Nostalgia

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.
1 Corinthians 13:11

It is an understatement to say that I am nostalgic. Sometimes I try very hard to convince my brain that it's still 1986, but this time around I'm old enough to be fully conscious of my surroundings. Truth be told, the 80s "slash" early 90s have come and gone. How lucky though for a die hard nostalgic to have this glorious leviathan of information we affectionately refer to as the internet?. I reserve my god given right to spend hours upon hours of my limited time on Earth to scour youtube to fulfill my insatiable craving for yesteryear.

I've always carried this overwhelming feeling inside of me. The feeling that nothing will ever be as good as it once was. No event could ever compare to the most significant events that have already occurred. Which in turn, shaped me into who I am today. Once you are forced to "grow up" by your superiors and peers, the magic of life begins to fade away in to the infinite void.  

Now I'm starting to sound a bit brooding. I don't want to feel that way. I mean, shit, an educated human should know better than to revel in past pleasures, right? What's that phrase? Whatever happened, happened. It's true. Shit, does in fact, happen. But we always have the choice to remember that shit as good or as bad. Sometimes memories can be very fulfilling and personally gratifying. 

There seems to be this stigma that merges adulthood with childhood. This overwhelming notion that a lot of the mainstream public seem to agree with. When we all turn a specific age, we are almost required to quote unquote grow up. Throw away your comic books and Yoda pez dispenser because now is the time to nut up and work your fucking balls off until Father Time says otherwise. How wicked, right? Not wicked like a skateboarder might say. More like wicked being uttered by a frightened Salem resident. 

                                                                                                 Give up what makes you happy. We all agreed to this. 

When you're 18 you can smoke. 

When you're 21 you can drink. 

When you're 25, you can rent a car.  

And when you're about 13/14 you're expected to at least begin the stages of "growing up". (Is it even possible to grow down?) Time to think of college. A career. Your future. The inevitable lineage you're expected to continue in the name of your father and his father before him.

This whole process we all inevitably go through always makes me sad. To think out of an average 65 year life span on Earth, you're expected to enjoy 18 years of it, and then force yourself to do things you know in your heart of hearts, that you sincerely do not want to do. And then the last 10-15 years of your life is spent in a fog of confusion and pain.

Let me set the record straight at this juncture and say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with liking things that really have no influence on anyone but yourself. So you happen to like musicals and getting dressed up like a beaver just for fun. All the luck in the world to you. You're doing something that makes you happy, and no one, no matter how maniacal they might be, can take that away from you. And if anyone ever tries, we truly owe it to ourselves to run the fuck away from that negative jibber jabber.

I can't help but quote Ashley Montague's excerpt from 'The Sync Book 2'...

"...the truth about the human species is that in body, spirit, feeling and conduct we are designed to grow and develop in ways that emphasize rather than minimize childlike traits; we were never intended to grow 'up'."

Make believe is fun. Everyone can agree on some level. One of the main reasons I respond so strongly to film is its escape aspects. Movies are essentially gateways to escape the mundane reality we all love and tolerate, in to a fantastical world where literally ANYTHING is possible. 

What's not appealing about that?

I realize now, while typing these letters, that I always seem to forget a very icrucial fact about the good old days...

At one point, the past was the present. So that right there is definitive proof that grand times, littered with grand feelings are only a mental mouse click away.

-Dom

Blessed are the geek for they shall inherit the Earth

It's a very exciting time to be a geek. Cinema continues to evolve in to such an amazing and eclectic art form. It still blows my mind how good everything looks. Yeah, I know, 'Avatar' was the film that "changed" cinema. But if you ask me, what's a great looking film if it has little to no depth or heart? The older I get, the less I care about if the shot was filmed correctly and the more I focus on how the film can alter and expand the viewer's consciousness. It's just more fun that way.

Okay, now as an avid superhero fan since 1986, there are few superhero movies that I haven't at least tried to watch. I did however skip on Halle Berry's 'Catwoman'. But hey, 'Cloud Atlas' was so awesome, I may watch it for shits and giggs just because Halle is a part of that cool ass flick.  The first superhero movie I consider to be the start of the modern age of superhero cinema would probably be 2000's 'X-Men'. The movie was a hit and really opened the flood gates for more superhero properties. It was of course followed by 2 sequels, a spin-off, and a prequel. After 'X-Men's success, geeks around the world got to finally see their favorite superheroes get a chance at shining on the silver screen. Films like 'Daredevil', 'Spider-Man', 'Ghost Rider', 'The Punisher', yes, 'Catwoman', 'Hulk', 'Hellboy', 'The Watchmen', 'The Fantastic Four' and many more. Some were duds and some will forever be remembered.  It's now 12 years later, and these genre pics are getting even bigger and better. Filmmakers and producers are learning from past mistakes and finally catering to the needs of their biggest fan base....The Geeks.

