley confirms "No, I don't" She calls Stanley a stupid dildo and says "He looks up to you... It's you he loves" She explains "Tony came to you for help didn't he?" He asks what happens now. She says "Tell him I'll see him back home" Stanley asks her where she stayed last night. Eura points to Cadie, just standing there. Cadie tells Stanley to go crazy and see what happens (to express himself). Stanley picks Eura up and gets on stage to tell Tony. Only security takes Eura away leaving Stanley on stage in front of the crowd. Stanley grabs the microphone and starts to repeat "Shout, shout, let it all out, these are the things I can do without, come on, I'm talking to you, come on" The drummer gives him a beat to his rock lyrics. Cadie comes in after his solo: "In violent times... You shouldn't have to sell your soul. In black and white... They really, really ought to know" Duet: "Come on... These are the things I can do without... I'm talking to you... Those one track minds... They took you for a working boy... Kiss them goodbye... You shouldn't have to jump for joy." The crowd loves them and so does the rest of the skins crew. They did it as good as Tears for Fears.
Abbud says to Daisy the opposite of what he means. He tells her that he doesn't love her because of the previous agreement on mindless sex. But he does and asks her how can she expect anyone to feel mindless over her. He's in love and when you are in love you find qualities about your mate no one else sees. She gives him the signal look.
Tony and Eura are driven home. As they are grounded, Eura finally says "Good night, mom". Her mom is shocked.... "She spoke"
Tea lays next to Betty in the hospital, the lyrics "will you stand by me and just be friends" play.
Stanley and Chris are walking back to Stanley's house, since Stanley's dad is away, Chris will be staying in his room. Chris vomits and while he does that, Stanley sees Michelle sitting on the stoops. She asks him "Truth? You'd do anything for your friends... no matter what he's done... is it the same for me... do it now Stanley." They kiss. The lyrics "I look in her eyes and what do I see... She smells like flowers and taste like butter" plays. After a few minutes Chris comes along and shouts "Porn stars!... quit boring me... let's party."
(Flash scenes of all the characters from parts of the show and their real names)
Tony - James Newman
Tea - Sofia Black-D'Elia
Chris - Jesse Carere
Cadie - Britne Oldford
Stanley - Daniel Flaherty
Abbud - Ron Mustafaa
Michelle - Rachel Thevenard
Daisy - Camille Cresencia-Mills
Tina - Anastasia Phillips
Eura - Eleanor Zichy
---This was a really good episode for the finale of skins - Season One - American (US) version. The expressions on the actors were pretty good. Like I said in another post, kill the critics' bad reviews. The show is entertaining and fun to watch. Season one introduced all the characters and their interaction with one another. Though Stanley was introduced as a stoner who never cared. This episode shows that his friends made him the man that even Tony looks up to. Michelle is no longer with the jerk Tony, and is now with Stanley. It shows why Cadie is seeing therapists, she's looking for love, real love but not willing to deal with it's real pains. So she tells stories, could be the reason she is on all those meds and seeing all those therapists. Tea commits a little to Betty. Tony is still in love with Tea. Eura finally speaks. Abbud got Daisy. Chris is still the party man. Tina is away after the Chris incident. They left out, "Cool Teacher", Dave. They should have at least fit him in this episode for his fifteen minutes.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Light Up
Cigarettes made of gum was a neat little enticement for kids that saw real smokers and wondered what smoking was all about or to imitate smoking. You would blow on one of the gum cigarettes and a puff of fake smoke would come out and that was it. The fake smoke was probably a powder of starch, flour or sugar. Then you would unwrap the paper and put the gum in your mouth and chew gum. Those boxes of gum cigarettes resembled the the real thing so much. I bought those once or twice as a kid for like a dollar or two at my local candy store.
Hypocritically, when I see a girl smoking, I can tolerate it, but think it's a disgusting and dirty view on how she approaches her health concerns. I bought my first pack of Newports in 1998. Since 1998, I've switched to Marlboro Menthols. I have always considered myself a light smoker. It use to be that a pack would last me a few days to a week. In between that time, I've cut down even more so because of the knowledge that cigarettes affect the health and especially the lungs in bad ways. I would experience minor periods of coughing. I noticed as I exercised or even went jogging it had effected my breathing when I use to smoke more frequently. Since my smoking reduction, my breathing has improved dramatically. I never even did what others say as two packs a day or even a week. When I feel the urge, I'll grab a pack and it will last a month or two or I'll try to find a "loosey" when I don't feel like spending the $9.00 and up on a pack.
By 2005, I stopped smoking completely and wouldn't pick up on it until recently. Back in 2004, when a bunch of friends went for Korean buffet in New Jersey, I was anticipating a new eating experience because I had never been to a Korean buffet before. The experience was really good. It was the first time I smelt like meat after leaving a place, disgustingly good. A friend of mine lit up a cigarette in the restaurant and my reaction was "what is this guy doing?" It would be that in New York City the smoking ban had been in full effect since 2003. Restaurants, bars and in any other public indoor establishment, in New York City, no longer allowed smoking. New Jerseyans did not have that ban yet. It would seem residents of New Jersey would not have felt that ban until 2006. Starting May of 2011, smoking will be banned in beaches, parks or other public outdoor areas. You cannot smoke within 25 feet from any federal building. You can still smoke on private property be it the owner allows it. But even that ban has come into question if it can be allowed in private apartment buildings. If the board votes or owner bans smoking in the lease, a smoker would not be allowed to smoke even in his or her private apartment. And that is the simple outline without going into detail of which property, which tenants and will it involve lawyers (or how much the fine will be imposed).
I believe smokers have the right to experience the sensation of taking a whiff of death.
I was watching Cigarette Wars on CNBC the other day and the image of cigarette farming zoomed right into my television set. I always knew that, yes, part of what goes into cigarettes are just leaves of "tobacco" with other fillers. For the first time, CNBC brought a up close and detailed view on the foundation of the industry, ten months with the farmers came with seeding, harvesting, and curing until it was time to sell. On Cigarette Wars it said that some of the top Kentucky growers have lost 25% of their harvest. One reason is that top tobacco companies like Altria (the parent company of Philip Morris - Marlboro), Lorillard (Newport) and R.J. Reynolds (Camel, Kool and Winston) are buying from the farmers less due to slumping sales. Why are sales slumping for major tobacco sellers? In addition to all these bans, there are ads from www.thetruth.com showing the negative side of the smoking industry. Michael Bloomberg who appeared on Cigarette Wars states that his reason for the bans and increase on sales tax: health cost. In history class I learned that in war an embargo is a good way to defeat the enemy. Bloomberg's and other cities government war on rising medical cost in part due to smoking is being fought with this embargo. The anti smoking campaigns are helping also. You can spread information, but there's nothing better than having power act on it. A billion dollar industry versus it's health concerns.
I could have put the sequence of topics from the documentary in order as how it was broadcasted but this isn't describing Cigarette Wars, though I'll take a few interesting topics from the show and use it as a source. The documentary illustrates the tough times of trying to raise and sell the tobacco crop of the Furnish family. They grow a type of tobacco called Burley which roughly can sell for approximately .60cents to 1.30dollars a pound. An acre of land of soy or corn can profit $300 but tobacco four to five times that much. Though like farming any other product, mother nature comes into play, employment depends on profit margins and of course demand. One point noticed from the documentary was that on interviewing one of the tobacco farmers was that he was asked how he felt about planting a crop of death? He answers that he separates that idea from feeding his family. Bloomberg's response on that, is that they should be farming something else. Thus part of the documentary showed that the family legacy of eating off the crop of death is that they had to diversify their farm. The furnish family is not only diversifying but going international because in European countries smoking is not only a way of life but that market is good. American grown tobacco is safer and better but not as cheap. The 25% on average left over unsold at about 30 to 40 thousand pounds being auctioned for At .60cents to a dollar a pound won't bring in much profit margin to cover expense and labor.
---By 1970 there was already a ban on advertising cigarettes on television or radio. Movies and print still gleamed it as an appealing thing to do.
---Smoking cigarettes is a good starting point leading into other things like cigars, chewing snuff, bidis, hookahs and once you tap into a drug like marijuana then what else is there? Cigarettes do not have to necessarily have to be purchased already in boxes for you. This girl I knew showed me that bags of tobacco can be bought without additives or flavors (more natural) then go get some cigarette paper and roll your own.
---In psychological perspective, smoking was a recreational or ceremonial activity that lead it to being more of a chewing gum or watching baseball past-time. Just something to do, like during war or the image of being cool in the 1960s when the cool or bad boy image was in style, along with the sleek hair and flashy cars. The physiological side is that cigarettes contain much more than just tobacco. The additives to cigarettes cause other health risks. Smoking thins your blood vessels (as well as arteries) and damages your lungs. I've heard of people that smoke to relax and it calms them, why, I don't know because smoking makes your heart work faster and reduces the oxygen in the blood. But in the long run thinning the tubes that move your blood can cause a heart attack and stroke, not to mention possible risk of inhaling carcinogens that can cause cancer. Is the risk of leisure and image worth the effects, I think choice to do so is worth the risk.
Hypocritically, when I see a girl smoking, I can tolerate it, but think it's a disgusting and dirty view on how she approaches her health concerns. I bought my first pack of Newports in 1998. Since 1998, I've switched to Marlboro Menthols. I have always considered myself a light smoker. It use to be that a pack would last me a few days to a week. In between that time, I've cut down even more so because of the knowledge that cigarettes affect the health and especially the lungs in bad ways. I would experience minor periods of coughing. I noticed as I exercised or even went jogging it had effected my breathing when I use to smoke more frequently. Since my smoking reduction, my breathing has improved dramatically. I never even did what others say as two packs a day or even a week. When I feel the urge, I'll grab a pack and it will last a month or two or I'll try to find a "loosey" when I don't feel like spending the $9.00 and up on a pack.
By 2005, I stopped smoking completely and wouldn't pick up on it until recently. Back in 2004, when a bunch of friends went for Korean buffet in New Jersey, I was anticipating a new eating experience because I had never been to a Korean buffet before. The experience was really good. It was the first time I smelt like meat after leaving a place, disgustingly good. A friend of mine lit up a cigarette in the restaurant and my reaction was "what is this guy doing?" It would be that in New York City the smoking ban had been in full effect since 2003. Restaurants, bars and in any other public indoor establishment, in New York City, no longer allowed smoking. New Jerseyans did not have that ban yet. It would seem residents of New Jersey would not have felt that ban until 2006. Starting May of 2011, smoking will be banned in beaches, parks or other public outdoor areas. You cannot smoke within 25 feet from any federal building. You can still smoke on private property be it the owner allows it. But even that ban has come into question if it can be allowed in private apartment buildings. If the board votes or owner bans smoking in the lease, a smoker would not be allowed to smoke even in his or her private apartment. And that is the simple outline without going into detail of which property, which tenants and will it involve lawyers (or how much the fine will be imposed).
