What do you see?

Note from Ray: This is a legacy post from my personal archives (pre-2024). For my latest Movie Reviews and Highlight Reels, click here.

What do you think this picture is ?

For some strange reason, some people are unable to make out the image they are looking at. For me it's obvious. But I'm curious to see if you'll able to notice what it is. So I'll give you a minute to analyze the picture.


Okay, back?

Well if you don't know already, the picture is of Brayden.....

inside of Erin's belly. It's a sonagram image of him from about a month ago.

I was inspired by the movie 40 Year old virgin, you see there's a scene where everyone is watching a video of one of the workers unborn child, and all the other characters don't see the baby. They say things like, it's a weather chart or something silly like that.

We've only showed it to a few people, I believe my mom and Rosalyne can see the baby. But our friend Jago, and Erin's dad can't see the little guy.

If you don't see him he's laying horizontal, with his body facing towards us, and his body is towards the right of the picture. The top of his head is towards the left of the picture. You can even see some of his fingers curled under his chin.

He's basically just chillin'.

What's cool.... is that if you look even closer...... he's wearing an Angels Jersey.

We're going to get one of those 4d sonagrams in a couple of weeks, apparently it's almost as good as drilling a hole in the belly, and taking a picture through that hole. I'll post the best picture when we finally get it.

It'll be interesting to compare the two.

Time for TELEVISION

I used to hate Television Shows. Seriously.....for about a decade. I hated laugh tracks, commercial breaks, and in show product endorsements. I hated the simplicity of story lines, time limit story arcs, and fucking sweeps week guest stars. I hated diseased society explorations, and entertainment fluff pieces on talk shows. I also hated the voice of the dude that said: Stay tuned for previews of next's week episode. Come to think of it....I still hate all that stuff. My point is, for the most part, I avoided television programming. Usually I watched sports or threw a movie onto the t.v. screen. I mean I wasn't a total movie snob, I occasionally watched Seinfeld, Star Trek, Cheers and other iconic shows. But I wouldn't rearrange my schedule for it. I'd have it on while I was eating Del Taco, or when I was waiting for a friend to pick me up. I'd throw the t.v. on so I wouldn't feel lonely at night, or if my mom left the television on in the living room, and I was too friggin lazy to turn it off while I was talking on the phone, you know that sort of thing. Then something remarkable happened. Home Box Office. I don't know if everyone reading this has it, but if you don't you better figure out a way to afford it. Steal some money, donate some sperm or sell you body, cause you're really missing some good shit. Seriously, it's the most remarkable stuff in ALL of entertainment. I don't know if you've noticed from my blog, but a good movie is a rarity nowadays. I don't know if it's just that I'm a cynical bastard, or I'm just getting cranky in my old age, but most movies nowadays are just horrible. Sometimes when I'm watching a movie that's a comedy I WISH there was a laugh track, cause I just don't get it. I literally don't know when I'm supposed to find something funny. All this PG-13 Lindsay Lohan, Steve Martin, underage white bread comedy drives me nuts...... And all the dramas that I watch nowadays.....I fucking find hilarious. They crack me up. Seriously, I can't stop laughing at how bad they are. All this life and death stuff.....the mental illness, and heart transplants. Seriously, it's like watching 2 hours of a public service announcement, or a history lesson. I literally have to get up, and walk out of the room cause I feel the movie stealing my brain cells. Of course, it's only funny if I've rented it for free from my job. When I go to a movie theatre, and have to pay for a bad film.........I feel like I've been sexually violated. I walk away from the theatre shaking my head, almost in tears, scolding myself for being so stupid. I shouldn't have put myself in that position..... to watch that piece of crap. For whatever reason, most of the good stuff....... you'll find on the television screen. For me the good television shows are more satisfying than a solid two hour movie. When your watching a good show you get to watch characters grow and develop. It's more of a effective character study and complicated story arc. In other words, more sophisticated entertainment. It sounds odd to admit it, but it's true. Here's a list of 10 shows mostly on H.B.O. that I've discovered recently, and I heartily recommend. 1. DEADWOOD The best show on television. I don't care what anyone says, you won't find more interesting and fascinating characters ANYWHERE. The characters are all fully fleshed out, and complicated. Not to mention the cast. Not since Reservoir Dogs will you find such a talented, and impressive array of character actors in the business. The production design is top notch, not to mention the story lines, writing and directing. 2. Curb your Enthusiasm The funniest show on Television. Welcome to the fictional world of Larry David. You'll witness all the quirks, and inappropriate behavior your gut can handle. Hilarious writing, impressive since the show is 90% improv. 3. DA ALI G Show The best reality show on television. Sasha Baron Cohen and his three alternate personas will have you wetting yourself in laughter. A parody of all talk shows, everyone is in on the joke, except for the unfortunate guests, who often times reveal their ignorance, vanity, and unfortunately racism for all to see. 4. The Office (B.B.C. version) I've never watched a show that made me laugh so hard, and tugged at my heart strings like this program. What's so great about this program was that these characters are in your life already....they just have different names. The U.S. version is pretty good too. But make sure you watch the two seasons, & the Office Special to truly appreciate it's brilliance. 5. ROME The adventures of two grunt soldiers, Titus & Pullo, in the back drop of Julius Caesar's Rome. Sure it's soap opera entertainment, but strong acting, and wonderful production design, not to mention good writing will keep you satisfied for hours. 6. Tilt The main reason to watch this show is Michael Madsen's Matador. But you've got poker, con-games, revenge, pretty girls, and the Vegas back drop to keep you going when he's not around. 7. The Sopranos The ONLY reason why this show is not number one on my list is because it takes so fucking long for them to produce the show. In between seasons you forget how truly GREAT the show is. If you need a synopsis, you're hopeless and should probably just stop reading now. 8. Extras From the creators of The Office. The show is a great parody of the entertainment industry. What's cool is seeing all the star power contributing to the show. You just know that they all LOVED the OFFICE too, and jumped at the chance to work with Gervais. 9.The Contender I hate reality shows. Survivor, and Big Brother are full of people who just need attention, and aren't talented enough to be actors. The Contender was a boxing contest, with struggling boxers. If you don't know it already, boxing is the toughest sport to be a success at. Even the Champions aren't guaranteed success and money, yet they put their life on the line everytime they compete. Just for the chance at glory. You can see the desperation, and hunger in each of the fighters eyes, even when they are competing in silly skills contests. Each episode ended with a challenge, and fight. Almost like Roman gladiators, two men entered, one man left. Hans Zimmer's score is incredible in the show, if you don't get emotional listening to it, go see a doctor....you're probably dead. 10. Dave Chappelle show It was fun while it lasted. A combination of Saturday Night Live and In Living Color....only funnier. I'm not surprised Chappelle decided to stop. There was nowhere else to go but down. At least you have two seasons on dvd to watch. I don't think there's anything groundbreaking or controversial about my list. All the shows recieved critical acclaim. But the fact that I had ten shows to watch was impressive for me, and showed me that there's exciting stuff going on in television, and hopefully a lot more down the line.