'The Avengers'. It almost sounded like a dream come true.  Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and The Incredible Hulk all on screen at the same time?? Yeah, that definitely sounds wayyy too good to be true, and ambitious to say the least. Oh wait, Joss Whedon is going to direct it? Yeah, okay, sure. I'll believe it when I see it. And you know what folks? Seeing is believing because that shit was awesome. Sure the first two acts may be a bit slow in comparison to the whole, but oh man is the wait worth it. The third act and finale made the film. Whedon delivered the goods so well that I was legitimately surprised by just how terrific the final product turned out to be. So much so, that I'm currently counting down the minutes until 'The Avengers 2'. 

So now I look to the future. What kind of tantalizing geeky properties do we get to feast our eyes on next.

Here's a few projects gestating that I can't wait to see.

Guillermo Del Toro. What a geek. For those who don't know, he's responsible for 'Blade 2' (my favorite 'Blade' installment), the two Hellboy films and 'Pan's Labyrinth'. And while the latter isn't considered geeky per se, it's still a very good movie.  His current project in the works is a little film called 'Pacific Rim'. While details are scarce and no truly revealing pictures have been released, the plot alone has me sold.

"When an alien attack threatens the Earth's existence, giant robots piloted by humans are deployed to fight off the menace."

Two words: Fuck Yeah.

And if that's not enough, Del Toro recently expressed interest in making a DC film called "Heaven Sent" which would be an Avengers-style team up of the supernatural and magical entities of the DC universe. A superhero team film which would feature lesser known anti-heroes such as The Spectre, John Constantine, Swamp-Thing, Etrigan the Demon, Phantom Stranger, Deadman and Zatanna.

Yes Please. Why not spice up the genre and introduce a bombastic, grandiose horror-themed superhero movie? I guess 'Constantine' did that in 2005, but I remember how much better it could have been. The reason I think this will work is because these characters don't really need stand alone films. Use the best qualities of each character to make an amalgamation of otherworldly phantasmagoria.

Hey, did you happen to hear that story about some company called Disney buying Lucasfilm? Oh yeah Lucasfilm made 'Star Wars' by the way. That's right, there's going to be new Star Wars films. Now while that can go either way (we all saw 'The Phantom Menace') I stand optimistic. Just hoping for the best. At this point, that's all we can do.

A few more properties that are on my radar:

• The Robocop remake (I may be the only one seeing the set pics of Robo's new suit and actually liking it).
• Stan Lee recently announced that Black Panther and Dr Strange movies are on the way.
• The sequels to 'Captain America' and 'Thor' as well as the threequel to 'Iron Man'.
• 'The Twilight Zone' movie which has just announced, has a time travel theme (no surprise there).
• Zack Snyder's 'Man of Steel' (my fingers are crossed that it's nothing like 'Superman Returns' and that Kevin Costner doesn't stink up the joint).
• 'The Wolverine' (which is apparently set after 'X-Men: The Final Stand', and that makes me even more excited).

 

Yes indeed, it is an exciting time to be a geek. Now if Bill Murray would agree to at least make a cameo in a third Ghosbusters, my brain may explode from pure unadulterated ecstasy.

-Dom

Life's what you make it

I know quite a few people who have all said similar things. And these are people separated by time and space.  These people I'm referring to are, in the nicest way I can think of...Naysayers. I love Urban Dictionary's definition of this unfortunate sect...

naysayer

One who frequently engages in excessive complaining, negative banter and/or a genuinely poor and downbeat attitude. Naysayers are distinguished by their tendency to consistently view the glass half empty, make frequent one-way trips to negative town, and constantly emphasize the worst of a situation. They have the capacity to rant and whine for hours on end about the most insignificant inconveniences. They tend to travel solo, but have the keen ability to spread their pessimistic attitude to a group of unsuspecting bystanders and encourage others to employ their mindset. Naysayers tend to blend in with those around them rather well, granted they have learned over the years to adapt to their surroundings. However, when the opportunity arises, their true nature will be exposed and they will stop at nothing to exclude others or bring a general sense of negativity to any situation. Not to be confused with non-naysayers who fight against the negativity brought forth by naysayers, make the best of a situation and are not afraid to call out a naysayer on the spot.

