This is what goes on in my brain!

The air burns my skin
The water hurts my eyes
The earth scrapes my soles
The fire consumes me

My mind sees all
My mind can hear you
My mind reaches for you
My mind controls the world

You can set me free
You can kiss me
You can walk away
You can kill me

We can change the world
We should run away
We would do that
We can't be

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Please do not ask me what this is about, I honestly have no idea.
I can tell you that I was thinking about the song "The End" by The Doors, a song that was also used in the movie Apocalypse Now. Other than that...it's up to you. Actually, crap, I shouldn't have said that. It takes away the mystery and allure of the work. Damnit. Oh well. Hope you enjoyed it. Please, if you ever use this poem, quote it, reference it, or anything of that nature please please please give me credit! Thank you

The Jersey Shore Train-wreck

Let me make one thing clear from the beginning of this post; I am not going to bash the show because I have never seen it.
Jersey Shore. Everyone's talking about it. Everyone is watching it. People can't seem to get enough of it. We are all love to escape our daily trials by living vicariously through the rich and glamorous. Yet the only thing I hear about the show is how bad it is, how absurd it is, how people only watch it to make fun of it. Now I'm willing to accept what I will call "the train-wreck phenomenon" which is rubbernecking to get a better look at some horrible situation simply out of curiosity. Very scientific definition, I know. We've all experienced this at some point. Traffic on one side of the highway has slowed down because there's an accident on the other and people feel the need and the urge to slow down and look at the accident, or whatever is left of it. I get it, Jersey Shore is so bad you can't help but watch it. But the train-wreck phenomenon only lasts for a few moments. After a while, your curiosity is satisfied, you can't really see anything, there is nothing left to see after a time.
If it really as bad as people say it is, shouldn't it have been pulled off the air already? Is Jersey Shore a car wreck where one's curiosity is satisfied after a few moments? Or is it a train wreck where there is so much damage it takes a lot longer for the mind to process it? Where it is so awful that it commands our attention; a sight that you do not want to behold but you find yourself staring and taking in every horrible, twisted detail?

Alice in Wonderland

Over spring break I went and saw Tim Burton's newest work "Alice in Wonderland". I must say, 3-D has improved dramatically from when I was a kid. I remember watching 3-D movies with those paper glasses with the red and blue lenses, remember? And only some of the things would pop out at you, like a cat's paw, or a dragon's head or something. But now thanks to the wonders of technology it's the whole movie! (As a side note, if you go, make sure to get there early so you're not stuck sitting in the front row like I was.) This new and improved 3-D makes you feel like you're actually in the room with the characters and hence, even more involved with the characters and their struggle.
Being a theater geek I was enamored with the costumes and make-up. I doubt the costumes are 100% accurate of the times; why is Alice's dress so short in comparison to those around her? But the essence comes through. Think of it like steam punk; it's inspired by Victorian clothing, but with a modern twist. There is a mixing of styles and each character is given their own style and their personalities are clearly seen in their mode of dress. The make-up in brief is calling to me to try and replicate it. I especially want to try and replicate the Mad Hatter's make-up. I loved all the colors used especially around the eyes.
Although the movie had Burton's signature dark and shadowy and gothic style, it seemed a little bit less so than normal. (Maybe because Disney had a hand in it?) Personally I liked it that way. I like to be able to get a good look at the costumes and in some of his movies like 'Sweeney Todd' I couldn't really do so because it was so dark and shadowy.
This new Alice lost much of Carroll's puzzles, riddles, and humor. Strangely enough, the animated Alice in Wonderland had some of that. You would think that the teen and young adult oriented movie would include more of that since an older audience member would catch on quicker than a child. But that's how it is. Yes, I do think that younger children (say younger than 6) should be excluded from this movie because it is a little bit scarier than the animated Disney version.
One thing that I did notice (damn you I.B.) was that red vs white rose imagery was lifted straight from English history portrayed with some fudge by Shakespeare in his Henry VI cycle of history plays. I'll spare you having to read them; the red and white roses are the symbols of the House of Lancaster and House of York respectively during the famed War of the Roses from 1455-1485. I feel so smart :).
All in all, an entertaining and visually pleasing movie. You don't have to think too hard about it, and it's definitely going to give you ideas for your next Halloween costume.

