I understand that you may worry

about things that you read here from time to time. I completely understand that. As someone close to me, I appreciate and thank you for that. I can't thank you enough for caring about my well-being.

With that being said, please don't discuss things or share things with people that I clearly do not want to know about the things that I write here. If I want them to know, I will discuss it with them directly. Nothing is more irritating than being contacted about something that was written in a period of 5 minutes when you were clearly just babbling, and being asked if everything is "okay". Once again, I appreciate the concern, I really do, but I am a big boy, I know who I can discuss things with and I don't need you, or anyone else consulting with those that you may feel have the ability to "help me" with things that I didn't ask for help with. I use this blog as a space to vent from time to time, and though I may sometimes take on a tone of desperation, it's merely a temporary feeling that I had the need to get out of my head. It doesn't mean that I'm helpless, that I don't know who to talk to when I need to talk to someone, or that I need you to contact someone for me. If you really care, you will honor my wishes, if you do not choose to honor my wishes, please do us both a favor and stop visiting my blog.
Yes, I do realize that this is a public blog, and I post the link quite often so obviously anyone can stumble across it, even those who I may not want to access to it, but if it happens that way, just a random stumble-upon, then so be it. But please, give me some space. I'm 25 years old and I would like to think I know how to handle things for myself at this age. In the rare occasion that I can't, I promise I know where to turn if I need help.

Thanks,
   Mgmt.

Happy Birthday Hov.

If you don't watch anything else, watch the 19:30 - 20:10 mark. Amazing.

Stole this from Morgan.

My brain just got penetrated B. No lube or nothin'.

So I Finally Saw Skyfall

last week and man it was good. It was really good. I've always thought Daniel Craig was a great actor but there's something about his portrayal of James Bond that I love. His ability to be equal parts macho, charming, and witty are unparalleled in comparison to the other Bonds that I've had the opportunity to see. After seeing Skyfall I went back and watched both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, both were pretty good. All that said, after watching these three movies, I've come to the conclusion that I want to be Daniel Craig. The guy is ripped beyond belief. Like honestly, look.

Yo, I don't care how "gay" this may make me, Daniel Craig is fucking jacked, there's no denying that. This is my ideal build that I'd like to achieve. I don't want to look like a fucking linebacker, but I don't want to look like a twig either. Needless to say, I will be putting in extra time in the gym this winter.

Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever be able to settle down. Not just in the sense of a relationship but in life in general. There are still so many things I want to do, so many things I want to experience, so many things I want to see. Yet I feel that in my search for experiencing, doing, seeing everything, I've done nothing. How is this possible? How can one want so much, yet achieve so little? 

I'm scared of being permanent. I'm scared of commitment. I'm scared of keeping promises.

I haven't lived in the same place longer than 2 years since I graduated high school. I haven't dated the same girl for longer than 2 years since right after high school. I've never held a job for longer than 2 years (though I've never been fired or been jobless). How does one become content with staying in one place? Doing one thing? Dating the same person? Is there a name for this? Is there a solution?

RIP Trish. You had the voice of an angel.

I can't believe it's been over a month since I last wrote.

Actually I can. I've been mentally constipated for the last month or so, which usually results in me becoming a literary introvert.
Since we last (really) spoke I've:

• Gone to 3 consecutive weddings.
• Taken a trip to Maryland.
• Stopped workingout.
• Started working out.
• Discovered an amazing album.
• Gone to a dope concert.
• Rekindled two friendships.
• Eaten an ungodly amount of turkey

Over the next few days I will attempt to recount al of these events. I hate writing in past tense, it seems like my memories are harder to extract once they're older than a week. I'll be better about keeping in touch, I promise.

Touching.

I'll spare you the political rants for now.

Truth.

               I can't get over how good this album is. I'll write about it later when I have time. 

System Restore.

