In the Merry, Merry month of MAY!

So my favorite month is drawing to a close, I'm kinda bummed. May is just a great month! It's not even my birthday month, but it just the last point of Spring before Summer, even though my midmonth it already feels like Summer lol. It's a beautiful month and I find myself staring at the blue sky, the white clouds and bright sun. It's a great time of the year.

A LOT has happened this May, 2011. Smallville ended, Oprah ended, I graduated from junior college, I have worked at my first ever job for 5 years now, Superman renounced his U.S. citizenship in the comic books, I got over childhood crap and chose to not hold back the brilliance that is my own normal self... and today I uploaded a new piece of the my short film series The Aviators!

Ya know even as I write I feel the whole month going through my mind and I just have so much to write but it's hardto get it all out and on the page. Maybe I should do vlogs too here and there? Anyway there's just so much self-discovery and achievement around me this month, at this time in my life; it's a little overwhelming. Things are going better and better for my godmother's play too! She has a new director now! We're gonna do script readings at festivals and hold fundraisers and everything, its pretty awesome. Plus the original comic book my best friend and I are working on about fullfilling one's dreams is going very well and we'll be scripting the first issue soon.

There's a lot to be happy about and I am gradually learning skills to keep myself in the zone God wants me to be in if I'm going to succeed.

Destiny has been on my mind, heavily the past month. The day I graduated, my dad and I just took a drive and talked about everything I had learned while attending junior college, and even stuff back on my 21st birthday. I so want to see what God is going to do with me, how he'll order my steps and who I'll become...

But I am enjoying the journey, and not holding back what makes me who I am is great, it's like having a super power. And that's awesome because I LOVE super heroes! Speaking of, I'm thinking of collaborating with my dad on an original comic I've been working on for like 5+ years now. I think his experiences would be perfect for the whole book and especially the main character.

And I had left The Aviators (yeah it's "the" now) alone for a while there. I had been struggling with the story, it's direction and execution. I had envisioned one story and it seemed good. I was scripting directions like crazy and it was awesome! But something still wasn't clicking and it was so hard to explain it to people. I wanted to get into short films but I heard that making them as "economical" as possible is THE way to go. Simplcity is arely out of style. Funny thing is the production of the movies has so far never been the issue, just the story. But thanks to some time off from the scripts, some personal growth as well as growth in my craft I think I have a simpler direction to pursue. And the characters may be able to remain more or less how they are!

My next challenge with the movies will be probably to get some original music because using other's music is great becasue I listen to so much music and the themes are already set. But uploading the movies to public domains can be tough. But God hasn't left me out to dry so far, someone or something will present itself soon enough I'm sure and The Aviators will be better for it.

I mentioned self-discovery. As you can read in my profile description I'm named after a king, Josiah... well I'm named after two; my middle name is David. Simply, sometimes we forget that God uses simple things that stick with you all of your life to tell you who you are. Thing is David preceeded Josiah by several decades. David was known as a man after God's own heart. The thing I like about David is no matter what happened to him, good or bad, he clung to God, the King of Kings. David had this tenacity that I loved and have in life. I think it's what made him the perfect candidate to return the Ark of Promise back to the city of Jerusalem (which his son Solomon would one day install in the new Tabernacle). David stuck with God like a best friend, like someone he actually needed to always be in his life and when it mattered the most, he helped make that happen for his entire community. That is what I wanna be!

Finally, Josiah. He started to rule in the 3rd grade! Later in his reign he discovered the Book of the Law God had given to Moses. It may have come from the Ark because the Tabernacle had been destroyed or needed serious work after the days of David came to a close. After David, a lot of bad stuff happened and customs never found in Israel sprang up like weeds (pardon the cliche). Problem is these customs didn't cause Israel to flourish at all. Where people called on God for provision and protection they sought out alien and pagan dieties and cuustoms instead. Things like child sacrifices went down among other things and God and the new king od Israel had had enough. Josiah and one of the few remaining righteous priests of God promised to renovate the Tabernacle and uproot every shrine and temple built to honor pagan gods. And that's just what they did. In those days they were nicknamed "High Places" and some of them may have been kinda like the pyramids of Egypt and Maya. Not to diss those cultures, I say that to mean the pagan shrines in Israel may ahve been just as impressive. Anyway I feel that God has always made me privy to these "High Places" in the hearts people, these sacred cows we think will provide and protect us but don't. There just some ways of thinking we devise and assert will get us ahead, soemtimes even ahead of God or with him! But they turn out to be dead works, things that don't really fulfill us or cause the increase in anyone else's life. This, despite how imperfect I am, I feel i have been and can't imagine being any other way.

