The Many Faces of Manny Faces

Things are better.

:-)

Oh, plus, very nice email from a fella my man Marvin in S. Africa, in regards to my Bartender remix:

“Yo son. Im from South Africa and loving this one. I was speechless when I heard it for the first time but now I have it set as my ringtone, alarm tone, message tone.. Its banging up in our clubs. Holla …”

I continue to be amazed at how people from all over the world find me, to give me props for what I’ve done. I can only imagine how it must be to actually be SOMEBODY, and be known all over the world. Even this little bit of appreciation from someone in S. Africa is mind-boggling if you really think of it. And I do appreciate it.

Tonight is not so good a night. It’s tough when you are a busy dad, working man, and musician, because it keeps me from having many friends. I’m not particularly close to family, and those I have chosen as my brethren, are simply not around. So with whom do I discuss my problems, besides my wonderful girlfriend. But with whom do I discuss my problems, when we are the problem, and we are not speaking?

Ok, post title is a personal joke of sorts. But anyway, Neal noticed I hadn’t blogged lately, and blamed P90X. Well, partly true. P90X killed me after 2 days. I actually injured myself slightly (arm.. sore.. ow.) but will get back into it soon (just more slowwwwly). I’m still hotter than Neal so it doesn’t matter much.

Sorta-funny thing of the day. On the back of a pickup truck this morning:

“It’s Hard To Be Humble When Your The Best”

(take a moment to ponder the irony of that)

I wonder if people who are good at physics are better drivers.

Kanye West, Good Life, kinda good song.

Today wear black to support the Jena 6.

Wow! My e-buddy Ian (Different Kitchen) had this up today:

Ok, not in a bad way. In an OH MY GOD THIS HURTS BUT IS WORTH IT way.

P90X is a workout ’system’ that I saw on an infomercial. Having long wanted to get back into shape (other than a circle), I thought I’d give it a try.

I’m not in BAD shape. Just haven’t been active except sexually and occasionally playing with my dog (not at the same time of course! Ew.)

So yesterday was Day 1. I won’t go into the detail of the workout other than to say 6 days a week, an hour at a time, each day is different.

Day 1 was Chest and Back, which is mainly pushups and pullups and some various other exercizes. My arms today hurt so much I couldn’t steer.

Which means, as they say, it must be working. Day 2 awaits me. I just might stick with this, and I don’t stick with anything. I think it’s because it hurts and I am a glutton for punishment. But in the end, the result will (hopefully) be worth it.

Ok. So a small town fire dept in Massachusetts needed a new fire truck…

…so they ask the govt for a lil help…

(small town)

…so the dept of homeland security gives them $665,000!!…

(small town)

HOW SMALL IS IT?

(3,500 people)

…only big ‘target’ for terrorism in town is a 1450-pound concrete sculpture of cheese…

(yes, cheese)

…and the best part?

None of the $665,000 can be spent on a fire truck.

Genius.

So ok, I’m pluggin’ along… Day jobbin’ it, working on a biiig possible project.. Oh, and I got a puppy. This added to the 3 cats, 1 parrot, 2 kids and 2 adults already in the house. Call me crazy.

The astronaut story kills me. Some people are saying space virus. I say, there are people on Earth who are even crazier than her, so forget that theory.

Interesting, a glass/steel walkway for tourists to faint on at the Grand Canyon opens in March.

In other Manny Faces news… My MJB remix used on DJ Medley’s extremely cool-sounding mixtape.

It’s cold in NY.

P.S Someone comment dammit, just so I can continue to live the belief that someone actually reads this stuff from time to time.

I can’t figure out how to do with my life, what I’d like to do with my life.. So that will be a priority this year. Don’t get me wrong, in so many ways I am content and happy (home life, love life(!), family, etc.) and I’m not starving and things could be so much worse, but I am an achiever and a dreamer and I am blessed (and cursed) with having an overly imaginative mind when it comes to music, business and an abundance of skills I am lucky to possess… This year, I just need to figure out how to get them to all coincide and co-exist for maximum Manny benefit. Care to watch?

I’ve halted my Topical Paradise podcast (some time ago actually)… Quietly working on potential alternative outlet(s) for this idea… God-willing, it will return in some form, at some point.

Latest remix is still Lupe Fiasco’s Daydreamin’… To be honest, there hasn’t been much that I either a) feel like remixing or b) can obtain an acapella in a timely fashion for… But I’m sure I’ll drop something soon…

Have a new mixtape about to drop. This one will be more along the lines of my Affairs to Remember one, as opposed to my Manny Faces Remixes Vol. 1, in that it is not a remix/production affair, just good music to listen to… I’ll reveal it within a week or so, just have to finish it up..