My relationships always seem to change with the seasons. Always. Sometimes I wonder if this is the same for everyone or just me. Some strange timer that God put on my life, where each year doesn't really flow into the next but instead stops quarter way through and has to be ejected, turned over and re-inserted to continue to the next phase. I wish there was a system restore button on life. A button I could push that would magically transport me back to a point earlier in the relationship. Before things got complicated, before I lied to you. If I could I would go back to when things were as equally new as they were familiar and live in that moment. Before your heart was broken. Before I became so cold. Things are so different now. I don't know if it can ever be "normal" again. I find myself thinking of you often. Wondering where you are. What you're doing. If your heart is becoming more calloused from our situation. 

I'm sorry.

Repeat.

And just like that, I have a new all-time favorite Kanye song. 

Fall Playlist

As you may know, I love music of all kinds, but there's something about the fall that makes me want to listen to old school, soulful hip-hop. For me, cooler weather has always evoked a spirit of nostalgia; A recollection of my high school days when I would listen to the albums like the College Dropout or Blueprint while driving to school. Or in middle school when I had to use the cord from our house phone to plug into my computer to use the dial-up to connect to the internet (which I only had because of an AOL trial disk that provided 100 free hours of internet service) overnight to download Kanye West's Get Well Soon mixtape from Napster. Albums like Lord Willin' sound best when the temperature is just south of 65 degrees and you can hear the leaves crunching beneath your tires outside. I love the fall, perhaps more than any other time of year. Below I've compiled a list of a few of my favorite songs to listen to during this time of year.
Enjoy.

Vintage porn is so much better than today's porn. 

Wavy.

"I smell bullshit, it must be an election year

The more I listen man the more you sound less sincere 

Still I'm watchin' CNN tryna keep up, In my interviews maybe I should speak up."

Justin Turentine.

"Coexist" by The XX.

One of the things I've learned from art is to never taint a quality product with lesser accompaniments. Would you put ketchup on kobe beef? Would you put Daytons on a Maybach? Would you cast Brendan Fraser in a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio? Hopefully, your answer is no to all of the above. I ask you these questions because I feel like music is one area in our lives that we've come to accept artificial ingredients and ungodly amounts of preservatives. In a world where every station is playing Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, and LMFAO (please STFU), it's refreshing to hear bands like The XX who still make it their top priority to deliver quality music that you can feel in your heart everytime you hear it. I've always believed that when you're delivering quality material, be it food, fashion, music, literature, film, whatever the medium, the art speaks for itself. Anything extra should work in unison or support of the main product, never masking or taking away from the star of the show. This is one of the things I love most about The XX and the music that they make; No element is bigger than the others. Intricate minimalism.

I've found that the best way for me to listen to music is while driving; Usually at night, on one of my many trips from Fort Worth to Austin. It gives me time to relax and let the lyrics and the melody permeate my mind without any distractions. From the opening track "Angels" to the closing track "Our Last Song", The XX whisks you away to a foreign landscape, made up of beautiful guitar cords, minimal drum patterns, subtle keyboard tremolos, and two of the most beautiful voices you will ever hear. While most artists have one of, or all of these gifts, what I find most amazing about The XX is the depth to which their lyrics reach into your soul. While most singers/bands have songs in which they're describing a certain person or situation, The XX finds an amazing way to put the situation at hand under a microscope; To dig deeper, if you will, to the cells that makeup the entire ordeal. Very few of their songs rhyme, nor do they follow a basic pattern, and while the topical view of the lyrics in their music may seem very basic, and at times bland, it's the emotion which the words are delivered with that resonates with you. Every song, no matter how short or how minimal it may be, conveys emotions that few artists can do with a canvas so small.

I guess what I love most about The XX is the way that they're able to translate emotions into words so seamlessly. Every lyric, every groan, every sound uttered on "Coexist" carries the weight of a thousand emotions that the listener can feel. With lyrics like "My heart is beating in a different way, been gone such a long time.. I don't feel the same", songs like "Missing" are emotionally taxing; While there are songs like "Angels" lighten up the mood with beautiful words spoken with a puppy love-like adoration that is sure to make you reminisce on moments shared with someone special.

