Week over, initiate weekend chill mode!

A hectic week is over and I'm all set to embrace the weekend with open arms and a bottomless cup. The weather is getting warmer so it's time to shed the hermit status, get your ass outside and do something active, or if you choose to linger in laziness at least do it outdoors.

Now, please allow me to feed your thoughts with pointless nonsense and some cool stuff worth checking out....

Lions, tigers and project buildings, oh my! 
 
So I was listening to some news tidbits and there was talk of a new epidemic plaguing project buildings across the nation. It seems like more and more people are getting in trouble for housing wild animals in their apartment buildings. And I'm not just talking about housing some ferrets or some dogs they picked up off the street, but Lions, Tigers and all types of Jungle dwellers. Seriously, what the hell would possess someone who lives in a one bedroom apartment to try and hide a lion in their bedroom? I know it can be pretty bad in the PJs, but do you really need a Lion to ward off invaders? I'm sure they make excellent guard animals, but there is probably a 99% chance that it will kill or maul you before anyone even decides to break into your place. Some poor soul that actually tried to hide a lion in his apartment was in fact attacked by it. When he went to the hospital they questioned the wounds to which he said his dog attacked him. Being that the man had talon marks across his flesh that resembled a samurai sword's incisions they decided to go and investigate. To their surprise upon entering his apartment they found all types of wild exotic animals and a damned lion. It's pretty funny, but it also shows the level of stupidity in which some people operate.

If I even had the mere thought of attempting something this idiotic then I'm going all out. I'll shock everyone by being the first person to hide a wild Rhino in my apartment. Imagine the cops getting complaint of strange noises and going into investigate. They bust down the door and see a man sitting onto of a rhino like this:

I'm sure they would be so perplexed by that vision they would probably just close the door and walk away. A story that would become legend around the world. And if they decided to take you down, with nothing to lose, you can always charge them.

Lauryn Hill to Nicki Minaj?!?

 Let's completely disregard the fact that Nicki Minaj's voice is absolutely irritating and I'd rather listen to the sounds of grinding metal. She's insanely popular at the moment and has become the new IT girl of not just hip hop but music in general with various artists throwing her on their album for mass appeal. Her quirky, off the wall style is definitely different compared to other female rappers of today, but no different than what Missy Elliot was doing in the late 90s and so on.

Regardless of her so-called original style there truly is nothing about her that says "Musical Genius," nor does she display any exceptional talents from a hip hop perspective that will surely help her career last for generations to come. Enter Lauryn Hill. To me their are female rappers and then there is Lauryn Hill. Miss Hill is not a rapper that embraced the true essence of hip hop with lyrical abilities that can rival some of the greatest male emcees of all time, but she embraced music as a whole. She could rhyme, she could sing with a vocal range that easily placed her in the list amongst some of the top female artists of her time, she could play the guitar, compose songs with a cause and deeper meaning, she was music and art. Easily one of the most talented ARTISTS to ever grace radio. There is a reason she won about 40 grammy awards for her debut solo album.

This is not a blatant attack on Nicki Minaj, but music of today as a whole. How does one go from Lauryn Hill to Nicki Minaj, from SoundGarden to Blink 182, from Madonna to Britney Spears and so forth?

I don't know, maybe I'm trapped in the old school era and just don't understand the music of today making me incapable of embracing the change.

Regardless whether you heard it before or never have, do yourself a favor and pop in a copy of "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" and enjoy the flashback of music true musical artistry.

Other stuff of Non-Suckery

Weeds - Season 1-6 - A brilliant comedic drama about a down and out mother from the Suburbs that becomes a pot dealer to help support her and her family's above average lifestyle. Each season is better than the last with excellent twists and and turns that keep you anticipating the next episode each time. Superb writing supported by a stellar cast of characters make this a must see. I started watching this as the 6th season was coming to an end and ran through all seasons until I pretty much caught up. Each episode is just under 30 minutes in length with 12 episodes to a season making this a very quick and easy watch.

Adventure Time - Yes, this is a cartoon created with some of the cheesiest animation possible, but this is one cartoon that shouldn't be ignored. I'm a huge fan of cartoons from the 80s and 90s and have found it extremely difficult to follow many of the cartoons of today, but this one blew me away. It is absolutely hysterical with some of the most brilliant writing I have ever witnessed for a cartoon. Clever doesn't even begin to describe the genius behind this series.

It is about a young boy named "Fin the human" who travels across a wild world where humans are extinct with his witty super-morphing dog sidekick simply naked "Jake the dog," as they take on villains and save princesses on a daily basis. For a child it is hysterical from a visual standpoint and the stupid antics the characters are constantly involved in, but for the humor is without a doubt written to grab adults as well. In fact most of it is on such a mature level of humor I wonder if this was written for children in the first place. It's difficult to describe to anyone so all I can say is do yourself a favor and check it out on the cartoon network or find a place online to watch some of the episodes. I highly recommend watching the episode titled "Fear of the Ocean" from season 1.

Well that just about wraps about some of my weekly suggestions of things that absolutely do not suck. So until next time I leave you with one final picture of my Girl of the Week, the lovely Mila Kunis.

