The Golden Birthday

I turned 23 on the 23rd.  That's a golden birthday.  I cared about that briefly when I was, like, 5. Well, now I care again.  Sure, it's not one of the big birthdays.  I'm didn't turn 21 or 25, and I didn't throw myself a big fiesta for this birthday.  (To be fair I never do.)  But it is fun to think about me reaching 23 years.  I feel a little relieved if anything.  I'm sitting here at this computer lab just thinking on my journey to this birthday.  Wow, it's been quite a ride.  Really, it has.  This last year was pretty interesting.  I got to work for the Special Olympics World Games and see the Golden State Warriors fulfill my dream and win a championship.  They made another Jurassic Park movie and a new Star Wars movie.  So yeah, I liked year 22.

To be honest I' just grateful I made it this far.  Now, I know I sound dramatic and shit, but I'm serious.  There is an alternate universe where I don't get to see the Dubs' championship parade, Jurassic World and everything else good in life.  The car accident happened 20 years ago and that could have gone many different ways.  I mean, I fell out of the bed of a pick-up truck on the freeway.  I was 3.  You run that scenario back 10 times and I'm not sure I come out of that the same way.  I have no brain damage (that I'm aware of) and I am still breathing.  I don't remember the car accident at all.  I remember the truck I was in and that's it.  Everything I know about the accident was told to me by my mother and my grandma.  All I know is that I was in the bed of the pick-up truck because I wanted to be with my uncle and that a chopper picked me up and took my to the hospital.  My souvenir of the whole ordeal is a few scars on my head from hitting the pavement.

The big scar sits on the left side of my face next to my eye.  It's maybe two inches long, though I think it's gotten smaller over the years.  (That, or my head got bigger.)  I remember growing up everyone and their momma used to come up to me to ask me about the scar.  Everyone in my second grade class eventually asked me the story of the scar.  It made me hate the scar.  I hated being bothered about it, and I hated telling the same damn story over and over again.  I hated that when I used to get haircuts my mom used to ask the barber to leave one side a little longer to cover up some of the scars.  Now, nobody really asks me about the scar.  Either people stopped noticing or they stopped caring.  I'm cool with either.  On occasion somebody will ask me about the scar.  They tend to expect some story about me getting in a knife fight, especially when they hear that I'm from Oakland.  I realize that I can probably lie about the scar and tell some bad ass story about it, but I never do.  Plus, if Michael Jackson's "Beat It" video has taught me anything, it's that all knife fights end in dance numbers.

This being my 23rd year alive I'm coincidentally celebrating my 20th anniversary with my scar.  Did you know that the 20th anniversary is the China anniversary?  Fitting, because I've said for a while I need new dishes at the house.  In the 20 years we've been together I've grown to appreciate my scar.  I'm no longer embarrassed by it.  I look at it like a symbol of my survival.  I'm alive and I'm healthy.  I was given a second chance at life.  I don't know what God has planned for me, but I'm grateful He kept me alive.  I don't take anything for granted, and I try to enjoy life more than stress over it.  And for as long as I'm alive I want to be a positive force in people's lives.  I want to add to their happiness rather than take away from it.  That's been my attitude for year 22 and it will continue to be my attitude for year 23.  I heard your golden year is supposed to be the best year of your life.  It would be hard to top last year, but I'm optimistic.  That being said, I don't want that to be my peak.  Let's keep this run of good fortune going!  Four more years! Four more years!

El Guapo is a talented blogger on the rise, regarded by many as a cross between Homer and Socrates.  Through real life experience and expertise in many facets of life, the Guaps aims to provide readers with unique takes that will enhance the way they think and live.  Keep up with his main blog Infinite Wisdom From El Guapo’s Brain.  NBA fans have to place to go with his basketball blog, Infinite Wisdomon the NBA.  Like him on Facebook, and follow him on Twitter and Instagram.  Leave comments in the section below.  Stay Guapo out there!

