http://chud.com/articles en-us N/A nicknunziata@gmail.com Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:08:35 EST 20 http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2109/I039m-Having-A-Naked-Lunch.html
First off the book appears at face value to be written by a bi-sexual, degenerate Gynecologist, and could very well be his memoirs while hopped up on a permanent junk high.

That's not to say that the book is trash. I like it a lot. It's like reading something Alejandro Jodorowsky would write. I'm almost half way through the book, and the one thing that continues to go through my mind is Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain. I bought the Jodorowsky box set last year during the Deep Discount fall sale, and had already heard much about El Topo and The Holy Mountain. El Topo didn't really grab me, but The Holy Mountain left me in awe. Such a strange sometimes disturbing film, yet beautiful at times. Amazing score too.

Reading Naked Lunch and it's cadre of Mugwumps, deviants, young and old, men and women. I keep thinking about Cronenberg's film version, and how it's been several years since I rented the Criterion dvd and saw it. Seeing the Mugwumps before I had read about them, I'm surprised at how much they're almost exactly like how Burrows wrote them.

I've really enjoyed reading this bizarre book. It's truly brilliant.

Rene's song of the day: "Psychedelic Weapons" by Alejandro Jodorowsky.

Thanks for reading my blog and see you next time!
]]> no@spam.com (Rene F. Rangel) Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2109/I039m-Having-A-Naked-Lunch.html http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2104/Halloween-03909.html
I had gotten a Dexter Morgan costume back at the end of September on clearance for $9.99. The costume normally goes for $40. I really lucked out getting it, also since I wear glasses, and any other costume using a mask would make it hell for me since I need my glasses.

At Vanessa's job, the resident's were sitting outside giving candies away to the children that would go by, and some were even dressed up. Most of the staff were dressed up as well. Vanessa was dressed up as The Cat from KISS, and I was giving out candy dressed up as Dexter Morgan. A lot of people thought I was either a character from Hostel, or some mad doctor.

After we finished that up, I took her out for dinner, since it was still early yet around 7, and then we took in a viewing of Saw VI. Vanessa really likes the Saw flicks. I'm partial to them myself. Although with these recent ones, they're starting to seem more like feature length tv episodes. She came away not that impressed, and I thought it was ok.

All in all, for me it was a great Halloween. I hope next Halloween is as fun or even more fun than this one was.

Rene's song of the day: "Flight Of The Wild Geese" by Joan Armstrong

Thanks for reading my blog and see you next time!





]]> no@spam.com (Rene F. Rangel) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2104/Halloween-03909.html http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2099/A-Big-Lots-Tale-Gatoraid-.html
Before we ate, we hit up the Big Lots nearby and she was initially going to just wait in the car. As soon as I walked in, I saw 3 shopping carts filled with Gatorade that was on clearance. I'm talking 32 oz for about 1.30. 12 oz for 30 cents! We had hit on a similar clearance sell several towns over a few months back, but only Vanessa got some, and it wasn't a lot either. This time we ransacked it. I called her, and she came inside and got a shopping cart. We loaded up and were able to evenly split the 12 oz bottles since there were 14 there. I got a few of the 32 oz bottles, as well as a 6 pack of V8 since those are really cheap there for 4 bucks. I even got a few bottles of 32 oz Arizona Ice Tea. My preferred Ice Tea of choice.

Awesome deal that we stumbled upon, and I know there will be many more deals that we'll find in the future.

Rene's song of the day: "Orca (Main Title)" by Ennio Morricone.

Thanks for reading my blog and see you next time!
]]> no@spam.com (Rene F. Rangel) Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2099/A-Big-Lots-Tale-Gatoraid-.html http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2091/Literary-Renewal.html
Comic books have been a passion as well. The art and words have always drawn me in. Especially with how favorite characters change when different artists are brought on.

I never stopped reading books, but I slowed up. I used to read 2 or 3 books every couple of weeks. Then it became a book once or twice a year. That's how badly I slowed up.

Right after I graduated in December of 2007, I found myself out of school, unemployed, and with a lot of time on my hands. I began reading little by little, and even when I got a meager job I actually started to read more since I worked mostly evenings, and I was out for most of the night and mornings. I started with Stephen King's The Mist, then an H.P. Lovecraft collection that included the brilliant At The Mountains Of Madness, and I just picked up from there.

Even though I hadn't been reading often, didn't mean that I stopped buying books. I love hitting up bookstores to see what I can find. I had such a backlog of books, that it was a pile. I've just started reading books I've had since around 2003. I'm pretty proud of myself in that in the past two weeks I've read the Halloween II, and Halloween III: Season Of The Witch novelizations that I've had for a long time. I figured it was about time to read them, and it being close to Halloween really goes with the theme. I even have the Halloween IV novelization and I just started on that one. I've got plenty more waiting for me, and even some that I've ordered.

