Category: Blogging

After 11 years in the business, I’ve finally gotten the promotion I’ve been looking for. I am now Associate Editor – Gunaxin Gadgets.
Okay, I’ll quit being sarcastic, but I’m happy that I’ll be focusing on specific content for the site and trying to build up that section.
The sections within the subsection are computers, electronics, vehicles, games and toys (and ‘other’). To be different than other sites, I’m not trying to put up generic gadget reviews, or articles about something that PC World is covering. In traditional Gunaxin fashion, I plan to get the most offbeat, absurd, or ultra-focused content on those very items that others are covering.
My first article for that section as Associate Editor is one I would’ve written regardless of my promotion – the Coolest Lord of the Rings Balrog Stuff (which falls under the ‘toys’ section). There are plenty of sites that have information on each item but I couldn’t find any that compiled and ranked them all. I’m hoping, over time, it will gain some search engine rank and be a landing page for dorks who want to buy Balrog items, anything from the $2000 monument to the cheap miniatures. I even formed a partnership with Sideshow Collectibles, a company that creates relatively expensive limited edition statues, to promote their items.
Got ideas for the Gadgets Section? Let me know.

I put it to a vote. What is the most annoying song ever? My vote went to Who Let the Dogs Out? and so far, after nearly 4,500 votes, it’s in the lead. My Humps – Black Eyed Peas is in an understandable second place, but one I just don’t get is in third.
Nickelback’s Photograph is getting tons of hate. I understand the catchy-popness to it – many of Nickelback’s songs are like that. But worse than Barbie Girl? Worse than Mmm Bop?
As an author, all I can do is shrug and say that’s what the public hates. I only included to song because it got so much hate, while leaving off songs that I personally despise. Dave Matthews was on Saturday Night Live a few weeks ago and after a couple of minutes of listening to it, I had to change the channel. His voice is super annoying, the instruments are all over the place, and I’m utterly baffled as to how people like that music.
But what I’ve found is, like commercial jingles, there are some bands that people either LOVE or HATE, and there’s little gray area. So if I’m on one side of a band like that, that’s better than being the only one to hate a very good band.

• Who Let The Dogs Out – Baha Men (16%, 713 Votes)
• My Humps – Black Eyed Peas (13%, 594 Votes)
• Photograph – Nickelback (13%, 582 Votes)
• Achy Breaky Heart – Billy Ray Cyrus (10%, 422 Votes)
• Barbie Girl – Aqua (7%, 327 Votes)
• Macarena – Los Del Rio (7%, 293 Votes)
• My Heart Will Go On – Celine Dion (6%, 287 Votes)
• Cotton-Eyed Joe – Rednex (5%, 238 Votes)
• Mmm Bop – Hanson (4%, 196 Votes)
• Mambo No. 5 – Lou Bega (3%, 147 Votes)
• Because I Got High – Afroman (3%, 116 Votes)
• Surfin Bird – The Trashmen (2%, 108 Votes)
• Tubthumping – Chumbawamba (2%, 73 Votes)
• Don’t Worry, Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin (2%, 70 Votes)
• I’m Too Sexy – Right Said Fred (2%, 67 Votes)
• Mickey – Toni Basil (1%, 50 Votes)
• It’s A Sunshine Day – The Brady Bunch (1%, 45 Votes)
• The Lion Sleeps Tonight – The Tokens (1%, 39 Votes)
• Mr. Roboto – Styx (1%, 33 Votes)
• Tom’s Diner – Suzanne Vega (1%, 27 Votes)

How ironic. An article about slackers is, relatively speaking, late to pop on the front page on Digg.com. My Gunaxin article/poll, Ten of Film’s Greatest Slacker Duos, was published Monday, submitted to Digg.com, and got steady traffic throughout the day. Then, at 3 a.m., nearly 14 hours after it was submitted, it goes on the front page for more people to see it. But who’s awake at 3 a.m. looking at Digg.com?
Slackers, of course. (And English-speaking people in other time zones that have a more logical hour to use the computer.)
So, after the wave of 3 a.m. votes were tallied, the results are in.

