12/12/12
(a poem for all of humankind a week before (yet another) reported apocalypse)

Poetry by Michael F. Nyiri 12/12/12 6:30am pst

if the world were to end i sure wouldn't
and neither would you or would you
you may believe in rapture, enlightenment or you didn't
you may think that nothing you hear is really true

you may have your questions and yearnings
you may have regrets and recourse
but as you have lived you've been learning
no cosmic occurrence bends personal force

the universe is bigger than the both of us
we have faith cause we weren't meant to understand
we while away our hours with depression or bliss
we either shake our fist or extend a waiting hand

the earth is just a ball of geology
think of it as home away from home
it'll stick around, it will be us who depart
but the universal mindset maintains cosmic energy to roam

If this spinning orb were to stop spinning
If the gravity of this situation were to suddenly disappear
If all of humanity fell off of the earth
what a really strange end to such a wonderful year
i began proclaiming this year to be the best one
still i'm in debt but it's shrinking
i'm getting older but who isn't?
i'm grateful and alive i'm thinking

i'm celebrating both the past and all possible futures
the solstice always brings warmth through the cold
my hand is forever extended to humanity
as the endless story is never completely told

the mayans stopped engraving their
calendar i'm thinking
simply cause they ran out of stone
a solstice is a good place
they were winking
as they put away their tools and went home

i'm home here on my planet this morning
and who knows i may be buried some time tonight
as the planets align, and we count nonexistent time
we are universally together in our seeming plight

and as the sun sets wherever

i bid you goodnight

(the new sun will rise tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, and if the universe is willing so will i
and so will we all, except of course those of us who won't)

Posted: December 12, 2012 6:57 AM

MOVIES (THAT MATTER)

The original AllThingsMike website's front page (here's an archived copy) had the tagline: "Movie Reviews, Poetry, and Stuff." One of the sections contained film reviews. I'm quite a film buff, and have been collecting films since home video was invented. In fact, as mentioned in a few movie themed posts here on my blog, I minored in film history at USC in the early 70s, (when George Lucas was still considered an recent alumni, and there wasn't a building named after him yet) simply because I was able to see both classic and unreleased films on a big screen.

Seems like everybody has big screens in their homes these days. Mine is a 60" 3D DLP projection television, from late 2008. I've been forsaking it lately and watching my ever expanding blu-ray collection of movies, both bright shiny new ones I never saw in a theater, and older ones which are all restored and in HD, on my 32" LCD computer monitor. (I hope to win the 50" LCD TV at our company Christmas party raffle.) Watching a remastered old movie from the 40s or 50s on a good LCD (or LED) screen is better than 3D! The image on the DLP projection set isn't as sharp or detailed.

This entry was created mostly for me, as a list in one place of the films I've purchased through Amazon.com using my Thanksgiving bonus over Black Friday. But I thought instead of making it private, I'd publish it as a blog article. And over the course of three days, it has become, not just a list, but one of my full fledged blog entries. On ElectricMovies, (forever frozen in time at 2003) I wrote about "movies that matter." I've collected movies on Beta and VHS tapes, CED and laserdisc, and DVD and blu-ray. I still have a list of favorite films which haven't appeared on any format, and some films I have on VHS (such as Bob Fosse's chilling "Star 80") or laser (such as the parody musical "The Court Jester" with Danny Kaye) were created once, never to be minted again on home video. Those films which have been given the full digital restoration (sometimes frame by frame) and released on blu-ray, not counting current movies, many of which employ digital effects or are shot digitally instead of on film, look so good when presented on a high definition screen that it's almost as if one is "living in the movie" and the great technicolor films look like they might have been made yesterday. 

These are the blu-rays I've been enjoying since last month, and will be enjoying into the future. I'll list other versions I might already own, as well, and a short "review" of why I believe the film is a "movie that matters." The title links to the Blu-ray.com page for the film, which in turn links to the current amazon.com price.

First shipment: Order Total: $13.02

Shutter Island  (2010)
Starring:Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo , Director: Martin Scorsese| Rated: R | This is one of the most chilling films I've ever seen. It works on two or three levels, and begs to be watched multiple times. When I rented this a year or so ago, I just knew I'd be buying the film for my collection at some point. Martin Scorsese (my favorite living director) has crafted a tight, multilayered, involving mystery based on a novel by Dennis LeHane. Leo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, and Michelle Williams give performances which seem completely different when viewing the film a second time. Sir Ben Kingsley and Max Von Sydow run a mental institution for the criminally insane on Shutter Island. Someone has escaped. DiCaprio and Ruffalo are federal agents called in to investigate, right as a hurricane is about to hit. 