Leo's Quest

Award season is in full swing and Leonardo DiCaprio has a movie out.  That can only mean one thing: everyone and their momma is wondering if this is finally the year that Leo reaches the promised land and win himself an Oscar.  And he really has a shot this year.  He stars in The Revenant and is nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in Leading Role.  It's his 4th nomination in that category and 5th nomination overall.  (Leo was nominated for a Supporting Actor role for What's Eating Gilbert Grape.)  I heard a lot of great things about The Revenant so I went to the nearest AMC and peeped game.  Let me tell you, I was blown away.  It was an absolutely breath-taking, gorgeous movie.  I thought Alejandro González Iñárritu did a superb job directing Birdman last year, but he outdid himself this time.  Talk about a cinematic masterpiece.  Just beautifully shot from start to finish.  Plus, as co-president of the Tracking Shot Appreciation Club, (Omar De La Cruz is the other), I found myself drooling over what can only be described as tracking shots galore!  I'm calling it right now.  Your back to back Best Achievement in Directing Winner, Alejandro!  (Did I mention he's Mexican?!?)

Look, I don't want to get into a whole movie review about The Revenant.  I'm here to talk Leo.  If you want to read a great review about this film check out Liz Medrano's page.  Her take on the film is better than anything I could have come up with.  The only thing I can really say is that I personally loved and it earned the coveted Guapo Stamp of Approval.  The Revenant has a good chance of winning an Oscar.  I think Best Director is a lock.  Where does this leave Leo?  Does he deserve to hold that gold statue?  This was a really good performance by Leo.  I mean, this was some gritty shit he was pulling off.  So my next question then is, should we be rooting for DiCaprio to take home the gold?

You're looking at this question like I'm an asshole for bringing this up, but let me just start by saying I am rooting for the guy.  I love Leonardo DiCaprio!  He's the perfect mix of bankable movie star and great actor.  (Yes, there's a difference.  Tom Cruise is a movie star with some acting chops, Sean Penn is a great actor who you wouldn't exactly put on your blockbuster movie poster.)  I do want Leonardo to get his Oscar.  I think he already should have an Oscar.  Nobody could have played Jordan Belfort better than Leo.  I can't think of one actor who would have done a better job in The Wolf of Wall Street.  But McConaughey was riding a hot streak and was amazing in Dallas Buyers Club.  That's nobody's fault.  Leo has been a consistently great actor since the 90's and has an amazing IMDb page mixed with heavy box office hitters like Titanic and Inception and Oscar darlings like The Departed and Titanic.  (Titanic held the box office record for at least a decade and took home 11 Oscars including Best Picture.)  If Leonardo DiCaprio is starring in your film, you're either going to make a lot of money or take home some awards.  Sometimes both.  I want that guy to be rewarded.  But I find myself arguing the other way.  Hold on a sec.  Let me just play Devil's advocate here.  (No Keanu Reeves.)  Wouldn't it be better if the Oscars didn't give Leo the Oscar?  (GASP!)

Okay, somebody just threw a brick through my window.  Windows ain't cheap!  Somebody is going to have to pay for that!  But hear me out.  I have legitimate reasons of why the Academy should withhold giving Leo that golden statuette.  Yes, one of the reasons is because I am an asshole who takes pleasure in the misery of others.  I'm the type of person who would laugh at a fat kid getting stuck in a Chuck E. Cheese playpen.  On Tumblr I follow a page called The Agony of Defeat, which is just a series of photos capturing the the absolute anguish of athletes losing competitions and games.  In the words of Alfred, some men just want to watch the world burn.  But again, I like Leo.  I thought his Golden Globes speech about how the stories of the indigenous peoples needs to be told was a powerful statement that needed to be said.  I'm glad he's the one who said it.  And quite frankly the Academy has done him dirty with snubs.  Enough to post another edition of The Art of Getting Snubbed.  Some of them I get.  He wasn't going to beat Forest Whitaker for his portrayal of Idi Amin.  But how was he not even nominated for The Departed?  But since Leo is no stranger to snubs, why even break the cycle.  We have good thing going!  Leo makes a great movie, we love it, Leo does not get an Oscar, he makes another great movie.  He's like the Wile E. Coyote of actors.

