some of what i have learned from watching movies.

i have this theory that i got from watching forrest gump. i admire the character forrest gump. alot. he is able to do without thinking, something that i find almost impossible to do. i know the movie is a bit kind to him, and even though i heard that it was based on a true story, i would bet money that a guy like that would end up a janitor by 25. but movies aren't really about reality, now are they. if they were, would we watch them?

back to the theory. now forrest loved bubba. and loved Lt. Dan. And really loved his momma. his love for jenny topped all of that. he knew that jenny was the woman that made him happy in his life. she made him feel alright about being forrest gump. her love is what he thought he needed, and he accepted no substitutes. i believe that is the only love a person should settle for. an unconditional love. a sacrificial love. like the love god has for us. now, i don't wish that anyone fall in love with a person that ran the streets doing smack and smutting off and catching the bug, like our friend jenny. but i do think that we owe it to ourselves to feel that way about the person we choose to spend the rest of lives with.

gattaca. my favorite movie of all time. there was a mighty big scuffle at the top of my all time favorite cinema list. carlito made a strong showing, and the saga of the family corleone has always been a consistent perfomer. i learned alot from these movies. i learned from carlito that some things just do not change in spite of you changing. that maybe you don't choose your destiny, that maybe, just maybe, it chooses you. the godfather 1 and 2 (i refuse to recognize part 3 as a film. maybe a very bad extended commercial.) showed me that who you marry potentially may be your downfall (you thought fredo pushed mike over the edge? negative. kay was his downfall), that you never go against your family, and that no man can exist as an island.
but gattaca. whew. gattaca showed me the blueprint for success. you can never save anything for the swim back. you have to approach your goals as if the the only failure is dying before you acheive them. because quitting is not a viable option. that you have to see your goals, when no one else can.its more that 110%. you put in all you have. no outs, no plan b. gotta put all your chips in play, because then my friend is the only time you win the jackpot. (rounders taught me that. the beauty of overlapping themes.)

lord of war. sleeper pick. pretty good movie. may end up teaching me the most valuable lesson of them all. your whole world can be crumbling around you. momma dead, no dough, girl got caught on camcorder with your right hand man. ouch. your life can resemble a war zone. but never, never. be at war with yourself. never comprimise yourself for any reason. 1) find out who you are. 2) find out what you want to be. 3) become what you want to be. 4) never stray from number 3. because in this big bad world, that may be the only solace you have.

makes me wanna holler. and grab the tone.

In honor my man mike "kid do-dirt" brown starting his blog, dontruinmillertime.blogspot.com, I'm going to follow his lead.
in no particular order:

Dudes who sell this dream of being tough, from the streets, hustlin' rocks, bangin' guns...and have never done any of it. They got one tough cousin that does all the dirty, they listen to a rapper, and now they are the 2006 O-Dog. Take that bullshit down the street.

To chicks who buy into their nonsense: You all are as dumb as a sack of wet hammers. And please try not to have children.

Fake ass intellectuals. Quick to talk about some shit they saw on CNN to sound intelligent, but do nothing about the things that happen around them. FEMA cut aid? Who gives a shit. Go save that little kid down the street. Donate some time to a shelter. Keep that pseudo "I care about Black people" to yourself.

People who put toilet paper on a public toilet seat, but smoke or don't wear protection when smutting off? Never heard of some dying of cancer of the ass. Or a left cheek catching AIDS.

White people with dreadlocks. Except Seth Weiner. Because he is the genuine article.

Grown people still going to the club. Grow up little buddy. You still trying to "have fun?". Make moves to have a life.

People who don't eat pork, but smoke weed and drink booze. Fake ass godbody nonsense.

Bob Marley and Che Guevarra were some cool people. Know something about them before you put on the t-shirt. Matter of fact, don't wear the t-shirt. Unoriginal lameness at its best.

Timberland in colors other than the originals. Losers wear blue timbs.

People who have a cellphone(s), and feel the need to hike up their shirts and tuck it behind the clip. The cellphone club isn't exclusive any more buddy.

Ringtones. If your over 15 and have one, your lame.

You ever heard one of those conversations when two people that kinda know each other, or haven't seen each other in a while? The things that they were thinking about doing (like going to law school, or getting into real estate), now all of a sudden are being done? It's like a race to see who can lie more. I hate that too.

You shake your ass in the club, and want to be respected as a woman. You wear a real big fitted hat and sunglasses, want to fight and act an ass, high as a kite and want to be respected as a man. I have unicorns for sale. Cheap.

People who judge those who are trying to make their own way in this world. I'm going to be my own boss. That may not be for you, but don't judge me. I'm not judging you, make 60 grand a year, working for some dude, making him rich, dying at 65 without a pot to piss in. But I do like hard workers. I need employees.

And lastly, for now, those got damn "black novels". "Talez of a hustla", "Ghetto Storiez", any book with dice, a mercedes, a nigga with his shirt off, or a chick posing with a gun on the cover. And the people who read them. Zane, if I catch your ass in the street, its curtains.
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Thanks mike brown.

the dream merchant.

selling dreams is an artform. and I truly believe people are honing this craft by practicing on me. people sell me all types of dreams these days.

you might be wondering, "how can a person sell a dream?". well, my friend, let me explain.
dream sales normally take place between two people that are more than strangers. friends are usually the culprits, sad to say. a friend comes to you and tells you something, with passion. and not only with passion, with desire and conviction. it is more than a mere statement, it is a statement with recommendations from your favorite high school teacher. a statement with good references, and a clean background check. it has now transcended statement-hood, and metamorphsised into a dream. and you believe in this dream. not just because of the recommendations or references, but because they are your friend. you now believe it with the same passion and conviction that they possesed when they told you. you may even invest in the dream by offering them advice. heartfelt advice. and you walk away feeling pretty good. the sale of the dream has been completed.
not too malicious you may say. even uplifting. positive. heartwarming. sure. i agree. however the thing about dreams is that eventually, we like them to become reality. what did mr.hughes say about a dream deferred? nothing good. it begins with it drying up, and ends with it exploding.

you wait, and wait for your friends dream. let me take that back. you wait for you and your friends dream to come to fruition. and you wait, and it never does. your friend has completely renigned on the dream. it will never come to life, and part of you thinks that it was never meant to.

i'm your homeboy, so i'm going to keep copping. but at least boost the quality people.