Tim Tebow's Future part 2

So I was thinking as I was walking home a few minutes ago about Tim Tebow and the Dolphins and a comment that was left on that article. Tim Tebow probably won't make it as a first string QB as is, but he might make a really great second stringer. Then I thought of how the Dolphins sometimes use a two quarterback system. Chad Henne is the regular quarterback, but every once in a while, Pat White will be put in and he'll run a good 4 yards or so, sometimes he'll throw the ball, and after his 1 or two plays he's taken out and replaced by Chad Henne. Now Pat White is pretty small in this day of huge quarterbacks. But Tim Tebow has that toughness and quickness to be able to execute these plays. These are the kinds of plays Tebow is really good at. If the Dolphins want to continue this semi two quarterback system, or even develop it further, Tim Tebow is probably the best pick out there.
This brings up the question of how the dynamics of the game are going to change. When the Dolphins first came out with the Wildcat, they were unstoppable (Sorry Belichick) and it took a while for teams to adjust. I know the Dolphins did not invent the Wildcat, but before this it was not commonly used in the NFL. Now, because of the Dolphins employing it, teams now have to prepare their defenses for it. By that same token, if the Dolphins start employing a two quarterback system, the defense of any team will have to work twice as hard and prepare for two different styles and two different mentalities and logic. They will have to learn two different individuals and adjust to a wider spectrum of opportunities.
In the meantime, Tebow could be taught and groomed to perhaps one day take on the role of star quarterback while still participating in the game. Now the question of money, will a franchise be willing to invest that much money on someone who might not initially give good returns? We'll see what coaches and GMs think as the draft unfolds. But it's not too much of a color change from orange and blue to orange and teal. :)

Tim Tebow's Future

The NFL draft is a little over 1 month away and I can't help but follow what's going on with Tim Tebow. He was a force to be reckoned with in college. He has the arm strength (ignoring technique) to throw long passes, he can run very quickly, and he's tough; he's not afraid to get down and dirty. But he brings something else that I think a mediocre team needs: heart. If you watch him on T.V. you only get a glimpse of his energy and charisma. I've seen him play a number of times at The Swamp. He really puts a lot of effort out there, he infuses everyone around him with energy. It was a thrill and a joy to watch him grow and develop as a person and as a player. When he first started, when he couldn't find someone, he'd run. By the end of his senior year, he was waiting and looking, scanning the field to find his man. Then, at the last minute, if no one was open, he'd run. He's a 'team player' and after spending over 3 years in the spotlight, he still continued to be a team player. I'm not going to pick out T.O. specifically but an over-sized ego gets in the way of what you're doing. It becomes all about "me me me". Tim is a natural leader and he inspires confidence in his team, in himself, and in all he does. What does this quality amount to? For a strong team, not much. Why would you need a leader when you have a great system and great people in that system? A team like the Colts would not need a Tim Tebow. (Not that Peyton Manning is going anywhere) But a team like the Dolphins, or Tampa Bay, or Jacksonville (among others) might benefit from someone like him.
However, the criticisms are valid. He takes way too long to throw the ball and you can't expect not to get intercepted when you are throwing from your waist. Why he throws like that is beyond me. What's even more mind boggling is why the coaches as UF have done nothing to change his throwing style. But I'm beating a dead horse. What truly scares me is one of the things I praised earlier. His toughness and his enjoyment in contact. That may be fine in the college world where football players are generally smaller. But something happens once they go to the NFL, maybe it's the water, but they get huge. Did anyone see the last Dolphins game last season? After Chad Henne went down they put in little Pat White. He ran and collided helmet to helmet with Ike Taylor of the Steelers and subsequently suffered a concussion. Now Tebow is bigger than Pat White so if he did take a hit like that, it might not be as bad, but I think you see what I'm driving at.
I have not watched the other quarterbacks so I'm not going to compare them but I am going to say that my composite quarterback would definitely have the heart of Tim Tebow.
As a proud member of the Gator Nation, I wish him the best!