I believe smokers have the right to experience the sensation of taking a whiff of death.
I was watching Cigarette Wars on CNBC the other day and the image of cigarette farming zoomed right into my television set. I always knew that, yes, part of what goes into cigarettes are just leaves of "tobacco" with other fillers. For the first time, CNBC brought a up close and detailed view on the foundation of the industry, ten months with the farmers came with seeding, harvesting, and curing until it was time to sell. On Cigarette Wars it said that some of the top Kentucky growers have lost 25% of their harvest. One reason is that top tobacco companies like Altria (the parent company of Philip Morris - Marlboro), Lorillard (Newport) and R.J. Reynolds (Camel, Kool and Winston) are buying from the farmers less due to slumping sales. Why are sales slumping for major tobacco sellers? In addition to all these bans, there are ads from www.thetruth.com showing the negative side of the smoking industry. Michael Bloomberg who appeared on Cigarette Wars states that his reason for the bans and increase on sales tax: health cost. In history class I learned that in war an embargo is a good way to defeat the enemy. Bloomberg's and other cities government war on rising medical cost in part due to smoking is being fought with this embargo. The anti smoking campaigns are helping also. You can spread information, but there's nothing better than having power act on it. A billion dollar industry versus it's health concerns.
I could have put the sequence of topics from the documentary in order as how it was broadcasted but this isn't describing Cigarette Wars, though I'll take a few interesting topics from the show and use it as a source. The documentary illustrates the tough times of trying to raise and sell the tobacco crop of the Furnish family. They grow a type of tobacco called Burley which roughly can sell for approximately .60cents to 1.30dollars a pound. An acre of land of soy or corn can profit $300 but tobacco four to five times that much. Though like farming any other product, mother nature comes into play, employment depends on profit margins and of course demand. One point noticed from the documentary was that on interviewing one of the tobacco farmers was that he was asked how he felt about planting a crop of death? He answers that he separates that idea from feeding his family. Bloomberg's response on that, is that they should be farming something else. Thus part of the documentary showed that the family legacy of eating off the crop of death is that they had to diversify their farm. The furnish family is not only diversifying but going international because in European countries smoking is not only a way of life but that market is good. American grown tobacco is safer and better but not as cheap. The 25% on average left over unsold at about 30 to 40 thousand pounds being auctioned for At .60cents to a dollar a pound won't bring in much profit margin to cover expense and labor.
---By 1970 there was already a ban on advertising cigarettes on television or radio. Movies and print still gleamed it as an appealing thing to do.
---Smoking cigarettes is a good starting point leading into other things like cigars, chewing snuff, bidis, hookahs and once you tap into a drug like marijuana then what else is there? Cigarettes do not have to necessarily have to be purchased already in boxes for you. This girl I knew showed me that bags of tobacco can be bought without additives or flavors (more natural) then go get some cigarette paper and roll your own.
---In psychological perspective, smoking was a recreational or ceremonial activity that lead it to being more of a chewing gum or watching baseball past-time. Just something to do, like during war or the image of being cool in the 1960s when the cool or bad boy image was in style, along with the sleek hair and flashy cars. The physiological side is that cigarettes contain much more than just tobacco. The additives to cigarettes cause other health risks. Smoking thins your blood vessels (as well as arteries) and damages your lungs. I've heard of people that smoke to relax and it calms them, why, I don't know because smoking makes your heart work faster and reduces the oxygen in the blood. But in the long run thinning the tubes that move your blood can cause a heart attack and stroke, not to mention possible risk of inhaling carcinogens that can cause cancer. Is the risk of leisure and image worth the effects, I think choice to do so is worth the risk.
This photo is the first image on my blog self taken that I did not Google.
It's four packs of unused matches from my collection.
It's four packs of unused matches from my collection.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
skins - 9th - Tina
Terrible!
I am referring to this episode. I am also referring to the events and topics that took place. The view is from the alley way in between two houses. A garbage truck drives pass; a few seconds later a little girl in a pink outfit on a pink bicycle rides by. The camera zooms into a tree house. Tina is being humped. Tina and Chris are having sex when she bumps her head against a shelf, they stop. She mentions that it's her birthday and she is twenty three years old. (For someone age twenty three and already having a job as a teacher is not bad at all. When I was twenty three I was just out of college and still working the job I had from college.)
Abbud is outside and says his parents are gone but there's blueberry pancakes. I guess since Chris is now homeless, he takes residence in Abbud's tree house. He's standing there, at the base of the tree house. Tina comes down from the tree house. As she is climbing down she is trying to deny she just had sex with Chris by saying Chris's grades are suffering and she is there only for tutoring. Abbud says to Tina that it's okay, he already knows. Abbud says he saw the whole thing with a great view from I believe he said his room or roof. Tina worries and tells Abbud to not tell anyone or she will rip his tongue and shove it up his ass; she also offers him a grade "A" if he doesn't tell. Abbud says it's a deal and they shake on it.
Skip to another scene showing her in her apartment leaving when she meets her neighbor Evan. She begins to tell him it's her birthday. She is flirting with him by telling him a fish stick joke. She pushes the panic button on the key fob as they enter the parking garage in their building and her car alarm goes off. Evan turns it off for her. She begins to make a gesture by leaning up against the car in acting helpless. She says that would come in handy if someone were to assault her and have her pinned against the car. Evan replies "You don't have to worry about that being me, I'd at least like to take you to dinner first". She says "I'd like that". Evan replies "see you around". When she gets into her car, she says "He's cute".
Come back from commercial and Tina is grading papers. Daisy Valero has a subject on "Interpersonal Relationships". The one by Chris Collins is sexually explicit and is titled "How I'm Going To Bone You Tonight". She reads it and is getting all worked up from the description. Dave interrupts her reading and manages to read the title but she grabs it back. Dave "The Cool Teacher" is now slightly flirting with Tina, but in a creepy way by showing stalker-like pictures from the internet of houses she might live in. Dave is also showing her a model of a toy train that is motorized, a Jenson 75. Dave says it might be a good "how we met" story. She goes to another classroom where Chris is messing around with a science project. She says to him "we have no future, we cannot see each other any more". He doesn't just take it straight forward and says something like "sure we will, everyday in class, that's what's great about High School".
During a fire drill Stanley is smoking weed outside and Tina just finished having a brief talk with Michelle and Daisy about how Stanley pulled the fire alarm to avoid tests. Tina approaches Stanley and says "Stanley I'm right here", meaning why is he smoking the joint when the teacher (authority figure) is right here. Stanley gives her the joint and she looks at it as if she were going to smoke it or totally shocked not knowing what to do with it.
Come back from commercial again, Tina is sitting with Michelle in the cafeteria eating. She ask where is Tony. Michelle answers she doesn't care where the "dickwad" is. They are discussing about her relationship with Tony. Tina says Tony is too young. Tina says she should forget about Tony and go for someone older (Hypocrite!). Michelle ask if Tina has any friends or teacher friends her age. Tina answers no and teacher's don't count as adults because teachers hang out with students so much they are infected with something that prevents then from reaching adultness or adulthood, I believe is what she commented while chewing on a red fruit by foot. At this point Dave comes in with a pair of lock clips because the train he was showing off earlier was stolen. He says they killed "Nice Dave". He comments about a full body search.
(Too many separate scenes)
She's walking down the hall when Principal Turner comes up behind her and wants to talk, it seems for the past two months the grade's of her students have been dropping, that is what the principal wanted to talk about, but Tina is now worried that word might spread about her relationship with Chris. She gets nervous trying to explain that Chris had no home, but she then realized it's for nothing.
Tina is in class and trying to quiet down the students but they don't, Michelle does it for her. Tina isn't in her right mind right now. When Abbud refers to her as Slippy, she freaks out and says "It's Ms. Nolan". She leaves class and pulls the fire alarm, just to escape after another student asks her about a test she was suppose to hand out. Outside of school where everyone meets to escape the fire alarm. Another student shouts to her something about a foot long. Tina, I mean Ms. Nolan, goes to him, holds him by the arm and asks him what he means by that. The students says he heard she bones students and he might have a chance. She lets go, looks at Abbud and confronts him saying "you promised not to tell". Abbud says he did before he promised, so technically he didn't break the promise. She finds the rest of the "skins" crew knew also and asks why they didn't tell her. They say they love her and she is "one of us, Tina".
She's still trying to break up with Chris because she fears losing her job. During different scenes in school, She finds Dave searching through lockers for his stolen train. Dave finds a letter or journal about sex involving sausage and mustard. She tells him people's relationships are private. Dave asks her if they are still on for tonight, he still doesn't get it, no. She mockingly says yes, she wants him to come over and bounce her baloney pony and to bring mustard. She's now driving home and sees Evan walking home because his car broke down. Since it's her birthday, to say thanks, the least he could do is pick her up on her offer to go to dinner. They end up going for burgers. She asks if it's a date and he doesn't answer. He just says she says "like" "alot". She says she just doesn't hang with adults much. She advances him for sex opening a glove compartment full of condoms. Evan is depicted as a stand up type of guy with ethics. He doesn't want to have sex in the car parked in a strip mall, "it's so High School". It looks like he finds it cheap. He leaves the car, leaving her with a look of "damn! or crapola!"
She comes home to a call from Chris who she is trying to brush off by saying "we need to cool things off, we need to stop seeing each other". But when she walks into her apartment, there are kids throwing a surprise party for her. During the party, the kids trash the place and Chris sees Tina doesn't like it, so he ends the party. Meanwhile, Cadie is backed up by Abbud and Daisy "cockblocking" Tony from Michelle. Tony asks why Cadie hates him. She responds she doesn't hate him, just like she doesn't hate any other natural disaster, like Tsunamis or Tornadoes. When everyone is gone, Chris asks Tina if she is pissed. Tina says to Chris she hates herself for because she has gone too far. He gives her a gift but it's in the bedroom, where Abbud and Daisy are having sex again. Abbud and Daisy leave. The gift is the stolen train. He did it to make her smile. She would have preferred flowers. They have sex. Dave shows up and enters the apartment, the door is not locked. He took the previous mock remark for real. He finds the place with one of the pictures he fount from the internet, in which Tina responded to. He finds the stolen train when he enters the bedroom, it crashes and Dave screams "Why?".