So I feel that God is showing me more and more how to carry his personality and zest for life like David and keep in good condition the place of rest he has made for me like Josiah. I know pretty much everyone will accomplish this, but how is another story. I think in my personality, my family, friends, writing and other aspirations and such, I'll make these things a reality for whomever God brings my way; freely give, freely receive.

All of this makes me so HAPPY! This reflection and accepting what my life has become. The Household of saints in my life have further encouraged me to be freely who God is showing me to be. A lot of the accomplishments in my life or wi have in my life seem contingent on just being me: necessities, film school, good job, true love, good friends, skills, all of it. I guess it's like Jesus said about making security in the Kingdom of Heaven top priority and everything else will follow. I guess I didn't realize it would be so... like this. i'm used to hearing "do this" and "do that" and read the Bible and go to church and be all of this traditional christian stuff. Sometimes I just didn't know who to be Josiah. I didn't know Jesus really meant it that way. I didn't realize freedom meant this, free to be me as I sense God is making a way for me to be. I know there's gonna be days that epically fail, I might experience close-calls and tragedy but I don't think God wants me to avoid those things, if they happen. You know who there is stuff to avoid and you do just that: aviod them? Well I remember now that God still let's other crap happen and when they happen, there's no avoiding them.

Like Job in the Bible.

So, I guess I'm going through life with whatever God arranges and sets before me. HIs borders for me as he told Jabez. Whatever lot he gives me, like the good stewards in Matthew (chapters 7, 13 or 25 I think?) I will invest and reap an increase and not look into anything else but what he puts in my face at the time, in my face and on my plate.

The Holy Spirit in my human spirit is all for it, but I'll be patient since my soul still struggles, been so used to being indepent and trusting God. I desire to be dependent on his wisdom and just breathe my soul in it when God says so. That way no tug-of-war. Hopefully I have another 22 years to learn how to do that... and many more months of May and times like how I feel about this month in store.

"Whatever my lot thou has taught me to say: It is well, it is well with my soul."
[Horatio G. Spafford]

^_^

EL FIN

Graduating Class of 2011!!!

So that's how my brothers show love at graduation xD The Great and Powerful Oz just awarded me my Associate of Arts degrees in General Studies and Communications and Writing and I coudn't be happier, it feels so good to be finished.

Right now I'm uploading pictures and the above one is my favorite!

Through all of the hardwork, the weekends, all the times I had to "hang out later", all of the LATE nights writing research papers, the remedial maths and a setback in Biology... May 26, 2011 I proved I could do it. I showed myself it was all worth it.
It was all worth it!

The friends I made there, I really hope we can stay in touch for years to come. The Honors experience was a very intriguing one but it's there I met most of my new friends. The school arts magazine was a fun experience and this last semester I joined the international students club!

There's TOO MUCH to say about my junior college experience, faaaar too much to say, but I'll say what I can remember.

I did what I was supposed to do, learned what I was supposed to learn. Its funny because I was homeschooled all the way through high school, then when I graduated in 2007, that fall I did just that... fell into junior college. And it was a surprisingly easy transition lol.

I was really hoping to have some really deep stuff to say, but I guess I'm just GRATEFUL for the time spent there and the victory of moving on, yeah I'm really just so proud and grateful, really and I can't stop smiling, even when I'm not smiling I feel really strong inside and look forward to grad school.

I do wish the NBC show Community had premiered back in '07 but ah well lol, I lived it!

"On to the next one...!" [Jay-Z]

EL FIN

The Mighty Thor!

It's even more enjoyable the second time you see it! But when you go see a super hero movie with two best friends each time it's bound to be a party.

Marvel's newest heavy hitter, Thor is a modern retelling of the Marvel supher hero of the same name. Thor is cocky and violent and after risking open war with a rival kingdom his father, Odin, banishes him to Midgard a.k.a. planet Earth to teach him humility. Thor's jealous brother Loki uses this opportunity to usurp the throne with the fate of our world hanging in the balance.