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (The Criterion Collection)  (2008)
Starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett , Directed by David Fincher | Rated: PG-13 | "Your life is defined by its opportunities... even the ones you miss." This is my 8th favorite film of all time (so far. I just checked the 2005 list, and figured I should update it. Lots of films made since then.).Like his contemporary, Christopher Nolan, I've followed Fincher's career since his first film. (Se7en, which also starred Pitt)  David Fincher is a powerhouse director (Fight Club (also with Pitt), The Social Network) with an unusually dark, original vision. I've always been amazed that this is finely crafted film, based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, wasn't more popular back in 2008. It should have won the Oscar for Best Picture that year. The vision is still somewhat dark, but I find a lot of hope and enlightenment in Button. It's a story about life and death, and how each and every one of us is special. The story spans from the end of WWI in 1918 to "present day" New Orleans, right before Katrina is about to hit. (Strange that the 2 films in my first shipment from the Black Friday movie sale use hurricanes as plot points.) Benjamin Button is born with the body of an 80 year old, and his body grows younger as he grows older. He meets Cate Blanchett's Daisy as a child, and reconnects with her as they age, "meeting in the middle" for their romance. I'm aging myself, sometimes quicker than I ever imagined, and this is one of the conceits which makes Button so special. If you've never seen this film, I'd recommend it highly. It's emotional impact, especially the final scenes, is immense. Make sure you have a box of tissues handy. 

Second Shipment: Order Total: $100.89

Firefly: The Complete Series (2002)
Starring Nathan Fillion, Directed by Joss Whedon | I'm a closet browncoat myself, and sometimes I think the only reason I'm still watching Castle is because of Fillion. Only 13 episodes of Firefly were produced, then shown on TV back in 2002 in the wrong order, and then the series was suddenly cancelled. A "space western" set aboard the vessel Serenity, richly written and endowed by Whedon's unmistakable stamp, I'm all set to return to the universe of Firefly. Whedon of course made Buffy the Vamprie Slayer and it's spinoffs, and the delicious Dollhouse, also cancelled far too early. The only downside to watching Firefly for the first time is that you want to see more. There is a legion of "browncoats" who have been wanting to see more since 2002!

The Forever Marilyn Blu-ray Collection (2012) The collection contains seven of Marilyn's Fox films, including two really early Cinemascope films, presented in their 2.35:1 widescreen letterboxed glory. My favorite Marilyn film, Bus Stop, isn't included. But I now have blu-ray copies of some of the older titles in my laserdisc collection. The classic "Some Like It Hot" (which has been called the best comedy film of all time), "The Seven Year Itch" (also in full Cinemascope) and Marilyn's final film, "The Misfits", are included. 

Ben-Hur (50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition) (1959)
Starring Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Directed by William Wyler | Rated: G | When I was a child, (this film came out in 1959, before I was even in the first grade) our family library had a hardcover book version of the original program for the roadshow edition of Ben-Hur. I saw the film for the first time on our family TV. By the time the late 50s films got to TV back then, it took a few years. Probably first saw it around 1965, on a  25" color set. There was no such thing as letterboxing back then, so it was the pan and scan version. It aired over two nights, and was a "special presentation" on TV, around Christmas time.The novel, by Sir Lew Wallace, is subtitled "A tale of the Christ." The plot revolves around the life of prince Judah Ben-Hur, but the parallel "life of Christ" (whose face is never glimpsed throughout the film) is always present, and upliftingly so. Directed by William Wyler, (The Big Country, Jezebel, Funny Girl) Ben-Hur is a remake of a silent MGM film from the late 20s. It deserves it's place as one of the better "intimate epics" presented in the late 50s and 60s. Watching it on blu-ray, in it's widescreen restored glory, where you can almost count the threads in the robes and feel the spittle of  the snorts of the horses in the chariot race scene (STILL one of the best action sequences in film history 60 years later) is to wonder at the glory of such a fine film all over again. The presentation box is the same size as my earlier 70th anniversary editions of The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind. It comes with two high quality books, one a day by day diary written by Chuck Heston (Hur) on the set! That I was able to get this for less than 30 bucks made this a must-purchase-now item. I had Ben-Hur on CED, and own copies of the letterbox version on laserdisc and DVD. 

Singin in the Rain (60th Anniversary) (1952)
Starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'connor, Debbie Reynolds, Directed by Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen  | Rated: NR | Made in 1952, the year before I was born, it's safe to say most film critics and aficianados consider this the best musical ever made. It is certainly the best musical MGM made, and MGM was known for their musicals. Singin in the Rain is also available in a box set for it's 60th anniversary. (I really applaud Warner's for the attention they are paying to the rereleases of the MGM film library on blu-ray. I'm itching to get the 100th anniversary set of 50 films next year!) Watching this excellent remaster, I noticed a scar or impression below Gene Kelley's left eye which I'd never noticed before, and I own most every film in which he's appeared. I like to dance, and this film is a dancer's dance movie. It includes a new documentary on the film. I had this film on CED, and own a copy on laserdisc as well, which I've nearly worn out.

