orionfoxgibson : I agree. I have seen some of his Hong Kong work and he should have gotten a lot more recognition before Rumble in the Bronx. In regard to playing smaller roles a little known fact is he was originally offered the role of the assassin in Lethal Weapon 4 before Jet Li but declined because he didn’t want to play a bad guy.

Some people may criticize Chan for turning down what may have been big roles but I personally applaud his convictions and I think it is something that he should be commended for.

jlh : Not really… I do know of a few friends of mine who have kind of done the same thing that this neighbor did for you. One of my friends was supposedly going to move to a different state years back and she went as far as throwing a going away party for herself. She brought all the goodies and supplies and brought the space at a restaurant to have the party.

Most of her “Friends” are the type that are only around her when they need something. Either if they need money or whatever she can give them at the time but when she doesn’t have anything to give most of them are nowhere to be found. It’s sad frankly. I didn’t go to the “Party” because among other things I was probably one of the few people who told her the truth and told her that these people weren’t really friends and such. She never moved and unfortunately she has pretty much continued the same pattern as she did years ago. Any time she gets money instead of doing the responsible thing and saving it, she’ll go out and splurge it on whatever “Friend” is around her at the time or the latest “Johnny come lately” that sweet talks her.

Although I am still friends with her I try to keep a distance because unfortunately it seems as though no matter what I say to her that it doesn’t register with her and at almost thirty years old; I simply have reached a point where I cannot spend my time trying to convince someone who is only a few years younger than me to grow up. It’s a lesson everyone has to learn eventually. Learning from mistakes is one thing, putting lessons into practice however is a different story. I realize that some may think that is a bit cold to say but that is how I feel.

I hope that eventually she’ll get the wakeup call she needs and will get those people who I refer to as leeches out of her life and finally straighten up. I wish her nothing but the best but it’s just a scenario where I have said pretty much all I can say, as many times as I can say it. It’s up to her now.

orionfoxgibson : Well one of my favorite films of Jackie Chan is Rumble in the Bronx. It is underrated among his films I feel, although the movie was quite humorous there was also some great fighting scenes and stunts. Chan I think broke his ankle during the filming of the movie performing one of those death defying stunts.

This was really before they really started using special effects and different sorts of technology in stunts and such so it’s really a testament to how good Chan is at what he does. It was also good to see some footage at the end of the movie of the stunt work and some of the stunts that went wrong. It shows people how dangerous stunt work can be and that it isn’t something to take lightly.

I’m also a fan of the Rush Hour series.

Carnas : Well I can certainly understand where you’re coming from because I have been on both sides of it. I know what it feels like to be in the wrong and knows what it feels like to be betrayed. In regard to my friend I haven’t spoken to him in a little while but like I said before he knows how to get a hold of me if and when he wants to talk or needs anything.

In regard to feeling as though people don’t want you in their lives I have been there too. In some ways I am hesitant to reach out to people even though it has been many years since I’ve been around many of the people I went to school with or was friends with. I admit to being afraid to open the door for lack of a better term.

Although I have admitted my wrongs and have matured from my mistakes it just wouldn’t make me feel good to know that someone has heat with me for what ever reason. So for that reason I am accessible to anyone but I don’t reach out to too many people at the same time because of not knowing who I’m on good terms with etc. Simply put if someone reaches out to me I will hear them out but I don’t go where I’m not wanted.

In regard to my friend I went a long time without being open to the idea of hearing him out. When you are close with someone to the degree that you don’t acknowledge that person as a friend but as a brother and that person betrays your trust it can be very difficult to heal that wound.

It was something that I was clear to him when we briefly talked several years back before reconnecting recently. At the time he didn’t admit wrong doing but he did say that in his words that he understood why I was pissed off. Even though I didn’t accept it as accepting responsibility at the time, I will freely admit I was very angry with him and that in all likelihood overshadowed any rational thinking on my part.

As the years went on although I didn’t forget what happened between he and I the anger became less and less important to me. When things happen in life and you go through trials and tribulations it can give you a perspective on things. For me the last several years have been difficult and I have gone through many things that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. When we had that face to face conversation several months ago, he told me that he had gone through several things as well that I wouldn’t wish on anyone either.

