mostly rock, but just about any kind is ok, two main factors, driving rythym or cleverly stated message, aside from that genre doesn't really matter. Use to listen to Soulja boy, but a recent article opened my eyes to his lyrical content. I realized 2 things very quickly, first, Man I am getting old, second, I can't support that. While his message is cleverly stated, My outdated slang dictionary had me in the dark about the truth of his message for some time. His Music can be terrificly Upbeat in tempo, but he destroys that with the truth of his message. I simply had no idea.
I like Gospel Music as well, any kind, country, blue grass, rock, It doesn't matter so much about Genre' as it does content. And so will listen to some content by a musician and not others. A good example is "What it's like" by Everlast, I can see past the language to the greater message of combating intolerance. But still we should be careful to monitor those things we do and do not tolerate just the same, but I like the song, and the message.
Movies
For many years and just about a month ago, I posted the following reply : "Defintitely Sci fi above all else. Add Kung fu and just enough skin to be interesting, but not so much as to make you uncomfortable on a first date. Horror flicks that make you jump in your seat rather than cringe with nausea. Hope, always a cinch. Hate the feel bad flicks with the really messed up endings.
Recent favorites include 3:10 to Yuma, Aliens vs Predator. Avatar, The Book of Eli, Wolverine, Taken"
But once again, I have been praying for revival, and thus for prudence sake, must clean up my act, not for sake that I particualarly think any of the content above is right or wrong, but because this land is filled with violence, the one and only reason dogmatically stated for bringing judgement upon the world. As such, people tend to emulate that which they see, and deem as cool, and while watching Bugs bunny as a kid in the 70's may not have driven me to drop a safe on the head of my neighbor as a practical joke, Somebody did have a point...Columbine, Virginia Tech...so many tradgedies, so often repeated. We need to return to a place where we are shocked into horror in the presence of violence, for our own preservation.
All of a sudden, Freddy Krueger cracking jokes over his victims corpses, just isn't quite so funny anymore?
Television
Criminal Minds, The Mentalist, Burn Notice, Psyche, CSI: Las Vegas, and they need to make a show with real people called "I HATE REALITY ON TV!!" or "IF I wanted to Watch Reality, I'd turn the TOOB OFF!"
I like all the CSI shows, but I think they got enough now, if they keep going, they will be able to have thier own Network!
Books
FINALLY finished General Tao Hanzhang's commentary on Sun Tzu's Art of War, I Still need to start on General Carl Von Clausewitz's book "On War." I Which reminds me, the Chinese have a term for a book not read..."Paper Weight."
Favorites include:
"A Book of Five Rings" Written by Miyamoto Musashi a Samurai Warrior several hundred years ago. A classic on Strategy.
"Texas Vigilante" by Bill Crider(not this one),"Fit for Life," and "Fit for Life 2:Living Health" by Harvey and Marylin Diamond, "Wing Chun Warrior:True LIfe Fighting Episodes of Duncan Leung," The Bible by God and his crew, and anything by Dean Koontz, Waco: A Survivors Story by David Thibodeau, Purchased "Memories of The Branch Davidians: The Autobiography of David Koresh's Mother" by Bonnie Haldeman, and had her sign it at last years memorial, got it for a couple reasons, primarily it is to be a gift for my mother with hopes she would finally see past the media hype and not view David Koresh as some monster, but rather some mother's son. Let's see, anything else recently? Well Can't think of anything, but in closing, a comment on books in general...I am sure you may have heard "Readers are Leaders" and the like, but when I went to Bible College years ago, along the same lines, they taught us that "In 5 years from now, you will be exactly the same person you are now, the only difference between the person you are now, and the person you will be then, will be the people you meet, and the books you have read." Very profound when you think about it..."oh be carefull little minds what you read, Clap, Clap." Aside from books I do a massive amount of investigative reading online, and likewise generate about 200 pages of text a month. Another thing they taught us in the same class...a class called "Leadership" was that "In order to be quoted, one must quote." Basically, you should something worthy of quoting, and if you are shallow, lacking substance and depth, well they may talk about you, but they won't repeat your ideas. If you want to give just one thing to this world, I would say to you, Give em hell, Give em all you got,Give em hope but above all else... always give em the truth. People simply cannot make intelligent decisions without the truth.