Third Shipment: Order Total: $24.02

The Red Shoes (The Criterion Collection)] (1948)
Starring Moira Shearer, Anton Walbrook, Directed by Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger| Rated: Unrated | It was a download of the remastered verion of this nearly 60 year old film on Netflix which got me interested in catching up with all my favorite films on blu-ray this last summer. I was then, and still am simply amazed at the restoration. The Archers film group, which made all of Powell and Pressburger's delightfully English 40s films, with both light and dark passages (such as The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, and Black Narcissus) consists of films I've seen over and over again since childhood. I mentioned the dance sequences in Singin in the Rain above. The Red Shoes concerns a ballet troop, and is as much a backstage musical as Rain, although much darker in tone. (however the colors are bright and vivacious). I owned this film on CED and laser. 

Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Starring Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, Directed by Baz Luhrmann | Rated: PG-13 |  (Another musical, natch.) This film is a heartfelt valentine to freedom, truth, beauty, art, and love. Baz is an incredibly original storyteller, and the use of "American Popular Music" to tell the story is as old as musicals themselves. However, I remember being a bit put off when seeing the previews, that using, say, old Madonna tunes instead of original music, would doom the proceedings. The conceit works, and works very well. (When I hear the song "Roxanne" nowadays, I'm more apt to envision the musical number in Moulin Rouge instead of just the song itself, by the group The Police. This is the film which should have sparked the revival of the musical. I haven't seen the blu-ray yet. I own a copy of the DVD. And in 2001, I created one of my "websites in a weekend" in tribute to it's Best Picture chances that year. 

Fourth Shipment: Order Total: $73.90

Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures  (2011)
Starring Harrison Ford, Directed by Steven Spielberg | Rated: PG-13 | Believe it or not, I've never owned the Indiana Jones trilogy (now quadrilogy) on any home video format. I had Raiders on CED back in the 80s soon after it's release, which is interesting to note.) I've only watched the blu-ray edition of that first film (Raiders of the Lost Ark). Picture quality seems iffy in the beginning jungle scenes, and I was all set to proclaim that it must be the difference between the technicolor film stock of the 30s-60s and the less fantastic film stock of the 70s which made the opening scenes uneven. A movie, esp. from Spielberg and company, from 1981 should look more like those old films than the more washed out product usually produced in Hollywood around the time. The problems disappear once the action moves to the cave. And when it gets to Nepal, and then Cairo, well, the transfer is amazing. I never liked the second film that much (Temple of Doom). I loved the third one (with Sean Connery as Indy's father) and I do own the previous blu-ray edition of Crystal Skull, which I like better than some critics did. This was a steal at under 40 bucks. The digibook is sturdy, more like the Star Wars digibook than the Hitchcock Masterpiece collection. Soon, being able to "handle" the films as pure digitizing and streaming becomes more available and commonplace, these little digibooks will most probably grow in collectibility. 

The Dark Knight Trilogy (Batman Begins / The Dark Knight / The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Starring Christian Bale , Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Directed by Christopher Nolan Rated: PG-13 | I've seen, and owned, quite a few of the films I just got on blu-ray over the past couple of weeks. This purchase brings three films to my collection which I've never owned. Now for an oldster like me, a mention of Batman usually brought to mind the "campy" 1960s television series. Then Tim Burton crafted the big screen Batman in 1989, which spawned what seemed like dozens of high profile bombs at the box office. Nolan is a current favorite director of mine. (Memento, The Prestige, Inception.) Inception is the last film I saw in a theater. I never get tired of rewatching The Prestige. Batman Begins didn't seem that great when I saw it in 2005. I was impressed by The Dark Knight, but thought some of the plotting was a bit ponderous. Rises was just released last Tuesday.

I've now watched The Dark Night Rises, and then went back to watch from the "beginning" of Batman Begins. Wow. What a finely crafted trilogy. Possibly the best trilogy ever presented. (I'll be watching LOTR again on blu-ray, and of course the Hobbit is coming out, first of another trilogy.) The fact that Nolan references from Begins are littered throughout Rises, especially the well/tunnel/batcave motif which appears in the prision sequences out of which Batman "rises" in the third film, is pure filmmaking craft. Yes the tone is masterfully downbeat, almost dizzyingly depressing. The film trilogy is a true work of art. A wonderful capstone to a whirlwind perfect storm of purchasing power.

Total amount spent: $211.83 Total media: 1: 13 episode TV series and 19 movies. (roughly 10 bucks for each title!)

I didn't "review" the Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection, which began my present binge, because I didn't buy it on Black Friday, although I did get it on amazon.com. (And I plan a Hitchcock-centric blogpost as soon as I see the current film based on Steve Rebello's book.) Interesting to note that I'm buying on amazon now that they're taxing the purchases. I also enjoy the prime shipping method. However, the collection of movies available for streaming on "Amazon Prime" for free are somewhat dismal, sort of like the streaming version of Netflix. I'd hoped there would be more. Paying $80 bucks at one crack seems expensive at first, but it averages out to about 7 bucks a month, which is in line with what Netflix charges. You can also utilize the "lending library" aspect from the amazon digital ebook files. I am in the market for a kindle, and will probably get one next year, so I'm interested in the books aspect of amazon.com as well as the films.

