Everyone has that thing. The thing that drives them. The thing that gives them meaning. The thing that they crave. The thing that makes sense. Some have religion. Some have music. Some have movies. Food. Poetry. Mechanics. Art. Underwater Basket Weaving.

Mine happens to be Speed Racer.

Most people don't know who Speed Racer is, or much more than he was a cheesy character from a cheesy 1960's anime crossover show. Well I want to set the record straight.

Speed Racer lives in a world where automobile racing is more than a sport. It falls more along the lines of near-religion. He is a young boy compared to the rest of the drivers, at 18 years old. He faces corruption, deception, and trickery in every turn of every race and around every corner of his life. His belief in honesty and justice are what keep him above everyone else. He uses racing as his device for prevailing against all that is evil. (in a world obsessed with racing, thats where the biggest issues are after all...)

As a boy of 7, this shows first few episodes were given to me by my dad, who wanted me to enjoy racing (sadly, thats not what happened lol). This may sound sappy, but to an impressionable boy, Speed Racer became my hero. He was that guy who always did what was right. He was a snazzy dresser, and could drive that car like no other. I pretty much wanted to BE him.

My obsession faded as those 6 episodes became old to me, but in time, Cartoon Network would revive the series as a novelty act. I watched it religiously every time it was on. At this point, the show had grabbed ahold, and I pretty much KNEW it would never let go.

In 2008, the Wachowski Brothers (of the Matrix trilogy) combined to direct and produce a live-action version of the classic sit-com. Pushing to the extremes of art, design, and technology, they created, in my eyes, a masterpiece. Although most critics felt it was...a vomit of color...i felt they had stayed true to the roots of the animated series, constantly reminding you that nothing is impossible in the world of Speed Racer. They also constantly reminded you the power that good has over evil, which is the basic struggle of humanity. (impressive, huh?)

The film has thus produced a plethora of merchandise, which for an already die-hard fan has made the last year the most amazing of my life. From comic books, to the 10 cars, to the three t-shirts, to the belt buckles, to the video game, to the film itself, I have felt more connected than ever to the series I so boldy stand by, and WILL stand by till the day I die. This last purchase though, has really tugged at my heart-strings. I have wanted speed racer shoes for years. Im not sure why its shoes I have wanted, but Im not going to ponder that any longer. As greg was sleuthing the internet, he came across limited edition Speed Racer Pumas. He sent me the link. My heart froze.

I spent a pretty penny on these shoes, more than I would for a pair of shoes anyways, but this has really brought it all home for me. Im afraid to wear them....well, anywhere...not even in my dorm. lol

Basically, (aside from owning a real Mach-5 one day) my collection, as far as I am concerned, is complete. Yes I will continue to scour the internet for random goodies and trinkets of the timeless show, but the circle itself has been completed, and anythign else I recieve here on out will only make the collection that much more sentimental.

Here's to my driving force.

something i have always wondered...

when i listen to one of those really ridiculously good songs, that somehow seems PERFECT.

you know the kind...they make you feel really good. they get that feeling across. every single part is perfect within it. the music, the words, the melodies, the sound...all of it.

how does it get this way? it cant all just be THERE...its a process, so how does it all work out? 

i guess my mind isnt complex enough to write music... :)

introspection: Jedi vs. Sith

In my Psychology class, we have thus far learned that the first contemporary psychologists used introspection to achieve a means of understanding the human mind. they would analyze their own feelings to come up with a mutual understanding of how the world perceives things and how most things are understood as a whole. I have deceided to continue this idea on, and write about thing that i think about and what makes me think them.

first up on the docket, would i rather be a jedi or a sith. (i am not a nerd!) haha

alrighty, first, i consider the main fact at hand. jedi are good, sith are bad. i want to be a jedi. that was easy...now, for a more in depth approach.

the jedi believe in few things that are very hard for me to understand and deal with. first off, you are one of many, not an individual. you dont achieve results sooner than any others, and you most certainly do not stand out from anyone else. i am a huge believer in the fact that people ARE individuals. they learn in different ways, and see the world in a different light than anyone else. as for the sith, you are in control of yourself. you have the abilities to make the decisions you do, and youre the one who decides where your life goes. 

i also believe that the jedi greatly under develop their abilities. if you have the power, skill, and talent ot be one of the greatest who ever lived, why not go for it? that goes right back to not being able to be an individual. you are expected to conform to these beliefs, styles, and abilities whether or not your opinion matters.

also, the jedi tell you not to put your feelings into what you do. how can you not? why are you expected to fight for a group of down trodden individuals being attacked by a notorious group of bandits if you cannot even sympathize with them? i find it impossible to fight for something that i do not (or cannot) believe in. its an idea that doesnt even make sense!

now, as for the sith, they follow one rule. power. get more of it. its a fairly simple, easy to understand concept. to be quicker, faster, stronger, smarter. thats what our lives are about! always improving! as a student, i get fed this idea daily. we live simply to improve everything about ourselves. 

in the end, even though it may kill me, i would be a sith. i would be constantly improving everything that i am. i would understand more, learn more, BE more.  im sure it is alot easier to give up the will to be good than the will to follow your instinctual acts.

...plus black makes you look thinner.

.15

right now, i am just perusing blogger to look at various peoples blogs....

im rather concerned.

every other one seems to be in spanish first off, so how can i comment on what other people have to say!?!?

second off, the rest seem to be these "Leave It To Beaver" families where the parents are just reaching 30 and had their 3rd child 6 months ago. i now know how Juno felt! its terribly creepy and awkward to be reading about how you went on a camping trip with your kids...aptly named "aiden" and the such. you document the lame fish that your husband caught. you have dozens of gushy pictures of your kids and their toothless grins.  gag.me.with.a.spoon.  if THAT is what family life is like, i will happily stay single until the day i die. i once envisioned married life as quiet dinners, late night movies, and holding hands. now, my mind has been tainted with children, horrible adjective use, and bullshitty blogs about the trip to Monticello.

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy my younger cousins, and my friends younger siblings, but the yuppies i have come across on here despise me. Life isn't perfect, so dont try to make it look that way! You dont need to write about how your trip to the smokies was perfect even though "Jackson" cried the entire way and "Miley" peed herself. Oh, and dont forget "Aiden"...he threw up all over the rental van. dont kid yourself. the trip was great, but dont cloud everyones eyes over with perfection; admit the faults, and miraculously, the trip seems a heck of alot better! not only do you actually sound human, but 15 years down the road, those things you covered up would actually be FUNNY!

.1

Creating a blog is like creating a child. You can nurture it in a way you see fit, and let it grow how you lead it to. Sometimes it can be lost and forgotten, and other times it can be a great popularity. i have written many blogs before. myspace, facebook, xanga. some end up being popular, some dont. some end up with worthwhile stories or news articles. some end up with garbage. i am a fan of popularity, i must say. there is nothing like the thrill of someone reading and commenting on your latest piece of work.

as my first blog, i guess i will use this as a tool to explain who i am and what im doing here.

first and foremost, i am a college student. i am entering my first year. i will be away from family, away from familiarity, and away from understanding. i guess i am keeping this blog so that 4 years down the road i can see how i have changed. i will (hopefully) be pursuing a career as an english teacher, and want to practice my writing as much as i can. sometimes i write about the world. sometimes i write about my feelings. sometimes i write about how much i hate things. and sometimes i write about the things in the world that could only matter to someone such as me. either way, i hope that i provide worthwhile entertainment, albeit just for me or for the whole world.