Well I do think that is a rather descent plot summary, if I do say so myself. I better check myself before Odin has his way with me too haha. I've been looking forward to this and it delivered. I am loving this new age of Marvel films gracing the screens, after Spider-Man, Hulks, X-Men, Fantastic Four and Punisher and the rest, the last several years have introduced us to Iron Man, now Thor and next month Captain America! It's a good feeling seeing these beloved comic heroes come to life.

I didn't know much about Iron Man or Thor growing up cuz I grew up on DC heroes and just knew the gist of guys like Spidey, the Mutants and F4, respectively. I knew Thor was a Norse god reimagined as a modern day hero but I didn't know if he had a secret identity or a weakness or even where Norse gods came from. If you wanna know all of that, read the comics and or check out wikipedia.

Pretty much though, all of the classic elements, well not all, but some have been changed to make this movie and origin a neat sort of retro, neo space-opera. If that makes sense.

Probabaly not.

Anyway the geography of the Norse legends have been cast against the stars as planets: Midgard is earth as usual but instead of Asgard is a planet as well as Jotunheim and various other "realms". Which is funny becasue the word "realm" is still used. Magic and science are one and the same and its that reality that strangely enough ties Earth in with Thor's world. Thor and his people are aware of us just simply haven't visited in years. As the Odin states at the beginning of the movie, "Earth people accepted a simple truth: that they were not alone." Pretty much there's this cool sense of neighborliness in the movie, as dorky as that may sound. Its simply Earth who after so long forgot about our cosmic friends and redced them to legends.

What I enjoyed so much about the movie is the sense of identity and ability in the characters. Jane and Thor, Loki, Odin and Heimdell all understand what they are here to do; or at least think they do. I like how Loki refers to Heimdell's powers as actually gifts. I just took away this real sense of selfawareness or craving for identity. The abilities from the Asgardians seem to be bestowed by virtue of personality and "station". They do what they do becasue its their purpose, kinda like in The Matrix trilogy.

Thor wants to be more glorious than his dad Odin but he skips the wisdom and diplomacy and just wants to fight and be the best without proving himself in both mind and power. Honestly Thor seems to be very people oriented and charming but he doesn't rely on that to propel him forward just his brawn. I think his gift is his abiltiy to rally people around him and give them a sense of security. I don't know, since I've been on this self discovery trip I just see things like this more often lol.

The movie is different than most scifi super hero movies becasue there's "magic" and stuff in this new one, but there's a fresh feel to it, kinda like what I got from Iron Man just at the other end of the spectrum, magic over science... or excuse me, a fusion of the two.

For a walloping good time check out Thor, you'll really like it and STAY AFTER THE CREDITS ROLL. Also look for his half sequel in The Avengers next summer, which is filming now. Aaaand check out the Pop Culture Podcast all about Thor in the comics, click on the link below

http://shegawmekonen.podomatic.com/entry/2011-04-27T09_16_05-07_00

And with that, my Summer Movie adventure kicks off with a BANG!

EL FIN

Farewell Smallville!

Man oh man it's over! Ok honestly there is toooooooo much to say about this show so I'm just gonna write lol. First thing that comes to mind is, depsite how much love I have for this show, it isn't perfect. Having said that, I watched Smallville they I deal with real friends: day to day. The show wasn't a person but fans still had a relationship to it and someitmes you gotta be objective with your relationships, your friends your family. There are many things the show could have done better. Maybe it didn't have to be 10 season, maybe 7 or 8. The Fortress arc with the 3 mystical crystals could have been shorter maybe...

CLARK AND DOOMSDAY SHOULD HAVE THROWN DOWN LOL!

But I still loved this show, I grew up with it honestly. I like what my bst friend said, that fans get too caught up in the hero and not the man. Heck in Superman Earth One, Superman said just that, at the end of the day he is just a man. The journey is what is important but you hardly know it when you're in it.

I feel like season 10 was the sequel to season 1. And I loved the ending of the finale, the Jonh Williams theme, the slowmo. Clark looked so comfortable in his own skin for the first time, like he knew what to do, like that's his power: knowing who is and being it 100% whenever he wants as long as he wants ^_^

And when Clark and Lex talk, I loved Clark owning his destiny and rebuking Lex:

Clark: "It wasn't your destiny to take!"

Lex: "You're right and I realize that now... and that helped me finally embrace my own."