"Coexist" probably cracked my list of top 5 albums of all time, purely off the fact that every track applies to my life. If there was a soundtrack to the emotions that I've experienced in the past year, this would definitely be it. This is the music that everyone has inside of them, extracted and captured in the form of music. This is the music that every artist should strive to make.

Life.

Pyramids.

Never a disappointment, Frank.

Guido Daniele.

Probably the Only Thing I'll Ever Post About Twilight.

LOL I can't.

Lawless.

From the moment the lights dim to the moment they brighten again, Lawless grabs you by your neck with the force of a drunken step-father and never lets go. This movie has a certain authenticity to it that I really appreciate. From the lush backwoods environment to the deep-fried, syrup soaked southern accents, everything feels real. At it's core, Lawless is a story about family; Four brothers to be specific, that band together when a new power threatens the family business.

To write Lawless off as merely another story about family would be an insult. The way that Nick Cave is able to weave so many different sub plots and themes into the framework of Lawless is amazing. The aspect that really take Lawless from another rag-tag shoot em' up type movie to a cinematic masterpiece, is the magic that happens when you place the engine of great dialogue into an even better vehicle of phenomenal actors. While Shia LaBeouf delivers with the same excellence that we've come to expect from him at this point in his career, for me it was Tom Hardy who was the true star in this movie.

While there aren't any one liners or breathtaking monologues by Hardy, the intimidation and uneasiness that he evokes onscreen is an amazing thing to see. While the same can be said of his stellar performance in Dark Knight, the methods that Hardy uses to accomplish this feeling are completely different. In Dark Knight, he was much more animated, theatric if you will, often using his hands, raising his voice, etc. In Lawless, he is much more quiet and reserved. 

Most of Hardy's dialogue is merely a grunt, groan, or a remark, that if not listened to carefully could easily pass for the former. Not only does he deliver his lines with an amazing since of conviction, but his ability use of silence to convey implied dialogue is uncanny. With each movie that I see Tom Hardy in, he gets that much closer to becoming my favorite actor. 

As for the rest of the cast, everyone plays their part to a tee. I really enjoyed mix of veteran heavy hitters and young rising stars. Actors like Dane DeHaan (Most notably of Chronicle), Jessica Chastain (The Help, Tree of Life), and Mia Wasikowska (Alice and Wonderland) seemed right at home in the midst of actors like Guy Pearce (Promethius, Memento, LA Confidential) and Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight Series, Harry Potter, The Book of Eli). That balance of old and new really gives life to a film that could've easily been average.

Lawless is definitely a must-see for anyone who enjoys movies. It's easily one of the best movies of 2012, and a movie that has instantly become one of my favorites.

Four Fall Essentials for Men.

Has it honestly been a year already? It feels like just yesterday when I sat down and wrote about the Four Fall Essentials for Men. And while my essentials from last season still hold up pretty well after a year's time, it can never hurt to add variety to your wardrobe. I've been doing a bit of shopping lately (maybe too much) and I've condensed my list of items into a bare minimum, skin and bones survival kit that even the machoest of men can benefit from. Without further ado, here are my four fall essentials for 2012.

1) Camo Print

I've always had a special place in my heart for camo print but my love for this amazing pattern was reawakened by the amount of items that I've been able to find that do camo ptint the right way. What do I mean by the "right way"? I mean prints that won't get you mistaken for someone who drives a monster truck with a #3 sticker slapped on the side of it and a hunting rifle in the backseat. Yes, camo can be a very tricky pattern to pull off, but when found on the the right item of clothing, in the correct pattern, and when used in moderation, camo can be a nice curve ball to put a basic outfit over the top. Before you scour the internet for war clothing to stunt in, please heed my advice:

• Make sure the pattern is correct. Bape (the manufacturer of the shirt above) changed the camo game with their design. While Bape is out of a lot of people's price range, there are many brands that produce close to the same design for a fraction of the cost. 
• Whatever is that you're wearing with camo print, be it pants or a shirt, make sure the accompanying garment is free of any patterns whatsoever. For instance, don't wear camo pants with a plaid shirt. There's enough going on with the camo item already, give the rest of your outfit a break, and when all else fails, keep it simple.

