Tuesdays with Muerte

Their History Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X met only once. On March 26, 1964, the two black leaders were on Capitol Hill, attending Senate debate on the Civil Rights Act of 1964. King was stepping out of a news conference, when Malcolm X, dressed in an elegant black overcoat and wearing his signature horn-rimmed glasses, greeted him. “Well, Malcolm, good to see you,” King said. “Good to see you,” Malcolm X replied. The exchange would last only a minute, but the photo remains a haunting reminder of what was lost. They would never meet again before each was assassinated, first Malcolm X and then King. Although the two men held what appeared to be diametrically opposing views on the struggle for equal rights, scholars say by the end of their lives their ideologies were evolving. King was becoming more militant in his views of economic justice for black people and more vocal in his criticism of the Vietnam War. Malcolm X, who had broken with the Nation of Islam, had dr...

Very easy. And no, you Sickos, I'm not referring to my Carnal Treasure . (Though, I am impressed if you picked up on that movie reference. Also see: Moroni 9:9 ) I'm talking about the super-secret thingy I keep locked inside my apartment, locked inside my room and locked inside my gym bag with a combination lock! That's right! I'm talking about my Speedo. Only 20 minutes on the internet will teach you all you have to know to negotiate the most menacing of burglary obstacles. Tumbler Locks How to pick a 5-pin lock (standard on front doors): Pop Locks Once inside the house, here's an explanation on how to pop the locks on those simple bedroom and bathroom doors: Combination Lock Once you're inside the room, what you are search for will probably be locked away somewhere safe. They're not super rich so instead of a safe it's just locked away with a combination lock. Fortunately, you came prepared with a " shim ": C...

Darin, my old Hip-Hop instructor at 24 Hour Fitness, would be ticked if he saw these dance steps. I know they are all pretty generic, I swear that Darin came up with those moves--even their names! He was cheesy like that. If he weren't touring the Middle East serving as a Medic, he would probably go into the internet and kick that dance instructor's virtual butt. (It's actually very likely that those two are friends and danced together in the same clubs and studios.) Here is the original download I pulled the video from: Disney.com Or download the Quicktime version HERE . I tried using iMovie to mix some real hip-hop music to this dance instead of that lame country mix, but that program is really rigid; it will only let me attach a second audio track to the original video track--no time adjustments or fading or anything. If you know of a free video dubbing software for Mac that works well, please let me know in the comments section. Below is a crummy previe...

I first posted about this guy back in 2007. Since then, he has posted a number of Disney and pop songs around the web: His Blogspot Account . (Comprehensive videos) Nick's MySpace Account. (Hosts some Disney songs) If anyone knows where this video was shot, I'd be interested to know too. It looks like a mini recording studio at Ringling College of Arts near UC Berkeley. He is a computer animation major there and is looking to get a job a Pixar (possibly both performing and creating). Here is his Thesis Film Project: These are some images from his thesis and a likeness of him lip-syncing: ---------------- Listening to: Flight of the Conchords - Business Time

I was rooting through some of my old Photoshop creations and found these original tributes to Roger Federer . Although currently ranked number 2 in the world (behind Ralph Nadal), Federer is widely considered to be one of the greatest male singles tennis players of the open era. Federer has won 13 Grand Slam singles titles (3 Australian Open, 5 Wimbledon, 5 US Open), currently just one shy of all-time leader Pete Sampras. He has also won 4 Tennis Masters Cup titles, and 14 ATP Masters Series titles, as well as winning Olympic gold in doubles. He holds many records in the sport, including having appeared in 10 consecutive Grand Slam men's singles finals (2005 Wimbledon Championships through the 2007 US Open) and 19 consecutive Grand Slam singles semifinals (2004 Wimbledon–present). He also holds the open era records for most consecutive wins on both grass courts (65) and hard courts (56). ( source ) I love watching Federer because he is a role model for discipline and mental...