I guess the thing I came to realize from all of this is that some of the struggles that I have been through over the years in essence gave me a fresh way of looking at things in a better way. I can only speak for myself but after talking to him face to face all this time later it made me feel as though he had gone through hard times and perhaps he didn’t have his priorities in order years ago when he made the decision he did which had us part company for several years.

Although I will not forget what happened I am glad that I heard him out and that at minimum we’re on speaking terms. At least it’s a start.

warmaker : It is very hard to say you can trust someone completely but I think, like most things it often boils down to an individual. When it comes to relationships I haven’t had the best luck and have found that I couldn’t trust certain people I was involved with. I do have one person though that I feel confident in saying I trust completely and that is my father.

My dad and I have been through an awful lot together and even though things have been crazy and stressful at times he’s always been there for me and has always supported me. My great grandmother had a saying that as I have gotten older I have really come to fully understand. “Love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe.” Such a simply philosophy but it really hits home. I’m just glad that when it comes to my father he is one of the few that I trust.

Sometimes it is the simple things that can be the most valuable. At least that’s how I feel about it.

KungFuMaster7800 : I won’t lie to you when I say that I have had a similar philosophy. Sometimes it is difficult to walk away from a relationship no matter what the reason. In this case this person was more like a brother to me than he was a friend. I guess that is one reason why I eventually opened myself up to the idea of reconciliation with him. I know that I am far from perfect and have made more than my share of mistakes and one of the things I have said to myself since opening myself up to reconciling with not just him but with others as well is, it would be wrong of me to say that I have learned from my mistakes and have become stronger from it if I wasn’t open to giving those who have wronged me a second chance.


It isn’t an easy thing to admit your wrongs and it definitely isn’t easy to ask forgiveness. It is something that I have had to do since straightening up. So it wouldn’t speak well of me to just shut myself off to those who may have gone through similar experiences. In regard to my friend we haven’t really spoken too much since the initial face to face via video but he did call me about a month ago asking for advice because he had just gone through a medical thing and since I have been through surgeries and deal with chronic pain he asked me if I had ever been given a certain kind of shot to deal with pain. I told him no and lord willing I would never have to. He said he was having trouble moving around and such. This was probably due to inflammation or some kind of reaction but I’m not a doctor so I told him to call someone and to go get looked at if it got any worse. I haven’t really spoken to him since but it isn’t because of another falling out or anything, I guess it’s just a case where he’s busy and so am I.



I hope that the next time I talk to him that he is feeling a little better.

lightningotter : First congratulations on getting your scholarship. It is a blessing and you should make the most of it. When I was a teenager my parents were separated. What made it rough was I was more or less put in the middle of what was going on with them. As a result I ended up making a lot of mistakes and as an adult now I really regret many of the mistakes I made. Sometimes it did feel like my parents were more focused on what was going on between them than what was going on with me. Although my parents eventually got back together I had ended up making a lot mistakes and ended up dropping out of school. I don’t blame my parents for that though. Any mistakes I made are my responsibility and fall on my shoulders.

I can relate though to how you’re feeling. I am a writer and have been one since I was a teenager even though I didn’t really embrace it as something I would eventually end up doing for my vocation until I left school. Although I love writing and often say that my ability to write was a gift from God, it can be one of the most difficult and frustrating ways to try and make a living.

It has been a struggle for several years and I still haven’t really achieved what I want to but I look at the ups, downs, and sideways that a writer has to go through as part of the growing process and paying your dues. I know what it’s like to have family members act as though you’re wasting your time and not really seem supportive. Being a writer it is especially frustrating when people who have never been a writer assume that it is easy and assume you’re making a decent living. It can be and often is frustrating to try and explain to them the things that a writer has to go through. Especially when those same people think you can just walk into a magazine or a newspaper and demand money for your work. It simply doesn’t work that way.

It really is an endless practice of hard work and dedication. As far as my parents although they are frustrated with all the time and effort I put into my work and not getting paid, they are supportive and that is something I really appreciate. As for me I’m gradually starting to get noticed by the right people in my field and I hope that it will eventually lead to something.