Plus, with every snub he gets it feels like he just wants it more.  The longer the Academy holds out on him the more extreme his roles are going to get.  This last movie he was attacked by a bear, saw his son get murdered, and was left for dead in the cold snow.  Leo will go further than this!  He just needs a little push.  In a few years he might play a blind, gay guy who wants to be a boxer.  In 10 years he might pull a Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder and play a black guy.  Can you see Leo play Walter in a movie remake of A Raisin in the Sun?  Can you see the Academy nominate him and then crush his dream and not give him the gold?  Can you see the Academy nominate him, but not any of the cast played by black actors? (Serious, though.  The Academy does have a race issue.  Even deeper than that, I think Hollywood has a race issue.)  I want to see how deep this rabbit hole goes.  I think we owe it to ourselves to root for an Oscar hungry Leo to keep almost getting there.  Let's face it, Leo not having any Oscars is such a fun talking point.  It makes the Oscars that much more interesting.  Remember how fun it was to talk about LeBron before he had rings?  That's Leo right now. 

Suppose Leo did win an Oscar for the Revenant.  I see only two possible outcomes.  Scenario 1:  Leo wins an Oscar.  He gives a gracious speech about how hard he's worked.  He thanks everyone who was involved with the project.  He gives another speech about the stories of the indigenous.  He continues to make great movies for years to come.  He possibly wins one ore two more Oscars throughout his career.  That sounds good, right?  Well, let's look at scenario 2: Leo wins an Oscar.  He gives a Kanye-esque speech about he's the greatest of all time and the embodiment of art.  Throws a party that goes way over budget.  Begrudgingly agrees to make a Revenant 2.  That movie obviously flops.  It flops harder than Vincent Chase's Medellin.  Already having an Oscar, Leo just gets lazy and stops working for a while until they cut the lights out in his house.  He decides to work for Tidal as Director of Marketing to make some dough while he waits for new projects to find him.  He ultimately decides that Grown Ups 3 is his best option.  Leo plays the new mailman who is trying to steal Sandler's hot wife.  Grown Ups 3 gets nominated for an Academy Award: Achievement in Sound Mixing.  Leo spends the twilight of his career making Lifetime movies.  Is this what we want for Leo?!?  Save Leonardo DiCaprio; don't give him an Oscar.

El Guapo is a talented blogger on the rise, regarded by many as a cross between Homer and Socrates.  Through real life experience and expertise in many facets of life, the Guaps aims to provide readers with unique takes that will enhance the way they think and live.  Keep up with his main blog Infinite Wisdom From El Guapo’s Brain.  NBA fans have to place to go with his basketball blog, Infinite Wisdomon the NBA.  Like him on Facebook, and follow him on Twitter and Instagram.  Leave comments in the section below.  Stay Guapo out there!

Hanging Up the Cleats

With Super Bowl 50 in the books, it's time to stop talking about football.  I honestly don't care for the constant criticism Cam Newton has received.  It's a little harsh.  The Broncos shut down the Panthers on defense and Peyton got his second ring.  (Eli lost some bragging rights.)  The Panthers just couldn't put it together on the big stage.  There's no single person to blame, but the Panthers are a young good team and they could very well come back to the Super Bowl next year.  Personally, I really like Cam.  He's fun for the game.  I like the fact he dances.  If team's don't want him to dance, keep him out of the end zone.  That's what the Broncos did.  Fans who don't like Cam's dancing probably are bad dancers themselves and look silly when trying to dab.  Just know I'm all in on dancing in sports.  Sports on some level are supposed to be fun.  Now that I'm done with that little rant we can really stop talking about football.

HOLD THE PRESSES!!!! Marshawn Lynch is retiring!  And he retired in the most Marshawn Lynch way possible: by tweeting a photo of cleats hanging on a phone line withe the peace sign emoji.  His retirement will most likely go down as one of the three most notable retirements of this football season.  Calvin Johnson is retiring after 9 seasons with the Detroit Lions and everyone and their momma knows that Peyton Manning is most likely walking away while he's atop the mountain.  The careers of Megatron and Peyton are stark contrasts to one another.  Both are among the best in their respective positions.  Calvin Johnson was a dream to have as your WR1 on your fantasy football team.  Peyton was a general at the quarterback position.  But Megatron was stuck on a losing team for most of his career only making the playoffs twice throughout his career.  He really had no future with Detroit, though I think physically he had a lot left in the tank.  Peyton on the other hand had the long, booming career that now includes two Super Bowl rings.  He will retire with the feeling that he's accomplished everything he could accomplish.  It will be sad to see two football greats like Johnson and Manning walk away, but I'm even more down about Marshawn.