If you're not quite sure about camo, military colors (greens, browns, greys, etc.) always go well together. My army green pants are probably my favorite pair of pants, and places like Forever21 for Men have really cheap basic color tees that feel amazing and work well on their own or as undershirts.

2) Brogues

I have never been one for big flashy items. To me, flashy items are the easy way out. They show that you care entirely too much about what's "in" and not enough about being an individual. The thought of skipping the most personal and gratifying part of assembling an outfit absolutely disgusts me. I could give two shits that you're dressed in Armani from head to toe, if you didn't get to experience the pleasure of evaluating all the pieces that were available before assembling it, why do I care? I went on a bit of a tangent there, but I say all of this to say that shoes should never be treated as an afterthought; merely the vehicle to deliver the outfit in, nor should they purposely be the most expensive part of the outfit that takes attention away from the rest. There must always be balance. If your shoes are the vehicle, wouldn't you rather it be a 1970 Chevelle than an 2014 Escalade? I'm not saying they have to be the most expensive shoes on the planet, but by no means should they be a $30 pair of Sketchers either. One thing that I've noticed about a moderately priced pair of dress shoes is that they tend to last a lot longer than a cheap pair. I tend to prefer a nice accent and a round toe for brown dress shoes and a minimal more squared toe for black dress shoes. As always, comfort comes first. There is zero logic in crippling yourself for the sake of having a nice pair of shoes. What good are your shoes if you can't walk in them?

3) Henleys
If you know anything about my taste in clothing, you know that I'm a sucker for details. Your average person would look at a henley and ask, "What the hell makes this shirt so special?". After all, it's merely a long-sleeved shirt with a couple of buttons on it. While that is true, these buttons are exactly what makes the henley such a versatile piece. Paired it with khakis and a denim button-up you have the perfect balance of detail and care-free for a house party or chill gathering; At the same time, you could wear that same henley with a nice pair of chinos, maybe a cardigan, and (dare I say) brogues, and you have a outfit that's not only dressy but also comfy for a more formal gathering. I'm all for outfits that can but put together in 10 minutes or less that make you look like you spent at least 30 minutes to assemble. You can never go wrong with a henley.

4) Chinos
If there's one item on this list that I'm most excited about, it is the chino pant. The first thing that I noticed about chinos as I put them on is that they fit extremely well. Think of these pants as a wearable posturepedic bed for your legs. I promise you, these are the most stylish pair of sweats you will ever own. If you have more of an athletic build like I do, it's extremely hard to find a pair of pants that fit well. I prefer slim, more tapered pants, but due to the fact that I have muscular legs, I'm usually either relegated to either straighter-legged pants or slim jeans that are a size or two bigger in the waist just to have more room through the leg of the pant. Instead of boring you with my infinite complaints of having big legs, I will instead show my fellow horse-legged brethren the light. Behold Express! No longer do you have to be exiled to the likes of "relaxed fit" and "straight leg" pants. Express has finally answered our prayers with chinos that fit the stocky meathead just as well as they fit the pole-thin marathon runner! Another thing that that I love about chinos is that they come in an amazing variety of colors. While I understand that every color isn't for everyone, It's great for people like myself who like to integrate color other ways than the standard t-shirt or shoes. The right pair of chinos affords you the opportunity to give the rest of your outfit a day off, if executed correctly. You can never go wrong with a vibrant pair of chinos (possibly cuffed just above the ankle), a pair of chucks, and a plain v-neck. It's an easy win, and the best part? People think you're bold for wearing a red pair of pants with such confidence. You're welcome.

There it is folks, this year's Fantastic Four for your fall wardrobe. As I always like to state, these pieces aren't "fad" pieces nor are they the ceiling for you in terms of your closet. Take these pieces and add your own touch that creates a look that's unique to you. At the end of the day, confidence is the best thing you can wear and it's usually the first thing people see before they even look at the logo on your shirt. Keeping that in mind, don't be afraid to try new looks, patterns, or colors. Happy pumpkin season!