Chris is in the car with Tina driving. She stops the car. Chris asks her about the selling wieners in Nebraska idea. She does not like the idea of making a life selling hot dogs in Nebraska. She says "You and I are the hugest mistake I made ever", she tells him to get out. Chris says "no, I love you" "I don't want to grow up". Tina replies "it's a crush" "I do" (want to grow up). Chris says she's lying, Tina responds "Am I?". He leaves the car and she drives off.
Next morning in class, Dave enters with police officers pointing "that's her", she believes it's over the toy train asking if this is a joke, but the officer says it's for statutory rape, the words child molester is heard being said. All the students call out Ms. Nolan and bring out their cell cameras.
She's sitting in jail and she asks herself "What am I doing here? My parents took me to Nebraska once as a kid". She remembers the smell of the corn, largest wooly mammoth and walking through the corn fields. "Oh My God". Her cellmate is shitting right in front of her, she goes: "that is gnarly, I'm going to hold it in no matter how long I'm in here". She also comments that there's no toilet paper. She asks her cellmate what is she going to wipe her ass with. Her cellmate looks at Tina's skirt, Tina then looks also with a shocked and scared expression.
Tina is being interrogated and asked if she has carnal knowledge of having sex with a seventeen year old (Chris). She is suppose to stay away 500 feet and she has already been fired. Then they question Chris giving him a baby doll to question him where she touched him. He says she blew me, blew me off. They question Stanley (who thinks it's awesome, he didn't know), Abbud then Dave, next. She doesn't get ratted on because of stupid answers they give.
She is free and goes to say bye to Evan, she tells him by state law she has to inform him that she is a sex offender. She says she's going to her parents. Evan responds to her that she's not suppose to tell him, she is suppose to tell her new neighbors. Even goes "Oh, weird" "Good Luck". Tina says "Bye".
Final scene is Tina gets flowers in her emptied apartment. The card reads "call me if you were lying". She looks at her cell. She deletes his number from her phone and puts it face down on the counter. Chris is looking at his phone also. When she doesn't respond to him trying to contact her, he throws the cell phone away.
---It's depicted as Tina is one of those adults that still isn't grown up yet. She doesn't act or make choices like an adult (twenty three). But I believe this experience will improve her decision making in the future. By ending this part of her life, she has already shown that she wants to change and group up and act like an adult.
One more American Version of skins - Season 1 - Episode 10
I am referring to this episode. I am also referring to the events and topics that took place. The view is from the alley way in between two houses. A garbage truck drives pass; a few seconds later a little girl in a pink outfit on a pink bicycle rides by. The camera zooms into a tree house. Tina is being humped. Tina and Chris are having sex when she bumps her head against a shelf, they stop. She mentions that it's her birthday and she is twenty three years old. (For someone age twenty three and already having a job as a teacher is not bad at all. When I was twenty three I was just out of college and still working the job I had from college.)
Abbud is outside and says his parents are gone but there's blueberry pancakes. I guess since Chris is now homeless, he takes residence in Abbud's tree house. He's standing there, at the base of the tree house. Tina comes down from the tree house. As she is climbing down she is trying to deny she just had sex with Chris by saying Chris's grades are suffering and she is there only for tutoring. Abbud says to Tina that it's okay, he already knows. Abbud says he saw the whole thing with a great view from I believe he said his room or roof. Tina worries and tells Abbud to not tell anyone or she will rip his tongue and shove it up his ass; she also offers him a grade "A" if he doesn't tell. Abbud says it's a deal and they shake on it.
Skip to another scene showing her in her apartment leaving when she meets her neighbor Evan. She begins to tell him it's her birthday. She is flirting with him by telling him a fish stick joke. She pushes the panic button on the key fob as they enter the parking garage in their building and her car alarm goes off. Evan turns it off for her. She begins to make a gesture by leaning up against the car in acting helpless. She says that would come in handy if someone were to assault her and have her pinned against the car. Evan replies "You don't have to worry about that being me, I'd at least like to take you to dinner first". She says "I'd like that". Evan replies "see you around". When she gets into her car, she says "He's cute".
Come back from commercial and Tina is grading papers. Daisy Valero has a subject on "Interpersonal Relationships". The one by Chris Collins is sexually explicit and is titled "How I'm Going To Bone You Tonight". She reads it and is getting all worked up from the description. Dave interrupts her reading and manages to read the title but she grabs it back. Dave "The Cool Teacher" is now slightly flirting with Tina, but in a creepy way by showing stalker-like pictures from the internet of houses she might live in. Dave is also showing her a model of a toy train that is motorized, a Jenson 75. Dave says it might be a good "how we met" story. She goes to another classroom where Chris is messing around with a science project. She says to him "we have no future, we cannot see each other any more". He doesn't just take it straight forward and says something like "sure we will, everyday in class, that's what's great about High School".
During a fire drill Stanley is smoking weed outside and Tina just finished having a brief talk with Michelle and Daisy about how Stanley pulled the fire alarm to avoid tests. Tina approaches Stanley and says "Stanley I'm right here", meaning why is he smoking the joint when the teacher (authority figure) is right here. Stanley gives her the joint and she looks at it as if she were going to smoke it or totally shocked not knowing what to do with it.
Come back from commercial again, Tina is sitting with Michelle in the cafeteria eating. She ask where is Tony. Michelle answers she doesn't care where the "dickwad" is. They are discussing about her relationship with Tony. Tina says Tony is too young. Tina says she should forget about Tony and go for someone older (Hypocrite!). Michelle ask if Tina has any friends or teacher friends her age. Tina answers no and teacher's don't count as adults because teachers hang out with students so much they are infected with something that prevents then from reaching adultness or adulthood, I believe is what she commented while chewing on a red fruit by foot. At this point Dave comes in with a pair of lock clips because the train he was showing off earlier was stolen. He says they killed "Nice Dave". He comments about a full body search.
(Too many separate scenes)
She's walking down the hall when Principal Turner comes up behind her and wants to talk, it seems for the past two months the grade's of her students have been dropping, that is what the principal wanted to talk about, but Tina is now worried that word might spread about her relationship with Chris. She gets nervous trying to explain that Chris had no home, but she then realized it's for nothing.
Tina is in class and trying to quiet down the students but they don't, Michelle does it for her. Tina isn't in her right mind right now. When Abbud refers to her as Slippy, she freaks out and says "It's Ms. Nolan". She leaves class and pulls the fire alarm, just to escape after another student asks her about a test she was suppose to hand out. Outside of school where everyone meets to escape the fire alarm. Another student shouts to her something about a foot long. Tina, I mean Ms. Nolan, goes to him, holds him by the arm and asks him what he means by that. The students says he heard she bones students and he might have a chance. She lets go, looks at Abbud and confronts him saying "you promised not to tell". Abbud says he did before he promised, so technically he didn't break the promise. She finds the rest of the "skins" crew knew also and asks why they didn't tell her. They say they love her and she is "one of us, Tina".
She's still trying to break up with Chris because she fears losing her job. During different scenes in school, She finds Dave searching through lockers for his stolen train. Dave finds a letter or journal about sex involving sausage and mustard. She tells him people's relationships are private. Dave asks her if they are still on for tonight, he still doesn't get it, no. She mockingly says yes, she wants him to come over and bounce her baloney pony and to bring mustard. She's now driving home and sees Evan walking home because his car broke down. Since it's her birthday, to say thanks, the least he could do is pick her up on her offer to go to dinner. They end up going for burgers. She asks if it's a date and he doesn't answer. He just says she says "like" "alot". She says she just doesn't hang with adults much. She advances him for sex opening a glove compartment full of condoms. Evan is depicted as a stand up type of guy with ethics. He doesn't want to have sex in the car parked in a strip mall, "it's so High School". It looks like he finds it cheap. He leaves the car, leaving her with a look of "damn! or crapola!"
She comes home to a call from Chris who she is trying to brush off by saying "we need to cool things off, we need to stop seeing each other". But when she walks into her apartment, there are kids throwing a surprise party for her. During the party, the kids trash the place and Chris sees Tina doesn't like it, so he ends the party. Meanwhile, Cadie is backed up by Abbud and Daisy "cockblocking" Tony from Michelle. Tony asks why Cadie hates him. She responds she doesn't hate him, just like she doesn't hate any other natural disaster, like Tsunamis or Tornadoes. When everyone is gone, Chris asks Tina if she is pissed. Tina says to Chris she hates herself for because she has gone too far. He gives her a gift but it's in the bedroom, where Abbud and Daisy are having sex again. Abbud and Daisy leave. The gift is the stolen train. He did it to make her smile. She would have preferred flowers. They have sex. Dave shows up and enters the apartment, the door is not locked. He took the previous mock remark for real. He finds the place with one of the pictures he fount from the internet, in which Tina responded to. He finds the stolen train when he enters the bedroom, it crashes and Dave screams "Why?".
Chris is in the car with Tina driving. She stops the car. Chris asks her about the selling wieners in Nebraska idea. She does not like the idea of making a life selling hot dogs in Nebraska. She says "You and I are the hugest mistake I made ever", she tells him to get out. Chris says "no, I love you" "I don't want to grow up". Tina replies "it's a crush" "I do" (want to grow up). Chris says she's lying, Tina responds "Am I?". He leaves the car and she drives off.
Next morning in class, Dave enters with police officers pointing "that's her", she believes it's over the toy train asking if this is a joke, but the officer says it's for statutory rape, the words child molester is heard being said. All the students call out Ms. Nolan and bring out their cell cameras.
She's sitting in jail and she asks herself "What am I doing here? My parents took me to Nebraska once as a kid". She remembers the smell of the corn, largest wooly mammoth and walking through the corn fields. "Oh My God". Her cellmate is shitting right in front of her, she goes: "that is gnarly, I'm going to hold it in no matter how long I'm in here". She also comments that there's no toilet paper. She asks her cellmate what is she going to wipe her ass with. Her cellmate looks at Tina's skirt, Tina then looks also with a shocked and scared expression.
Tina is being interrogated and asked if she has carnal knowledge of having sex with a seventeen year old (Chris). She is suppose to stay away 500 feet and she has already been fired. Then they question Chris giving him a baby doll to question him where she touched him. He says she blew me, blew me off. They question Stanley (who thinks it's awesome, he didn't know), Abbud then Dave, next. She doesn't get ratted on because of stupid answers they give.
