Hop's Thoughts

We all claim to despise routine. We see ourselves as vigilantes towards the mundane.  The reality is that it is not ours which we despise, but conforming to others.  I am a night owl, so the daylight hours bring me nothing but headaches and real world drama that warrants my attention. I desire not, to take long walks and look at birds. I don't like sipping tea, while gazing lovingly at the beautiful women who pass by.  I desire none of that.  I desire my bed; alone with my daydreams.  Dreams of evening filled with caviar, pate and champagne appetizers.  Stimulating conversation on which classic is superior, Citizen Kane or Texas Chainsaw.  Biting into lamb chops while listening to Beethoven, Bach or the Black Keys.  Sipping a Cabernet while listening to someone tell me of their child's first steps, while slightly ignoring them to gaze in wonderment at the girl across from me.  I wish to end my dreams, not with some debaucherous orgy, but with...

I had my Netflix copy of Bully at home for a two weeks and didn't get around to it.  I finally watched it on Monday and it's taken me this long to write about it.  Here was my issue.  I didn't want to watch it when I was going to see my kids the next day.  With a week off, I figured I'd watch it and then react with an open mind.  It's taken me four days to get around to it. First off let's get to the topic.  School bullying.  It's a topic that is nearly impossible to study for a multitude of reasons, but the reality is, it's been around forever and we've accepted it into our lives, just as we have sexual abuse and multiple forms of discrimination.  What we don't like to talk about is the effects of bullying, because they are, at times, catastrophic.  The movie tackles all of them. Bully, as far as documentaries go, is not exceptional in it's delivery or it's editing.  Watching the bonus material will explain what I mean.  Where ...

We've all been there.  Maybe it was in high school. Maybe it was college or after.  Hell, maybe it was in 6th grade.  Remember that first time, you had a special someone and it ended and you had no control and neither did they.  I remember leaving my school in eighth grade.  I knew I'd only be miles away, but deep down I knew I'd never get to date Jenny.  We'd been in school for five years together and I had a crush on her for two. Distance tore us apart. Then there was the girl in high school.  I liked her, but she didn't like me that way.  Friends I was told.  The pain consumed me.  I laid awake thinking about her.  It wasn't meant to be and I had no control and it tore me apart.  The girl in college.  I liked her, but my age wasn't what she was looking for.  She was 19 and I was 26.  Age tore us apart.  The girl in camp, I was too afraid to talk to. Years went by and who knows if she was interested. I was...

I feel at peace right now.  Had an absolutely unexpected and delightful conversation with someone tonight I talked to someone at length that I have seen a million times, but never really talked to. I stood my ground today. I spent more money than I planned, but all on things that matter. I am tired. It's 2am and I hope to sleep til 10

I am becoming obsessive compulsive about all the wrong things.  I needed to find something today, but couldn't.  Did I look this evening?  Of course not.  I had three phone calls I should have made today, I made one.  I needed to do about six loads of laundry and my apartment needs a serious cleaning.  I did two loads and tried to find out some information about some random thing I started looking up the night before.  I spent 30 minutes trying to find an article I read a few days ago.  I'm a mess. Tonight, I had a direct plan.  Speak to my father between 7-7:30. Start dinner and eat it.  Sit down and watch a movie from 8-10, another from 10-12, then one from 12-2.  Then go to sleep.  I was dead set on this being my evening.  I called my father and there was no answer.  So I made dinner. I ate dinner and started a conversation online with someone.  Next thing I know it's 8:45.  I start my movie. My father ...

When I first saw "starring Robert Pattinson," I declined.  Then I remembered who wrote the novel (Don Delillo - White Noise, Libra and Underground) and decided to give it a try. Cronenberg's direction and a friends suggestion helped my decision. Usually, I refrain from any spoilers, but I need to break this down myself, so feel free to skip this if you feel it will sway your views.  I'm writing this, because the reviews I've read, even those of professional movie critics, such as Roger Ebert, seem to have missed the point.  Maybe I'm the one who has and the movie is just as simple and somewhat scattered as it appears.  I'm not basing any of this on any reports or reviews, but on some quick research, I did right after viewing, in many ways to make sure I understood it. My feelings are that the movie has nothing to do with Eric Packer, Pattinson's character.  Everyone in the film is a group of people, a corporation, a government or more likely, an em...

I've been spending a lot of time thinking about the things I don't have.  Way too much to be honest.  I don't mean materialistic things, because that isn't a care for me at all.  I mean the little things in life.  It dawned on my recently how long I've been without a significant other.  I was happy with it for a bit, but the other night, while at dinner with seven couples, it kind hurt a little.  The little things like feeding someone a bite of your food, the little hand on the knee or a quick kiss on the cheek.  Those are the things I was missing. I love my freedom, but I also remember how much better I slept at night, knowing someone else was in my life.  I also miss my brother terribly.  We had started to spend a lot more time with each other, because he was doing me a favor and we spent a lot of time with my dad and grandmother.  He's joined the Army and it sucks not being able to call him up.  That combined with the fact, I'm t...

Usually I steer clear of things I know I'm going to hate, but when the first Twilight came out, I have to admit I was intrigued by the movies.  I knew women my age who couldn't put down the books and there was no way I was sitting down to read an 800 page love story, knowing there was a 650 page sequel or more.  Sp way back, about five years, I somewhat begrudgingly sat down for the first installment.  What I found was all the perfect components of the teen love story.  Much like those of the past, even some from the great John Hughes, the teens are well older than they should be and we suspend disbelief and realize these kids are living crazy lives.  Oh and some are werewolves and some are vampires.  Like I said, you must go into it with an open mind. Any historian of film and literature understands that the vampire tale is one of torment and lost love.  R.W. Marnau's Nosferatu probably epitomized the struggle.  The ever living man, torn betwee...