I'm not going to sit here and say that I've never had a negative view on the world. There was a period in my life, that my best friend John will attest to, that was a very dark time. It was like the period in the galaxy far, far away between Episodes 3 and 4.  I had become very depressed and cynical. I can say now, it was the saddest I've ever been in my life so far. It made me uncomfortable to be around. No one WANTS to be around an unhappy pessimist. Today, I feel fortunate that I snapped the fuck out of it. My glass isn't half full. It IS full. Because honestly, why the hell shouldn't it be?

Let's face facts right now. The truth of the matter is...YES. The world can suck. It can be discriminatory, disturbing, disgusting, discouraging, dejecting and dispiriting. I would hope that no one would actually disagree with that. But, at the same time, life is a many splendid thing. It lifts us up where we belong. Without life, there would be nothing. The truth is, the planet we all live on, is Earth and while it is argued to be run by a small sector of people who don't have everyone's best interests in mind, it's still our planet. We need to accept things. Acceptance to me, seems to be the key. Once you come to an understanding of the wickedness of it all, and just lay the cards on the table, then you can finally move forward. Yeah, shit sucks, there's child molesters, greedy fucks, murderers, dog punchers, war enthusiasts, and many more monsters scouring this big blue ball of life, but hey....THAT is life.

Since all that really matters is YOUR life, then it seems obvious that people should basically live the way THEY want to live. I do believe that everyone has the right to do what they think is best for them, just as long as they're not intentionally hurting others or the planet while doing it.

I've heard people say things like:
"Well, you know, really, we're born, we live, and we die. So really, what's the point of it all?"

While that is true. We are born, we do live, and we inevitably die, that doesn't mean we have to spend the 70-90 year period on this beautiful world in a constant state of negativity and unhappiness. What a waste of time. The following is a response from a person whose opinion I greatly respect, when I asked him, "What's the meaning of life?"....

"To have as much fun as possible."

So to those people who say, What's the point? I say this:

Fun, love, happiness, sex, drugs, movies, food, the outdoors, alcohol, music, friendships, family, knowledge, surprises.

Now those are just a few of the things that I personally love about life. How cool is it that we have the opportunity to watch 'The Avengers' or eat an ice cream sandwich? There's literally millions of trees that we can climb. And that shit is totally fun. Sometimes, it really is the little things that count. So you really should ask yourself...What are YOU living for?

The following are responses from some of my friends and family when I asked what the meaning of life was to them:


"Love, happiness, success and legacy"

"Life is about experiencing everything and anything that makes you happy. To be on your deathbed
and simply say "that was so much fun""

"To cooperate with the Universe's pattern and thrive"

"FBGM"


"-To experience a full range of human emotion.
-To question everything in search of truth.
-To understand that life is not about knowledge, power, and money - but mystery.
-To choose happiness.
-To love other humans and interact with them."


"The meaning of life is to answer to the one true gift we have. FREE WILL. To fight your free will, to go against your natural instinct is sin. We as humans have a gift, free will. Be free, stay free and think free."


"All in all, life is subjective, just like Aristotle said. Define your parameters and 
find your own damn meaning. Also, having fun is cool, too."


"In my opinion there is no meaning. It's the arrogance of man to assume a grand position in the scheme of the galaxy."

""You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life. -Albert Camus""

"42"

"I don't know so much about the meaning of life, but I've always felt that the purpose of life is to learn and experience as much as possible. And don't be a cunt."



-Dom

Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na

I mentioned briefly in my February 7 post, a theoretical delay between human thought and material manipulation.  I've felt for the past week that this delay not only exists, but is getting exponentially shorter.
I don't even know if I can make it to December 21 before materializing a dinosaur in to existence. But I digress. Here's a few examples of my recent syncs.

Last night, I'm watching a clip of Andrew Garfield (The New Spider-Man) on 'Ellen'. In the background, I'm listening to Red Ice Radio's recent interview with J.J. & Desiree Hurtak. It was when Andrew said Ellen's name that no more than 2 seconds later, Desiree had mentioned Comet Elenin. I know, Elenin and Ellen are not the same words. But they're pretty damn close.

Fast forward to this afternoon. I'm listening to The Band's performance of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down".