She is free and goes to say bye to Evan, she tells him by state law she has to inform him that she is a sex offender. She says she's going to her parents. Evan responds to her that she's not suppose to tell him, she is suppose to tell her new neighbors. Even goes "Oh, weird" "Good Luck". Tina says "Bye".
Final scene is Tina gets flowers in her emptied apartment. The card reads "call me if you were lying". She looks at her cell. She deletes his number from her phone and puts it face down on the counter. Chris is looking at his phone also. When she doesn't respond to him trying to contact her, he throws the cell phone away.
---It's depicted as Tina is one of those adults that still isn't grown up yet. She doesn't act or make choices like an adult (twenty three). But I believe this experience will improve her decision making in the future. By ending this part of her life, she has already shown that she wants to change and group up and act like an adult.
One more American Version of skins - Season 1 - Episode 10
Saturday, March 12, 2011
skins - 8th - Daisy
Hooters!
It's actually a Busty Bacadillo that Stanley and Abbud are eating in, at least that's the logo on the shirt of Daisy who is currently a waitress. She is making money for her ambition. After work you see her come home to a building complex. She enters her apartment then begins to clean off the dinner table, does the dishes and puts away the cash she has made into an envelope filled with cash already in it. When those chores are done, she goes in to check on her sister, Didi. Didi is listening to music. Daisy tells her sister to correct her wrong homework questions. Didi is listening to a peer rapping and she starts to rap; Didi raps well. At this point, their father, Ham, comes home to find Didi rapping and tells them to cut that out. He disapproves of her rapping.
I am admiring Daisy for her errand running responsibility side, because I also had a job when I was 15, but my money went to sneakers. And I sure as heck didn't come home to take care of chores.
Skip to the next scene, they are sitting at the dinner room table and Ham checks that envelope that Daisy has put cash into. It seems that envelope full of cash is Ham's mailman salary. It is to pay the bills and rent. He tells his daughter, he doesn't need her working and adding to his labor. He tells his daughter to keep the money, save it for your college fund. Daisy tells her dad that she will be using that money for The Conservative Music School. An album comes out and Daisy is looking at it, the artist on the CD shows "Lucia Lucero" in smaller letters "with Ham Valero". It turns out Lucia Lucero is Daisy's mom and her dad, Ham, both used to be pianist. You see Daisy leave the apartment late at night to go perform in a band, at like little blues spot (my first live music show was also at a little blues spot). She plays the trumpet. Another band member, Farley, is an old friend. Ham does not want that life for her daughter and grabs Daisy's horn after the performance is over. Two comments come from Daisy to her dad: "bend my horn, I'll leave and I'll never come back" and "it's no wonder she left you". He let's go and she storms out of the blues venue. Farley explains the only difference between Daisy and Lucia is that Daisy cares about people more, other than that she plays the trumpet well.
Daisy is sitting by the harbor contemplating why her father is on her case about pursuing music, when Abbud comes to talk to her, as a friend should come and talk to you when you're down. During the conversation, Abbud provides a small empathetic comment about his religion that answers Daisy's comment about rules and silence. In part of the conversation, Daisy offers Abbud No Strings Attached, "mindless gratification" sex at the harbor. Abbud is absolutely in joy of this and never stops in pursuit of it thereafter. They go back to Daisy's place but their plans are interrupted by Didi's party. At the party Didi is rapping and Tony's sister, Eura, is there making out with another boy. Abbud stops the party by going on the microphone shouting "Police! This is a raid. Everyone stay where you are." Everyone leaves and of course the clean up was done with the "skins" crew of friends as "cavalry". It's 1:30am and her father comes home at 4:00am in the morning. She says something like "you guys should get the bug out of your asses", she's referring to the Chlamydia, "and help me, you owe me for all that I've done for you guys", something like that. It is true in all the other episodes, she was not in the center of any of the crap that went on but a mediator. Earlier in this same episode, she was the mediator between Tea and Abbud, in which she actually became the backfire target of Tony who stepped in and overheard Daisy's comment of the whole friends and sex triangle relationship. Tony tells Daisy she works too much, and doesn't play enough. Teen drama!
On the second attempt to have sex Abbud is waiting for Daisy outside her building and Daisy says her sister comes home in 45 minutes, he reassures that it is plenty of time. They enter the apartment making out but they didn't realize her father is there. Only her father doesn't even notice, his head is down and not facing the door. He is distraught over his broken Brennerman piano. The Brennerman piano is broken from when Didi had her party, in which Daisy helped clean up so nicely after her sister. Her father asks how this happened (how the piano broke) and Daisy takes the blame for her sister by saying "she had a few friends over". Seeing the Brennerman is broke, he tells Daisy that he will be taking that money she put in the envelope earlier (in which he gave back). The money will be taken out from the money she has been saving for the "dumb-ass audition" referring to The Conservative Music School audition fee. Daisy runs to her room. Daisy's dad says to Abbud, since he was standing there, to "Beat it, kid". Abbud doesn't and with a nasty look on his face, tell's Daisy's dad that he is wrong to do that, "Daisy would never leave you because she loves you too much and she knows you can't take it. Why don't you grow up". Instead, after that comment by Abbud, Daisy's dad leaves. Abbud goes to Daisy's room and grabs the money so she doesn't give it to her dad. They have sex. Afterwards you get an awkward vibe. Abbud says "I'm going to go", she says "sure", "mindless sex, right", they both say it. "Allah Akbar"
Cadie is doing better and is with Warren, they catch up with Abbud, Chris, Daisy and Stanley for just a little on the basketball court. Cadie sinks the ball into the basket without even looking, saying something like she pretends the basketball is super heated energy and the hoop is God waiting. This scene made no sense, except maybe to continue on that Cadie has been release and doing well with Warren. Stanley peace out.
Farley and Daisy are sitting at the Wheatley Wing of The Conservative Music School. They are waiting for their turn to audition. The school staff calls her and she goes in, he tells her to pay the deposit at the end of the hall and ask her which piece she will play. Daisy says Mozart and starts but then stops and says "Sorry, I can't do this", the guilt from her father has stopped her, she leaves without even beginning her performance. Farley is still sitting there after Daisy has left just enjoying the music when Daisy's father comes in and they talk. Farley explains "you're a lucky guy postman... kids like that, you better believe it".
Her dad comes home and Didi leads her dad into the living room, there sits a replacement piano, it's not a Brennerman, because Daisy could not afford it. The piano is a Luber. He says the Luber is a mighty fine instrument. He mentions something about needing the money for the rent, Daisy responds with an expression like oh the rent. He opens the lid to the keys and ask Daisy, if she has her axe, she says "Always". She sits next to him facing the opposite way while Didi looks on. It sets a mood for a happy family moment but also a sad one.
Contrary to the other "skins" characters, Daisy Valero has a more structured family life though of course, like every family, has issues.
Two more episodes left of "skins" Version U.S. - Season 1
It's actually a Busty Bacadillo that Stanley and Abbud are eating in, at least that's the logo on the shirt of Daisy who is currently a waitress. She is making money for her ambition. After work you see her come home to a building complex. She enters her apartment then begins to clean off the dinner table, does the dishes and puts away the cash she has made into an envelope filled with cash already in it. When those chores are done, she goes in to check on her sister, Didi. Didi is listening to music. Daisy tells her sister to correct her wrong homework questions. Didi is listening to a peer rapping and she starts to rap; Didi raps well. At this point, their father, Ham, comes home to find Didi rapping and tells them to cut that out. He disapproves of her rapping.I am admiring Daisy for her errand running responsibility side, because I also had a job when I was 15, but my money went to sneakers. And I sure as heck didn't come home to take care of chores.
Skip to the next scene, they are sitting at the dinner room table and Ham checks that envelope that Daisy has put cash into. It seems that envelope full of cash is Ham's mailman salary. It is to pay the bills and rent. He tells his daughter, he doesn't need her working and adding to his labor. He tells his daughter to keep the money, save it for your college fund. Daisy tells her dad that she will be using that money for The Conservative Music School. An album comes out and Daisy is looking at it, the artist on the CD shows "Lucia Lucero" in smaller letters "with Ham Valero". It turns out Lucia Lucero is Daisy's mom and her dad, Ham, both used to be pianist. You see Daisy leave the apartment late at night to go perform in a band, at like little blues spot (my first live music show was also at a little blues spot). She plays the trumpet. Another band member, Farley, is an old friend. Ham does not want that life for her daughter and grabs Daisy's horn after the performance is over. Two comments come from Daisy to her dad: "bend my horn, I'll leave and I'll never come back" and "it's no wonder she left you". He let's go and she storms out of the blues venue. Farley explains the only difference between Daisy and Lucia is that Daisy cares about people more, other than that she plays the trumpet well.
Daisy is sitting by the harbor contemplating why her father is on her case about pursuing music, when Abbud comes to talk to her, as a friend should come and talk to you when you're down. During the conversation, Abbud provides a small empathetic comment about his religion that answers Daisy's comment about rules and silence. In part of the conversation, Daisy offers Abbud No Strings Attached, "mindless gratification" sex at the harbor. Abbud is absolutely in joy of this and never stops in pursuit of it thereafter. They go back to Daisy's place but their plans are interrupted by Didi's party. At the party Didi is rapping and Tony's sister, Eura, is there making out with another boy. Abbud stops the party by going on the microphone shouting "Police! This is a raid. Everyone stay where you are." Everyone leaves and of course the clean up was done with the "skins" crew of friends as "cavalry". It's 1:30am and her father comes home at 4:00am in the morning. She says something like "you guys should get the bug out of your asses", she's referring to the Chlamydia, "and help me, you owe me for all that I've done for you guys", something like that. It is true in all the other episodes, she was not in the center of any of the crap that went on but a mediator. Earlier in this same episode, she was the mediator between Tea and Abbud, in which she actually became the backfire target of Tony who stepped in and overheard Daisy's comment of the whole friends and sex triangle relationship. Tony tells Daisy she works too much, and doesn't play enough. Teen drama!