Granted Lex's path is darkness I still understood that. You gotta accept what's yours, sadly Lex chose to bury other things and he couldn't be a force for truth and justice. And seeing Lex return.... dude I was almost screamin'! Michael Rosenbaum is my alltime favorite portrayal of Lex Luthor and seeing him come back was so satisfying. And it comes to mind that back in the early seasons of Smallville a psychic saw him as president and causing the death of so many. Now that he's back in the fan consciousness and the show it makes sense that he's elected in 2018. Full cirlce!

Seeing Jonathan Kent and Jor-El come together at the end was great too. The powers and the rural maturity made Clark the hero he was meant to be. The union of two houses and two gifts made one unified identity.

Someone said on the Smallville facebook message board that they'll embrace their destiny thanks to Clark's story. I feel I can do the same. And that's why this final season handled the villain Darkseid the way they did. He was a dark presence to be felt. A presence of fear, doubt, insecurity and weakness. The stuff that really matters to us. We don't want money or power or land or weapons, we want love and family and the ability to build up and construct a society where people floruish and can do the same thing. In they're own way.

It's all about being who you are. Superman means it from the bottom of his heart when he says in the comics, "You all have powers to, use them to help make this world a better place.". It's about knowing what you have inside and using it, be it physical, emotional, mental or everything. Know how it works and do great things.

Jonathan Kent: "Fly Clark...FLY!"

Superman Goes Global

I submitted this essay for an op-ed project last Friday:

4/29/11

Truth and Justice before ‘the American Way’

Truth and Justice do come before the American way. A blogger cited in a Dailymail.co.uk article ('A slight on the US': Superman to RENOUNCE his American citizenship in a new storyline, April 28) by the name of Scott Thill pointed this out nicely, referring to the fact that though Superman is based in the U.S. he has always been proactive in protecting the globe. I have followed the comic book hero closely since I was 8 years old and he has been a source of inspiration for me and others, both personally and literately.

But many feel that it disrespects our country for the famed Man of Steel, the father of comic book super heroes, to renounce his citizenship as an American. I admit I have struggled with this issue before. I am reminded of my disgust in 2006 over the omission of “the American way” which ends Superman’s own quotation, in the movie Superman Returns. In the film Superman returns to Metropolis from a 7-year absence and there is speculation as to whether or not he will be different, “Does he still stand for Truth, Justice… all that stuff?” asks Perry White, Editor in Chief of the cities newspaper. I felt that the movie was giving up hope in United States, under the pressure from fighting two wars and other polarizing topics that have endured from that day. I don’t think there was even an American flag in the film, yet the stars and stripes wave proudly in the movie Spider-Man 3 a year later.

“The genius of Superman is that he belongs to everyone, for the dual purposes of peace and protection”, Mr. Thill here echoes the sentiments of the comic book character, who is renouncing his citizenship due to uproar that his presence, at a recent foreign protest, however peaceful, is an act of war. Even the strongest man alive can only bear the weight of self-seeking and ignorant perceptions for so long. The truth is Superman is not abandoning America despite our mistakes. Though he is a fictional character, I see now that my previous attitude about his loyalty is exactly what the comic book writers wish to alter. Superman is not a tool, he is a symbol. But he has been reduced to an agent of one particular system, one sole government or region. Superman belongs to every man woman and child, within the pages of literature and in real life pop culture. Everyone deserves his power in their lives and Superman deserves to choose whomever he will, to empower with Truth and Justice, in every way he can.

MAY 6TH

So that above pic is the cover to Action Comics #900. Honestly the coolest thing about Action Comics lately has been a focus on Superman's nemesis Lex Luthor and his quest for the Orange and Black Lantern rings. And along with that is Superman's latest inspiration, which is to take a more global stance on guarding the earth - by going beyond he U.S.A. and actually looking over the earth. It's a mighty daring step for Supes, if only because of how comfortable American's have already become with him being more active in the U.S. Thing is Superman lends support to some protesters in a foreign land. He simply and peacefully demonstrates along with them by standing for 24 hours not talking or moving. The leader of this country sees this as an act of war on America's part because of Superman's status and image as an American hero. So he decides its time to renounce. The way I see it, Superman is just at it again, trying to protect people. Some say he is a pawn of U.S. policy no matter how he protests the idea. Others could attack our country or endanger others in the name of protecting them from abusive U.S. rule or from a possible Superman dictatorship... backlash essentially. Superman doesn't want anyone in a possible crossfire if he is attacked with the intent to do us a blow by taking our alleged "big gun".

