A Fish Called Rwanda

The Jack Taylor Story

Don't Stop Believin'

I think that I am on the start of a great Journey.

Coicidentally, the placement of the Steve Perry classic in the movie Monster was inspired, a stroke of genius.

For those of you who haven't seen the flick, it is the song playing in the Roller Disco when Aileen and her lover, (Selby?) are taking a spin around the track. Besides the obvious eighties connection, (as any other generic eighties song could have been playing in the background, like I Melt with You, Careless Whisper or even Come on Eileen)

But Journey has this, cachet, this appeal, to the point that theya re still touring without their former lead singer Perry and still selling out midsize arenas.

The band has such a great sound to me, consdering that their prime audience is women, (prime women) and that I am aware of their suckitude yet I don't think that I like them in an ironic sense. The Steve Perry solo power ballad 'Oh Sherry' is masterful, and the song 'Anyway You Want It' has not been tainted by its many appearences in Car Sale ads.

But it's Don't Stop Believin' that really captures the moment. Perhaps because it came out the year of my birth, 1981, and I attach such affinity to numerology and dates. But that's not even the beginning of it. The tune itself is just so overblown and drawn out and perfect for this movie.

It's hopefulness, wrapped up in a hopeless world.

The ending of Monster is incredibly downbeat, as Charlize/Aileen rehashes all the hoary cliches: "Love conquers all." "Every cloud has a silver lining." "Faith can move mountains." "Love will always find a way." "Everything happens for a reason." "Where there is life, there is hope." and then flippantly says "They gotta tell you something". Some people quite strongly agree with Aileen's conclusion, (you know who you are). And it's true that for a person like Aileen Wuornos, it may not seem like "Everything Happens for a Reason". And that's just life, as 'some will win and some will lose'. Actually, i'll let the lyrics say what I am trying to get across:

Working hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin' anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
Some will win, some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on

Ah, Steve Perry. Of course, he was the music consultant for the film, so of course he is going to make the centerpiece of the movie a Journey song. But it's interesting that he would say that 'the movie never ends', as I believe that this is a direct clue for interpreting the film. That even though for Aileen things didn't work out, (as is the case sometimes in an imperfect world), there is still hope for the rest of us. Even though thingst work out in our favor for us, that is no reason to give up hope.

Don't stop believin'
Hold on to the feelin'
Streetlight people

I may be a psychic, but I am by no means trivial

So I got the feeling about the Cardinales despite them not making any deals, and the next day they pick up Mark (Fox) Mulder.

My guess is: the Braves will pick up one more starter in the next few days.

Oh, and the Expos are playing in Norfolk, Viginia? I doubt it.


My trivial powers will work on more than just baseball deals, you'll see...

Do you have a Randy Johnson?

My guess is that he'll win 15 games, tops, and that we are heading for an Angels / Cardinals World Series. Of course, the outlook may change drastically between now and Opening Day. And why did I pick the Cards? They didn't do anything to improve upon last year's team. I dunno.

Crushed Dreams

I am not sure if it was done to intentionally piss off my prudish Russian friends, but there was a point in time last year when I said that my two biggest celebrity crushes were Britney Spears and Anna Kournikova.

I am quite aware that I wasn't alone in this regards. After all, it's not like I chose semi-obscure or quirky women like former star of The Single Guy Ming-Na or country singer Trisha Yearwood. Besides, I didn't go waaaaayyyyy over the line and pick Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan my top fantasies.

I had good reasons for picking the two of them: I selected Britney for her two sets of Rolling Stone photos, the first cute in a cheesecake way, and the second just plain hot. Anna was astrological reasons. She shared my same birthday, right down to the year, and ultimately, what's hotter than that? There's probably some ego driven reason there, but I fail to recognize its significance.

Since then, the celeb crushes have fluctuated wildly, as I tend to flucuate wildly. Recently they have included: Mischa Barton and Rachel Bilson from the O.C. (though I have only ever watched one episode. I think it's because I like the blonde / brunette contrast). Also, Marg Helgenberger, (though maybe that's because I seem to watch C.S.I. every night). I am surprised that I like Marg older Catherine Willows and not Jorja Fox, who plays the sassy Sara Sidel. This is probably because of Marg also played the hot older cop in Species and Species II, while Jorja played a less glamourous role in Memento.

Who else? Uhhh...Naomi Watts, t.a.T.u. , Donna (and more recently Jackie) from That 70s Show, Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge, (though not in any other one of her flicks), French actress Ludvine Sagnier, Brittany Murphy, (who is now skinnier than me, uggghhh), Aisha Tyler, Selma Blair, (that was a strange one), the sex columnist from Eye magazine and Meg White, (also kind of strange).

But yeah, those have all been fleeting interests. Surprisingly, most people can name their celebrity crushes right away, (there always seems to be two or three of them), and what's more, they remain constant throughout a good number of years.

