That title sounds like a Viagra commercial. I am tan right now… still that’s sad and funny. Are you as tired as I am of hard-on commercials spoiling classic blues and rock songs? I can no longer listen to Elvis’ ‘Viva Las Vegas’ with integrity (if that was ever possible). Or Howlin Wolf’s ‘Smokestack Lightning’. I am angry: Look I love anything that brings two people who care for eachother together, please just stop making these weird associations in my mind! And stop airing them at 3 o’clock in the afternoon: I pity the father who has to explain the term ‘erectile dysfunction’ to his 7 year old while trying to enjoy a ballgame together.
And Cadillac destroyed Led Zeppelin’s ‘Rock and Roll’ for me ages ago. I love Cadillacs. I love the song ‘Rock and Roll’. THEY DO NOT GO TOGETHER.
Okay, back on topic: Anyone else think the best part of the new ‘Harry Potter’ movie was ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ preview? I’m a Harry Potter fan, and the movie has not been completely effective when I’m rooting for Voldemort the whole time. I mean, I wanted Harry to go down with Tony Montana ‘say hello to my little friend’ gusto, but I still wanted him to go down. At least Ron put the mack down on Hermoine I guess. I think there was something about the pacing that threw me. Who knows. And now I’m off topic again.
Back to the Dark Knight Rises. I get the impression that Batman may throw his gear back on and kick the hell out of a returning Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze… or Tom Hardy as Bane. And Batman better get a date with Catwoman because he’s been rather romantically challenged in this trilogy so far. The preview for the movie is effective in referencing that part of the Hero’s Journey that Joseph Campbell and Christopher Vogler would refer to as ‘Ordeal, Death & Rebirth’. In the preview, Commissioner Gordon is explaining that Batman, who functionally (not physically) died in ‘The Dark Knight’, must return for there to be a tomorrow. It is Bruce Wayne’s choice to rise or not.
The reason I bring up ordeal, death and rebirth? Not because I have any illusions about being Batman (my car is black though), but because this is the first summer where I can legitimately say I’m hauling some ass on Important but not Urgent projects. So, the procrastinator in me has died to an extent, replaced by this annoying image of me with a close-cropped haircut, wearing a suit and keeping me productive. Armani Kyle is a jackass, you heard it here first. And yet I respect him because he makes me play hard in the 4th quarter: The bastard.
So in thinking about my last blog post, I have come through. I have worked my butt off this past month. If I had an aircraft carrier, I’d fly onto it with a Mission Accomplished banner behind me. It’s been that kind of month productivity-wise (Meanwhile my ego streaks across the sky). So now I’m faced with the hardest thing of all: Celebrating my victory, step 3 in my last post. I tell everyone else to do it and yet when it comes down to it, I’m a C- at best on celebrating. Usually it involves driving my happy ass to Chipotle and forgetting what it is I’m celebrating. So here’s advice to myself for enjoying victory.
3 tips to celebrate your recent victory
1) Tell the person in your life who keeps you accountable what you have done and what you are proud of. If appropriate, invite them to the celebration with you. For some reason, talking about it out loud has a solidifying effect, much like the professor who is so brilliant because repeated communication of the content has locked it forever in his / her mind.
2) Have a vocal internal dialogue on the way to your celebration in which you take on the role of a mentor or someone you respect and tell yourself about the accomplishment and why you should be proud of it. If you’re comfortable with this (and in a car, not the subway), actually talk out loud and address yourself. I do this sometimes and I assure you no one is laughing at you, they just think you have a microscopic bluetooth headset on they can’t see.
3) Before doing the celebratory act, frame the celebration in your mind. declare in your mind, ‘I am going to enjoy this as a celebration of ______’. And do so.
Next Actions
· If you’ve done something worth celebrating, follow my above steps. Duh. If you haven’t, do something worth celebrating. Double duh.
·Please RSS my feed if you haven't already. It'll make your life easier by eliminating the need to always be checking back here.
· Feeling generous? I greatly appreciate any bookmarks you want to give me in Digg, Stumbleupon, Delicious, etc.
· Hey if you liked this post or thought it blew, I don't care, tell me something and show me you're alive ;).
Your 4th quarter performance is starting to make you look more and more like a 7-foot German basketball player.
let the celebration begin tomorrow!
Posted by: Mark Goodman | July 25, 2011 at 07:29 PM
You give me a float and I will sing 'We Are the Champions' for you as Herr Dirk. Can't wait to kick off the celebration!
Posted by: kyle776677 | July 25, 2011 at 08:17 PM
Looking forward to the new Batman flick, but I will straight walk out of the theater if Christian Bale's voice gets deeper and more gravelly as the movie progresses. There's a fine example of a great actor receiving terrible advice. Also, when I see a driver talking, sans passenger, I'm convinced they are bat shit crazy, and immediately switch lanes. What are these bluetooth things I hear about anyway? And to answer your first question, good god yes! As a band or artist, all integrity must be out the window to license a song for a tent-pitching commercial. I say by the time we are in that target demographic the pharmaceutical companies will have moved on from rock 'n roll and blues to techno or dubstep. If those ads are still legal. Shouldn't be, at least not in the daytime! Oh, and was that you who just did a fly-by in the F-16? You look good in a fighter jet, Maverick.
Posted by: Drew Hoover | July 29, 2011 at 12:16 AM
Amen on the gravelly voice: If there is a 'Dark Knight Rises Again' and Bale's gravelly voice does indeed get deeper in 'The Dark Knight', Delonte West gets to be the Bruce Wayne replacement if I have anything to say about the casting. I'm still recovering from the awesomeness that is his visit to KFC YouTube video (how did I miss it all this time? ). Drew I love your comments above: You need a blog man, it's official.
Posted by: kyle776677 | July 30, 2011 at 05:23 PM
LMAO at picturing Bruce Wayne sippin' on a glass of rasburry ice teeeeeaaa. Going to watch that video again, forgot all about it. I've considered starting a blog, but ultimately decided I'm probably not that interesting. Lets face it, it's easier to put in my $.02 and ride the Dark Kyle's coattail.
Posted by: Drew Hoover | July 31, 2011 at 10:36 AM
Drew it's official, if you can appreciate the genius of Delonte West, you're interesting and I certainly do appreciate your unique, well thought out observations.
Posted by: kyle776677 | August 01, 2011 at 10:38 AM
I wonder if this will be Bales last outing as batman. So far these have never let us down. Bales voice is a bit anoying but it is logical if you tou are trying to hide your identity. I suppose the question will be .who will play the dark knight next?
Posted by: Tipper Hire | September 26, 2011 at 06:24 AM