• Jay & Silent Bob (46%, 293 Votes)
• Shaun & Ed (11%, 69 Votes)
• Cheech & Chong (10%, 63 Votes)
• Beavis & Butthead (7%, 43 Votes)
• Bill & Ted (6%, 37 Votes)
• Harold & Kumar (6%, 35 Votes)
• Lloyd & Harry (5%, 34 Votes)
• Wayne & Garth (5%, 30 Votes)
• Dale & Saul (4%, 27 Votes)
• Romy & Michelle (0%, 2 Votes)

Back in April, the Gunaxin crew was invited to New York to host a prescreening party for the film Midgets vs. Mascots at the Tribeca Film Festival. I went with Phil and Fred and had a great time. I met actors Terra Jole, Joe Gnoffo, Nic Novicki, Bob Bledsoe, Akie Kotabe and director Ron Carlson. I really wanted to meet Gary Coleman but he had an awful scowl on his face as he entered the restaurant, and put his head on the table. I spoke briefly with his wife but it didn’t seem like I would get an interview. I also met CNN contributor Shannon Cook, who was a guest of Gunaxin.
The movie was hilarious. Though I had spoken with the director before the film, I had plenty of questions after as well and was given the chance to ask them. There was, indeed, some ‘unscripted’ moments in the film, particularly when they were in the restaurant and guests weren’t in on the joke.
I was absolutely stunned that this movie didn’t make it to theaters (yet). It’s now on DVD and I’m hoping for a huge cult following to the point that it goes into theaters. This movie was just way too funny. And when it does, then I get to brag that I know the people involved!

There are men in this world who go about demanding to be killed. They argue in gambling games; they jump out of their cars in a rage if someone so much as scratches their fender. These people wander through the streets calling out “Kill me, kill me.” Luca Brasi was such a man. And since he wasn’t scared of death, and in fact, looked for it… I made him my weapon. Because I was the only person in the world that he truly hoped would not kill him.”―Vito Corleone

Luca Brasi is one of Don Vito Corleone’s personal enforcers in Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, and played by 6-foot-6, 320-pound Lenny Montana in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 Oscar-winning film. Montana was a professional wrestler, was also an associate of the Colombo Family in the 1960’s, and had served prison time. He died of a heart attack in 1992.

Brasi is portrayed as slow-witted in the film. This is mainly due to the casting of Montana, because he was so nervous that he kept practicing his lines over and over again. Francis Ford Coppola wrote this into the script. Montana was also nervous during the scene where his character thanked the Don; Coppola also wrote this into the script. That’s how movie magic is made.

[speaking to himself, practicing his speech, while Michael and Kay walk by]
Luca Brasi: Don Corleone, I am honored and grateful that you have invited me to your home on the wedding day of your daughter. And may their first child be a masculine child. [then, starting over][delivering his speech to Vito Corleone]
Luca Brasi: Don Corleone, I am honored and grateful that you have invited me to your daughter… ‘s wedding… on the day of your daughter’s wedding. And I hope their first child be a masculine child. I pledge my ever-ending loyalty… [Playing kids run into the room and then are escorted out by Tom]
Luca Brasi: For your daughter’s bridal purse.
Vito Corleone: Thank you, Luca, my most valued friend.
Luca Brasi: Don Corleone, I’m gonna leave you now, because I know you are busy.

There is a bit more Luca dialogue in the film, but just small talk in Italian.

More on Brasi From the Book

• Brasi is the only man Vito Corleone fears and vice versa.
• Brasi could commit a murder all by himself, which made conviction almost impossible. He is also known for killing six men who attempted to kill Don Corleone.
• Years earlier, Brasi had impregnated an Irish prostitute and later murdered her. On the day of his daughter’s birth, he forced the midwife to put the child into a furnace.
• Brasi killed two of Al Capone’s henchmen who were hired to kill Don Corleone. Brasi tied and gagged them with towels stuffed in their mouths. He then hacked one of them to pieces with an axe. When he went to finish off the other one, he found that the man had choked to death on the towel. In the movie, Michael was originally supposed to tell this to Kay at the wedding, but the dialogue was changed to tell her instead about Brasi helping Don Corleone force Les Halley to release Johnny Fontaine from his contract.
• Brasi tried to commit suicide while in prison.
• In The Godfather Returns, it’s said that Brasi himself killed Jack Woltz’s prized racehorse Khartoum and delivered its head into his bedroom. In the video game, however, the killers were actually Rocco Lampone and Aldo Trapani.

The Death of Brasi

Brasi is the first to die in the film, and it is quite a memorable scene. Vito Corleone instructs Brasi to ‘feel out’ rival mobster Virgil Sollozzo. But Sollozzo and his henchmen aren’t fooled. He jabs a knife in Brasi’s hand, and does this:

We’ve already seen the film, so let’s watch the animated version from the game:

That’s not the last we hear of Luca Brasi, however. More classic dialogue is to come.

[Tessio brings in Luca Brasi’s bulletproof vest, delivered with a fish inside]
Sonny: What the hell is this?
Clemenza: It’s a Sicilian message. It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.

There are two songs I found on Amazon about Luca Brasi, one called “Luca Brasi” by Urban Verbs, and the other called Like Luca Brasi by Tea Cozies.

A Luca Brasi shirt is available at SlingShotShirts.com. I can’t imagine anyone who wants this shirt will buy anything other than double extra large, which costs an extra dollar.