Being human

I've been taking the metro to and from work, everyday, usually from 8:30am to 8:45 for nearly 2 years now.
I usually see 3 people regularly, and recognize about 15 here and there. Two years of spending 15 minutes of 5 days a week together, and we've never even exchanged the most universal word in the human vocabulary, hello.

Hello.

Easy...

First things first, sorry. Yes, I'm sorry. I know...Sorry isn't good enough, but what else do you want me to say? Peter piper picked some pickles and discovered he was severely allergic to garlic? Maybe, and if that's you, voila. But, the truth is, I have been disloyal to you, and for that matter, myself. Blogging takes a certain kind of someone. A someone who's sincere about conveying opinion, emotion, reason and sometimes hope. Do I have an opinion? Emotion? Reason? Hope, sometimes?....Of course I do. Who the f*ck do you think I am? Jason Voorhees from "Jason X" (2001), starring Boyd Banks as Fat Lou? No, I'm not. And F*ck you if you think Boyd Banks wasn't in "The Fountain" (2006) Starring the very dynamic Wolverine as Tomas, Tommy and Tom Creo. Look it up. It's real. Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that I've been lacking some motivation. And it doesn't help that I set the bar a little high with my 320 page "Of The Week" that I wrote while high on Ecstasy, speed, cocaine and meth. No. That was a joke, I was really just high on a little something I like to call sleep deprivation and 2 hours of "Crank" (2006) starring Jason Statham and the beautiful Amy Smart. My point being, I am going to continue posting, maybe not as elaborate or dense as my first installment of "Of The Week", but something I hope you'll enjoy. So, with that, I bid you farewell.

WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN, H1N1 IS SOME SERIOUS SH*T.

"Of The Week" Coming tonight AND....

No, I have not given up on the blog and yes, I did buy a new tooth brush that works exceptionally well.

I will post an all-new "Of The Week" after I return from a midnight screening of District 9.

I will also let you know what new tangents I've gone off on.

Until then, keep your head up and know that tomorrow, the seemingly infinite drag of a 5 day work week will come to an end, and all that vexed you will leave you with fresh vigor and fleeting frustrations.

Creativity = Priority

Creativity is profoundly lacking in educational institutions right now. Educators are teaching a basic curriculum that has not evolved or adapted to the present tense. Students are being groomed to be procrastinated reflections of a different generation's social logic and beliefs. The distinct polarity in mindset from a 16 year old kid in, say, 1972 to a 16 year old kid in present day is an unambiguous actuality. The Arts are as crucial to the current and coming generation of malleable minds as mathematics and literature. We need to prepare the young to be able to innovate. We need more Picassos, Frosts, Wildes, Warhols, Kubricks, Brandos and Lennons to aspire to. The advocating of creative thinking should be a priority.

Of The Week July 29

"Of the week" is going to be every hump day. I've come up with the following template:

Film of the week
Music of the week
Song of the week
Photographer of the week
Headline of the week
Cereal of the week
My ____ of the week

I am open to more "Of the weeks", so if zero has any suggestions, feel free.

Without further ado..

Film of the week: The Hurt Locker

Director: Kathryn Bigelow( Point Break, Strange Days)

Cast: Jeremy Renner (North Country, 28 weeks later) - 'Staff Sergeant William James'
Anthony Mackie (Half Nelson, Eagle Eye) - 'Sergeant JT Sanborn'
Brian Geraghty (Jarhead, Bobby) - 'Specialist Owen Eldridge'
Guy Pearce (Memento, L.A Confedential) -'Sergeant Matt Thompson'
Ralph Fiennes (The Constant Gardener, Red Dragon)-'Contractor Team Leader'
David Morse (16 Blocks, 12 Monkeys) -'Colonel Reed'
Christian Camargo (National Treasure 2)-'Colonel John Cambridge'

Plot: Iraq. Forced to play a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse in the chaos of war, an elite Army bomb squad unit must come together in a city where everyone is a potential enemy and every object could be a deadly bomb. (From www.imdb.com)

Reviews:
Roger Ebert
Rolling Stone
L.A Times

My take: The hurt locker is a "between the lines" kind of film. War is the pretext and frame of the film, but, the humanity dominates every bit of the 131min run time. Guy Pearce is fantastic in his brief but memorable performance as the predecessor to Jeremy Renners character. Renner is magnificent and engaging in perhaps his breakthrough performance as the war addicted bomb tech who's calloused perception of the world evolves throughout the course of the film. Mackie, Feins, Morse and the rest of the supporting cast are all catalysts that deliver an honest portrayal of the intricacies of war and its endless mind f**k. I recommend this to anyone and everyone. Enjoy.

Music of the week: The Innocence Mission

Genre: Alternative, Folk, Dream Pop

Band members:
Karen Peris
Don Peris
Mike Bitts

Albums:
1989: The Innocence Mission
1991: Umbrella
1995: Glow
1999: Birds Of My Neighborhood
2001: Small Planes
2003: Befriended
2007: We Walked In Song
2008: Street Map

My take: The Innocence Mission is a mix of intellectual songwriting, warm instrumentals and a breathtaking voice that is Karin Peris. The music that these three artist produce is a necessary therapy to mend a rough day, soften a calloused ear or simply enjoy for it's sincerity. Add this music to your playlist, it's overdue.