Posted:December 10, 2012 7:29 AM

This Blog's for you.

Dear Xangan,

You might have been present at the inception of this blogging service, or you might have started blogging here yesterday. You may be incredibly wordworthy, a fantastic writer and master of the English language, or you may be from another country than I, and your language is fleeting, sporadic, and haltingly imprecise. You may be pretty popular here on Xanga, or you might be shy and intimidated by others you perceive as more experienced in the art of social networking.

You may be male, female, childish, rich in the throes of youthful abandon, or older, more experienced, and sure of yourself. You may be a master of HTML coding, and your blog is fantastically presented, with lots of groovy graphics and wonderful words. Or you may be "computer illiterate" and might not even know how to make a link.

The world is a big place, teeming with wonder and specialness. Before the internet, the various denizens of the world population pretty much had to keep to themselves and the souls within their close vicinity. Now, almost a couple of decades after the institution of the internet became a part of so many of our lives, we can use this great medium not only to find the answers to almost any question, but to find camaraderie and friendship all over this grand world.

The sliver of life which presents itself on your blog is unique and also universal. You may write about your daily routine such as it is, interspersed with family tales, photos of your pets, and good tidings for all. Or else you may be a bit snarky, with a strange sense of humor you find stimulated and goaded to perfection in this environment. You may think your boyfriend, husband, wife, special gal, dearly departed family member, goldfish, dog, cat, hampster, or ferret is the center of your personal universe, and this drives your musings , or else you consider yourself a true writer, chronicling the ongoing history of pop culture, or contributing to the arts and letters of humanity.

You may be incredibly religious, and you wish to preach the word of whichever diety you worship to the masses. Or else you are secular and scientific, regaling your audience with facts and figures inherently important to you.

You are funny. You are meticulous. You are sad. You are informative. You are a human being who has coupled with the technological advances of internet social networking so much that your blog is a part of you, and your readers can tell this simply by visiting your corner of cyberspace.

You could be blogging somewhere else, but you chose to become a Xangan, a badge which carries with it the promise of new friends, new experiences, and new connections, and perhaps the re-establishment of old ones. You may blog each and every day, spitting out bits of wisdom in your pulses. Or you may have no pulse, and might decide to only pen a few important words every two or three weeks.

You might be a staple of the "front pages" of the Xanga world, constantly looking for your internet fame and forturne, or you may keep to yourself, rarely visiting other blogs in the Xangasphere.

Dear, delightful Xangan. I sometimes think I know you well, and sometimes I don't know you at all. You may be nakedly honest as an "individual", or slyly invisible, preferring to act omnipresent in the community. You are all the parts of an incredible experience in world communication, whether you know it or not.

Thank you for your posts. They are the glue which binds your blog together, and which in fact binds the whole community. Thank you as well for your comments, those reminders that we are not only together as a people, but we sometimes agree, and sometimes disagree, but that doesn't stop us from continuing the conversation.

I wrote a poem a long time ago called "Thank you for you." I wish to dedicate this sentiment to you, the eternal Xangan, whether you are here right now reading this, or whether you left in the past and will never glimpse this tribute to your blog's ongoing existence.

It's not the words or the pictures. It's not the videos or the coding. It's not the toolbars or the modules or the themes which are important in life. In actuality, it's not the blogging service or even the internet which binds us. It is our humanity, our shared existence as humans which matters most in our lives. The internet, and Xanga in particular, from my standpoint, have helped, and are currently helping to foster good will and friendship amongst humans. And this is important.

Dear Xangan, thank you for being a part of this individual life. This blog's for you!

Yours most respectfully,

Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool

I like to trot out this piece every now and then. First posted in May of 2009 and again in August 2010, it's amazing to realize it was that long ago I posted it last. Lots of commenters from each instance are still "here." Up there in my header, it states: "The personal and universal thoughts, feelings, and observations of Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool." As long as I've been writing, I've embraced the possibility of interconnection of humanity, and even while personally alone, I embrace the idea of social networking, which allows humanity to connect to each other in ways unheard of during my youth. I've been seeing a bandwagon or meme asking Xangans to write about who "keeps them here." I plan on creating a post sometime this month listing a bunch of "@xangans" I've admired and corresponded with over the years, as part of my "year end celebration" but until then, hope everyone who blogs here feels special, admired, positive, and loved by the community. My depression is lifting, and I'm about ready to "take my rounds" again, visiting those wonderful Xangans who keep returning to my own humble blog, and leaving such wonderful words of inspiration in their comments. MFN/ppf

Back in the long ago during the previous century, I attended the 1995 Los Angeles Auto Show and saw my first Mistubishi Eclipse. 

I fell in love. It took another four years, but in 2000 I bought a 1999 Eclipse Spyder convertible, the love of my life. She lasted eleven long wonderful years, filled with seemingly planned obsolescence, brutal neighborly abuse, and eventual owner neglect. 