I'm very happy that I've gotten back in tune with reading. I fell into a lapse, and now I've been reinvigorated.

Rene's song of the day: "The Verdict" (Dopo La Condanna) by Ennio Morricone.

Thanks for reading my blog and see you next time!
]]> no@spam.com (Rene F. Rangel) Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2091/Literary-Renewal.html http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2076/Dinner-At-The-Texas-Roadhouse.html
I hadn't eaten all day, so when I went into town to pick up some comics from the shop I go to, I gave her a call, and she was hungry, and the Texas Roadhouse is near where she works. I swung by to pick her up, and the next thing I know, I'm ordering a delicious steak and grilled shrimp combo. I've had it before, but this time it was just really DELICIOUS. I savored every bit. Not to forget that I got two sides. A Caesar salad, and a cup of chili. Great appetizers. The cost doesn't come out to bad either. Especially for being able to get a cup of chili (which costs quite a bit at some other nearby places since it's usually an extra).

Of course like Logan's they have pails of peanuts that you can eat like if you're at a bar, and you just toss them on the floor. Vanessa had a laugh the last time when I was just tossing the shells on the ground with no care and making a mess like I was a 3 year old kid. Great place to go to if you live here in Texas like me, or if you're ever visiting.

Rene's song of the day: "Hooked On A Feeling"  by Blue Swede

Thanks for reading my blog and see you next time!
]]> no@spam.com (Rene F. Rangel) Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2076/Dinner-At-The-Texas-Roadhouse.html http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2073/You-Have-Got-To-See-This-Movie-Now-The-Dudley-Moore-Edition-10Foul-Play.html
As soon as Dudley Moore pops in the 8 Track cassette in his Rolls Royce, and Julie Andrews begins singing "He Pleases Me", yeah my attentions been grabbed. A lot of hilarity comes out when Moore spies on his sleazy neighbor, played by the great character actor Don Calfa.

If there's one scene I can single out it's the scene where a pissed off Moore is spying on Calfa and a couple of girls with his telescope and he swings it around and it conks him on the side of the head and he falls. He falls down A FRIGGIN' HILL. I've rewound that scene many times just to see the genius that happens. The payoff at the end of that scene is just as great.

The best thing about the entire flick is the main point. Not every girl is what you think she is. The whole time Moore has this unrealistic fantasy about Bo Derek's character and is on the verge of destroying the great relationship that he has, because he's 42 and not getting any younger. His scenes with Brian Dennehy's bartender while in Mexico are high points as well. This movie is definitely highly recommended.

Foul Play is a movie that when I first saw it, I thought was a Blake Edwards flick. I didn't know who had directed it, and I happened to catch it on cable with my friend, while we were hanging out, and we immediately see Dudley Moore whipping out a fully stocked bar and putting on a "purely educational" porn movie all for Goldie Hawn. Seeing it further, and seeing that Chevy Chase was in it, as well as Burgess Meredith, Brian Dennehy and even Don Calfa. My friend and I were laughing a lot, and we both had seen 10 (this was in 2006) so I thought it was a Blake Edwards flick, just a year before he made 10 and with most of the same cast. It turned out to be written and directed by a fellow named Colin Higgens. Foul Play has to be the best movie that Blake Edwards never made. Plus Dudley Moore is just fabulous in it and the seeds of his role as George Webber in 10 are set in here.

Rene's song of the day: "Peaceful Easy Feeling" by The Eagles.

Thanks for reading my blog and see you next time!
]]> no@spam.com (Rene F. Rangel) Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2073/You-Have-Got-To-See-This-Movie-Now-The-Dudley-Moore-Edition-10Foul-Play.html http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2063/Restless-Night.html
The thing is, I usually can tell when it's going to be a restless night for me. I'll take some Tylenol PM and it knocks me right out. The night before I had gotten plenty of sleep, and last night I got a grand total of about 3 hours of sleep. Not a good thing since I had to get up really early to go to work. Luckily I loaded myself up with sugar this morning, and I was able to survive the day. When I got home, I ended up falling asleep for about 30 minutes while I was watching Tigerland. It wasn't 30 minutes all together, it was more like in and out of sleep.

I hate it when I can't fall asleep within about 15 minutes. Especially when I have work the next day. Obviously I'm not the only one, no one wants to go to work on a little bit of sleep, and have everything being like a perpetual haze and be in a dreamlike state. Unless they really want to make work interesting for themselves.

