Free Form

I'm a big critic. I wish I wasn't, but as soon as I open my mouth, it's as clear as... "something that's very clear," nothing is coming to me that's "very clear" beyond a new glass, or water, or a fact... so cliche. The good thing about being a critic... I should say, the good thing about me being a critic is: first, I'm an artist of sorts, so "my work" is continually being criticized. Some positive, and some negative. The nature of putting "something out there" subjugates that "something" to criticism. Now, if you are not an artist, then people are critical predominately of how you are living your life, because a person by definition is living a life "out there" as it were, for everyone to see. We all see the pros and cons of how someone we know is living their life, we've already made fun of "their "new car, "their" outfit, "my" hair, how "they" spend "their" money, what "they" value. I grew up amongst, 5 of the wittiest people on the east coast (I know that's a bold statement, so it's probably false). Together we could make fun of any system, anything, anyone, and anyone's mom, better than anyone we knew. We were critics, and we were proud. Now, life has humbled me... big time. The school of hard knocks has given me some permanent wounds. Reminders of what not to do... good learning devices. I'm not bothered by them, a stubborn guy like me... you gotta figure, life is gonna give me a beat down, that's how I learn. So, let's take a quick second and look at some of my favorite kung fu lines, in some of my favorite kung fu films I've seen over the years:

Actual English subtitles used in films from Hong Kong

• I am darn unsatisfied to be killed in this way.
• Same old rules: no eyes, no groin.
• Darn, I'll burn you into a BBQ chicken.
• Take my advice, or I'll spank you.
• Who gave you the nerve to get killed here?
• Quiet or I'll blow your throat up.
• I'll fire aimlessly if you don't come out!
• You daring lousy guy.
• Beat him out of recognizable shape!
• Yah-hah, evil spider woman! I have captured you by the short rabbits and can now deliver you violently to your doctor for a thorough extermination.
• I have been scared silly too much lately.
• I got knife scars more than the number of your leg's hair!
• Beware! Your bones are going to be disconnected.
• You always use violence. I should've ordered glutinous rice chicken.

There is a lot of profound insight in these Chinese words of wisdom. There is a reason they are in my journal. Which brings up a good point. This blog is not my journal. If you want to see my journal, you can email me, but most likely I still won't let you see it. You'll have to break into my computer, and look in the "concept81" folder, and then open up "81 journals of a desparate soul." Got that... money baby. This blog is "fadical" and if you don't know what that means, you must read the post entitled: "blogging, fad or rad" or look up "fadical" in the urban dictionary (fadical is also my second favorite word in the English language).
So like I said, these english subtitles from kung fu films are words to live by. Like when I first started out my film career, I was scared of public screenings "I've been scared silly too much lately" would be a good description of me in film school. Later, one technique I tried was to completely bash every aspect of my film, before I released it. That way, whenever someone started bashing my flick, I would start bashing it better than they could: in other words "I got knife scars more than the number of your leg hairs!" My life up to that point could accurately be described as "a daring lousy guy" I was always "using violence" when I should of "ordered glutinous rice chicken." Now when people tell me their opinions of any flick i've done, or poem I've written, or song I've written, or even this little post, I'm unaffected. I've grown since my college years when I used to "fire aimlessly if you don't come out!" Now I've learned some things, "take my advice or I'll spank you" if you want to be a good critic, you must first be a good "self critic" and remember "same old rules: no eyes, no groin."