On the second attempt to have sex Abbud is waiting for Daisy outside her building and Daisy says her sister comes home in 45 minutes, he reassures that it is plenty of time. They enter the apartment making out but they didn't realize her father is there. Only her father doesn't even notice, his head is down and not facing the door. He is distraught over his broken Brennerman piano. The Brennerman piano is broken from when Didi had her party, in which Daisy helped clean up so nicely after her sister. Her father asks how this happened (how the piano broke) and Daisy takes the blame for her sister by saying "she had a few friends over". Seeing the Brennerman is broke, he tells Daisy that he will be taking that money she put in the envelope earlier (in which he gave back). The money will be taken out from the money she has been saving for the "dumb-ass audition" referring to The Conservative Music School audition fee. Daisy runs to her room. Daisy's dad says to Abbud, since he was standing there, to "Beat it, kid". Abbud doesn't and with a nasty look on his face, tell's Daisy's dad that he is wrong to do that, "Daisy would never leave you because she loves you too much and she knows you can't take it. Why don't you grow up". Instead, after that comment by Abbud, Daisy's dad leaves. Abbud goes to Daisy's room and grabs the money so she doesn't give it to her dad. They have sex. Afterwards you get an awkward vibe. Abbud says "I'm going to go", she says "sure", "mindless sex, right", they both say it. "Allah Akbar"
Cadie is doing better and is with Warren, they catch up with Abbud, Chris, Daisy and Stanley for just a little on the basketball court. Cadie sinks the ball into the basket without even looking, saying something like she pretends the basketball is super heated energy and the hoop is God waiting. This scene made no sense, except maybe to continue on that Cadie has been release and doing well with Warren. Stanley peace out.
Farley and Daisy are sitting at the Wheatley Wing of The Conservative Music School. They are waiting for their turn to audition. The school staff calls her and she goes in, he tells her to pay the deposit at the end of the hall and ask her which piece she will play. Daisy says Mozart and starts but then stops and says "Sorry, I can't do this", the guilt from her father has stopped her, she leaves without even beginning her performance. Farley is still sitting there after Daisy has left just enjoying the music when Daisy's father comes in and they talk. Farley explains "you're a lucky guy postman... kids like that, you better believe it".
Her dad comes home and Didi leads her dad into the living room, there sits a replacement piano, it's not a Brennerman, because Daisy could not afford it. The piano is a Luber. He says the Luber is a mighty fine instrument. He mentions something about needing the money for the rent, Daisy responds with an expression like oh the rent. He opens the lid to the keys and ask Daisy, if she has her axe, she says "Always". She sits next to him facing the opposite way while Didi looks on. It sets a mood for a happy family moment but also a sad one.
Contrary to the other "skins" characters, Daisy Valero has a more structured family life though of course, like every family, has issues.
Two more episodes left of "skins" Version U.S. - Season 1
Watchmen (2009)
Warning: Spoilers Ahead (I recommend watching the movie first before reading)
Richard Nixon: "The United States does not start fights. Let it be clear we maintain our strength in order to maintain peace, so any adversary should ask themselves: Do the consequences of attacking America outweigh the potential benefits?"
Rorschach's journal, October 13th 1985
From the trailer you already know that the movie is about superheroes. When I saw the trailer on television in 2009 it didn't look interesting. I assumed the plot and characters were going to be dull. Exactly two years later I pick it up as a free movie from a kiosk and I recommend it. The summary of the movie already describes it as an investigation into a murder of a fellow superhero. The movie sets in the 1980s, when Nixon was President. It's the cold war and America have tensions with Russia. There are superheroes. The plot is that they are no longer active. Most of the superheroes are either retired or dead. Rorschach is the narrator. He is the investigator.
Rorschach:
(In a deep voice as one who sounds like acid reflux along with moonshine and cigarettes had burnt a bit of his lungs.)
"Edward Blake. The Comedian.
Born 1918.
Buried in the rain.
Murdered.
Is that what happens to us?
No time for friends?
Only our enemies leave roses?
Violent lives ending violently.
Blake understood . Humans are savage in nature. No matter how much you try to dress it up to disguise it. Blake saw society's true face, chose to be a parody of it. A joke. I heard a joke once.
Man goes to doctor, says he's depressed. Life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in a threatening world. Doctor says treatment is simple. "The great Pagliacci is in town. Go see him. That should pick you up."
Man burst into tears.
"But doctor," he says "I am Pagliacci"
Good joke.
Everybody laugh.
Roll on snare drum.
Curtains."
Edward Blake is a character that is more like an antihero rather than an actual hero. He is a women manipulator, a rapist, a murderer, drinks, smokes, he has no moral and what you would describe as a shoot 'em and ask questions later type of "hero". He goes against conformity and team spirit. He's a pessimist. He's a Black Op. for the government doing dirty work. I see him as a part of the portrayal of the American red neck or cowboy sort of character. Edward Blake represents part of the American culture.
Eddie Blake's would be woman Sally Jupiter, is the original Silk Spectre. I say "would be" because Eddie Blake's indecent behavior and the fact that he tried to rape her, caused Sally Jupiter to detest him instead of love him. In which she did.
Sally Jupiter: "Eddie Blake's funeral is today. Finally got his punchline, I guess.
Poor Eddie."
Laurie Jupiter: "Poor Eddie? After what he did to you?"
Sally Jupiter: "Oh, Laurie, you're still young. You don't know. Things change. What happened happened 40 years ago. I'm 67 years old. Everyday, the future looks a little darker. But the past... even the grimy parts of it... keep on getting brighter."
(Rape Scene)
Sally Jupiter: "Things are tough all over, cupcake. It rains on the just and the unjust alike. The Comedian was a little bit of both. And he always thought he'd get the last laugh."
(Funeral Scene)
In the end, Laurie Jupiter goes home.
Laurie Jupiter: "People's lives take them strange places.
They do strange things... and, well,
Sometimes they can't talk about them."
Sally Jupiter explains:
"You asked me why I wasn't mad at him.
Because he gave me you."
Laurie Jupiter:
"Thanks, Mom.
I love you."
Jon Osterman aka Dr. Manhattan, is a glowing blue physicist. He can control matter and see the past and future of himself and those around him. I guess his name comes from the Manhattan Project. It would seem he is another superhero. He holds the key to keeping nuclear war from destroying the human race.
During a television interview with Dr. Manhattan, the host of the show goes:
"Ms. Black, you have the first question."
Ms Black: "Dr. Manhattan, as you know the Doomsday Clock is a symbolic clock face analogizing humankind's proximity to extinction... midnight representing the threat of nuclear war. As of now, it stands at four minutes to midnight. Would you agree that we're that close to annihilation?"
Dr. Manhattan: "My father was a watchmaker. He abandoned it when Einstein discovered that time is relative. I would only agree that a symbolic clock is as nourishing to the intellect as a photograph of oxygen to a drowning man."
Ms Black: "So you're saying there is no danger."
Dr. Manhattan: "Even in a world without nuclear weapons, there would still be danger."
The character of Eddie Blake represents one side of the male American. Eddie Blake is the hedonistic carnage image of America, the side of America that has given up on right and value instead acting on share gratification. The reason I wanted to write about Dr. Manhattan is because he is a little more interestingly created by DC Comics. He was human, but not so any more, in the movie it is depicted he has evolved beyond basic human traits, not just in the form of matter but in mind as well. I once took a class in speaking. The way Dr. Manhattan speaks is as if in equally rhythmic sequence in between words, meaning he does not speak too fast or too slow. His speech is clear but a slant on the robot side. His expression as if based on logic and not answering by emotion. In the movie, it's questioned does he still have emotion, a bit of the human side left in him. To me Dr. Manhattan represents science and technology, not just American. The side of the world that has become saturated with it and has lost a little of it's human side. The smartest man has fount he still does.
This scene is from after the television interview. After Dr. Manhattan goes to Mars to seek a little escape from human agenda or complication. He brings Laurie with him.
Dr. Manhattan: "The streets are filled with death...
And the universe will not even notice. In my opinion, the existence of life is a highly overrated phenomenon. Just look around you. Mars gets along perfectly well without so much as a microorganism. Here, it's constant changing topographical map... flowing and shifting around the pole in ripples 10,000 years wide. So tell me... how would all of this be greatly improved by an oil pipeline? By a shopping mall?"
Laurie Jupiter: "So, it's too much to ask for a miracle?"
Dr. Manhattan: "Miracles, by their definition, are meaningless."
Laurie Jupiter: "Oh, God, Jon!"
Dr. Manhattan: "Only what can happen does happen."
Laurie Jupiter: "Just stop your bullshit."
(Dr. Manhattan does a mind trick and flashes Laurie with an image of her life. At this point she finds that The Comedian, Eddie Blake is her father. Laurie breaks down in tears and falls to the floor.)
Laurie Jupiter: "My life is just one big joke."
Dr. Manhattan: "I don't think your life is a joke"
Laurie Jupiter: "Yeah, well... I'm sorry if I don't trust your sense of humor."
Dr. Manhattan: "Will you smile if I admit I was wrong?"
Laurie Jupiter: "About What?"
Dr. Manhattan: "Miracles.
Events with astronomical odds of occurring... like oxygen turning into gold. I've longed to witness such an event, and yet I neglect that in human coupling millions upon millions of cells compete to create life for generation after generation until finally, your mother loves a man... Edward Blake, The Comedian, a man she has every reason to hate and out of that contradiction against unfathomable odds... it's you. Only you that emerged. To distill so specific a form from all that chaos is like turning air into gold. A miracle.
And so... I was wrong. Now dry your eyes, and let's go home."
They go home to find New York City has been the center of a nuclear attack, but it's not by the Russians, it's the power that the smartest man in the world, Ozymandias, has harnessed from Dr. Manhattan.
And the plot not only comes to it's climax but is fount by our investigators that it's Ozymandias who is the villain, or is he? They travel to the arctic where Ozymandias (heroes name taken from the Egyptian sonnet) is hiding. They confront him and battle. In the battle they find that Ozymandias is the one who planned all of these events to occur. In order to prevent nuclear war, Ozymandias plan is in order to have "A world united and at peace. There had to be a sacrifice" -Ozymandias. The millions that died in New York City and the heroes that died with them had to "sacrifice" their lives so that America and Russia would come to terms of peace. The plan worked, knowing Russia didn't send the nuclear attack, Dr. Manhattan is blamed and leaves earth.
Rorschach: "Out of my way. People have to be told."
Dr. Manhattan: "You know I can't let you do that." (It would seem that Ozymandias already had in his plan that Dr. Manhattan would in logic take the blame, for the better of preventing nuclear war.)
Rorschach: "Suddenly you discover humanity? Convenient."
