How I Got a Charizard

I haven't really had much to write on here of recent. I wouldn't call it writer's block, as I write daily, but just nothing blog-worthy and been too busy with the other writing. I contemplated sharing one of the many blog-like rambles I have saved on my mac from the days when I never had a mac but my self-imposed rule on those is to not edit anything out and the majority of them are too personal/revealing. I don't like writing/sharing about myself.

 However, this morning, I found myself writing a little piece from memory that I had no intended to post on the blog but here we find ourselves, an anecdote from my primary school days and how I obtained a shiny Charizard pokémon card... 

Kanye-sized Egos in the Social Media Age

I've never really had a problem with Kanye's ego. In my opinion, he has more than justified his high opinion of himself through his music. 

I know some will consider that debatable and that's fine, I think you're wrong, though. Saying that, I have liked how, over the last week, so many people who I know dislike/hate the great man have appreciated his interview with Zane Lowe (please do make the time to watch it if you haven't already. Love or hate him, it's a very insightful interview once you get past the perceived madness, most prevalent in the first part). 

I would like to see more of that: people being objective and showing appreciation for greatness, regardless of their opinion of a person. There's nothing wrong with praising someone's work or, in this case, words, even if you dislike them as a person. It's not hypocritical. It's accepting that, like all human beings, we are multi-faceted and, as such, are more likely to contradict ourselves than we are to be consistent in our views. For example, I think Kim Kardashian is sexy as hell, but hate everything that she stands for as a human being.

I read the following tweet earlier this week: 

It got me thinking. 

An Open Letter: Dear Generation Y...

Dear Generation Y,

I am writing this letter to you because I've had enough of all your bitching and whining over issues that it's about time you took some of the responsibility for. The chances you don't get, the opportunities not given to you and all the difficulties and problems that you feel you are so burdened with to the point where things must be so much more difficult for you than it was for anyone else that came before you under this not-so-new sun.

Thoughts of a Frustrated Football Fan

This has been the most frustrating summer for me, in terms of football. I don't know what I want more, for football to be back, or the transfer window to be closed.

Break

Break.
A word constantly on my mind.
Let's take a look into my mind.

Dealing with People

For many years of my life, I've been of the belief that the world would be a perfect better place if everybody operated like me. I'm always on time, I'm efficient, I prioritise important matters but, despite this, still treat all relevant tasks with the required effort for it to be completed efficiently/well. Just a few of my more modest qualities there.

Sadly, I'm some years away yet from taking over the universe and chances are, before I reach that goal, somebody might find my achilles' heel (alcohol?) and use it to destroy me. 

With this in mind, for now, I have no choice but to accept that people being different to me is a fact of life that I must deal with. Bah, humbug.

I'm 22 and Can Finally...

... Do something that I haven't been able to do for 22 years of my live.

I guess this could be considered a virginity of sorts, right? Like when you lose your alcohol virginity, concert virginity, actual virginity... 

Except those ones don't involve learning. The first time you do them, you can do it, right? Fair enough you might not know how to handle your drink the first few times, after 2 or 3 concerts, you realise that getting your footwear right is essential and, as for the latter, practice makes perfect, right? Right.

So, with this achievement, I had tried it many times. But I hadn't mastered it, for I had no master to teach me. To be honest, I wouldn't call myself a master now, but with time, I might just be. And, at the very least, I am now confident in going about it alone.

Confessions of a 21st Century Hypocrite

"Everyone is a hypocrite and the quicker we accept and learn to live with this, the better."

Very poignant. From yours truly. Though I hate those people who start a blog post with a quote from themselves, this is exactly what I've just done and is what this blog post is all about.

Let's Talk Tulisa

If success is measured by money then it would be fair to say that Tulisa Constolavos has been the most successful member of N-Dubz. Money aside, she's also been a judge on The X-Factor (winning it in her debut year), clothing line, perfume, a documentary on BBC3 that raised awareness on mental illness and tugged the nation's heart strings, supposedly a role model for Broken Britain (and many young people) and much more. Hasn't done bad for a girl who reportedly left school with no GCSEs, right?

I would consider myself to be a fan of N-Dubz, call it one of my many guilty pleasures. When the media got on to her about her (dreadful) sex tape, I defended her somewhat. I mean we all do what we do in the bedroom as we please, just that she let them film it. But can we really blame her for, as she said, trusting someone who she was in love with? Surely not, who would think someone who they love would do something like that to them?

Unfortunately, there's a seemingly reoccurring theme here with Tulisa: stupidity.

The Irreplaceable Great

"Would you be angry at me if I told you I cried a bit this morning and it wasn't because you were in hospital?" I asked my friend as she lay in her hospital bed and I sat beside her.

True story.

This was a conversation I had with a friend on Wednesday 8th May. I awoke at 07.28. Two minutes before the alarm I forgot to set. The land awash with the the pouring of the Heavens. I prayed this would not prove to be pathetic fallacy for the same situation that had plagued my mind the night before.

09.20. It was true. Sir Alex Ferguson announces his retirement from his position as manager of Manchester United Football Club.