Yes, part of the reason I care more about him is because he is from Oakland.  It's no secret that I tend to favor Oakland/Bay Area people over others.  But it's not just that.  Genuinely, I think Marshawn was good for the game.  Players like Marshawn made the NFL just that more interesting.  He was a great fucking running back.  Beast Mode had six seasons with over 1,000 rushing yards.  It's not just that he's fast; he's fucking powerful.  There's a reason why he's Beast Mode.  Watching defenses trying to tackle Marshawn on a carry was like watching house cats trying to take down a tiger.  He made respectable players look like high school kids.  Among active players he's second in rushing touch downs.  The Seahawks were able to build an offense around his running game and become championship contenders for a good three or four year window.  (Having the Legion of Boom didn't hurt.)  Marshawn is walking away from the game with a Super Bowl ring on his resume.  I think he's a Hall of Famer.

I remember Marshawn Lynch when he played for Cal.  My dad went to Cal and he was a pretty big Lynch fan.  After Lynch was drafted by Buffalo I stopped keeping up with him, because who the fuck watches the Bills?  It wasn't until Marshawn was traded to Seattle that my ears perked up again.  It wasn't until his first full season in Seattle that Marshawn blessed us with his most marvelous performance.  The year is 2011.  It's the NFC Wild Card playoff game between the Seahawks and defending champs New Orleans Saints.  To be truthful I didn't see Marshawn's 67 yard TD run live.  I heard it on the car radio and it was pandemonium.  When I finally saw a YouTube clip of the run it was more amazing than it sounded.  In 20 years when my kids ask me about Marshawn I'll just show them that clip and they'll know.  They'll know.  Scratch that, I'll actually show them this clip with Demetry James' commentary.

He got a lot of flak for refusing to talk to the media.  One the one hand I see where the media is coming from.  They have a job to do and they have the right to do that.  But I empathize with Marshawn too.  Look, the media has a way of taking things out of context, blowing things out of proportion and misrepresenting the thoughts and opinions of players and coaches sometimes.  I think a majority of the media members are good professionals who avoid doing that.  But there are some media members out there who do make other media members look bad.  I can't blame Marshawn for not wanted to be a part of that.  If I had the choice between enjoying a nice bag of skittles or possibly having my words misprinted in a newspaper I would probably pick the Skittles.  I know a lot of media people were pissed off during last year's Super Bowl media week when Marshawn showed up and repeatedly said, "I'm only here so I don't get fined."  You know what?  They should be thanking him!  His media session was way more entertaining than most peoples'.  Are you telling me you'd rather listen to 10 minutes of Marshawn rambling about Deflategate?  Or about what Seattle is going to do against the Patriots?  Boring!

I'm going to miss Beast Mode, but I'm happy for the guy.  I can sleep well knowing that he's not going to go broke anytime soon  because he hasn't spent a dime of his football money.  His legacy will continue through his work in the community with his Fam 1st Family Foundation, which mentors youth on the importance of education and self-esteem.  Have a happy retirement Marshawn Lynch!  But feel free to un-retire in a year or two to join the Oakland Raiders.  (Unless that dick head Mark Davis moves team.)

El Guapo is a talented blogger on the rise, regarded by many as a cross between Homer and Socrates.  Through real life experience and expertise in many facets of life, the Guaps aims to provide readers with unique takes that will enhance the way they think and live.  Keep up with his main blog Infinite Wisdom From El Guapo’s Brain.  NBA fans have to place to go with his basketball blog, Infinite Wisdom on the NBA.  Like him on Facebook, and follow him on Twitter and Instagram.  Leave comments in the section below.  Stay Guapo out there!  HOLD MY DIIICK!!!