The rain has stopped. The night is clear. It's time again for the L.A. Auto Show, 2012 edition. 

Perhaps I will spy my next car. (Calm down, Mock Evo, I'm not tired of you yet!)

I'm looking for the future. I call myself a Chevy man, as opposed to a Ford man, I guess this is something only a boomer could relate to. Weird that I've owned a Ford (1961 T Bird) but I've never (really) owned a Chevy. (My first car, a 1960 Chevy Brookwood station wagon, which I drove during my junior year of HS, before I "graduated" to the car I actually bought as my first car, a 1965 Dodge Dart GT, was the family car and not one I purchased with my own money.) I want a Camaro. I've always wanted a Camaro. I want to show you the majesty of the 2013 Camaro. 

This is my next car.

It's great to be in love. The 2013 Chevy Camaro. 

(Convertible, of course.)

Photos up close and personal will be provided from the L.A. Auto Show as soon as I get to it, possibly tomorrow, perhaps next week. (Weather permitting, of course.)

I guess I shouldn't let the complete month of November pass without at least paying lip service to my ol' Xanga blog. Perhaps it seems weird that during one month, I'll be 'active' and another 'inactive', and yet another, I may seem to disappear altogether. Unlike a lot of Millennials, for whom social interaction and posting "updates" about their thoughts and lives is just another part of life, and even other older Xangans who seem to make room for a post each and every day, I'm one of those creative, bi-polar sorts whose 'activity' on any social networking or blogging platform has always been dictated by what I'm making, shooting, photographing, drawing, or writing. Some months I'm in a creative whirlwind (mania). Some months I'm in a deep, dismal funk (depression). Sometimes I want to shout to the heavens that life is beautiful and everything is going great.

And sometimes I don't give a shit about anything at all and realize perfectly well why some souls decide to cut the cord connecting them to physical life.

DEPRESSION: First the bad. This has been going on longer than ever this season, and the mood rarely swings up. I'm forever down. I won't kill myself. But I can't shake this feeling. I seem to be losing my capability to be positive, and my communication skills, always rather good, are fading fast. I can't even put three words together when speaking. I've been feeling depressed for a couple of months, and even when blogging in October, I polished an optimistic sheen for the most part when interacting on the internet. Under the sheen I'm suffering.

I'm upset all the time. Offers of "hugs" and kind words won't help. The other day I was taking my daily power walk around the mobile park and met one of my neighbors coming the other way. "Walk with me" he said. I usually walk alone (that could be literal and a metaphor, come to think of it.) But I'm a friendly sort, and always make eye contact and wave howdy when I approach someone. Ryan asked me how I was doing, and I opted to tell the truth. We had a nice conversation, where Ryan told me I was probably depressed because I live alone. Frankly, living alone after living with roommates for most of my life is pretty nice. Cancerboy died almost five years ago, and I've been living in the park four years in February. We had a nice talk, but I couldn't explain why I get depressed, or why friendship, camaraderie, or activity sometimes just doesn't cut the cobwebs away from my dismal dark times. We parted when we got to his house. A few weeks ago I tried to explain my condition to one of the veeps at work, and the same thing happened. I get choked up, and can't formulate thoughts or speak clearly. I'm beginning to stammer. My physical "tics" increase. I'm a mess mentally, and yet, at my age, and with my financial situation, I certainly can't fit psychiatric or mental help into my schedule or my budget.

As usual, I'll "figure it out myself" and since I consider myself an optimistic glass half full type of guy, I know that no matter how deep the depression, my moods will swing the other way and I'll be delirious at some point in the not too distant future. Studies have shown that a lot of people feel depressed during the holiday season.

If anyone is still out here in Xangaland who may be "worrying" about me at all, don't. This deep dark hole may be a bit deeper and darker than most I've encountered in my travels along the road of life, but I'll crawl out eventually. The planets will be aligning this coming solstice, and instead of believing that the world is going to end, I believe I'm going to experience a personal paradigm shift, and I will connect with the Universal in even more profound ways.

WEALTH & FINANCE: Got a nice "half paycheck" bonus at work for Thanksgiving, plus a four day weekend! I used most of the money to pay off creditors, but I did earmark 100 smackers for "Black Friday" on Amazon.com. Bought a Marilyn Monroe boxed set (7 films), a Ben-Hur collectible box, Joss Whedon's TV series Firefly, and three other films to add to my blu ray collection. Got some great deals, and using the Prime shipping method, was enjoying my booty Saturday afternoon. We usually get a full paycheck bonus at Christmas time, and I'm solidly budgeted through the end of April 2013, so if a bonus is under my tree this holiday, then all the better to pay off more debt, and maybe even get some more toys of some sort. My car is now a year old. It could use a rear spoiler and a subwoofer.