The Hypothetical Guardiola Conundrum

Last night it was confirmed that Bayern Munich would be playing in the Champions League finals, at the expense of Barcelona, who suffered the greatest aggregate defeat of the club's history. Aww. One can't help but acknowledge the irony of the team that Pep Guardiola will be managing next decapitating the team he left behind, seemingly in ruins.

For the last few weeks I've been reading Pep Guardiola's biography and, after a considerable amount of time of believing that the squad's ability trumped that of Pep's managerial ability, I think I have been converted. This embarrassing defeat for Barcelona with virtually the same squad that Pep left Barcelona with goes some way to proving that.

Seven Things I Learnt in Seville

Last week I spent three and a bit wonderful days in the beautiful Spanish city of Seville. Like all holidays that I go on with the lads, it was of course spent visiting museums, admiring architecture and taking tour buses. I jest. We did do some of those things. Promise.

In brainstorming the seven things that I'd share I learnt, I initially had a list full of alcohol-related learnings. But hey, I'm more cultured than that and I don't just galavant to foreign countries to indulge in mass alcohol consumption(!) 

So, without further adieu, the seven things I learnt in Seville.

Thatcher: The Unaddressed Side of the Coin

This is a topic I've toyed with whether I wanted to write about or not and have hesitated to comment on in the past week, especially in light of seeing how very passionate many people I know are regarding it. Having studied politics for a couple of years and participated in some pretty heated debates from other informed minds, especially during my A-Level years, I've had many-a-opportunity to realise that many of these arguments do not have conclusion. Nonetheless, here I am, writing this blog.

The death of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher divided a nation. One could argue, not equally.

The debate rages on as some celebrate her death and others mourn. Further discourse takes place regarding those who rage and how they were truly affected by Thatcher's apparent tyranny that they were not alive to experience. I am not here to add to this debate nor fight a particular side but to, instead, take a look at another side of the coin.

The (Eventual) Revenge of the Concert-Goer

I am a concert-goer. I love concerts. And, more often than not, the incredible experience outweighs any potential burden of the cost. So when an artist who's music I love announces a concert date, more often than not, I will have every intention to go, regardless of the cost. N.B. That's not to suggest that I have unlimited finances - that's certainly not the case, in fact the only reason I was able to go to Watch The Throne in London & Paris last year was because they were both 21st birthday gifts.

I do however think that the music industry, or should I say the tour promoters, may be losing touch with reality. Recently I went to Kanye West at Hammersmith Apollo and it's dawned on me the last couple of the days that, at £75, it's the most expensive convert I've been to (bar the upcoming Beyoncé gig). I'm not saying Kanye isn't worth that money; he was. I'm not saying 'but I've been to festivals where I've seen artist X, Y & Z for less' because I understand the logistics as to why promoters are able to sell festival tickets at reasonably affordable prices. I'm not even saying that Kanye West and Jay-Z cost less together at better venues! No, my issue is - actually - the tickets that didn't go on sale to fans.

Death & Cemeteries

Before delving into this topic I think it's important to apologise in advance for any misconstrued tones of insensitivity of the subject matter. I admit that, in writing this, I have no intentions of going back to read through looking for things that might appear this way as it's more important for me to convey my point. Therefore, hopefully by doing this, I've made it clear that I do not intend to offend anyone.

Death is something we can't escape in life. They say one of the reasons why it's good for children to have pets is so that, when the inevitable death of the pet occurs, the child learns an invaluable life lesson early on that everything, eventually, comes to an end. No matter how much one loves it.

Sharing My Addiction

I have a problem. An addiction.

Every time I enter my room, it stares into my eyes, to the depths of my soul. The marks it has left in my life stain the wooden panes of my floor. And if it's not my floors, it's in my wardrobes, or under the bed. Anywhere to protect it from judgement of those who enter my room. As well as protect myself from the shame evoked every time I see them. It's relevance is no longer yet I cannot bring myself to let it go, do away with it. The longer you hold on to something, the harder it is to let go. Or so they say.

Moment of Clarity.

In December 2011 my first short film (and, to this date, my only short film) Therapy was shot. A few months later, a private screening was held for it and throughout 2012 the production company continued to enter it into film festivals. Up until the end of 2012, from every festival we entered it into, we received either no responses or generic apology messages about how there had been so many entrants, the standard was high blah blah ... Rejection.

After the screening and throughout 2012, having put my work out there for everyone to see, judge and have expectations of me, people would always ask how writing was going and what was happening with Therapy. The same tiresome answer would be something along the lines of:

'Yeah writing's good, same old, just writing away. Yeah we've entered Therapy into some festivals, so just hoping to hear some good news now.'

Discounted Craft

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to do some writing for a client who, for the purpose of this, we will refer to as Matthew. It wasn't anything special, nor was there much money on the line, but Matthew was desperate for it so I decided to help them out. It was also a job that needed to be done in 24 hours which I normally charge more for but, again, desperation taken into account, I waived the usual last minute fee. This was all despite the fact that throughout January I've had deadlines galore for far more important work.