While doing this, I'm reading Grant Morrison's bio on wikipedia. I'm skimming the words, when 1:08 in to the song approaches. It's at this point that the next words on the bio are these:

-Dom

Keep Close to Nature's Heart

"Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean."
-John Muir

The Maiden Post

As far as the interweb is concerned, I am very new to the world of synchronicity and synchromysticism.  I am still in the early stages of getting the basics down, as far as literature on the subject goes.  Taking a note from Alan Abbadessa-Green, I am starting this blog as a diary for the strange events that are occurring in both my waking and sleeping life.  So just to get things started, let me tell you all a little about myself.


My name is Dominic Risso.  I am 25 years old, never had a serious job, and am finally becoming comfortable with that fact.  I have been immersed in film and art for my entire life.  My Mother tells me that when I was at the ripe age of 1, my favorite movies included 'Bambi' and 'Robocop'.  I have two older brothers.  As children, we would use the family camcorder to make our own movies.  Usually spoofs of 'Rocky V', 'Home Alone', and 'Aliens'.  Through out my childhood in to my teenage years, I continued to make short films and skits with my friends.  I still make them to this day.  I would say my ideas have progressed through out the years, but alas, I've never been paid in lieu of my film making skills.  I probably wouldn't have it any other way.


When I was a freshman in high school, a strange thing began to occur.  I started seeing the numbers 333 and 33, EVERYWHERE. Receipts, graffiti, football jerseys.  I didn't know what to make of this and since I wasn't aware of the internet at that time, I had no way of figuring out what the hell was going on.  I always thought of it as something bad.  Like a curse or a warning.  At one point, I honestly expected March 3rd, 2003 to be the date of my death.  3/3/3 came and went and after a few weeks from that date, the numbers started to recede.


Fast forward 7 years.  After a brief stint in New Mexico, while trying to get my life in order, I moved back to my old stomping grounds of the California Central Valley.  I moved in with my eldest brother.  A person who has always been in to cool things like UFOs, conspiracies, mysticism, and anything esoteric.  After living with him for a month or two, a delightful little surprise plopped in to my lap.  333 and his son, 33 graced me with their presence once again.  Now I knew that it was time to figure out what this was all about.  I simply googled, "Seeing 333 everywhere".  To my joy, I discovered that maybe this wasn't a bad omen after all.


333 - This sign indicates that your Spirit Guides agree with your thoughts and feelings and could be interpreted as a Cosmic 'Yes!' to questions you have asked or ideas you may have.


After reading this and other information on the history of the number, I decided to embrace this strange happenstance with open arms.  I began to think of myself as lucky.  Perhaps something bigger than myself and maybe the entire universe was choosing to communicate with me.


I grew up in a Catholic household. I was forced to go to church every Sunday until I was 18 years old.  Suffices to say, I stopped going on my 18th birthday. I hold no hard feelings toward the religion, I simply just didn't get it.  I never felt what I was constantly told I was "supposed" to feel.  From 18-25, I honestly didn't know if I believed in a higher power.  It wasn't until this last year that I really started figuring out what I believed in.  I'm happy to say that I have become a lot more spiritual than I ever was in the past. And to be honest, I feel right at home. I'm still on this personal journey toward self-discovery and I realize that it is a journey that never ends.  But let me tell you, I'm diggin' the ride.  I couldn't be happier, learning these new things that just click with me.  


It was early 2011 that I began to watch Jake Kotze's amazing videos.  I was introduced to synchronicity and synchromysticism for the first time, but to be honest, I felt as if I always knew what it was, I just didn't know what to call it until now.  When I was a child, I was constantly coming up with ideas for films., whether they be simple synopses or full scripts.  I was always confused/surprised to later discover that a film in Hollywood was being made with the exact same plot.  If this were to happen today, I would either chalk it up to me reading about it on a movie site, and "forgetting", or more extensively, realizing that once an idea is formed, it is then part of this collective cloud of consciousness (333) that everyone has the ability to tap in to either subconsciously or unconsciously.


This thing called existence is a pretty bizarre carnival ride we're all on.  I'm still trying to figure out my place in it all. I've always been a very joyful, easy-going, happy person, so I like to think that maybe my contribution to this world is to spread happiness like mayo on a slice of bread.  And maybe even turn some people on to synchronicity in the process.  


Like I said, this is starting off as a diary of these strange events, but who knows what will come out of it. 
Only time will tell.


Enjoy 'Synchrotastic'.


-Dom