What's in a NAME?

Note from Ray: This is a legacy post from my personal archives (pre-2024). For my latest Movie Reviews and Highlight Reels, click here.

I read somewhere that parents spend more time thinking of a name for their child then choosing the kind of Child car Seat, or Crib they want for the baby.

No Shit.

We found out Erin was pregnant in October, and shortly after we found out the little guy has a Penis. I saw the thing myself on the sonogram, at least I hope that's what I saw, I guess it could've been a snail shell with a worm sticking out between his legs, but that's highly unlikely.

So that night we spent about 15 minutes coming up with the name Seth. I've always liked the name Seth, I remember reading in school that Seth was the third son of Adam and Eve. He was the good son, he had nothing to do with that whole murder deal between his brothers.The name is a hebrew name which means appointed one. I assume he was appointed by God to populate the whole friggin world, which means he had to sleep with his sister, right? Anyways, that's a different subject that doesn't need to be explored right now.

So for a month the name was Seth, baby Seth, or Fetus Seth wherever you fall in the whole debate, I don't want to offend anyone. Anyways, shortly after, Erin and I started hearing whispers like:

Don't you want to take more time to figure out the name?

Shouldn't we consult our friends and family?

Don't you want to think about other options just in case?

In case of what? In case he's a hermaphrodite, and he needs a more feminine name to offset his masculinity? Erin suggested we should buy a baby name book.....just in case. I said no. We don't need a book to figure out our growing baby, er, fetus, name. I could use that money to buy a Dvd or a pair of socks or something. Believe me, right now with our financial situation, a pair of socks is a luxury.

Then my friend complained that the name was too plain. Imagine that?

My friend JAGO thought the name Seth was too boring.

He kept saying Seth sounded too much like Sloth...like he was a creature that would move REAAAL Slow. Seth the Sloth, he'd say.