All things considered, I produced a pretty stellar piece of work and Matthew expressed his appreciation, even more with the fast turnaround. He also asked me to make a few changes a couple days later, which I did without complaint. 

Fast forward to some time last week Thursday. Take into account I had not (and still have not) been paid for this piece work, having made an allowance for the time frame I usually expect payment within, I am phoned by Matthew regarding another piece of work he needs doing. He sends me a lengthy email and, at a skim, I deuce that I can't commit the time required of the work he wants me to do, especially as, again, he wants the turnaround to be urgent. In his tone (it was an email) he was rather brazen and hasty. In addition to wanting an urgent turnaround, he requested a discount from the price I charged him for the first piece and this is where my annoyance arose.

Freelancing is not easy. Work is inconsistent and it comes when it comes and, therefore, the charge for services tends to reflect it. Like everybody else, we have expenses to account for.

When I initially did the work for Matthew, as it was I applied a discount by not charging him for a last minute piece of work. Having explained that I would be waiving the last minute fee the first time, why on Earth did he think it would be okay to request a discount on the original price I charged him, i.e. a discount on a discounted price? Ever since I began to freelance, with my pricing, I have always been somewhat flexible. Ultimately, I try to find a price that will work for both myself and the client (so don't be scared off by this post if you want to work with me!) but in this case, I'm sure I'm well within my rights to be irate.

People are so quick to try and short change the freelancer, even more so those in an artistic craft. I can only dream of rationale being applied: the services you come to us for would cost you far more if you were to go to a professional establishment/organisation so why try and short change us even more?

My wish is that people just wouldn't expect a discount on the craft. I read something last year which has made it's rounds through social media regarding the reason freelancers/artists/creatives charge so much for their services is not because it is arduous or time-consuming to apply. No, it is because of all the time, hours and hard work that we put into being able to provide a service that will be worth the money we expect of you. 

And you know what else? All the sacrifices. Not working a normal job. Not having a fixed salary entering our bank accounts on a monthly basis. And, in my case, having to balance this around what I consider the real work, yet doesn't pay until contracts are signed: the scripts. This all with not forgetting the high expectations of us, to work unsociable hours, to work at short notice and, in all of this, to produce the same high results because we (or, at least, me) pride ourselves in our work and we want you to be a happy customer so you will come back again as well as, if we be so fortunate, you tell others of our good work. 

One thing, however, that I will not facilitate in order to make way for your happiness is a discounted craft. I do not do half-jobs, I give you 100%. In return, all we request is 100% of the fee. And if you be so lucky to get a discount, something that tends to happen as a result of a good and continuous working relationship, be grateful, rather than expectant and demanding of it.

Follow @abeislegend


Currently listening to: Wretch 32 - The Darkest Light feat. Beverley Knight

Just Art

Disclaimer: for the record, it's never 'just art', if we want to be pedantic about the choice of words. But hopefully by the end of this you'll understand why, on the whole, it is. 

A film came out in the UK this week. And it came out in the USA in 2012. It is Oscar nominated and has been controversial to say the least. The film in question is Quentin Tarantino's latest, 'Django Unchained' (see trailer here).

I love films. I love TV. I love music. And, generally speaking, I love art. Art is subjective. For us to interpret how we wish and to enjoy how we wish.

Cinema Etiquette: 7 annoying things that happen in the cinema

Before I start, I would like to remind/reiterate the header on my blog:

Abe must write because, by doing so, he is able to play god and all the morons receive just retribution.
And because everybody lives up to his (high) expectations and if they do not, they dieeeeeeee.
Conclusively, this will make for a better world.

With that in mind, I think it should be pretty clear to all that I believe that an ideal world would be one that allowed me to in a position of tyranny. We'd all live happily. Promise. 
Sadly, the world isn't quite ready for that yet. Alas, I must continue to fight my case. 

I visit the cinema on a weekly basis, quite often twice and sometimes even more if there are enough good films out and/or I have a backlog of films to get through. I prefer to go during the day time on a non-busy day in hope that the cinema will be quiet/empty. However, every now and then, it just so happens that life decides that I must visit on a Monday evening - the day when my local cinema does £3 tickets - to see the film that everybody wants to see that week (this week's was Gangster Squad - see the trailer here - pretty good film, don't believe the reviews panning it).

I Can't Fear

I can't fear loneliness

To do so would be mad

If I can't be at comfort with myself alone

Then how can I expect this of someone else?

Positive Start

On the final day of 2012, I posed a question on facebook and twitter: 

What was your proudest achievement/biggest moment of 2012?

In hindsight, I think it would have been better wording had I gone for 'proudest moment' and 'biggest achievement' instead. Moving on, the responses were beautiful and wonderfully positive and I'm always happy to hear of good things happening in people's lives. 

At the end of the year, there tends to be an air of cynicism as people begin to look forward to the year to come. This cynicism tends to be aimed towards, but not limited to, two types of people:

1) 'this is my year' people

2) 'new year, new start' people