Heroes
Dead. I was once told it prudent to choose my Heroes from the Dead, as the living could still fail and dissapoint, so all my heroes, well they are Dead. I guess to name them would be Dr. John R. Rice, Dr. Jack Hyles, Lester Roloff, Of Course John Wayne, David Koresh, Winston Churchill, Victor Houteff, without a doubt Bruce Lee, Yip Man, Shirly Temple (Just yankin yer chain...seeing if you were still paying attention...LOL!!!), I guess that does it...well, till someone else dies! I know...ba-a-a-d! Couldn't resist, sorry.
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Steve Praying for a friend having a really hard time of things right now...open the eyes of your heart sweetie, there are angels beside you and they fight for you... Posted 15 hours ago view more
Graduated college with honors recently, lots of other cool stuff, follow the link to my sit and check out the Media page for link to news article.
--Steve
Ok, I decided to update this a little, added this slide show, for an old guy...not bad. Pics of the Dogs, Train Wreck and Roxxanne in Color, an old one of Train Wreck and Sissy(R.I. P.) in Black and White, Shaggy my Iguana, several of me with recent pics of foot before Amputation, then there is one of the before and after pics in a compilation with regards to my weight loss...if you look carefully at the pics on the side of that one, you'll see two of my friends in my old pants at same time...each with both of their legs in a single pant leg all the way to the waist!! There is a Mural of a fight I witnessed in '94 between a Raven and a Rattlesnake on my Tank as well, while I was waiting for decals to come in to restore it to factory black. You can see same pics and captions in my pictures.
The Name "Steven" has it's origin in the Greek Language. It actually means..."Crowned in Victory." Or "Crowned the Victor." This vid is updated progress of my recent struggles. Hence the title of the video.
OVer the course of 6 years between Jan 2001 and Jan 2007, I lost approx 225-250 lbs all natural, just diet and exercise. The recent struggle with the loss of my leg on Dec 31, 2008 has been compounded by 50-60 lbs of wieght gain that came with the 4 months of Hospitalization which was the bulk of 6 months of being bed ridden. THAT weight gain alone has been tough to deal with at levels of the psyche. Through alot of effort, I lost 34 lbs this summer, and 2 pant sizes. I stepped on the scales the other day, smiling as I fit into a pair of jeans I haven't been able to wear since before I was hospitalized in October of 2008. I am now, again within 10 or 12 pounds of what I actually weighed on the day of the bike accident on Oct 9, 2008. Still a bit to go yet though. This home vid contains some recent video footage clips I found which show me over the course of 6 years. Footage I thought lost for a time. And along with photos, documents in video fashion well to show the transformation on a year by year basis.
For those never having heard the "OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY" regarding the event known as "WACO" A Branch Davidian Survivor Mr. Livingstone Fagan recently asked me to make a website for him. It was my honor to do so. He has written a Manuscript offering insight into that event. The manuscript currently in the hands of publishers is showcased on that website, offering more that 60% of it's contents for consideration by the general public with a perspective from one on the other side of those walls we saw so many bullets enter into at Mt. Carmel on February 28th 1993. Mr. Fagan also lost His Mother, His wife, and His daughter to those flames on April 19th, 1993. You can see that website and it's contents Here:
There have been other websites by 3rd parties for various other Branch Davidian Surviors, and sites sympathetic to thier plight. This is the FIRST, and at this time ONLY Website currently endorsed by one of those Surviving Branch Davidians who were actual students of David Koresh.
Thank you for your consideration, -Steven Benjamin
Wow---considering where all my four legged friends are now (in front of the heater, snoozing), maybe it's not such a bad alternative! ha! Hope all are well out your way!