Although it can be tough sometimes it’s important to not give up. My grandfather was a jazz musician and played the trumpet. I know it’s not an easy thing to do and it takes talent to play the trumpet or any musical instrument for that matter keep working at it. Believe me it will pay off in the long run.

As far as your question my advice is to just explain your position and keep working hard. I had to deal with family thinking that my writing wasn’t serious but once I started getting published in magazines they realized how serious I was about it and even though I’m still looking for my break they support me.

Congratulations on getting the opportunity to go to college. Best of luck to you.

EvilAlu : That is pretty much where I am at though I do hold out hope that I will finally be able to make an adequate living off of my writing. It would certainly justify all the time, effort, and things that I have done without if I could finally make an adequate living. It would also justify the stresses that I’ve had to deal with as well. It’s frustrating because although writing is one of the best things you can do which allows you the extra time and is certainly enjoyable, it is one of the most difficult fields to make a living. Hope I get there eventually. You’re right though you should never take anything for granted.

MoblinGardens : Well as someone who is older I am of the belief that no matter how well you may think you have things planned out for yourself, realistically there is no way for anyone to have their plans happen in full. I learned a long time ago that it really is in God’s hands.

When I was younger even though I periodically wrote, I didn’t think nor was it really my ambition to become a writer as my career. I also thought that I would be making a steady living doing something and maybe even settled down by the time I turned 30.

Well as life tends to do, things changed. As I am pushing 30 I am a writer and even though I am still struggling to make a living I can honestly say there isn’t anything else that I would rather be doing. My journey as a writer has certainly not been easy at times. I am a high school dropout and was never really pushed to my full potential when I was in school. This left me with very little options once I left school and I really had to work hard at becoming a writer. It’s something that even after years of experience that you always have to stride to do. No one is perfect and even the most seasoned writers have to polish up from time to time.

The last couple of years in particular have been challenging in regard to my writing but despite those struggles and stressful times, I look at my ability to write as a gift from God. It has done so much for me and even though I may be struggling to make a living, I am grateful for what it has done for my life. Once I accepted that my writing would be my chosen profession, even though it took a long time; it helped me straighten my life out. It gave me direction, it gave me responsibility, and it gave me a purpose. For that I am forever grateful.

As for what I want now of days well, it would be nice if I could finally get to the point where I can make a steady living off of my writing. All I can do is do what I have to in regard to my writing and hopefully I’ll get there.

Please do all you can to stay in school and finish school. You will thank yourself later.

Best of luck to you.

warmaker : I can strike up a conversation and say hello to just about anyone. I am a writer and being involved with media you have to be accessible to anyone and everyone. It’s always good to be polite even in the most trying circumstances of saying hello or having a conversation with someone you might not like or someone who you do not know but somehow rubs you the wrong way.

The best example of this I guess was when I took my family to a baseball game last year. I don’t cover baseball but I am a big baseball fan and root for both New York teams religiously. Despite my love of the game and devotion to my teams I rarely get out to a game. (I don’t live in New York anymore and tickets are expensive whenever the teams come where I am.) This was the first game I had been to in five years so I was very much looking forward to a nice night out with my family and such. While at the game an older gentleman who was seated next to me would periodically tap my shoulder and ask me questions about the game and what leagues the teams were in (it was an inter-league game) and such.

I could tell that this gentleman was a casual fan at best and probably went to the game for a nice night out. So we basically had little periodic conversations while the game was going on. We ended up having a very nice conversation and I hope that at minimum I was able to help the gentleman gain a better understanding of the game and I hope he had a nice time. Some people may have been rude to the gentlemen but I believe it’s always nice to be polite. I really enjoyed talking with him. It was part of what was a fun night for my family and I and well worth the five year wait. I just hope that circumstances will allow me to go to games more often.

iiGrinchii : I do support our military and in fact both my grandfathers and my father all served in the military. Although things like war is wrong it is important to remember that things like wars are caused by failed politics. Although we may not agree on why wars exist and what the real reasons are that they take place, it is important to remember that those who serve are there to protect us and do their jobs. They are not the cause but in some cases unfortunately may be the only means of a solution. At least that is how I feel about it.