The year was 1988. I was a 6-year-old Tiger Cub Scout. (Boy Scouts earn things like Eagle Scout Awards and merit badges. Before you become a Boy Scout, you are a Cub Scout and earn little arrow points that are sewn on to your scout shirt. Before become a Cub Scout, you are a Tiger Cub and earn iron-on tiger paws.) I lived in an area with a strong Scouting program. It seemed like nearly all the boys my age were involved. On Wednesday evenings, about 8-12 boys of approximately the same age would meet together as a Cub Scout Den . We would do things like review basic first aid procedures, learn to tie knots, and identify local vegetation. On special occasions, all the local Cub Scout Dens would united as a Cub Scout Pack . Pack meetings were reserved for award ceremonies and special activities. It was during these meetings that boys were with the various awards earned since the previous Pack Meeting. After these boys were recognized, we would occasionally hold prestigious com...

I am an amateur guitarist, and I've got no funk. My musical skills seem to lacking that special something . Great musicians have it . Those fortunate enough to have gotten hold of  it , create timeless hits. While musicians without it  fade into oblivion. After spending hours searching through Blues history websites and 1970's band documentaries online, I discovered what that special something  is thank to a (70% Man, 30% fish) character from the BBC show "The Mighty Boosh" named Old Gregg. He identified that  thing  as  The Funk ! But what exactly is The Funk ? Here is some dialogue from the show to help explain its origin and purpose: Old Gregg: You're a musician, yeah? Howard: Yes I am. Old Gregg: Butchya ain't very good, are ya? Howard: I'm one of the best in town. Old Gregg: Come on, I read your reviews. Hmm? You know what your problem is? Howard: What? Old Gregg: Ya ain't got the funk. You're all rigid. Hmm? You're l...

The Awful Story The other day, I was having a swim at the 24 Fitness pool down the street. 200 Free, 200 Back, 200 Breast, and then SPLASH! A huge, hairy guy cannonballs into the water in the lane next to me. Revolting. The crash startled me so much that it stopped me dead in my wake. I just stood there with my mouth open in the middle my lane. "B-Tan, is that you?" Brent and Doug, some old friends, summoned me to visit with them in the hot tub. Distracted, I exited the pool and caught up with my pals in the tub. While I was soaking my legs over the next 15 minutes, I witnessed at least three, sweaty dudes emerge from the steam room and sauna and jump directly into the nearest swim lane to cool off. [I FELT ANGER!] Every time it happened, I screamed in my head, " SHOWER FIRST! " But of course, I didn't say anything. (I never say anything--except for that one time when the words sneaked out of my lips and nasal cavity through clenched teeth...

Celebrating its 100th episode milestone on Feb. 2, 2009, FOX's prime-time hit television drama, HOUSE, solves mysteries where the villain is a medical malady and the hero is an irreverent, controversial doctor who trusts no one, least of all his patients. The featured protagonist, Dr. Gregory House, is an accomplished British actor named Hugh Laurie. "DR. GREGORY HOUSE (Hugh Laurie), devoid of bedside manner and dealing with his own constant physical pain, uses a cane that seems to punctuate his acerbic, brutally honest demeanor. His behavior often borders on antisocial, but House is a brilliant diagnostician whose unconventional thinking and flawless instincts afford him a great deal of respect. An infectious disease specialist, he thrives on the challenge of solving medical puzzles in order to save lives." ( Fox.com ) I can't say that I've ever seen a full episode of HOUSE, but I understand that he is considered by many to be a very attractive man. The sam...

Quick shout out to my friends, The Kellys, for their musical debut on TBTL radio last night. Way to go dudes! Their fresh acapella/barbershop group is called Mamma's Boys . It membership is comprised of the three Kelly boys [Mike, Sean and Ian] and their substitute brother, Ben, while their real brother is finishing his missionary service in Argentina. Mama's Boys was inspired by Kevin Kelly, the father of the family, who raised each boy to understand and appreciate the lost art of barbershop. And as the name suggests, their group is dedicated to their mother, Inga. I still remember the good old days at Redmond High when some of these same boys tried recruiting me to be a part of their first barbershop group, The Testoster-tones . . . Below, I have included a clip of their 40-minute interview with radio-personality, Luke Burbank. This clip was cut to feature one of their "more youthful" classic rock songs transcribed from the movie Anchorman . You all ...