I'm going to try and divide this into a a bit of all aspects of all three categories in the subject line.  Some are incredible.  Fairly obvious in fact.  Some are quite shocking, even if only to me.  This isn't purposely pointed at anyone in particular, despite some obvious examples, but just stuff that has come to my attention through getting to know people better and getting to know what makes them tick. Sometimes it's what makes me tick.  I'll try to list and not get into too much detail as not to make anyone who might read this think it is about them. I'm amazed that the most outspoken people on Facebook, no matter what the topic, write comments that are nothing more than paraphrasing other's thoughts and feelings. Most people who have criticized my culinary choices aren't in great shape themselves in a variety of ways. Religion and Politics are only taboo, because they are the two topics most people are completely uneducated about. Guys who post...

I try so very hard not to waste time watching the same movies over and over, because I'm obsessed with all the wonderful movies I've yet to see.  Sure there will be bad ones, but the good ones make it all worth the wait. All that being said, there are some movies I really need to watch again.  Some because they are so wonderful and I want to be reminded of true cinema greatness and some simply because I think I saw them at the wrong time in my life.  Maybe I wasn't mature enough or maybe it's because they didn't speak to me, due to a lack of life experience.  Whatever the reasons, here is a short list of movies, I need to give another shot. The African Queen - One of the greatest movies ever made and one of cinemas greatest displays of chemistry.  Hepburn and Bogart are incredible together.  For years this was my #1 favorite movie and I'm embarrassed to say it's been nearly 15 years since I've seen it. Moby Dick - I was recently discussing the fact...

To tell you anything about this Spanish thriller would ruin the movie.  Cesar is a concierge.  He has a bit of a thing for Carla.  Carla is a young beauty, happy with life, but troubled by a secret admirer.  Then there is Ursula, Carla's neighbor across the hall, who is a only a child, but plays a major role in Cesar's life.  Sleep Tight isn't like most movies.  In the first 10-15 minutes, you'll see why.  As the movie builds to one of it's many climaxes, we see the unraveling of each character in ways never expected, especially to U.S. audiences.  One of the more subtly tense films you will ever see.

In the category of "You Can't Make This Shit Up," the awards go to these things posted in the last two or three days. "Barack Hussein Obama is Muslim." - The author's reasoning - His middle name AC Delta Electric Co. Inc has a picture of it's van.  On the back of the windows it says # of employees under Bush 37 # of employees under Obama 2 - The author's reasoning - probably because he's a racist, but it's unclear since I don't know the person.  Only one small problem with AC's claim  The company started in 2010. "Obama is allowing illegal immigrants into this country at a record pace." - The author's reasoning - unsure, but between January 2009 and today, more illegal immigrants have been deported than under any president, including those who served two terms. The total population has actually slowed to the same levels of the 70's and 80s. It spiked from 1990-2009, especially under Clinton. "Obama dou...

As many of you know, my grandmother passed away late Friday evening.  The news, while sad, was in no way a shock.  I'm actually happy, she didn't really suffer and she never had to live with any real mental ailments.  Short term memory wasn't always her strong suit, but damn could she remember the good old days.  To start telling her tales would be a lengthy endeavor.  I'll leave that to my father, who is not only 100 times the writer I'll ever be.  As we've discussed in the past, he now has his final chapter. At exactly one hundred years and one month, one could take infinite amount of wisdom from her.  I could take away her love of life  That each day be cherished, but never to the point where we raise expectations about reality.  For my grandmother, a perfect day would be a nice breakfast with hot coffee.  Hope into her sun clothes and head to the beach.  A full day soaking up too many rays, while bronzing her skin to look "bea...

I will preface this review with the fact that I do not have children.  As someone who grew up with classics like Fantasia and your standard Saturday morning fare of Bug Bunny and such, I am confused by the money that goes into these stop motion films.  ParaNorman has a great plot, but fails terribly in execution.  This is brought on entirely by it's horrible attempt to cater to audiences young and old, instead of catering to one.  The film misses on appealing to young kids by crossing the line too much into adult humor.  It's not risque enough to appeal to teens and it's feeble attempt to send a social message is lost. It's 90+ minutes of "accept those who are different" and we get it, but what kid under the age of 12 will pick up on these nuances and what person older will care to stick around while being bored by it?  If I had to give it a star rating....two out of five at best.

From the outside, people probably think I'm some spoiled rich kid with a trust fund who sits at home all day and lives life as an Internet troll.  Well, not exactly. I'm about as broke as one can be and still live a decent life.  I work hard when I work and without sounding cocky, I'm pretty fucking awesome at what I do.  If I wasn't, I wouldn't be at a place for well over a decade that recycles bodies like it's La Cosa Nostra.  I will admit, I love the Internet and I love that it offers so much education, so quickly, but what I love even more about it, is the psychological profiling that can be done, just by paying attention.  Look, Halloween shows a lot about people's inner self and the reason is simple. They are allowed to wear a mask which allows for them to be inconspicuous, while letting go of their inhibitions.  Facebook, despite letting people know who you are, is the same.  It's a shield that allows you to open yourself to the world without ev...