OmegamanX150 : Well usually around this time of year, assuming things are normal I am usually looking to pick up the latest MLB title from SCEA. I haven’t been able to play my PS3 in months due to a corrupted HDD. I am hoping to get a new HDD in the coming months but responsibilities always take priority over gaming. Least that’s how it is for me.

Hopefully I’ll get the new HDD and will be able to avoid the expense of a new console. I’m on my third console currently and based on my experience in having to periodically get a new console has me a bit reluctant to invest in PS4 at least for a while. I want to make sure the console is reliable before I dish out hundreds of dollars on the console and subsequent hardware. It would please me to see Sony make sure that the hardware is as reliable as possible before it’s released. For the price tag they owe it to the consumer.

marcushoward : As someone who has been in media I can understand the need for commercials from a revenue standpoint as well as a network wanting to sell advertising revenue and subsequently collect the promotional fees attached and such. As a fan of television and movies however it can annoy you. I currently subscribe to an MLB package on my satellite dish. I have been considering also subscribing to MLB.TV so I can watch games I miss on my streaming player. I have no desire to get rid of my current subscription but it would be a nice add on especially if I happen to lose my signal due to weather and such. I have been feeling out MLB TV and one thing I like is they offer a free game every day which you do not need a subscription or account to watch. One thing I did notice is that instead of showing commercials in between innings that they simply put up a screen with the MLB TV logo and a message that says “Commercial in progress.” It does succeed in cutting the commercials but it can be boring because it does not have anything beyond that message. Perhaps some preview channel like music might help that?

Hulu plus does have commercials but I don’t think it is really that bad because they always have a clock that lets you know exactly how long it will last and, as I said I can understand why that is seeing as Hulu is co-owned by NBC, Fox, and ABC that they would want to make some ad revenue profits off of it’s subscribers. For $8 a month it isn’t a real inconvenience. I just wish that they would get more streaming rights for stuff that they can stream on their website for their subscription service. It would be nice to watch shows like The Simpsons, Home Improvement, Married…with Children, NYPD Blue, and Blue Bloods on their subscription service on streaming devices like Roku. You would think that there would be no problem in doing that seeing as Hulu plus is a subscription service but Streaming services are still in it’s growing stages and I think as time goes on things will be more available beyond traditional realms.

iN008 : I think Vudu is only available in the U.S. but I’m not sure. Vudu.com. I would keep Netflix as vudu is pay as you go and it can get pricey overall. I have often said though that if Vudu were to offer a subscription plan that it would give Netflix a real run for it’s money.

iN008 : For some people it is their only entertainment option. As for me I just like having the option of a literal movie store at my finger tips. Far as competition to Netflix Amazon and VuDu are up there. What I like about VuDu is you can actually buy the movies you want and it’s yours for life. Most of the movies are $10 a pop. I have a lot of movies on my wish list that I will be gradually buying. Some I have on DVD already but the way I look at it is, I’m buying things in a different format. I.E. Ultra Violet (Digital copy). It’s useful if I don’t want to get up and go get the disc or most valuable if I ever decide to travel or something I can pull it up any time I want.

I have become a big fan of the Roku streaming player. I just wish that they had an official YouTube channel but there are alternatives available to access YouTube. In regard to Netflix, the Roku Netflix channel is a lot similar to PS3’s the lone exception is it does not currently have the Netflix autoplay feature. I hope that with Roku getting ready to update it’s interface in the next few weeks and with new additions that Netflix will add the autoplay feature. Auto play is one thing I love about Hulu. On a rainy day (Assuming you don’t lose internet access ) you can pick whatever series you wish press play and sit there for hours without having to manually switch to the next episode. I know some people don’t like Autoplay but I think it should be made available as an option.

DJ2536 : Netflix is definitely a valuable asset. I have had it for almost two years now. I love it. I pretty much have the best of both words, streaming services and a satellite dish but if I can’t find something to watch on my dish I will definitely be able to find something on the streaming services.

supercool22 : I’m not really a fan of anime per say but I do enjoy it on occasion. I believe Dragon ball Z is on Netflix. I’m not sure but I think I have come across it a couple of times when I scroll passed Netflix’ anime section. Of all the streaming services Netflix has the best overall selections although VuDu and Hulu are slowly catching up.