Our FHE group drove to the dollar theater for a President's day showing of an animated film called  The Tale of Despereaux . Unfortunately, every show in the entire theater was sold out. Upon our immediate return home, I was asked an awkward and disturbing question by an exuberant girl seated next to me: " Are you O.K. Bryan? You seem so sad all the time. " How does one reply to a question like that in a car full of people? My first thought was that her inquiry was kind of insensitive and inappropriate, for two reasons. First, I barely knew this girl and she assumed that I would confide in her simply because she asked me to. I wondered if she grew so accustomed to people sharing their deepest feelings with her while on her mission that her habit of spiritual interrogation spilled over into normal life. Second, who asks such a poignant question to someone trapped in a packed car? There are only two possible responses in this situation. I could have added to ...

I remember the advice Dad gave to me when I was six-years-old and was confronted by my closest friends, Scott and Winston, who demanded to know which of them was my "best friend" . . . Our family had recently moved into the Blue House at the head of the cul-de-sac across from Norman Rockwell Elementary School. The neighborhood was filled with boys, but the two that I saw the most of were Scott and Winston. One day, while playing "guns" [sticks] out in the front yards, Winston asked me to be on his team to fight against Scott. Scott thought that "2-against-him" was unfair so he claimed me too. They both turned to me. I knew what was happening. Time slowed down. My stick transformed into a gavel; I had become a justice in the tribunal of friendship. " Which one of us is your best friend, Bryan? " Winston arrogantly ventured. In our six-year-old minds, we all understood this question to be synonymous to asking me which team I'd ra...

Now that my blog is open to the public, I was worried what internet trolls might to with my information. So I decided to do some research to better assess the threat. Definition: Trolling Trolling is the act of purposefully antagonizing other internet users, generally on message boards and/or blogs. Trolling is done with the intention of provoking the author and the online community as a whole. When they fail to provoke, they attempt humor. When done in a moderated internet community, this can result in banning. Etymology The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s, but the earliest known example is from 1991. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling. The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent ...

Joaquin 5 years ago (2004) There is a marked transformation in JP. What happened? Has anyone else been following what some are calling a train wreck? I became concerned when I saw his appearance on Lettermman last week: Let me play psychologist for a minute. I believe that deep down, Joaquin harbors a lot of hate. Having watched this clip and subsequently read his bio, my suspicion is that he suffers from serious identity and love-related issues reaching back to childhood when he was raised in Puerto Rico by a missionary couple. He despises the media and thinks all art critics are pretentious. As an active vegan and spokesperson for PETA, he loves to feel like he is superior to the common man. He is finding his "own way" through life, adhering only to his own fleeting desires. His current condition seems logical taking into account his unique childhood, having been the one to call 911 when his brother, River, collapsed in an LA nightclub from a drug overdos...

HAPPY BLOG DAY. TO ME! I'm approaching 364 blog posts; that's equivalent to one blog post/day for an entire year! I feel like a "little-Bear" whining all the time about not getting enough feedback when I know that the core group I write for read and comment regularly. The obvious solution seems to be to open my blog to the public. I only had two reasons to privatize my blog: The first is to protect Heather's kids from online predators. This is easy to resolve. I've already searched through all my posts and not found any pictures and critical information associated with their names. Also, if I wanted to do something more personal for them, I can always use the family blog.  The second reason was because I am a little afraid of internet trolls—some of my earlier posts were rather personal. I don't like being known. I don't know how evil minds work. I don't want to end up on some weirdo's radar. However, this shouldn't concern me...

I was listening to Aerosmith's Dude (Looks Like a Lady) and felt inspired to post bit of trivia for you. Three of the four pictures below are of renowned actresses and models, while one . . . is not. Can you spot the dude? (Hint: This was international news less than a week ago.) Subject A Subject B Subject C Subject D Were you right? Y or N