An incredibly touching story that rivals, if not surpasses, the Pursuit of Happyness in terms of a heart-wrenching, father-son, real-life tearjerker..

Another amazing story of heroism, as a man saves a teenager from an oncoming subway train. Between these two stories, who can say there are no good people out there??

Ok, I really should blog more. Not sure why exactly, not sure that anyone will stumble across this area of my e-persona.. However, for those that do, I will at least try to put up some interesting things that I stumble across during my online adventures.

First of all, interesting thing I’ve been doing lately… I’ve realized that my children haven’t seen many of the movies that, for whatever reason or another, are ‘classics’ to me… Now, I think that a lot of you out there who have kids, or still ARE kids, or have younger bros & siseses, should make it a point to go back a few years (not even taking Gone With The Wind or To Kill A Mockingbird back), and think about movies that may or may not have come on cable, but that today’s younger generation might have skipped over.. and hip them to some pretty decent movie joints.. So, for each blog post, I’ll have a ‘flashback-movie-of-the-post’.. just to give some ideas… (and for the record, yes, I let my younger ones watch some movies that are PG-13 or even, God forbid, R.. I don’t need CPS knocking on my door, rest assured that since I know these movies already, I do excuse them from parts I deem too much for their surprisingly-mature-already minds…)

Flashback movie of the post: The Fugitive (1993) - Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones
Whoo hoo, this flick was a classic who-dunnit in my mind. I’ve seen it a bunch of times, always knowing who-dunnit, but still entertained each time. Based on a true story, this caught my son’s eyes as we were visiting my girlfriend’s mother’s house, and the movie was being shown, albeit, in Spanish. Now my son doesn’t know Spanish per se, but he was glued to the TV (how do you say idiot-box en espanol?) and at that point I thought, he’d really dig this movie if watching it start to finish.. So, I rented it, we watched it, and he dug it. Mission accomplished!

Also, my most-interesting-according-to-Manny news item of the day. Today’s entry. When asked “What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done?” and the stupidest thing you’re ever done is shot someone in the head, but no one knows it, it’s best not to answer “Shot someone in the head.” …

And a nice dumb-piece-of-video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmroaYVD_so

That’s it for now.

Well, this cat Fiasco droppin’ some hot joints.. I do like the original Daydreamin’ (feat. the queen of neo-soul, Jill Scott), but I wanted to put my own spin on it, so here it is… Enjoy, feedback is most certainly welcome…

Oh also, those looking for my Podcast, Manny Faces presents… Topical Paradise - R&B… well I knocked out the first three weeks, and got great feedback on them.. Definitely going to continue, but have to take a couple weeks hiatus to work on some personal-life stuff. Hope y’all understand… Meanwhile, catch the first three episodes… 45 minutes each of R&B and classic soul that STAYS FOCUSED!!!

Again, I’m new and not 100% consistent with the blogging thing, but this cat is, and he has stimulating, intellectual reading covering news, politics and music.. Plus he showed love, so I felt it only right to reciprocate… differentkitchen.blogspot.com

Episode 2: Let’s Do It Again, the second of Manny Faces presents… Topical Paradise, my weekly R&B podcasts is now available for download and listening pleasure… Load this into your iTunes or Podcatching software so you can get it downloaded every week automatically!! You’ll love it. I know you will… I hope… please?

Here’s an interesting story to read while you listen to it… Landlord Finds Tenant Dead, Mummified …

That’s all I got. I’m still not all into this blog thing, I have a lot going on, so it’s hard to come here and do this…

[UPDATE TO BELOW ---> Lisa is back hom, thank you for all your help!!]

Oh, please take a look at www.mannyfaces.com/missing/ … this is a member of my extended family who has unfortunately been missing from her home in Bellmore, NY since 9/15 … every extra set of eyes helps.. Thanks for the support…

Lisa McLean is 32 years old, 5-foot-2 and was last seen leaving her home in Bellmore, NY on Friday morning, Sept. 15. At the time of her disappearance, Lisa was wearing a black top, blue jeans, white sneakers and a white cap. She may be driving a 1989 grey Plymouth sedan, license plate DLM 2470. If you have seen Lisa, please contact Det. Pita of the Nassau County Police Department at 516-573-5336 or her family at 516-510-3260.