Dr. Manhattan: "I can change almost anything... but I can't change human nature."
As Dan Dreiberg (Nite Owl the second) attacks Ozymandias, Ozymandias doesn't fight back because his job is done, he has prevented nuclear war but at a cost...
Dan Dreiberg: "No! You haven't idealized mankind, you're deformed it. You've mutilated it. That's your legacy. That's the real practical joke."
Richard Nixon: "The United States does not start fights. Let it be clear we maintain our strength in order to maintain peace, so any adversary should ask themselves: Do the consequences of attacking America outweigh the potential benefits?"
Rorschach's journal, October 13th 1985
From the trailer you already know that the movie is about superheroes. When I saw the trailer on television in 2009 it didn't look interesting. I assumed the plot and characters were going to be dull. Exactly two years later I pick it up as a free movie from a kiosk and I recommend it. The summary of the movie already describes it as an investigation into a murder of a fellow superhero. The movie sets in the 1980s, when Nixon was President. It's the cold war and America have tensions with Russia. There are superheroes. The plot is that they are no longer active. Most of the superheroes are either retired or dead. Rorschach is the narrator. He is the investigator.
Rorschach:
(In a deep voice as one who sounds like acid reflux along with moonshine and cigarettes had burnt a bit of his lungs.)
"Edward Blake. The Comedian.
Born 1918.
Buried in the rain.
Murdered.
Is that what happens to us?
No time for friends?
Only our enemies leave roses?
Violent lives ending violently.
Blake understood . Humans are savage in nature. No matter how much you try to dress it up to disguise it. Blake saw society's true face, chose to be a parody of it. A joke. I heard a joke once.
Man goes to doctor, says he's depressed. Life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in a threatening world. Doctor says treatment is simple. "The great Pagliacci is in town. Go see him. That should pick you up."
Man burst into tears.
"But doctor," he says "I am Pagliacci"
Good joke.
Everybody laugh.
Roll on snare drum.
Curtains."
Edward Blake is a character that is more like an antihero rather than an actual hero. He is a women manipulator, a rapist, a murderer, drinks, smokes, he has no moral and what you would describe as a shoot 'em and ask questions later type of "hero". He goes against conformity and team spirit. He's a pessimist. He's a Black Op. for the government doing dirty work. I see him as a part of the portrayal of the American red neck or cowboy sort of character. Edward Blake represents part of the American culture.
Eddie Blake's would be woman Sally Jupiter, is the original Silk Spectre. I say "would be" because Eddie Blake's indecent behavior and the fact that he tried to rape her, caused Sally Jupiter to detest him instead of love him. In which she did.
Sally Jupiter: "Eddie Blake's funeral is today. Finally got his punchline, I guess.
Poor Eddie."
Laurie Jupiter: "Poor Eddie? After what he did to you?"
Sally Jupiter: "Oh, Laurie, you're still young. You don't know. Things change. What happened happened 40 years ago. I'm 67 years old. Everyday, the future looks a little darker. But the past... even the grimy parts of it... keep on getting brighter."
(Rape Scene)
Sally Jupiter: "Things are tough all over, cupcake. It rains on the just and the unjust alike. The Comedian was a little bit of both. And he always thought he'd get the last laugh."
(Funeral Scene)
In the end, Laurie Jupiter goes home.
Laurie Jupiter: "People's lives take them strange places.
They do strange things... and, well,
Sometimes they can't talk about them."
Sally Jupiter explains:
"You asked me why I wasn't mad at him.
Because he gave me you."
Laurie Jupiter:
"Thanks, Mom.
I love you."
Jon Osterman aka Dr. Manhattan, is a glowing blue physicist. He can control matter and see the past and future of himself and those around him. I guess his name comes from the Manhattan Project. It would seem he is another superhero. He holds the key to keeping nuclear war from destroying the human race.
During a television interview with Dr. Manhattan, the host of the show goes:
"Ms. Black, you have the first question."
Ms Black: "Dr. Manhattan, as you know the Doomsday Clock is a symbolic clock face analogizing humankind's proximity to extinction... midnight representing the threat of nuclear war. As of now, it stands at four minutes to midnight. Would you agree that we're that close to annihilation?"
Dr. Manhattan: "My father was a watchmaker. He abandoned it when Einstein discovered that time is relative. I would only agree that a symbolic clock is as nourishing to the intellect as a photograph of oxygen to a drowning man."
Ms Black: "So you're saying there is no danger."
Dr. Manhattan: "Even in a world without nuclear weapons, there would still be danger."
The character of Eddie Blake represents one side of the male American. Eddie Blake is the hedonistic carnage image of America, the side of America that has given up on right and value instead acting on share gratification. The reason I wanted to write about Dr. Manhattan is because he is a little more interestingly created by DC Comics. He was human, but not so any more, in the movie it is depicted he has evolved beyond basic human traits, not just in the form of matter but in mind as well. I once took a class in speaking. The way Dr. Manhattan speaks is as if in equally rhythmic sequence in between words, meaning he does not speak too fast or too slow. His speech is clear but a slant on the robot side. His expression as if based on logic and not answering by emotion. In the movie, it's questioned does he still have emotion, a bit of the human side left in him. To me Dr. Manhattan represents science and technology, not just American. The side of the world that has become saturated with it and has lost a little of it's human side. The smartest man has fount he still does.
This scene is from after the television interview. After Dr. Manhattan goes to Mars to seek a little escape from human agenda or complication. He brings Laurie with him.
Dr. Manhattan: "The streets are filled with death...
And the universe will not even notice. In my opinion, the existence of life is a highly overrated phenomenon. Just look around you. Mars gets along perfectly well without so much as a microorganism. Here, it's constant changing topographical map... flowing and shifting around the pole in ripples 10,000 years wide. So tell me... how would all of this be greatly improved by an oil pipeline? By a shopping mall?"
Laurie Jupiter: "So, it's too much to ask for a miracle?"
Dr. Manhattan: "Miracles, by their definition, are meaningless."
Laurie Jupiter: "Oh, God, Jon!"
Dr. Manhattan: "Only what can happen does happen."
Laurie Jupiter: "Just stop your bullshit."
(Dr. Manhattan does a mind trick and flashes Laurie with an image of her life. At this point she finds that The Comedian, Eddie Blake is her father. Laurie breaks down in tears and falls to the floor.)
Laurie Jupiter: "My life is just one big joke."
Dr. Manhattan: "I don't think your life is a joke"
Laurie Jupiter: "Yeah, well... I'm sorry if I don't trust your sense of humor."
Dr. Manhattan: "Will you smile if I admit I was wrong?"
Laurie Jupiter: "About What?"
Dr. Manhattan: "Miracles.
Events with astronomical odds of occurring... like oxygen turning into gold. I've longed to witness such an event, and yet I neglect that in human coupling millions upon millions of cells compete to create life for generation after generation until finally, your mother loves a man... Edward Blake, The Comedian, a man she has every reason to hate and out of that contradiction against unfathomable odds... it's you. Only you that emerged. To distill so specific a form from all that chaos is like turning air into gold. A miracle.
And so... I was wrong. Now dry your eyes, and let's go home."
They go home to find New York City has been the center of a nuclear attack, but it's not by the Russians, it's the power that the smartest man in the world, Ozymandias, has harnessed from Dr. Manhattan.
And the plot not only comes to it's climax but is fount by our investigators that it's Ozymandias who is the villain, or is he? They travel to the arctic where Ozymandias (heroes name taken from the Egyptian sonnet) is hiding. They confront him and battle. In the battle they find that Ozymandias is the one who planned all of these events to occur. In order to prevent nuclear war, Ozymandias plan is in order to have "A world united and at peace. There had to be a sacrifice" -Ozymandias. The millions that died in New York City and the heroes that died with them had to "sacrifice" their lives so that America and Russia would come to terms of peace. The plan worked, knowing Russia didn't send the nuclear attack, Dr. Manhattan is blamed and leaves earth.
Rorschach: "Out of my way. People have to be told."
Dr. Manhattan: "You know I can't let you do that." (It would seem that Ozymandias already had in his plan that Dr. Manhattan would in logic take the blame, for the better of preventing nuclear war.)
Rorschach: "Suddenly you discover humanity? Convenient."
Dr. Manhattan: "I can change almost anything... but I can't change human nature."
As Dan Dreiberg (Nite Owl the second) attacks Ozymandias, Ozymandias doesn't fight back because his job is done, he has prevented nuclear war but at a cost...
Dan Dreiberg: "No! You haven't idealized mankind, you're deformed it. You've mutilated it. That's your legacy. That's the real practical joke."
Monday, March 7, 2011
The Matrix
Ultimately we are a slave to a system no matter how wealthy or how we try to avert the systems that have been created. The popular movies like The Matrix series gave thought into the possibility of technology on a different realm and even a bit of religion: with the Force being an old religion in Star Wars and Neo having special exceptions then bringing about the finale with Zion
(Shortened Version)
That man destroy life is just as miraculous a feat as that he can create it, for life is the miracle, the inexplicable. In the act of destruction, man sets himself above life; he transcends himself as a creature. Thus, is to create or to destroy, to love or to hate. -Erich Fromm
(Shortened Version)
That man destroy life is just as miraculous a feat as that he can create it, for life is the miracle, the inexplicable. In the act of destruction, man sets himself above life; he transcends himself as a creature. Thus, is to create or to destroy, to love or to hate. -Erich Fromm
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Gangland
In 1992, when the movie South Central came out, it was very impacting on the way I viewed a culture half way across the country and the neighborhood that I lived in. In my neighborhood there were no big gangs, maybe little groups of mischievous kids, in which I was probably apart of one of them. I was probably starting Junior High School about then, very influenced by the things I saw around me. In those days I had two groups of friends, the ones around my neighborhood and the ones from school. It was the early '90s and a bit of the '80s had a influence on the times. The two groups did not intertwine. Both groups got into bad habits. Unfortunately, since both my parents worked, most of my upbringing was based on outside the family influence. The friends I had around the neighborhood were a bit older than me, in High School and a few even older. The age gap varied ten to twenty years. The friends I had from school I met in elementary school and some anew.