The Art of Getting Snubbed: Michael B. Jordan

I was almost not going to write about Creed.  I gushed about it enough on my radio show the week after it came out.  I was absolutely enamored with this movie.  It was an extension of a beloved franchise, yet there was a freshness to it.  The script was written in a way that took the elements we loved about the Rocky movies, yet always reminded us this is a Creed film.  The boxing scenes were enthralling and action-packed, and reminded us why there was ever a demand for boxing movies.  The cinematography was some of the best I've seen in a while, giving us one of the most gorgeous fighting movies.  This is all before we get to the outstanding acting, particularly from the film's stars.  I was going to write all of that in my Creed movie review.  I was going to give Creed the coveted Guapo stamp of approval.  But time passed and I hadn't written the review, so I decided to shelve it, and that was that.

Then the Golden Globe nominations came out.  I read through them like I usually do.  There were some nominations I agreed with, some I didn't.  I saw Sly Stallone's name under Best Supporting Actor, which I agreed with because he gave a really performance.  But under Best Actor I failed to see the one name I thought was a shoo-in.  Despite having one of the best performances in film this year, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association had failed to give one of the best young actor's recognition for his brilliant work in Creed.  In other words, the man was snubbed.

Look, I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  Snubs will always happen.  They are a fact of life.  I thought Straight Outta Compton was also snubbed at this year's Golden Globes.  But this Michael B. Jordan snub is just egregious.  I don't want to take anything away from the Best Actor nominees, but I'm looking at this list and I believe the guy has to be in the conversation.  Part of this is also me thinking he never got enough recognition for his work in Fruitvale Station portraying Oscar Grant.  (All my posts in some way will have a connection to Oakland.  Just face it.)  I never knew Oscar Grant and I don't know what he was like.  I can't judge Jordan by how accurate he was to portraying the real man that was killed by a BART officer.  But what I could judge was how he showed us a flawed individual without ever letting us forget he was still a human being.

When I was planning on what to write in my Creed review I was going to talk about how there are great actors, movie stars and movie stars who are great actors.  I was going to talk about how Michael B. Jordan had already proven to me that he could be a great actor.  I was going to make the case that this movie finally put him in the movie star and great actor category,  Michael B. is still really young and his IMDb page is still pretty short, mostly filled with television roles.  His movie career is still relatively short.  And still he hasn't found the right role to jump start his run that all great movie stars have.  Fantastic Four was a bomb.  It was a failure of a movie that is almost unobtainable. Unobtanium, the precious metal they are mining for in Avatar is named after the level of awful Fantastic Four achieved.  It was the kind of movie that can put people out of a job.  Yet this wasn't Michael B.'s fault and I hoped that his next project will give him room to shine and show the world he was a bona-fide star.  I walked out of Creed with many thoughts running through my mind, but the main one being, "Damn, Michael B. can carry a big-time Hollywood film."  Michael B. can absolutely sell movie tickets with his name.  He is a bankable star that can get people to the movie theaters.  That's what I wanted to write.

Now, though I find myself defending the idea I thought was already established in everyone's mind, which is "Hey, Michael B. Jordan was a great actor who was great in Creed."  Let's not even talk about his physical transformation from Average Joe to Globo Gym.  (His transformation was almost as impressive as Chris Pratt's.)  Michael B. had a terrific script to begin with, but he didn't sit on it.  He gave Adonis Johnson the necessary depth to make this movie work.  The writing gave Michael B. the character, but his acting choices brought Adonis to life.  Nothing in his performance felt forced and the chemistry between Adonis and Rocky, and between Adonis and Bianca (played by Tessa Thompson, who I fucking adore) was as organic as the food you buy at Whole Foods.  Michael B. Jordan will be fine.  He will be an A-list movie star and the face of a few franchises.  He will collect accolades and awards throughout his career.  I'm not worried about him.  But for now I just want to let it be known, the man was snubbed.

El Guapo is a talented blogger on the rise, regarded by many as a cross between Bill Simmons and Socrates.  Through real life experience and expertise in many facets of life, the Guaps aims to provide readers with unique takes that will enhance the way they think and live.  Keep up with his main blog Infinite Wisdom From El Guapo’s Brain.  NBA fans have to place to go with his basketball blog, Infinite Wisdom on the NBA.  Like him on Facebook, and follow him on Twitter and Instagram.  Leave comments in the section below.  Stay Guapo out there!