I said if we were going to give him a unique name, we should make his middle name unique. I suggested Qui-Gon, like the character in Star Wars. Seth Qui-Gon Manukay, or Yoda,

What about Seth Yoda Manukay?

Erin looked at me like I was insane.

I don't know why....who the hell wouldn't want to be named after a Jedi Master?

The guys at work said don't pull a Nicholas Cage, who named his Son Kal-El which was Superman's Krypton name. I told Erin, she liked the name Kal-el, said we can call him Kal. Apparently that's an important thing, a nick name to go with the name.

Kal-El Manukay?

That's a lot to live up to. Super-friggin-man.

Anyways, apparently, Erin wanted to give the little thing her family name as his middle name. Which was Danielson.....yes, Erin knows, in High School they always teased her by calling her Daniel-san like in the Karate kid.

Seth Danielson Manukay.

Then something happened. A small strange nebbish man came into my job named Seth. I looked at him, and quietly asked myself

Is that what a Seth looks like?

Are there any athletes named Seth?

Is Seth a nebbish name?

Is that a book worm name?

I don't know any Seths maybe it's not a good idea to name him Seth?

I came home proclaiming his new name was Marlon.

Like the Fish? Erin asked.

I looked at Erin.

No, like Brando.

I realized that this was going to be more complicated than I thought.

The next couple of weeks was a nightmare. Every night we'd go over names. At work I'd looked at the names of the characters, and actors on the Dvds I was surrounded by.

Leonardo, Rocky, Vincent, Josh, Angelo, Christian, Modigiliani, Bogart......Bogart Manukay What about Brando Manukay?

Nothing was off limits. I tried everything. I even tried athletes but everything sounded odd.

Vlad, Shaq, Magic,Troy, Jarrod......Kobe...God no...

Then we finally came up with Quentin......yes I know....Quentin Tarrentino. But we liked the name......we could shorten it and call it Quint.

I told people it was down to two names:

Quentin or Seth ?

I had remembered that there was a Pitcher for the Angels named Seth Etherton, he was athletic and strong looking, so the name wasn't just for small nebbish men. Seth was a good name.

But once we admited we had reservations about the name Seth. Everybody...I mean EVERYBODY started to voice their concerns. Erin's Dad informed us that the main character on the O.C. was named Seth. We've never seen an episode. People admitted that it wasn't there first choice either. They said it was too plain.

Then my friend Ron admited to me that he didn't like the name Seth, he said Seth reminded him of the guy you got to fix your computer, and the guy screws it up, and makes it worse.

He also shared with me that he once knew a guy named Seth, apparently the guy's car broke down on his way to a Van Halen Concert, it was plowed into by a drunk driver killing him as well as his wife and kids.

Nice.

Quentin Danielson Manukay......little Quint.

I looked up the name Quentin, and apparently it means "the fifth" as in the fifth son.

Which means...... jack shit to me.

Everyone also kept thinking that we were huuuuge fans of Quentin Tarrentino.

Wesley, Cameron, Russell, Garrett, Truck, Rock, The Rock.....I know.....

What about David?......That way when I call him, and the dog I can say David!!! Mamet!!! Come here!!!

Erin was not amused.

Rod, Jason, Ryan, Quinlan, I liked the name Gabriel...

But my friend Norman has a new born son named Gabriel.

It was a nightmare....I hated thinking of names. I was ready just to name him Ray Jr.

It was too hard...... basically, we were looking for a unique name, that we could shorten, that had a cool meaning, and if possible.... tied in with the family. In short we needed a miracle.

Last night a miracle happened.......

Brayden

I don't know anyone named Brayden. Anyone. For some reason it sounded so familiar though. The meaning of the name was of celtic origin and meant Brave ....interesting. You can shorten it and call him Brady or Bray...... cool. And if you also notice, my name is within that name:

B-RAY-den.

Brayden Danielson Manukay

But why did it sound familiar? Brayden....Brayden......Brayden?

Then I realized it sounded similar to another name.......Hayden.....as in Hayden Christianson....who played Anakin Skywalker.......the Jedi Knight.

Thank you God.

So for now we're going with Brayden......Brayden Manukay.

I guess.

Lakers Loyalty

I was born a Laker fan.