BluemageKyle : Don’t feel bad I am old and I say things now of days that I thought I would never say when I was younger. I have both satellite and streaming services. I have about four or five different streaming services that I am subscribed to including Netflix. I also have subscriptions with Amazon, Hulu, and VuDu. It really is the best of both worlds.

Got to go see Die Hard 5 two weeks ago. It was as good as I expected it to be but it was kind of short in comparison to the other films. I think the reason why it was shorter than the previous installments of the series was because it seemed as though they (the filmmakers/screenwriters) were laying the ground work for the next installment of the series. It was the first time I had been to a cinema in a couple of years to see a movie. I have gotten into the streaming services, primarily Netflix, VuDu, Amazon, and Hulu so I primarily do my movie watching these days via those platforms; although I still record movies off of movie channels onto DVDS.

While I was at the cinema I signed up for the Cinema’s movie club. Hopefully I will be able to go to the cinema a little more than has been the case in recent years. From the previews I saw before the film started there were a couple of movies that looked like they might be worth going back to see. The sixth installment in the Fast & Furious series was the most obvious in my view. I am a fan of that series as well but I have gotten into a habit of waiting for the films to come out on DVD and digital so I can buy them on both platforms. I have particularly become a fan of the digital bundles that some streaming services offer. Specifically since by buying the bundle it gives you access to those films for life. Perfect for rainy days when you may not have the luxury of cable or satellite or, if you’re traveling.

I am also interested to see the remake/adaptation of The Jackie Robinson Story. I liked The Jackie Robinson Story and am not a fan per say of remakes but I think this one might be interesting. It didn’t seem clear to me that it was a direct remake so it might just be a deeper look into the circumstances that Robinson had to deal with.

All and all it seems like this year might have more than a handful of good movies where as the last two years seemed like years of remakes. As a writer I like to see originality more than something that’s been remade and, remade with different variations over and over. Just one man’s opinion.

Bintsy : Well I guess mine is a little of both worlds. My parents were together until I was twelve then they separated on and off for about five or six years after that before getting back together for good. During their split I stayed with my dad. The problem was I was put in the middle of the issue between them. As a result my world was flipped upside down and things went downhill for me when I was a teenager.

I went from being a perfect attendance student to a dropout pretty much after reaching high school. Many friendships I had from being real young became strained and in some cases broke off. I really slid downhill. I use to be outgoing and social but I eventually learned to be very reclusive and to not let people in too quickly. I do still have some friendships that lasted through all of that but those are what I consider to be true friends, while others basically proved to be acquaintances.

Even though my parents got back together it took a few years after that for me to get my wake-up call and to start trying to straighten my life out. I hold no anger toward my parents for anything that I went through. Some who have been in similar circumstances may feel justified in holding anger against their parents but I take full responsibility for what I went through and my shortcomings. I just wish I were more able to deal with things at the time. If I were I probably wouldn’t have slid as badly as I did but that’s something I blame myself for not them.

Although life is by no means perfect or content, it is better than where I was as a teenager/early adult. I still have some stuff that I want to correct from that period of my life. Hopefully I’ll get there and in the process be able to mend some fences with some friendships that I feel responsible for falling out.

The best advice I can give in regard to something like this is to not hold anger toward your parents if a breakup happens. Parents should also try to avoid having their children become part of the issue in the event of a breakup. It was an experience that I wish I didn’t have to go through but by the same token I feel now that had I not gone through that, I probably wouldn’t be the person I am today. I almost certainly wouldn’t be a writer. In all honesty I don’t know where I would be. There is still a part of me that wishes I could have a do over with that part of my life so I could avoid the mistakes I made. Even though I would really like that, I know it’s not realistic. The best thing I can do is to try as best as I can to correct the things that I can and be a better person.

EvilAlu : Well I have kind of been in this situation on both ends actually. Several years ago a close friend of mine that I had grown up with was having problems with her boyfriend. He was the type that treated her badly and was the overly jealous type. He had a problem with me because in many ways my friend and I were able to confide in each other about almost anything and everything and we had leaned on each other during some pretty difficult times.