Of course the friends I knew first were the ones around my neighborhood. They consisted of mostly Chinese and a couple of Ecuadorians, most good kids. We would ride our bicycles around the block, have water gun fights, check out a movie at the theater, play Atari or Nintendo, trade baseball cards and other activities. A few years later it wasn't as nice as the first introduction when everyone didn't know each other and we came together because of the closeness of the area and familiar faces. The group of friends from the neighborhood have parted ways a little and the close friendship only consisting of "hi" and simple rhetorical "how are you". The first reason is because as we play together we play with each other's toys or what friends have. It seems that when you play with your friends things happen and things break, not on purpose of course. Friends argue and come across differences. The second is status or how one changes through life influences. Such as taking part in joining a gang and they bring that influence back to the neighborhood. Born To Kill aka B.T.K. was a small Asian gang I had associated with at a younger age. No I was not in the gang, but I became friends with a few. Of course someone as young as ten to fifteen you don't have much decision making based on morals or logical decisions. A young persons decision is based on what's around or primal decision making. There was this kid about ten years older than me, he had the nicest bicycle on the block, the chromed out ones with hot rims. He had a brother that was even older that we all knew and respected because he was like amongst the two oldest around the neighborhood. He disappeared for a while. He came back different, not just an average kid but he had spiked hair that was shaded a little blue and a badder attitude. As a young kid, you think stuff like was cool. We didn't realize he had joined B.T.K. until he started showing off his butterfly knives and tiny little small handgun.
In the later parts of elementary school, my two friends were a Bangladesh kid and a Vietnamese kid. The Bangladesh young man was a good kid and we played on the school courts as normal friends. We would remain friends until beginning of High School. The Vietnamese young man I still know and we are both different men now. The Vietnamese friend was a good guy at heart, great guy really, but within his circle of friends also included other Vietnamese friends along with a Brazilian kid and Mexican friends, which became my friends also. The latter part of the previous statement is where the bad seed came in, not so much because of race but because that's who they were. The area of Astoria, New York City is a small neighborhood. It consist of a few hundred or so blocks, I would estimate. It's area is a nice residential family like area to live. However, within this area, the Queensbridge and Ravenswood (though not as bad or as how notorious NAS made the Queensbridge) housing projects are only a few blocks away. The affordable run down houses are also a few streets away. The area is a very diverse neighborhood. We use to run around it and cause mischief and trouble. It got to the point where we almost became organized: the one who could commit the baddest acts would lead or be the top of our group.
The movie South Central is about the Crip gang. In the movie, instead of going by Crips, they used "Deuce". It starts off with the main character Bobby Johnson being released from prison being picked up by his set of three Deuces. The driver is his right hand man and inspiration for the gang, Ray Ray. Ray Ray seems to be the charismatic leader. They meet outside Bobby's old crib and this is where you find Bobby's son and his "baby's momma". They come by a local drug dealer: Genie Lamp. Genie Lamp is a local dealer, an average one. The idea Ray Ray has is that Deuce will grow to take over all the dealers like Genie Lamp and turn Deuce into one big organization. In the end he says Deuce is about 50,000 strong. Not too long after Bobby's release, he "puts in work" by killing Genie Lamp then goes into hiding. It's not good enough because his friends get him arrested and he is grilled by a detective causing him to do prison time for ten years. While in prison he finds that Ray Ray is managing things selfishly, duh. Maybe one day there will be a gang that runs things fair and square with moral and responsibility. Bobby's son, Jimmie, is being raised by his mom by herself. Jimmie still has the Deuce influence with his young peers and is recruited by Ray Ray as a car stereo thief. He does well but upon stealing Willie Manchester's car stereo he gets shot in the back. Jimmie Johnson goes through rehabilitation. As Bobby Johnson learns his son has been shot through the fault of Ray Ray and the news that Ray Ray has turned the gang into his own selfish enterprise, he separates from the Deuces. Being alone in prison gets him in trouble with the Aryan Brotherhood. He is working to get paroled, he accomplishes it, but luckily only through a Muslim (Malcolm X like) set of prison inmates who buys his freedom with fifteen cartons of cigarettes and some laundry services. He studies the ways of black history reformist and learns to free his mind from hatred through words, As-Salamu Alaykum (peace unto you). One scene shows as an Aryan inmate brings him shoes to shine as part of his freedom contract, he gets up as to fight, but then sits down because of the peace he has just learned. The show is a little unreal because in the end, when he gets paroled, he confronts Ray Ray and wins back the freedom of him and his son; Willie Manchester is set free, end the scene with Ray Ray in his hide out putting the gun back into his back pants, all through the power of talk and a little love.
I saw this movie as a kid and loved the gang side of the film. I loved how when he was about to get jumped, all he had to do was throw Deuce signs and the other kids backed off. Nine years later, as an adult, re-watching it, I loved the inspiration of how Bobby Johnson was reformed and took back his son through knowledge that people can change. I feel very fortunate to have not had to make those decisions, though has come close. It's amazing that one culture can travel into the homes of young children to be enticed by such power and be rich quick but behind it is a deadly influence. In 1995, a storm of people getting cut in the face took the news of New York City. The bloods have come to New York City but not really the Los Angeles Bloods gang. It seems that in 1993, the UBN (United Blood Nation) was formed as an adaptation in the name of the West Coast gang. UBN (The Eastcoast Bloods) formed in Riker's Island prison (at the upper end of Astoria) started having recruitment by slashing the faces of innocent people. A friend of a family member who was attending Bronx Science High School was slashed in the face for his backpack. These are influences that never leave me. One of my former favorite music artist was Snoop Doggy Dogg and Kurupt. I think the first mentioned was the one who made the Crips well known, it spread the blind word to blank headed youths about 'banging. I know I was intrigued by it at a young age. There are so many youths that fall into it or can't escape it because the influence is so strong.
Of course the friends I knew first were the ones around my neighborhood. They consisted of mostly Chinese and a couple of Ecuadorians, most good kids. We would ride our bicycles around the block, have water gun fights, check out a movie at the theater, play Atari or Nintendo, trade baseball cards and other activities. A few years later it wasn't as nice as the first introduction when everyone didn't know each other and we came together because of the closeness of the area and familiar faces. The group of friends from the neighborhood have parted ways a little and the close friendship only consisting of "hi" and simple rhetorical "how are you". The first reason is because as we play together we play with each other's toys or what friends have. It seems that when you play with your friends things happen and things break, not on purpose of course. Friends argue and come across differences. The second is status or how one changes through life influences. Such as taking part in joining a gang and they bring that influence back to the neighborhood. Born To Kill aka B.T.K. was a small Asian gang I had associated with at a younger age. No I was not in the gang, but I became friends with a few. Of course someone as young as ten to fifteen you don't have much decision making based on morals or logical decisions. A young persons decision is based on what's around or primal decision making. There was this kid about ten years older than me, he had the nicest bicycle on the block, the chromed out ones with hot rims. He had a brother that was even older that we all knew and respected because he was like amongst the two oldest around the neighborhood. He disappeared for a while. He came back different, not just an average kid but he had spiked hair that was shaded a little blue and a badder attitude. As a young kid, you think stuff like was cool. We didn't realize he had joined B.T.K. until he started showing off his butterfly knives and tiny little small handgun.
In the later parts of elementary school, my two friends were a Bangladesh kid and a Vietnamese kid. The Bangladesh young man was a good kid and we played on the school courts as normal friends. We would remain friends until beginning of High School. The Vietnamese young man I still know and we are both different men now. The Vietnamese friend was a good guy at heart, great guy really, but within his circle of friends also included other Vietnamese friends along with a Brazilian kid and Mexican friends, which became my friends also. The latter part of the previous statement is where the bad seed came in, not so much because of race but because that's who they were. The area of Astoria, New York City is a small neighborhood. It consist of a few hundred or so blocks, I would estimate. It's area is a nice residential family like area to live. However, within this area, the Queensbridge and Ravenswood (though not as bad or as how notorious NAS made the Queensbridge) housing projects are only a few blocks away. The affordable run down houses are also a few streets away. The area is a very diverse neighborhood. We use to run around it and cause mischief and trouble. It got to the point where we almost became organized: the one who could commit the baddest acts would lead or be the top of our group.
The movie South Central is about the Crip gang. In the movie, instead of going by Crips, they used "Deuce". It starts off with the main character Bobby Johnson being released from prison being picked up by his set of three Deuces. The driver is his right hand man and inspiration for the gang, Ray Ray. Ray Ray seems to be the charismatic leader. They meet outside Bobby's old crib and this is where you find Bobby's son and his "baby's momma". They come by a local drug dealer: Genie Lamp. Genie Lamp is a local dealer, an average one. The idea Ray Ray has is that Deuce will grow to take over all the dealers like Genie Lamp and turn Deuce into one big organization. In the end he says Deuce is about 50,000 strong. Not too long after Bobby's release, he "puts in work" by killing Genie Lamp then goes into hiding. It's not good enough because his friends get him arrested and he is grilled by a detective causing him to do prison time for ten years. While in prison he finds that Ray Ray is managing things selfishly, duh. Maybe one day there will be a gang that runs things fair and square with moral and responsibility. Bobby's son, Jimmie, is being raised by his mom by herself. Jimmie still has the Deuce influence with his young peers and is recruited by Ray Ray as a car stereo thief. He does well but upon stealing Willie Manchester's car stereo he gets shot in the back. Jimmie Johnson goes through rehabilitation. As Bobby Johnson learns his son has been shot through the fault of Ray Ray and the news that Ray Ray has turned the gang into his own selfish enterprise, he separates from the Deuces. Being alone in prison gets him in trouble with the Aryan Brotherhood. He is working to get paroled, he accomplishes it, but luckily only through a Muslim (Malcolm X like) set of prison inmates who buys his freedom with fifteen cartons of cigarettes and some laundry services. He studies the ways of black history reformist and learns to free his mind from hatred through words, As-Salamu Alaykum (peace unto you). One scene shows as an Aryan inmate brings him shoes to shine as part of his freedom contract, he gets up as to fight, but then sits down because of the peace he has just learned. The show is a little unreal because in the end, when he gets paroled, he confronts Ray Ray and wins back the freedom of him and his son; Willie Manchester is set free, end the scene with Ray Ray in his hide out putting the gun back into his back pants, all through the power of talk and a little love.