HEALTH: Still nothing wrong with me that I can tell. (Knock wood.) Haven't visited a doctor all year. (Except for the yearly physical last February.) The pain in my knee turned out to be buildup of some inner poison. (which also causes my rosacea) A "pimple" eventually appeared, and the pain disappeared when the poison exited my knee. I've got lots of skin problems. The skin between my toes is so dry it flakes away and seeming "cuts" sometimes appear. Will prolly ask to speak to a dermatologist next physical. (I've always had skin problems, but no melanoma, again, knock wood.) Weight seems to be hovering around 160. I got down to 150 (bmi 25 to 26) I'm increasing my muscle mass. In fact, I plan to get some heavier weights. I've been working out (besides pumping iron on my walk) by playing music and "dancing" with the weights in hand, in time to the beat!

Physically, I feel good. My hip "revision" operation was almost four years ago! A few weeks ago, when the mercury almost got to freezing during the nights, coupled with a few rainstorms, my prosthesis did start acting up. And my leg and hip hurt pretty bad. But the pain passes with the weather shifts.

WEATHER: It's been weird. I'm still sitting out in the sun during weekend days with my shirt off, working on my tan, and then as evening falls, I have to close all the windows in the house. Sadly, the fan on my central heating unit went out. Ah the joys of home ownership! I'm contemplating whether or not to see what it will cost to replace the fan ($126.00 online plus labor to install if done professionally) or just get one of those Vornado full room space heaters at Target for $79.99!

Back in the late 80s television personality and science historian James Burke (of Connections fame) made a fantastic British television series called "After the Warming." I've got that on VHS tape somewhere and I'm going to watch it again now, over 20 years later, to see what insights Mr. Burke had to give back then about what is beginning to happen now. I'm always talking about the ocean, but I live behind a pretty big rock (The Palos Verdes peninusla on the Southern California coast) so when the Pacific Ocean starts to rise, my place won't be in any danger of going underwater. Neat thing about Mobile homes having the floor three feet above the ground. The park has flooded in the past, I understand. (During the storms of 2005 and back in 89 durning the storm that tore out the Redondo Beach pier! ) However, the homes stayed safe. (Wind is another thing altogether, and as Floridians can attest, mobile home parks don't last long duirng hurricane weather.)

INTERNET: Xanga is low on my list of most visited sites. I couldn't tell you who's "hot' and who's not these days. I get so tired of seeing "so and so has invited you to play lucky slots" or whatever any time I visit Facebook so I'm off there pretty much. Any time you do anything on Facebook a little pop up asks you to "share information." I don't want to do that.

My major sites these days, besides the L.A. Times, Huffington Post, and Yahoo, are Blu-ray.com and Amazon.com. A lot of my favorite films are finally getting the full restoration treatment, and seeing something like 1952's "Singing in the Rain" on LCD in it's restored glory is simply amazing. One Xanga blog entry I do plan on creating in the near future is a tribute to my favorite director of all time, Alfred Hitchcock. He's suddenly "in" again, with two films about him, and the "Masterpiece collection" of films has finally been released on blu-ray! (The Paramount films and later, also including Universal films from the mid 40s. It was almost $250.00, but owning the master's films on blu ray has long been a dream of mine. Rear Window is to die for. I fell in love with Grace Kelly all over again! (Also Kim Novak in Vertigo, and Tippi Hedren in both The Birds and Marnie!)

WORK: Lots of it, 12 hour day yesterday. But I'm counting down to retirement. 7 more years.

BENCHMARKS: March 2013 is my 25th anniversary on the job. May 2013 is the "Big Sixty". By the end of the year, most of my longtime debt (which, for those keeping count, topped $50,000.00 at one point) will be completely paid off. This includes the 401k loan I took out to buy the house, my credit card consolidation loan, which is now almost down to under ten grand, and my mortgage. The car is only a year old (it's first anniversary was early this month, that's a benchmark too.) so I won't have it paid off at the same time, but hopefully, I'll be increasing my "spending" money as I decrease my debt.

I do hope to blog some in December. Of course I'll be posting "Mike's Christmas Story" a tradition here at WhenWordsCollide. I'm even growing my beard back so I look more like Santa Mike! (But the belly won't be coming back) Happy Holidays to all.

Until next time, whenever that may be, I remain, as always,

Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool

Posted: November 28, 2012 7:00 AM

 There was a time in the Mikester's life when some annual Hallowe'en contest would always have me winning the top prize for best costume. In 4th grade, my mother rolled up a piece of cardboard, about five feet tall, and painted a totem pole on it. One of the animal's eyes were cut out for mine Really easy to make, and also an easy first prize. Next year, she sewed dozens of strips over a skeleton costume. I picked a suitably scary mask, and created "the goon". Fifth grade first prize. I haven't dressed for Hallowe'en since the mid 90s. We used to have contests at work, and when I was with Pat, we stayed up all night before work the night before one contest preparing my "mummy" costume, in which I completely wrapped myself with bandages. I won first prize, so the effort was worth it. Although not really dressing up, here on the internet it's almost as easy as making that totem pole.  I have digitally "dressed up" here on my blog WhenWordsCollide many times. Most of these "costumes" are composites created as profile pictures. Above is Locutus Baldmike, where I borrowed Star Trek Captain Picard's "Borg" look from the television show in the 80s.