Rene's song of the day: "Gladiator Fight" by Alan Silvestri

Thanks for reading my blog and see you next time!
]]> no@spam.com (Rene F. Rangel) Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2063/Restless-Night.html http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2061/10-Pounds-How-About-20-Beatles-Therapy.html
I figure I can work on 10 pounds, and take it from there. If I just lose the 10 I think I'll have accomplished something good. The thing is I don't feel bad about the weight. Ok sure, some of the pants that I have previously felt more baggy then they do now. They're getting pretty snug. Other than that, I don't feel at all uneasy. Now granted I'm still young, and this is when the mind kicks in and tells me that I may regret my current passiveness towards it as I get older. That little seed of doubt has been growing. That's why I've finally decided I need to start working out again. Even if I don't lose all the weight, just doing some type of excersise regiment on a daily basis will be good for me.

Now onto another positive thing. I posted a while back that I had gotten The Beatles: Rock Band. One of my first blog postings was about when I got Walking Pneumonia in January, and because of that I got Bell's Palsey and up until around April I was talking like I had just come from the Dentist after being shot up with Novocaine. Not a good feeling.

A few weeks of therapy later, and the right side of my face had gone mostly back to normal. I still can't make a complete smile, but that's the only bother I have. Well, ever since I started singing along with the songs in The Beatles: Rock Band, I've noticed that the right side of my face is beginning to involuntarily twitch. I think the singing is starting to wake up the nerves in my face that are still dormant and I hope that if I keep doing this that hopefully by next year my face will be completely back to normal.

Rene's song of the day: "With A Little Help From My Friends" by The Beatles.

Thanks for reading my blog and see you next time!

]]> no@spam.com (Rene F. Rangel) Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2061/10-Pounds-How-About-20-Beatles-Therapy.html http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2051/Ambidexterous-.html
I believe it goes back to the fact that I may have originally been left handed. I think some time before I went into school, I was taught to write with my right hand. I have no recollection of it, but a lot of things come into play as evidence. I played baseball for one season, and Golf for 4 years. In both of those I played left-handed.

I also tend to write with my right hand, but with my thumb placed across my index finger. I've tried holding a pen in my left hand, and I hold it like everyone else holds it. With all my finger tips placed firmly around the pen. I just can't write worth a piss holding it like that.

Another piece of evidence is that my Dad, while never having played Golf, once held my Golf club left handed. I believe he too was trained to write with his right hand.

There are little things that I can do with my left hand. Sometimes if I want to I can eat with a fork with my left hand, and I always cut into food that needs cutting with a knife holding it in my left hand, while I have the fork in my right hand. That is one thing I'm glad to have, as I don't have to cut the meat with my right hand, put the knife down, and pick up the fork to eat with my right hand.

Just more mysteries of myself that I find interesting enough to share with others.

Rene's song of the day: "The Night Before" by The Beatles.

Thanks for reading my blog and see you next time!
]]> no@spam.com (Rene F. Rangel) Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2051/Ambidexterous-.html http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2044/Fun-With-Vanessa-And-The-Beatles-Rock-Band.html
Boy was I in for a big surprise. I only played a few songs later that evening, but I was having TOO MUCH FUN! It wasn't until friday night that I really got into it. Vanessa was here, so she got introduced to more Beatles tunes. Me being the cheesy nerd that I am, serenaded her to "I Feel Fine" and "8 Days A Week". Yes, I sang those for her.

She was mystified by the bizarreness that is "I Am The Walrus" and I explained that that's the point. It's not supposed to make a lot of sense. Although it's damn fun to sing along with. I myself have found myself playing "Hello, Goodbye" and "Don't Let Me Down" over and over. "Here Comes The Sun" and "Octopus' Garden" as well.

So yesterday I finally broke out the drum set, and I was trying to put it together. I have pretty much no common fucking sense, and while trying to figure out how to put the pipes together with the instructions, Vanessa put them together with ease. I'm just so damn lucky to have her. The drums are definitely going to take me a while to get used to, but they're fun.

Friday night I introduced her to The Beatles' greatest film, Help! That flick is so bizarre and awesome that I loved it right after my Dad first showed it to me in 1996. Vanessa knew who The Beatles were, and I'm sure she'd heard some of their music before, but now I'm glad that I got to share my love of The Beatles with her.

Rene's song of the day: "I Feel Fine" by The Beatles.

Thanks for reading my blog and see you next time!
]]> no@spam.com (Rene F. Rangel) Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://chud.com/articles/blogs/2044/Fun-With-Vanessa-And-The-Beatles-Rock-Band.html