The best I've got is Britney and Anna. With the news today that Enrique has become Anna's hero, that makes Britney Federline and Anna Iglesias completely unappealing to me. The blonde thing is still there, (at least in Anna's case), but the thought of crushing on women my age who are MARRIED, and both for the second time is kind of a revolting thought. Even if Britney wasn't married, she has gone from Teen Dream to Teen Scream, (yes!) so dramtically it makes me wonder how she ever had it going in the first place. I tell ya, I might not even buy a copy of her Greatest Hits: 'My Prerogative' CD, (that's crazy talk!)

Still....with Anna and Brit done, who's left? Who should I crush on. Besides of course, EVERY BOY! I gots nothin!

Suggestions?

Clowns to the left of me. Jokers to the right.

Here I am stuck in the middle with...me.

It's amazing the way that the library seems to give everybody the right to stare, but conversation with non-acquaintances must (unconsciously) be kept to an absolute minimum, lest you be seen as intrusive.

However, the length and frequency of the stares that receieve from patrons of E.J. Pratt Library lead me to wonder if (a) I am a hot piece of ass (b) There is something fundamentally flawed in my appearance, (socks don't match jeans, fly undone, shirt misbuttoned etc.) (c) I irritate people, (as it does seem that strangers irritate me the most, yet I still strain to overhear their conversation.

I wish that talking would trump staring. Then I can find out whether those gross stares indicate that the cute girl in the corner is feasting on Chas Traps or is repulsed by my gaudy sweater.

Living at Home

I'm attempting to write my first ever drunken post, so bear with me if I tend to 'ramble on'.

I like living at home. I like the food being available constantly. I like my oversize bed. I like coming home to people that care, (even if they are my parents). I like my parents.

Here's the thing. Living at home defeats my creative intuitiveness. This is assuming that in the fact place I HAVE creative intuitiveness, it's just that I feel more focused, more comfortable, more alive away from Cottingham Street.

I think that it's a combination of factors. I need to be around people, even if they are just people that I see and don't speak to. Also, I think that when I'm at home, I am a lazy lazy boy, always sleeping in rully rully late, and watching way too much Blind Date and whatnot. Also, I flip, flip flip channels with an intensity rarely seen by the likes of me. But when I'm out, you know what I am always thinking? I wish I was home right now. Gawd. I need to find my place. I need to find a home in the world so that I can think straight all the time. Also, this way I can finally be on my own, as scary as that sounds right now. It's essential that I get an education at the Chapel of Life.

It's not like everyone else is doing anything that is so fascinating, but I feel as though as soon as I start to slack, (tv, movies, video games, websites), then I am somehow off course. That I am not doing what it is that I'm supposed to be doing. That I am not contributing to my desired path in life, even though I don't know what that path is!

Needless to say, I need to get away from living at home. But on the other hand, I so enjoy living at home. But on the third hand, (yes I can have three hands in a hypothetical), I gotta feeling that I can take the best of both worlds. This is why I feel that I am always in flux and that I've never arrived. Sigh!

By the way, this feels wonderful, writing.

Folks...

I'd like to sing you a song.

About you.

About me.

Actually, it's a song about me. I have not given up on the cause. My blog remains strong, despite the fact that I haven't really written anything for it in three weeks and that my last two posts were just links to ESPN articles, (albeit, relevant links). This does not mean that I am either going to 1. Shut down the blog. 2. Stop posting on the blog. 3. Stop saying the word blog.

Blog.

Last night, my friend Mike told me that my blog is somewhat unique, as I don't use it as a personal diary, nor as a forum for my crackpot political theories, (though not through lack of effort). Therefore, I have managed to find my niche, as a haven for questions and ideas. Some interesting, some shameless reasons to post pictures of myself to impress girls that I really should not be trying to impress.

The fact that I have found some meaning for Caught in the Traps, other than to be first in the Google search for 'Chas Traps', (damn semi-conductor websites!) I am wholly encouraged by the process, as well as the vague promises made by my webmaster that I can make this site look really kickass, and I will continue to amaze, astound and astonish with future posts.

Let's look at the stats, shall we:

Homosexual marriage proposals I have received before this blog started: Zip.
Since: One. (thanks Conor)

My mood before the blog started: Apprehension.
Since then: General contentment, (Sadly, the second is not related to the first)

Yasser Arafat's condition at the start of writing the blog: Alive
Now: Most likely Dead

Ron Artest's Q Rating outside of the NBA: Low to Medium, (mainly as hip-hop producer)
Now: High to Exceedingly High, (mainly as lawsuit producer)

Drummers I am reasonably confident that I can identify by name: About 40
Now: About five

See, Everybody's a winner for playing Caught in the Traps. But mostly me.

Brand new posts start tomorrow, I swear.