The Innocence Mission performing "Brotherhood of Man" (my personal favorite):

Song of the week: House of Cards

Artist: Radiohead

Album: In Rainbows (2007)

My take: House Of Cards is currently my favorite track off of In Rainbows. The vocals are stellar as alwyas, the guitar is THE best string instrument among string instruments and you can hear why when you listen to this track. Another gem from Radiohead.

Headline of the week: Naked girls plow fields for rain

Article: (from www.news.yahoo.com)

PATNA, India (Reuters) – Farmers in an eastern Indian state have asked their unmarried daughters to plow parched fields naked in a bid to embarrass the weather gods to bring some badly needed monsoon rain, officials said on Thursday.

Witnesses said the naked girls in Bihar state plowed the fields and chanted ancient hymns after sunset to invoke the gods. They said elderly village women helped the girls drag the plows.

"They (villagers) believe their acts would get the weather gods badly embarrassed, who in turn would ensure bumper crops by sending rains," Upendra Kumar, a village council official, said from Bihar's remote Banke Bazaar town.

"This is the most trusted social custom in the area and the villagers have vowed to continue this practice until it rains very heavily."

India this year suffered its worst start to the vital monsoon rains in eight decades, causing drought in some states.

(Writing by Bappa Majumdar Editing by Sugita Katyal)

My take: Sometimes you have to do what you have to do...If asking your unmarried daughters to plow the fields naked to embarrass the weather gods is what you have to do, than that's what you have to do. I wonder if Borat has something to do with this...

Photographer of the week: Elise Toïdé

Bio: Elise is an immensely talented documentary/general photographer based in Brooklyn, NY. She has a dynamic portfolio that showcases her ability to create an engaging photograph out of a seemingly ordinary sequence of happenings. I think Elise has a sincere eye and a knack for aesthetic that makes for some great photography.

Main Portfolio

JPG

Cereal of the week:

My take: A simply delicious corn cereal that rivals it's cousin, corn pops. Corn Bran Squares do taste better when had with 2% milk rather than 0.1% or 1% milk. Enjoy!

My ____ of the week: Poem

This City

This is the city where
I found,
the fixity of
synthesis.

These are the streets
that pace,
fames the course
of imminence.

This is the city where
I lost,
the tangibility
of surface...

...This is the where
I am to be found,
and found to be
lost.

My take: The city is an addictive space, even if it's a summer-less city (Montreal).

That's all for this week.

Visibility

Where the f**k is the path that leads to success and happiness? Is it between the two, two headed screaming lions that have the words "odds" and "self-pity" inscribed on there blood stained enamel? Is it on the surface of the sun? Is it visible to ambitious 22 year old men who are full-time shipper/receivers and part-time day dreamers? The incredibly frustrating reality is that not only is it visible to the 22 year old shipper/receiver who day dreams about having more than mere sufficiency, it's visible to anyone with perspective. Does something being visible mean anything? Have you ever come home and realized that you do not have the keys to get in? If so, have you ever looked through the window and thought to yourself "It's... Right.... There" ?

First

Hello to the lost who have found salvation in this safe and secure cyber-sanctuary. Take it easy and enjoy the semi-frightening photograph of myself to your left.

My name is Mathieu and I live in the bustling city of Montreal, located in the province of Quebec which is located in the vast scape of Canada.

Let me begin this introduction by stating that I am not one for correct grammar or proper paragraphs or flawlessly placed commas and all that fluff. I am one for getting ideas and thoughts across to you simply and uniquely. It's as simple as that.

Now, to me and why the creation of Of Tangents.

I graduated high school with ambition, a lot of it. When the ceremony was over and the heavy doors closed behind me for the last time, I recognized that ambition is only the foundation, and that goals were the priority. Well, I had a lot of those as well. Child psychologist, professional baseball player, photographer, singer/songwriter, poet, screenwriter, teacher, actor and so on. A couple of the goals evaporated quite quickly. Three seasons of senior baseball came to an abrupt end shortly after I was blindsided in the testicles by a "rogue" baseball...Well, not exactly rogue...I was simply not paying attention and thus went my aspirations to play alongside Vlad Guerrero.

I went to college to pursue a career as a child psychologist shortly after my jersey was retired. There was an intense anticipation to go off to college, take notes, listen to "professors" profess, learn, but, halfway through the year, and slightly over ten thousand dollars in debt, I came to an extremely difficult understanding that being a child psychologist was not what I had anticipated and that I had made a costly mistake. I let myself down. That's not to say it will never happen, it might. Never is a horrible, horrible word.

I've been playing guitar since I can remember, and sing on occasion. I actually won a talent show in 2005, singing a rendtion of Ben Harper's "Walk Away". I haven't been able to put any words to music yet, except a couple of adventures that turned out mediocre and one that's in progress. Am I any good? I don't know...My mother thinks so.

Photography has possibly been the most resounding endeavor. I started taking photographs creatively in 2006. I've only recently begun understanding the craft technically, and thus, my excitement for my future as a photographer. I will post a link to a couple of websites where you can find some of my work, as well as a plethora of other talented snappers.

Mathieu Hotte Photography

Writing has been the most rewarding craft to me, personally. Poetry allows me to express myself in a manner that showcases my imagination and ideas via specific word choice. I am a huge fan of words. Hopefully you will come to see this for yourself.

Why "Of Tangents"?

I'd like to share my wander with you, hopefully to someplace that leaves me content and rich.

I'd also like to let you know what I think about certain things, current events, films, cereals etc.



Photos: JPG
Flickr

Poetry: Creative-poems