I think this will be a very interesting plot. A good companion to the intriguing Grounded storyline with Supes walking all over the country in his own title, Superman. I'll snatch up the Paul Cornell run continuing in #900 when it hits trade status.

M3/LIFE

So now that I've covered that I wanted to just write. I think the Superman thing coincides with some personal things that I've been working on lately. I myself feel as if I am "going global" or as corporations tend to put it "going public".

I have been thinking a lot about identity, my identity lately. I guess I have been asking myself, the universe and God to show me who I am. And one of em has answered. I have been reading three Superman stories: Birthright, Earth One and Secret Origin. These stories are all separate tales of how Superman came to be.

Birthright tells of Clark's travels to realize his passion: journalism and his origins. After learning who he is the book goes on to show how Clark imitates his Kryptonian forefathers and uses his powers to help the people of earth through truth and justice. The "S" shield becomes a crest that symbolizes Superman's family's household an earth's new-found hope. But especially like how Clark sees images of his family and realizes that the uniform he sports will be a tribute to their culture and that's how his iconic suit is formed: he wants to look like his dad.

Earth One focuses on a 21 year old Clark Kent's journey to find himself. He takes a train to Metropolis and vows to find a place for him to contribute to society. He's very depressed in this story because of just that. He learns he can do ANYTHING in the world and be the greatest at it but none of it makes truly happy. He wants to fit in and being a scientist, pro athlete and business man will bring him money and recognition he can't be his true self. He feels he has to sacrifice his plan to reveal himself to the world because he has now learned how to blend in but he feels he'll be letting his parents down. Through the actions of a new villain, Clark is forced to out himself to save the world that took him in. He realizes that living full out as himself and helping the world really can be done simultaneously. So long as he is happy and who he chooses to be he'll never let his family down.

And finally, Secret Origin tells the definitive back story of Superman from his time in Smallville, meeting a young Luthor and adventures with the Legion of Superheroes. After struggling as a kid with his powers and not fitting in, Clark embraces his powers and sense of self after meeting his legacy in the 31st century in the form of the Legion. When Clark sees the good he can bring it cements in him an identity that screams strength and not fear.

Honestly it's taken me all week to write this thing. But God has been good this week, reminding me of some of these themes in these comic books and how they can actually apply to me. I think I've held back my strength and inner light that I forgot what its like to live and love. I think I have to earn the pride of my loved ones and when they tell me they're already proud of me I'm astonished. I want to be my own Super-Man. At 22 years of age I'm tired of carrying an identity that conflicts with my nature. My past told me I couldn't be anything great and I was fine with that.

BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE.

Kids are cruel period. The immature preached a message that spit on my family values. These values are the reason I was homeschooled back in the 90s. It was taboo then and it is now but when I was in the thick of it, it was taboo NOW NOW lol. Honestly my close-knit family values came out in many ways: respect, clear speaking, curiosity, no fear, etc. But the immature are always striving, always competing and can never rest. The neighborhood kids knew all about that. Its sad that at such a young age (8-14) we already learn to quell the fire in our fellows instead of fanning it into a wild inferno of self awareness. Its a classic sob story but in real life, sadly, it takes the victim a LONG TIME to realize the truth and take their power back.

I have since taken my power back.

I know I'll deal with people challenging my identity for the rest of my life. Heck I do that too, I'm not exempt. Immature people don't know any better. But my mission in life is to immitate my heavenly Father. He looks at hearts and intentions, not the physical only. Failure to see the world through God-stained eyes is what gets us in trouble and keep us from fulfilling our potential to be the best we can be, 100% ourselves. I think that's why Limitless and Adjustment Bureau and Superman and stuff have been on my mind the past several months. God really has been talking to me and bringing me to a new place. He's bringing me to my proper place, seated in the heavens with him so I can see as he sees.

I put out 100% of my soul now as it continues to encourage and love that's what I'm putting out. No holding back. As God trains me I'll run harder and faster the race he's marked out for me. I WILL win my prize.

So the son becomes the father, as Jor-El would say.

I am now going global!

It's time to pick up my destiny, my feet, and cross the River Jordan.

EL FIN