Not really a "costume" per se, this is my "button hat". I'm modeling it from a few years ago, but back in the late 70s, I wore the button hat, and it's companion "button jacket" festooned with even more buttons, when club hopping on Sunset Blvd.

After My 2009 review of the movie "Avatar" got featured on Top Blogs, I "became" Mike Navi, with the help of some extreme photoshopping.

Not only are my eyes a bit closer together than they are when I'm "Mike Navi", here, as Alfred E. Baldmike, my eyes are as crooked as the "real" Mad Magazine mascot. 

A rather ambitious undertaking. For the 2009 Hallowe'en celebration on my Xanga blog, I became "Count Mikula". The entry: "Anatomy of a Profile Pic" showing exactly how I created this composite was quite popular.

Of course, for a guy who signs his name with the suffix "poet, philosopher, fool", I can also be quite the clown. Originally created as a means of promoting my Clowns website back in 2008.

What are you going for this Hallowe'en?

Posted: October 30, 2012 8:33 PM: ENTRY Edit: 10/31/12 6:30am pdt

Okay, I'm going to prove my bravery, once and for all. Well, once and for all for today, anyway. Here is a photo of a pencil sketch I just finished. I began the month creating a portrait of Ocean Starr . Here's another portrait, just completed. It's another Xangan. Another beautiful woman. How do you like this one? My drawing "style" if I have one, relies heavily on the fact that I cartooned long before I got serious about drawing people. I used to see how few lines I could "capture" a person in for charicature. I prefer dark, solid, clean lines. As I age, the capability of my fast fading left hand to be able to draw this way is sometimes on and sometimes off. I didn't even experience my hand going to sleep this afternoon, and this took about three hours on and off to draw. So that's a welcome improvement. My mood has improved since Friday. 1. It's the weekend. 2. I just completed an art project. 3. I pre ordered The Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection of 15 films in a blu ray box set, available Tuesday! 4. One of our customers at work sent an email to the vice president, who was explaining a longer lead time, by stating, "Mike Nyiri Will Save Us All". I said I want that printed up on a tee shirt!

Let me know in comments who my subject is. I won't tag her, and let it be a surprise to her. (Hopefully the portrait is drawn well enough that it won't embarrass her! ) I didn't get it off her Xanga, it's from her FB account photo collection. And I've left at least four hints, so if you look closely (or see accidentally), you'll know who my subject is.

EDIT: 10/28/12 10:28 a.m. pdt Yes! As guessed immediately, it's Xanga's own Nataly (@ShimmerBodyCream). I made an attempt to capture the love between the subjects as evidenced in the photo. I was also particularly interested in the physics involved in getting the correct "heave" of those breasts. Thank you for all the recommendations and the comments. I'm humbled, and spurred to think of perhaps making more Xanga portraits in future. MFN/ppf

"Deadly Family Matters"
Poetry by Michael F. Nyiri
10/26/12 7:45 a.m. pdt

Human life so precious
Every person special and sublime
Whether by love or accident,
families grow.

Hopefully love
replaces accidental circumstance
and
in time
both love and the family grow fuller
If not always together,
at least together in spirit and celebration.
Anger, allegiance, arduous times
Togetherness, happy times and smiles

People matter
Family matters
Although
The matters of some families give us pause
We are shocked and saddened
surely sickened by sanquine reports
of shootings and slicings and shallow graves

A grave report of
the state of humanity
when family matters
don't seem to matter to some
And the heinous harrowing
hollow horrible misgivings
of seemingly normal people
cause pain to all
when they turn on their families
or on the families of others

We are all alone
And yet we are all family
For those who anger too quickly
For those in so much pain
the only solution seems to
reign pain on others;
For those about to claim
that nothing really matters
please take pause
before taking matters into
your shaking hands.

Family matters
to me
to you
to all

BEHIND THE POETRY: I knew I was going to write a new poem this week. I've been feeling particularly depressed this past week, and I usually write when the demons arrive. When I'm content and happy, usually I'm not that poetic. I've written reams discussing this in the past, so won't weigh in on depression and creativity yet again. The poem I thought I was going to write hasn't come yet, but each time I open a browser window for one of the news sites I read, I fall deeper into depression. This poem is a reflection of my feelings concerning the seeming "outbreak" of killings this week. Most of them seem to involve families, and there are yet more orphans created whenever some misguided person decides to get rid of his family. I'm sickened by senseless killing, whether in time of war or peace. Anymore, peace seems to only be a fading symbol, and a memory, if in fact, the world were ever, or will ever be, at peace. Sadly, my few poems this year, including this one, have been inspired by not my own depression, but the worldwide depression which causes people to kill people, including kids who don't even have a chance. Peace out to you all.MFN/ppf