1st Annual TV Seasons Hall of Fame

Can you dig it!!!  Welcome to the 1st Annual Television Seasons Hall of Fame.  Or T-SHOF for short.  I am El Guapo, proprietor of the Infinite Wisdom blogs and co-host this evening.  My co-host is non-other than Omar De La Cruz from Penny For Your Thoughts.  Now, for those who are not familiar, Omar is my best friend and is something of a film and television connoisseur.  He agreed to lend his expertise for this grand event.  No collabo has ever been as anticipated as this since rumors of a J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar joint project started circulating, except that might never happen.  (Just putting that out there.)  This is like when Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro teamed up to make Heat.  We're basically the Splash Brothers of blog writing.  So, that's what you guys get to look forward to.

So what is the T-SHOF?  It is a ceremony of epic proportions that celebrates television in a way nobody has.  Of course, we have the Emmy's to celebrate TV, but this is different.  The Emmy's award TV shows and the people who work on them.  Omar and I are immortalizing them.  See, winning an Emmy is kind of like earning a trip to the Pro Bowl: it's cool.  But being selected to our Hall of Fame?  That's just like... being selected to the Hall of Fame.  So, yeah.  This is better.  Now, we're not here to countdown the greatest TV shows ever.  The internet is saturated with lists like that and they all contain the usual suspects: Sopranos, The Wire, Breaking Bad, etc.  What we want to acknowledge are the greatest TV seasons, from premier to finale, that have ever graced the small screen.  We are rewarding individual seasons for their excellence.  We are looking for television seasons that had a profound and memorable impact on on the small screen.  Shows can have multiple seasons in the Hall, but they can't be inducted in the same year.  (This is to prevent a show from dominating a HOF ceremony.)  In theory, a show with only one really good season, like The Newsroom, can get recognized in the HOF, and a show like Breaking Bad can have multiple seasons get inducted, just not all at once.

Omar and I have worked ferociously putting together a pool of nominees and voting on them.  A lot of TV hours have been logged between us and it shows in our bloodshot eyes.  If you think a show was left off our Hall Of Fame, don't worry: this will be an annual occurrence and TV seasons will get inducted every year.  So sit back, crack open a beer, and enjoy an award ceremony bigger than the Oscars, Golden Globes and Dundies combined.

Drama

Mad Men

Season 4

Omar De La Cruz: 

I'll admit that it took me a few tries, spread across a couple years, to really get into Mad Men.  All the non-stop awards and recommendations from respected friends kept me watching, but it didn't take long for me to get hooked on the fascinating inner workings of Madison Avenue ad agencies and the charismatic persona of Don Draper.  Season 4 is Mad Men at its best. Without giving too much away, we follow Don Draper during the year of 1964/65 and while the world's eyes may have been on the fight between Ali and Liston, mine were firmly glued to the existential storm raging inside Madison Ave's most secretive ad man.  From crippling alcoholism to Disneyland, this season has it all.

Breaking Bad

Season 4

El Guapo:

Breaking Bad is a show that would top any best series list.  Just look at the series' accolades.  This series inexplicably got better and better from season to season.   Picking one season is hard enough, but I had to go with my gut and go with season 4.  The fourth season is the pinnacle of creator Vince Gilligan's masterpiece.  Jesse goes full depressed mode while Walter scrambles for his life knowing Gus's end game.  A season in which Gus and Walt play cat and mouse is a classic whether you're a television connoisseur or just a casual viewer.  From the opening scene of the season premiere to the final credits of the finale, no other show had quite the grip Breaking Bad had on audiences.

Game of Thrones

Season 3

El Guapo:

The best season of GoT is absolutely debatable.  You can make a case for any of the seasons (except season 5) and I would have to sit and strongly consider your case.  What makes a great Game of Thrones season, though?  Is it character development?  Is is memorable scenes?  Is it plot advancement?  Well season 3 has you covered on all fronts, but all I really need to say are two words, and they rhyme with lead bedding.  Yes, the Red Wedding was and still is one of the most talked about moments in television.  This was a standout season for many of our beloved characters.  So much happens this season from King's Landing to across the Narrow Sea.  Plus, Jamie Lannister pulls off the amazing feat of being a despised character to a favorite, all in less than a season.  All it took was losing his hand.