Every time he would give her a hard time about her relationship with me, she would either call or get a hold of me online and vent her frustration. It pretty much got to the point where this guy tried to provoke me to have a confrontation with him. I refused. For one I am disabled (She was to) and although I got into my share of trouble when I was in school and wasn’t afraid to fight; I decided to be the adult in the room. I wrote the guy an e-mail and tried to more or less to wise him up and say that I wasn’t the problem and that he needed to take a step back and really look at what he was doing. He had stepped out on her a couple of times, denied it and even after admitting it continued to treat her bad. So I was pretty much trying to defend her because at that point she had reached her wits end with him. For someone who was trying to provoke someone, he didn’t reply to the e-mail but in all honestly I wasn’t expecting him to.

I didn’t really get involved in her issue with him beyond telling her that she deserved better and that the guy was insecure etc. The ironic thing is that during all of this nonsense she and I became closer and she eventually left him and we tried having a relationship. I made sure it was over between them before I thought of the idea because she approached me about it, not the other way around.

After we both said okay things were okay for a while but the problem was I never saw her. As a writer I pretty much work a very demanding self-imposed schedule when things are normal but despite my attempts to adjust things so I could spend more time with her, I never really saw her. Despite talking on the phone regularly and online she for one reason or another avoided me. I think in three or four years we may have got together twice in all that time. Eventually she started getting short with me and eventually just cut contact with me all together.

More or less it destroyed our friendship by trying to take it further. I don’t hold any ill will toward her and I hope she’s doing well but there were a few things in reflection that I should have saw as potential red flags.

For one she didn’t want to let anyone know that we were dating if you could call it that. It was one of those things where she’d go I’m with you but I don’t want to tell anyone yet. This included her family who had known me since we were kids. There were times like I said where I would be busy writing (Pretty much covers stuff every week of the year with the exception of the week of Christmas) where I would say to her let’s go do something and I’ll work later, just to get out and do something. More often than not she would say she was busy or was with a friend of her’s. When we’d talk most of the time she would respond to what I was saying, no matter what it was by going ok and then would go well, I got to go bye.

I pretty much know that it was a mistake but I won’t lie when I say it feels like I was BS’d. I don’t hold any resentment toward her at all but I wish she were honest with me. The whole thing I consider to be a near-miss, meaning that it looked like it could have been a real relationship that could have meant something but never really went anywhere. I don’t really consider it to be a relationship because I hardly saw her and there was no real communication beyond phone calls and online. Despite living maybe a half hour from each other that is what I dealt with.

I had been single for years before that and still am. Basically my last real relationship was when I was still in high school. That relationship was something that I consider to be one of the big mistakes I’ve made in life. My ex cheated on me constantly, was in with the wrong people but instead of getting away from it and cutting my losses like someone level-headed would, I did everything I possibly could to try and keep the relationship. Despite being lied to, BS’d, and cheated on I didn’t want to throw in the towel when I should have. The last straw was she lied to me about things that were very serious and life altering. I wish I had listened to those who were telling me get out of it when all this was going on because it would have saved me a lot of headaches and grief.

Basically the lesson I took from both experiences was not to go into something naïve and try to hold yourself and the person your with to a standard of honesty and to avoid nonsense. In retrospect even though it may not be fun to be single sometimes it’s better then being played like a violin or led like a puppet on a string. It also isn’t worth risking friendships even when the other half of that friendship is the one who suggests that the relationship go romantic.

It kind of sounds like your dealing with a bit of a double standard. It is important to not let anger get the better of you though. I would just ask for honesty and see where it goes. If she isn’t being up front with you and it seems like she’s going behind your back then the best thing you can do is make sure that is what is going on and cut your losses.

As far as the other guy I wouldn’t really worry too much about him. If things are as she said then it’s good that he at minimum told her how he felt but it isn’t worth wasting your time and energy trying to figure out who, and why. It can be frustrating because you want to have trust and be trusted in return but at the same time by questioning it, it may open up other things. If I were in your shoes I would just ask that she be honest and see how it goes from there.

Best of luck to you.