Hi there. It's me. The Memester, er, I mike the Meanster, er, I mean the Mikester. At the top of the dungheap of internet celebrity yet again. Tonight, on the some may say fast fading but I say "I'm a lifer, so eff off never gonna give up" Xanga service, "All Your Memes Belong to Us", I slice and dice my way through that aforementioned internet dungheap to find the most uploaded, downloaded downlow vids, scandals, memes, and muckraking crap I can find. And I find it. So there. And I've got a pretty dirty gutter resistant mind, plus I'm getting old and senile, so I'm just the right type to type Xanga's future destiny into the pages or the internet memology machine, or meh, so here goes. (Did I remember to type the word "meh" somewhere in the above paragraph?)

Ganesha. (Actually, Gnesa) And I thought it was only an Indian god. She's got quite a following, or does she? Watch the video. Immerse yourself in both the Yahoo and the "campaign approved" YouTube comment stream. Pretty funny eh? I love how everyone discusses her negative prowess (improwess?) at singing, when, obviously, everyone is looking at her bod. The empress is naked. BUZZER! This video should be Study #1 at Internet Meme School. How to create an instant internet sensation.

And speaking of internet sensations: I love em. I want em. I can't get enough of em. (Boy do doy you didi doy yo. Boy do doy yo diddy dooooo!)  The original all inclusive internet meme (well, one of them anyway.) I let you know what happened to a lot of internet celebrities HERE in THIS entry (LINK) called Whatever Happened to The Hampster Dancers.

Nuff said!

The real Ganesh stands up. Hubba. Hubba. 

Me Encanta La Comay.

Here's a Super Exclusivo! In Puerto Rico there is a sensational puppet news and celebrity gossip commentator named La Comay. I never knew about her until I read about her in the ever informative Yahoo News Ticker HERE.  You know, I've often stated right here in these pages that I love the capability of the internet to bring me face to face to the cultural explosions happening all over the world. La Comay is a riot and a half. She's (I use the word loosely, it's a man behind the foam mask and drag gear) been around for a decade, spreading verbal abuse and shame toward the popular and scornful, and is a cultural touchstone for a nation used to a bit of abuse and forgetfulness. Hooray for La Comay!

And, now, the ever popular "Kitty and the john" photo. This one comes from the Treehugger site. What would the internet be without a photo of a kitty and a john? Leavin them laughin since at least 1996 or so. 

Until next time, when I'll rip the lid off of popular internet memes, and show you what's REALLY trending, shooting Xanga to the top of the search lists and leaving that guy who asks questions in the dust, I remain, as always,

Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool

(King of the Memes)

Michael Franklin Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool

1960-2008

My "signature" has included "poet, philosopher, fool" since I first began my online journey in the late 90s. This signature defines me as much as anything. I've been a poet since the age of 14, continually weaving my observations and feelings into words. I call myself a philosopher. I studied actual "Philosophy" a long time ago, but I am always philosophizing about the world around me, and my place in it, and how we all as humans interact and share our journey. And, since I'm human, I am foolish as well. We are never perfect while on our Earthly plane, and I am far from perfect, and a bit foolish at times, but I strive for perfection, and this defines me as well.

Everyone's posting photos of their younger selves. The Mikester grows up right before your eyes! I created this morph for my website www.allthingsmike.com in 2008 and featured it on the blog for a Kween of the Queens blogring entry long ago when I turned 55. (For some reason the code on the original article is still broken, but the one on this entry is okay. The text below the morph is from the 2008 KOTQ entry, which got 84 comments. The blogrings and blogthings were always popular. And bandwagons, memes, and trends.) 

As if the morph isn't enough, I've added some photos. The morph does include my high school senior pic, it's the one in the suit, with the striking pink shirt. I was always known for, my "eye popping outfits, as was once written in our high school newspaper." Hey, it was the 70s. Following are some photos from my very first camera. They were taken beginning in the summer after high school.

Brother Daniel, Dog Snoopy, Moi, Sis Marijo. I had a pair of those pants too, but I wouldn't let myself be photographed in them. Summer of 1971, right after I graduated  from high school.

My sister and Me. 1973. (Right before Mom had the stroke and only a year before Dad passed. Note the long, wonderful lush hair. Sis was okay. But look how long mine is. And that natural flip. Sometimes I miss my hair. It was to fall out before the decade was over.

Me and My Bro, about to go out on a Friday night. 71. Mom made my brother's shirt and vest. My hair hadn't grown as long as in the previous pic. Should have put this one before that one. Oh well. 

This one is dated. Another Friday night. I'm about to depart for a date. This outfit wasn't that bad back then. Seriously.

A little more casual. Camping. Summer of 1974. Noted for being taken the day Dad died. 

EDIT: 6:00pm. pdt. I just added some photos. Only the last one has ever been shown online before! These are not scans, but photos of the photos.