Comedy

Arrested Development

Season 2

El Guapo:

The Bluthe family is undoubtedly the most dysfunctional set of relatives ever assembled on television, and that's what made the show so great.  Perfect in its casting, the show delivered laughter because some of the best comedic actors and actresses were working with genius writing.  Arrested Development season 1 is classic in it's own right, but season 2 is when the series really hit its stride.  George Sr. fakes his death and hides in the Bluthe attic; Gob takes over the family business; Buster attempts to join the army; Tobias blues himself; George Michael begins to date Ann (her?).  Every episode brought an avalanche of hilarious moments, but episodes like !Amigos! and Hand to God were in another level.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Season 4

Omar De La Cruz:

I started watching this show only maybe a year or two ago but once I started I simply could not stop. It is vulgar, disgusting, offensive...and I mean that in a good way. One time I watched three seasons in 3 days because the show was that addictive. Season 4 is in my mind the best serving the gang from Paddy's Pub has offered. In addition to solving the gas crisis, this season also has an entire episode dedicated to solving the mystery of who pooped the bed and most importantly, introduces us to the infamous NIGHTMAN!

The Office

Season 2

El Guapo:

The Office had a run like no other that produced nothing but quality TV until Steve Carrel left the show.  During that time you could guarantee that any given episode would have you quoting lines from the show to your friends and family.  Season 2 was the pinnacle of the whole show.  It's as close as a show can get to perfection.  Kicking off with the season premiere, The Dundies, this season came running out of the gate and never slowed down.  The relationship between Jim and Pam became a focal point of the season, and a classic will they, won't they dynamic ensued.  But it was the antics of Michael Scott that kept people tuning in each episode.  Seriously, you can pick any episode from season 2 to show to an Office virgin and you will get them hooked.

El Guapo is a talented blogger on the rise, regarded by many as a cross between Bill Simmons and Socrates.  Through real life experience and expertise in many facets of life, the Guaps aims to provide readers with unique takes that will enhance the way they think and live.  Keep up with his main blog Infinite Wisdom From El Guapo’s Brain.  NBA fans have to place to go with his basketball blog, Infinite Wisdom on the NBA.  Like him on Facebook, and follow him on Twitter and Instagram.  Leave comments in the section below.  Stay Guapo out there!

From humble beginnings: Myself on the far left; Omar second one on the left

Robert Zemeckis: Director/Writer/Producer/Prophet

" I wish I could go back to the beginning of the season, put some money on the Cubbies!"  And that's just what I did when I recognized what year this was.  Whether I make some money back depends entirely on Robert Zemeckis and how good of a prophet he is.  That last quote was from Part II one of the the greatest franchises in cinema history: Back to the Future.  Back to the Future originally came out in 1985.  I wouldn't be born for 8 more years.  (Don't know how the world managed.)  So I'm not gonna sit here and write about the first time I saw it in theaters because that didn't happen.  The first time I saw it was sometime in the late 90's.  My uncle had the VHS trilogy set.  I borrowed the set and didn't give it back for a while.  I've said before that Jurassic Park is my all time favorite movie, but BTTF is in the Pantheon.  Definitely top 5, but even more likely top 3.  I could write a whole paragraph gushing about the series, so I think I will.

