My Bliss

On By WinstonIn Personal, Poetry, UncategorizedLeave a comment

The first verse of this came to me last night and I had to wait for the rest of it to catch up. Now that it’s here, I wanted to dedicate it to my wife, my muse, my Angel.. Thank you Lynn.

MY BLISS

I dreamed a dream of joy and bliss,

and you were in it too.

For there could be no joy nor bliss,

My darling without you.

 

I realized the truth that night

You broke my heart in two.

One half still lives within my chest,

The other lives in you.

 

But that’s okay, it’s only fair,

Because my love you see.

Just half your heart still lives with you,

The other lives in me.

 

So take my hand and dream with me,

Come thrill me with your kiss.

We’ll share our hearts and share our dreams,

Live filled with joy and bliss.

Cheers, Winston

Words of Change

On By WinstonIn Personal, Poetry, Self AwarenessLeave a comment

So I’m changing positions at work. I currently have an amazing team. We work well together, and get along remarkably well. It’s sort of like an extended family where we may bicker amongst ourselves but at the end of the day, we’re united against the world.

Well, now it’s time to embrace another opportunity which has come my way. One of my current team is going with me and I’ve known one of my new team members for years. I’m going to build another amazing team, but it won’t be this team.

It’s sad but inevitable. No matter how good what we have now may be, it’s impossible to freeze people as they are. The fact that we grow and change is kind of central to what we are as human beings.

Pondering this sense of inevitability led to the following poem.

WORDS of CHANGE

The days run out, they race away,
Each quicker than the last.
The time that’s left, quick drains away,
From future to the past.

That which has been must pass away,
Make way for what’s to be.
No matter how much fun it’s been,
Nor what it’s meant to me.

The future’s here, no time to run,
It’s time for moving on.
What was gives way to that which is,
Then like a dream…
It’s….
Gone.

Cheers, Winston

Last Vegas: Old Stars = New Laughs

On By WinstonIn Film Reviews, Media, Pop CultureLeave a comment

last-vegas

Great news for me… Movie screening season is here again! We don’t get any in the summer, but now that it’s snowed here, the screeners are starting up again.

And what a start they are off to. My screening season kicked off with the new comedy “Last Vegas”. It stars Kevin Klein, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Robert DeNiro. Over the years I’ve enjoyed all of them in different movies. I can’t remember any I’ve enjoyed as much as “Last Vegas”.

All of them are in top form and play brilliantly with a sharp and witty script by Dan Fogelman. Director Jon Turteltaub wisely gives his stars room to do what they do best without seeming to crowd them or overwork them.

The story revolves around four men who have been friends for sixty years. They gather in Las Vegas for the wedding of one of their number to a much younger woman. It looks at issues of aging, loneliness, insecurity and the value of true friends. If that sounds preachy and maudlin, then I’ve misrepresented it. It’s also filled with lowbrow jokes and the type of razor sharp delivery that has made each of these men legends in the industry.

I haven’t laughed at any movie that much in years. It was absolutely hilarious! It is by turns sad, touching, comic and blends all of these ingredients brilliantly. The script like the ensemble cast is note perfect and perfectly balanced.

There’s no way I can tell you just how wonderful this movie was. You just have to see it for yourself.

Cheers, Winston

Halloween Poem

On By WinstonIn Poetry, UncategorizedLeave a comment

My muse stooped by for a quick visit and inspired the following verse.

HALLOWE’EN

At the turning of the season,
Dark tides of fear devour reason.

All things which from the sun do flee,
On this unhallowed night set free.

Our souls to twist and hearts to change,
Our feeble mortal minds derange.

While mothers sob and children wail,
Strong men beneath their bedsheets quail.

The spirits roam and creatures stalk,
Dark hearted men the land do walk.

Within the darkness shadows stir,
With claws that click and wings that whir.

Now we shall see those things unseen,
While they run free this Halloween.

Cheers, Winston

The Survivor

On By WinstonIn ValuesLeave a comment

So….. I haven’t posted for a while. Somewhere along the line, I ran out of things to say. I was thinking about this the other day and decided it was time to start writing again.

With nothing else to talk about, I decided to return to poetry. I find that when I write in verse, I’m so focused on the rhymes it frees my subconscious to figure out the story as I go along.

Well, here’s the result… Enjoy!

THE SURVIVOR

I sit and watch the days crawl by,
All different all the same.
The world turns and seasons change,
I can’t recall my name.

I know I’ve heard it recently,
Perhaps twas just a dream.
I have to be so careful now,
If I wake I may scream.

If I scream then the others come,
They pound upon my door.
I make no noise scarce dare to breath,
While huddling on the floor.