I saw this movie as a kid and loved the gang side of the film. I loved how when he was about to get jumped, all he had to do was throw Deuce signs and the other kids backed off. Nine years later, as an adult, re-watching it, I loved the inspiration of how Bobby Johnson was reformed and took back his son through knowledge that people can change. I feel very fortunate to have not had to make those decisions, though has come close. It's amazing that one culture can travel into the homes of young children to be enticed by such power and be rich quick but behind it is a deadly influence. In 1995, a storm of people getting cut in the face took the news of New York City. The bloods have come to New York City but not really the Los Angeles Bloods gang. It seems that in 1993, the UBN (United Blood Nation) was formed as an adaptation in the name of the West Coast gang. UBN (The Eastcoast Bloods) formed in Riker's Island prison (at the upper end of Astoria) started having recruitment by slashing the faces of innocent people. A friend of a family member who was attending Bronx Science High School was slashed in the face for his backpack. These are influences that never leave me. One of my former favorite music artist was Snoop Doggy Dogg and Kurupt. I think the first mentioned was the one who made the Crips well known, it spread the blind word to blank headed youths about 'banging. I know I was intrigued by it at a young age. There are so many youths that fall into it or can't escape it because the influence is so strong.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
skins - 7th - Michelle
Spidey Pig, Spidey Pig. Sorry was watching parts of The Simpsons Movie before "skins" (US Version) the seventh episode came on...
The show starts out with the skins crew in Pacha, oh I forget they are in Baltimore... make it Sonar. Michelle is screaming to Tony that she loves him, but he can't hear her because the rave or nightclub's music is too loud.
The next morning Tony wakes up in bed next to Michelle at her mom's house. She goes to the kitchen and asks her mom: how do you know when you stop loving someone? Her mom replies something like: when it get's complicated and smelly. I didn't catch the precise wording, I was making a snack. Her mom is no longer with the child molester from the previous episode. She is now with Jackson, I mean Jason, Jackson was someone else. It's already plotted that Michelle's mom is a whore who hates when they get "clingy". Later she is no longer with Jason, she is with Rick (who she gets rid of to show that no man tells her what to do, to show that she is not dependant on any man) then later going on a date with her OB/GYN. She explains to her daughter, Michelle, that's her problem, you love.
Prior to this scene, Michelle has visited the same OB/GYN for an exam. Michelle and her mom share the same specialist. While in the school cafeteria Michelle gets a call being informed she has Chlamydia. Michelle freaks out and physically drops Tony to the ground, their friends look on, especially Tea who is looking on with a look of "Uh Oh!". One of the great parts to the acting in this show is that the facial expression of these characters are liked stoned out until the time to give that subtle hint of expression on an issue that just occurred. Michelle is now taking Doxycycline. Michelle is informed through Daisy that not only is Tony sleeping with the girl from the All Girls School recital but several others from the school they are attending, though she left out Tea (maybe she doesn't know). Michelle is at this point shown as oblivious or just didn't care that her beau was cheating on her. The school counselor that Michelle has also states that her grades are all "C"s and "D"s. The school counselor analyzes it as Michelle's bad grades are due to her popularity status, keeping up with her boyfriend and worry on appearance, ah High School nostalgia.
In Michelle's defense, Stanley confronts Tony by taking a swing at him in the bathroom; Tony moves and Stanley slams his face against the stall wall busting his nose. Stanley still cares for Cadie, upon web cam conferencing he finds that Cadie has been released from being institutionalized and is now with a Warren. Michelle enters class calling Tony a "Douche". Tony in return calls her by the nickname she hates "Nips", it made her livid. She screams out that he should put a sock in it (his penis) and screams that all the ladies should be careful because Tony has a serious case of STD. She physically gets up and goes over to Tony and upon returning she storms and knocks Tea's purse down to have the very same Doxycycline prescription fall out of Tea's purse. Tea has a look on her face of guilt and runs out of class. End the scene with Michelle sitting alone concentrating on her work. In the next scene: the upside for Stanley is Michelle comes to visit Stanley to show some love after finding Tony is a cheater. It's fount in this episode that before Tony came into the picture, Michelle and "Stanny" (his old nickname) were really good friend, thus so to have a prince and princess relationship. But Stanley messes up by having an American Pie "too soon" moment on Michelle's visit.
When Michelle finally goes home Tea is waiting there, this is the second visit. The first Michelle did not know, but after spilling the Doxycycline, on this visit Michelle knows and they speak to each other. But it's mostly from Michelle's angle. She goes "You didn't think I notice, but I did notice. Tea this is actually the first time I ever seen you cry" (In a sarcastic angered wicked witch tone), she goes into the house and slams the door. Tony visits and as if Michelle were foolish again to accept the apology, he states we should get back to together, "you love me". She does not confirm. After they have sex, instead she goes "I want you to leave and never come back, leave the keys." Tony asks then what was this? She replies, "you're STD compatible". Tony goes "don't do this" and she replies "it's you who loves me. good luck with all your shit". In the Final scene, Michelle is with Tea's lesbian lover, Betty. Betty introduces the Chinatown bus to Boston for thirteen dollars and they are off. "a place where they can be left alone and no one will bother them".
NC17 means No One 17 And Under Admitted by the Motion Picture Association of America's Classification and Rating Administration. skins is rated MA, Mature Audiences. It would seem I'm not the only one watching it because I have seen several reviews on it including the Entertainment section of http://www.nj.com/ and http://www.wetpaint.com/. All the details I have written about does not come from any other site, just me watching. It would seem before I even took initiative to just write about skins, it already hit the spinning fan with heavy reviews. In the February 7th 2011 issue of New York Magazine compared it to Glee with teen drama Gossip Girls (shamelessly when I first heard of Glee, I said what is that?). "Don't write off "skins" just yet it's got greasy, amoral potential." "By the time this essay comes out, you'll have been through the full hype cycle for MTV's Skins twice, whether you like it or not. Even before the teen soap opera aired, it had been designated the moral outrage of the month, with the Parents Television Council accusing MTV of making kiddie porn,..." I never liked daytime soap opera like All My Children but skins intrigues my neurons. Previously before "Michelle" was "Abbud". Next on episode eight of the ten: "Daisy".
The show starts out with the skins crew in Pacha, oh I forget they are in Baltimore... make it Sonar. Michelle is screaming to Tony that she loves him, but he can't hear her because the rave or nightclub's music is too loud.
The next morning Tony wakes up in bed next to Michelle at her mom's house. She goes to the kitchen and asks her mom: how do you know when you stop loving someone? Her mom replies something like: when it get's complicated and smelly. I didn't catch the precise wording, I was making a snack. Her mom is no longer with the child molester from the previous episode. She is now with Jackson, I mean Jason, Jackson was someone else. It's already plotted that Michelle's mom is a whore who hates when they get "clingy". Later she is no longer with Jason, she is with Rick (who she gets rid of to show that no man tells her what to do, to show that she is not dependant on any man) then later going on a date with her OB/GYN. She explains to her daughter, Michelle, that's her problem, you love.
Prior to this scene, Michelle has visited the same OB/GYN for an exam. Michelle and her mom share the same specialist. While in the school cafeteria Michelle gets a call being informed she has Chlamydia. Michelle freaks out and physically drops Tony to the ground, their friends look on, especially Tea who is looking on with a look of "Uh Oh!". One of the great parts to the acting in this show is that the facial expression of these characters are liked stoned out until the time to give that subtle hint of expression on an issue that just occurred. Michelle is now taking Doxycycline. Michelle is informed through Daisy that not only is Tony sleeping with the girl from the All Girls School recital but several others from the school they are attending, though she left out Tea (maybe she doesn't know). Michelle is at this point shown as oblivious or just didn't care that her beau was cheating on her. The school counselor that Michelle has also states that her grades are all "C"s and "D"s. The school counselor analyzes it as Michelle's bad grades are due to her popularity status, keeping up with her boyfriend and worry on appearance, ah High School nostalgia.
In Michelle's defense, Stanley confronts Tony by taking a swing at him in the bathroom; Tony moves and Stanley slams his face against the stall wall busting his nose. Stanley still cares for Cadie, upon web cam conferencing he finds that Cadie has been released from being institutionalized and is now with a Warren. Michelle enters class calling Tony a "Douche". Tony in return calls her by the nickname she hates "Nips", it made her livid. She screams out that he should put a sock in it (his penis) and screams that all the ladies should be careful because Tony has a serious case of STD. She physically gets up and goes over to Tony and upon returning she storms and knocks Tea's purse down to have the very same Doxycycline prescription fall out of Tea's purse. Tea has a look on her face of guilt and runs out of class. End the scene with Michelle sitting alone concentrating on her work. In the next scene: the upside for Stanley is Michelle comes to visit Stanley to show some love after finding Tony is a cheater. It's fount in this episode that before Tony came into the picture, Michelle and "Stanny" (his old nickname) were really good friend, thus so to have a prince and princess relationship. But Stanley messes up by having an American Pie "too soon" moment on Michelle's visit.
When Michelle finally goes home Tea is waiting there, this is the second visit. The first Michelle did not know, but after spilling the Doxycycline, on this visit Michelle knows and they speak to each other. But it's mostly from Michelle's angle. She goes "You didn't think I notice, but I did notice. Tea this is actually the first time I ever seen you cry" (In a sarcastic angered wicked witch tone), she goes into the house and slams the door. Tony visits and as if Michelle were foolish again to accept the apology, he states we should get back to together, "you love me". She does not confirm. After they have sex, instead she goes "I want you to leave and never come back, leave the keys." Tony asks then what was this? She replies, "you're STD compatible". Tony goes "don't do this" and she replies "it's you who loves me. good luck with all your shit". In the Final scene, Michelle is with Tea's lesbian lover, Betty. Betty introduces the Chinatown bus to Boston for thirteen dollars and they are off. "a place where they can be left alone and no one will bother them".
NC17 means No One 17 And Under Admitted by the Motion Picture Association of America's Classification and Rating Administration. skins is rated MA, Mature Audiences. It would seem I'm not the only one watching it because I have seen several reviews on it including the Entertainment section of http://www.nj.com/ and http://www.wetpaint.com/. All the details I have written about does not come from any other site, just me watching. It would seem before I even took initiative to just write about skins, it already hit the spinning fan with heavy reviews. In the February 7th 2011 issue of New York Magazine compared it to Glee with teen drama Gossip Girls (shamelessly when I first heard of Glee, I said what is that?). "Don't write off "skins" just yet it's got greasy, amoral potential." "By the time this essay comes out, you'll have been through the full hype cycle for MTV's Skins twice, whether you like it or not. Even before the teen soap opera aired, it had been designated the moral outrage of the month, with the Parents Television Council accusing MTV of making kiddie porn,..." I never liked daytime soap opera like All My Children but skins intrigues my neurons. Previously before "Michelle" was "Abbud". Next on episode eight of the ten: "Daisy".
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