 

If you don't know, now you know!

With today's media overload the world is flooded with absolute trash and often we are left misplaced in a scavenger hunt to find that which does not suck. An overdose of reality shows plagues Television making our search for a decent show is like finding a needle in a haystack or more like a good show in a stack of Bachelors, Housewives, celebrity dance offs and talent competitions, hoarders, pawnshops, pregnant teenagers and a group of idiots sharing their pointless lifestyle choices as they live along the SHORE. Our music industry is flooded with 5 million groups that sound exactly the same all lacking in actual talent as now anyone can sing if you have a microphone and computer to edit your vocals. The movie industry is so lacking in originality that it has resorted to an onslaught of remakes. Remakes of movies that either were good the way they were and a reload is pointless, or remakes of movies that sucked in the past. If it sucked then, it most likely is going to suck now. The book industry is faltering with Authors trying to jump on the latest fad. It's almost as if there is some secret alliance to see how many vampire novels and teenage love stories they can dish out at the same time. Listen, if it's about Vampires and wasn't written by Bram Stoker or Ann Rice then there is nothing original about it.

On that note, I would like to present you with a list of things that are laced with nothing but extreme awesomeness. If you're looking for a good book, an original movie, or true musical talent to make your day pass, ease your mood, or help you escape for even a brief moment, then I suggest you look into the following:

Authors - Chuck Palahniuk & Christopher Moore

 If originality is what you seek, then seek no more.

Chuck Palahniuk pulls no punches and has no problem writing about the things that most people wouldn't. He is a man and he writes from a Man's point of view. His work may be fiction but his stories are laced with truths and realism that can leave the reader wondering from time to time if they are reading a story or a biography. Originality, vulgarity, perversion, dark humor, and cynicism can be found in every page from this creative genius. His unique short-style of writing makes reading his novels fast and fun with an amazing way of making you feel as if you are witnessing and listening to the conversations and dialogue first hand.  If you are not easily offended, enjoy dark humor and are craving something original then I would highly suggest you give him a chance. Choke and Fight Club are two of his more popular pieces of work so you may want to start with those.

Christopher Moore is?!? Where does one even begin to describe Christopher Moore's style of writing? It is very difficult to classify his style other than completely original and unique. His stories are bizarre, completely original pieces of work laced with an insane sense of humor and total brilliance. I can't remember the last time I read novels that had me laughing out loud. His writing style is vivid and pulls you right into the world he has created without overly drowning you in detail. His comedic genius can be found page after page sparking the readers nerve of curiosity making one wonder what they hell kind of madness am I going to read next. If a story about Jesus' adventure as a teen with his best friend, or his novel about a Man who has a pet demon with a nasty attitude and an appetite for human flesh doesn't reek of originality then I don't know what does. For your reading pleasure check out Lamb and Practical Demonkeeping. 

Music - Soundgarden

Welcome back to the era of grunge music. When talking about the Seattle grunge scene that invaded our radios in the 90s Nirvana, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains are typically the first 3 names mentioned. Soungarden combined the rough, rock stylings that made the genre popular with the insane vocal talents of Chris Cornell. The aforementioned groups without a doubt had a unique set of vocal talents but none could match the range and uncanny abilities of Chris Cornell. Hitting high notes that would pierce your eardrums with ease to a low somber style that gripped your emotions came from Cornell without effort. No matter how amazing a singer may be it would be completely meaningless without a solid band behind them. Crazy, funky guitar riffs, thumping base and drums complimented Cornell's vocal mastery perfectly. Together they formed an unforgettable group that pumped out some of the era's greatest achievements like Black hole Sun, Spoon man, Fell on Black days and Fresh Tendrils to name a few.  If you are a fan of rock, grunge music, or just music in general then Soundgarden is a must for all who appreciate real music.

Movies - American Beauty

 

Kevin Spacey is an absolutely brilliant actor. Whether he's portraying the psychotic, monotone serial killer from Se7en or a Neurotic Genius that believes he is an alien from another world in K-Pax, his performance is nothing short of masterful. In American Beauty he delivers a performance that surpasses them all. He plays a man on the brink of a midlife crisis, tired of his stereotypical life coping with the harsh realities of aging and normalcy. His wife is career obsessed to where her spark of passion for her husband and family is almost extinguished. His daughter is wrapped up with all the emotional baggage that comes with being a teenager while dealing with her dysfunctional parents at the same time. This movie is subtle, simple and above all realistic. It's an emotional drama that exposes the harsh realities of life in a beautiful way. Not everything is as perfect as it seems and this movie puts that all on display from the very beginning. This movie is as real as it gets without actually being a documentary. Life isn't always sweet and if you have a hard time dealing with that, then this movie definitely isn't for you. Excellent performances from all actors/actresses, a clever script and beautiful story, a chilling and somber soundtrack, mixed with astonishing cinematography makes this a must see. There is a reason this movie left with quite a few Oscars. 

That's about it for now and I'll continue this list later with some TV shows actually worth watching and other things that absolutely do not suck. 

On and How can I forget my Girl of the Week, the lovely Mila Kunis!