One of the few memories I have of my father, is the passing of his allegiance of the Lakers Nation. When I first learned to play the game I remember trying to mimic the unique shooting style of Jamal Wilkes. When I learned to play the game better, my best shot was the sky hook that I saw Kareem Abdul Jabbar utilize to perfection every game on my television screen. When I grew older I wore my socks high like Michael Cooper, which look especially lame now when I look at old pictures, cause I wore those tight Ocean Pacific corduroy shorts.

I cried, like a bitch, when Magic Johnson retired due to the H.I.V virus, and I teared up in happiness when he returned to the 90's LakeShow. I still have the ticket stub to that game.....Against Golden State..... At the Forum.

When the Lakers struggled through the 90's I remained loyal.

I thought Sedale Threat played with heart. I liked watching Orlando Woolridge dunk the ball with authority. I was comforted by the solid rebuilding process that Jerry West was putting together. Players like Anthony Peeler and George Lynch showed great promise. Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones were amazing draft picks.

Then came Jerry West's crowning achievement.

The signing of Shaq.

And perhaps Jerry West's biggest mistake....

The trade for Kobe Bryant.

Of course it's hard to criticize three championships. But in retrospect, the fall of Laker Nation is traced back to the trading of Vlade Divac for the High School star from Lower Merion. There's no denying the athletic ability of Kobe Bryant, there are moments of athletic brilliance that defy description.

But the issue with Kobe has never been talent, it's a matter of leadership character.

One has to question the leadership qualities of a person who would demand the dismissal of the greatest single weapon perhaps in all of N.B.A. history. For those that would argue that Kobe didn't ask for Shaq to be traded, well the truth is, he didn't demand that he stay either.

From what it looks like, Kobe wanted to be the undisputed leader of the Lakers. He got his wish.

Ownership obliged by sending away one of the most dominate, personable, popular, not to mention marketable players in N.B.A. history.

Not only sending him away, giving him away. For non all-star caliber players.

But this is old....Bitter....News. The issue at hand is Lakers Loyalty.

The term loyal is defined as firm and not changing in your friendship with or support for a person or an organization, or in your belief in your principles.

In the sports world, there is nothing more taboo than lack of loyalty.

That's why it pains me when I admit that my loyalty in the Lakers has been shook.

The truth is, as much as I try I can't feel enthusiasm for a one man team. Which is exactly what Kobe's Lakers are. Ownership has basically passed the keys of the Porsche, over to the spoiled 15 year old kid, and told him he can do whatever he wants.

And what he wants is to shoot the ball.....A lot. 35 times a game sometimes. What's especially frustrating is that he doesn't see the harm in not getting his teammates involved. He thinks that it's good for the team when he does it.

I used to think that people that talked like me were fair weather fans. Bandwagon fans that complained when the going got tough, and cheered when they suddenly turned good.

But I don't feel like a fair weather fan, because I've been through the bad times. The truth is it's not really that bad.

Trust me, I was a California Angels fan growing up. I don't mind losing.

What I mind is the destruction of the team concept. For me there is no pleasure in watching a player be selfish, no matter how effective he is. It's not exciting, or entertaining. To me, it's sickening. Like watching a guy masturbate. To me it's not sexy. No matter what the guy looks like.

When I watch and try to cheer Kobe's Lakers, I feel like I'm supporting selfish behavior. That really pisses me off. Cause I'm a Los Angeles Lakers fan, I like to wear my Lakers gear, and not feel embarrassed by what it represents.

That's why I believe that by criticizing the Lakers, at this point in time, I'm actually being more loyal than most so called fans.

REAL fans shouldn't support a one man team. The Showtime Lakers were not a one man Show. Neither were Jerry West's Lakers. The Lakers to me, always represented the epitome of team work.

Shaq and Kobe realized in order to win a Championship they needed to trust Horry, Fisher, and Fox. We all saw that. I just don't get why now after all the Championships Kobe doesn't realize it. He actually believes that his selfish actions are best for the team.

Why should loyal fans support that behavior?

I hate sounding like a Kobe basher. Cause I'm not, I just don't think his selfish mentality is best for the team. I keep waiting for him to mature, but it's not happening. It'll probably never happen.

Certainly Kobe Bryant doesn't deserve all the blame. Mitch Kupchak and Jerry Buss deserve it too. They've made horrible, idiotic moves.

But if fans keep coming to games, and buying the merchandise, they can argue that they are only giving the fans what they want.

So until the Lakers make a move to change the make up of this one man team. The only way for fans to show true loyalty ...Is not to support the team.

Unfortunately, as the saying goes, it hurts me more than it's going to hurt you Jerry Buss.

But in the long run......it'll be for the best.