I don’t recall when last I slept,
It seems so long ago.
It’s true it seems if you don’t sleep,
Your mind will start to go.

Another day its line of light,
Gleams through its tiny gap.
Perhaps I’ve slept, I’m still alive,
Here in my filthy trap.

I thought for sure it was a prank,
When I first saw the news.
I wish that I could still deny,
The awful truth refuse.

Too late the truth in rotting flesh,
Is shambling closer now.
With clumsy hands they try to claw,
Their way inside somehow.

It’s almost time to let it go,
My larder all but bare.
The truth is I am just as vile,
For how I did prepare.

They let me in but didn’t see,
The simple truth I saw.
Too little food, too many mouths,
It is a cruel law.

And as they slept, I slit their throats,
Now my reward I reap.
The food is mine and mine alone,
Now all alone I weep.

They still want food and want it now
Despite their being dead.
I slit their throats but didn’t think,
To bash them in the head.

***************************************************************

I hope you enjoyed this little morality play. Always remember…. As you sow, so shall you weep.

Cheers, Winston

Awesome Weekend

On By WinstonIn Loving Life, Personal, Self Awareness, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Normally, Lynn and I take Chester and head up to the trailer when I finish work Friday. Last Friday, the weather was so horrible we stayed home for Chester.

You see, Chester is a big puppy. There’s not a lot of room for him to stretch out in the trailer so we usually spend most of our time out on the deck. When the weather gets nasty that doesn’t work. Hence no trip to the trailer Friday. I love my puppy, so not a big deal.

Saturday morning dawned bright and beautiful so we debated, loaded Chester in the car and boogied out of town. An hour and a half later, I had my feet up on the deck with Chester napping nearby. (My puppy is fifteen so he tends to nap a fair bit)

Lynn had made plans with her parents to go rose shopping so it was just Chester and I and the local wildlife. A hummingbird came to test whether the store bought nectar in the feeder is better than the honeysuckle next to it. There was a chipmunk with the worlds’ scruffiest tail who proved how brave he is by standing next to my napping puppy. Chester twitched an ear in his sleep and the little guy decided he’d been brave enough for one day. Later, a blue jay sat on the railing and complained bitterly that we have yet to replace our broken bird feeder.

For the rest of the day, I read a bit, napped a bit then read some more. That evening when Lynn arrived, (she picked up six new roses for our garden at home) I made spaghetti for supper and we relaxed and read for the rest of the evening.

Sunday, I made us pancakes for breakfast. We walked our puppy and then settled in on the deck and spent the day reading, relaxing and just quietly enjoying each others company. After supper, we took Chester for a longer walk in the cooler evening.

Once back on the deck, we started talking about packing to go home. The more we talked about it, the less we wanted to go. We were comfy and relaxed. Chester was napping on his deck again. Nobody wanted to move so we voted to come back early this morning for work.

We put our feet back up and settled into our books. I finished my book, got my laptop and switched to watching a movie. Around eleven, Lynn got chilly and moved inside to continue reading. I stayed outside with my puppy until around one, gave Chester a last walk for the night and went in to bed.

This morning we got up early, packed up and headed in for work. The trailer Gods approved our decision,so we had minimal traffic on the way home.

All in all, an awesome weekend.

Cheers, Winston

Rockin’ Robo Rampage… del Toro Nails It

On By WinstonIn Film Reviews, Movies, Pop CultureLeave a comment

I know I’m a little late to the gate, but I’ve just seen Pacific Rim and had to give it a quick review.

Awesome!

See, I told you it would be short.

Okay… Maybe a little more meat on the bone is needed. Freakin’ Awesome!

So now that I’ve had my fun, I’ll try to tell you why I think it’s so awesome.

Guillermo del Toro’s dna is all over this movie. It’s in the incredible creature design, the characters who inhabit the world and his unrivaled attention to detail.

Best explanation for giant monsters rampaging about in forever. I won’t spoil anything, just having a non-nuclear / environmental reason is pleasantly refreshing.

Despite the scale of the monsters v. robots fight scenes, the characters maintain their humanity. I would best describe them as two-dimensional stereotypes with depth. I realize that sounds strange, but allow me to clarify. They are definitely undeveloped and predictable, but they are so well written, directed and acted it creates the impression that you are getting more than you actually are.

Visually, Pacific Rim is staggering. The VFX are used to great effect to emphasize the sheer enormity of what is going on. Because del Toro is such a brilliantly visual artist, there is a consistently unified feel and internal logic to the designs of the film.

I really can’t say enough good things about Pacific Rim. It was a wild ride, and one I’m going to take again!

Cheers, Winston

Ahhhhh Texas

On By WinstonIn Society, Uncategorized, ValuesLeave a comment

There’s a story on Gawker about a man in San Antonio Texas who accidentally shot his girlfriend…. In the chest… With a shotgun. (She is apparently in stable condition now). So far, so tragic.

Given that it was an accident and involved a shotgun you might be thinking hunting accident. Sadly, that was not the case. It apparently went down more like this.

The guys’ ex-girlfriend showed up and there was a verbal altercation. The boyfriend decided that the best way to resolve the situation with the ex involved getting his shotgun. Isn’t that your goto position in a “verbal altercation”?

His girlfriend tried to stop him from shooting his ex. Mr. Wonderful then accidentally shot his current girlfriend… in the chest… with a shotgun. No word on the ex, but I’m guessing she signed up for that private Mars mission that’s been recruiting. Even that may not be far enough away from this guy.

You might wonder why I mention Texas in the title. Surely this could’ve happened anywhere. That is the unfortunate truth, but this story has a twist. It seems the police were initially unsure if charges would be pressed. Now let’s make sure we understand that. He shot his girlfriend while she was trying to keep him from shooting his ex-girlfriend over an argument, but the San Antonio P.D. doesn’t really see anything wrong with all that. S.A.P.D. eventually decided to charge him with “possible aggravated assault”.

I agree with them on a couple of points. He definitely assaulted his girlfriend (with a shotgun!), and it’s pretty safe to say he was aggravated. I’m just not sure why they put the word possible in there. Are they saying “Maybe he wasn’t aggravated.”? I tend to think it’s because it’s Texas. Maybe they just don’t think that blasting your girlfriend with a shotgun should count as assault.

Ahhhhh Texas.

Cheers, Winston

World War Z… A Difference Of Scale

On By WinstonIn Film Reviews, Movies, Pop Culture, UncategorizedLeave a comment

image

I was fortunate to recently receive passes to the screener for “World War Z”.  I’ve got to say, it was much better than I had feared.  It’s not a perfect movie, but then how many are?

I have a short list of favorite zombie movies.  “Shaun Of The Dead”, the original “Night Of The Living Dead” and of course “Zombieland”.  All of these offer small sections of the overall disaster.  Each focuses on just one group of survivors, usually in a localized geographic area.  You may get bits of news or hints about the rest of the world, but the focus is always right where the characters happen to be standing. Not so much with this one.

It starts with a family in a kitchen and within minutes, it expands to the city and shortly after that, the world. It puts the WORLD in “World War Z”. That is it’s greatest success. Sure it’s all Brad Pitt all the way through, but the blur of supporting characters adds to the sense of huge scale. As the hero goes globe-trotting in search of patient zero, the film retains its humanity with brief sat-phone calls to the family he left behind.

Brads’ UN researcher turns the activist motto on it’s head. Instead of thinking globally and acting locally, his focus on his family causes him to think locally but act globally. That reversal is the spring which drives the whole movie. He isn’t playing a hero or an anti-hero. The character is a guy thrust into an untenable position doing what he must for his family. It’s that personal, human touch that redeems what could have been just another slaughter fest.

I don’t want to give away too much, so I’m going to stop here. My personal verdict. Definitely worth going out to the theater for.

Cheers, Winston

Boy Scouts of America Lifted Ban On Gays

On By WinstonIn Religion, Society, Uncategorized, Values2 Comments

Cue the wrathful Christians. Certain large Christian groups have already announced the end of their affiliation with the BSA. They are cutting funding, and actively encouraging to pull their children out of the Scouts. Apparently these people haven’t got a single clue what a Christian is supposed to be. Christians aren’t dosed to judge, they’re supposed to forgive.

The BSA has made the right call. In an organization which promotes respect and equality, it was becoming increasingly hard to justify a policy of exclusion. Particularly one based on a set of standards which are no longer as widely held as they once were. No matter how strong your belief, it doesn’t give you the right to attempt to coerce others to follow them. That’s exactly what some allegedly Christian organizations tried to do. For years they “encouraged” the Scouts to reject any boy who didn’t live a lie. Now that the BSA has decided to favor inclusiveness over bigotry, the bigots have gone from coercion to punishment. Who knows how many youth will never get to experience the joys of Scouting because some people want to play God and judge when God has reserved that right for His Son.

Frankly, my God is going to be more likely to judge someone who let’s their own petty prejudices hurt a child than they are a gay child. If you or your organization believe that a belief, any belief, is more important than the happiness and social development of a child, you have my pity. If anybody is going to be judged, I bet it’s not the Scouts. I bet it’s the groups that want to exclude and punish kids for not living the way you want them to.

Personally, I’m thrilled the Boy Scouts of America has lifted it’s ban on gay kids. Now let’s work on the ban on gay troop leaders. One step at a time means every step is important.

Cheers, Winston