BTTF is most likely one of the most consistently good trilogies ever made, in terms of quality.  (The best in this category are The Lord of the Rings and original Star Wars trilogies.)  Now, yes, the original BTTF is clearly the best, but the second and third are also really good movies that kept the elements that worked in the first movie without tiring out the gimmicks.  When talking about sci-fi movies I usually write how there are good "science fiction movies" that are not necessarily good movies.  Back to the Future does not fall into that category.  Back to the Future is a really good movie that isn't limited by its genre.  It's a good comedy, a good adventure, a good sci-fi; you name it.  The story captivates you as you clutch your seat belt seats in your DeLorean.  It remains one of the most original movie plots ever written, in my opinion.  At their most dramatic moments, these movies have you at the edge of your seat, face gravitating to the screen.  Even with all the time travel, space time continuum talk, it doesn't take away from the adventure for people who don't like science jargon.  (I personally like time travel theory, but that's just me.)  The characters aren't just likable; they are absolutely adored!  This isn't a hyperbole: these characters might be one of the top 5 most lovable characters in the history of film.  I'm talking about everyone from George McFly, to Goldie Wilson, to Jennifer, to even Biff.  Sure, Biff is a bully, but we all still get a kick out of him when he gets common sayings wrong.  Then there is Marty and Doc, a legendary duo that has very few rivals.  Their friendship is sincere, their bond is unbreakable and you have to really be the most evil person in history to root against them.  The actors who play them, Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, were casted perfectly.  No other actors could have played Marty and Doc.  Nobody!  This movie should never, under any circumstance, be remade.  This whole universe was written and directed by the amazing Robert Zemeckis.  (Writing credits go to Bob Gale as well.)

Robert Zemeckis doesn't get talked a lot when discussing great directors, and that's a shame.  Put his resume up against anyone and Robby Z can hold his own.  Besides BTTF, Zemeckis has also directed Who Framed Rodger Rabbit?, Forrest Gump, Cast Away, and a whole bunch of solid films.  The guy knows what he's doing behind the camera.  The Walk recently came out, and although it hasn't has a lot of buzz at the box office, the reviews are solid.  Some have said Oscar-worthy; who knows?  What I do know is that the movies he makes are generally really good movies, and although his directing style isn't as pronounced as, say, Quentin Tarantino, when you see a Robert Zemeckis film, you know it's a Robert Zemeckis film.  So I've established he's a good writer/director/producer.  But can we add /prophet to his title.  See, in Back to the Future Part II Doc takes Marty and Jennifer to the future so that they can get Marty's son out of trouble.  The date they travel to is October 21, 2015.  (Quick tangent: for the last couple of years people on social media have been putting false dates that Marty and Doc traveled to.  It happened at least 4 times.  It got me way more upset then it should have, but whatever.  This is not a false alarm.  This is the date.)  Part II was made in 1989, four years before I was born and 26 years before this year.  Zemeckis and Gale had no idea what the future would look like, so they took a shot in the dark.

A couple of things stood out from their version of 2015.  First, the kids there were their pants inside out.  I'm doing that as we speak so we'll call that a hit.  Power laces?  I know people are making them, but they're not out yet.  No flying cars, though considering how many bad drivers there are, I'm gonna chalk this up as a good thing.  Jaws 19 isn't out yet, but I'll give the movie credit for coming up with face to face video chat.  The big thing that's missing: the hovercraft!  Aside from the power laces, the only thing I really wanted from 2015 was a hovercraft.  Yeah, I don't know how to skateboard, but that shouldn't stop me from achieving my goals.  So far, looks like Robert Zemeckis' batting average isn't very high.  But here's one way he can finally achieve that /prophet title: the Chicago Cubs have to win, nay, sweep the World Series.  It can happen still.

Today the Cubs play Game 4 against the Mets down 3-0 in the NLCS.  A daunting task but if the Cubbies rip off 4 in a row they are in the World Series.  I like the Mets.  Daniel Murphy has been an absolute stud in the playoffs.  Yoenis Cespedes is still my dude.  If they end up winning it all I'll be really happy for them.  (In fact, I have no problem with any of these remaining 4 teams winning the chip.  Yes, even you KC.)  But I gotta pull for the Cubs here, both for Zemeckis' sake and my wallet's sake.  I know the odds don't look favorable and teams rarely don't come back from 3-0.  But I recall one team that did.  They named rhymed with Loston Led Lox and they had not one a World Series in 86 years.  They were down against the Yankees in the ALCS and things looked bleak.  But they beat the curse and ended up winning the World Series.  You know who else hasn't won a World Series in a long ass time?  The Cubbies!  The last time they won the chip was 1908.  I don't think I know anyone who knows anyone who was alive when that happened.  But the thing about fate is that it doesn't make any sense.  If Zemeckis is right then his name will be sung in Chicago.  They might erect a statue or even name a cocktail after him.  If he's wrong, no biggie.  He's still the guy who made the Back to the Future trilogy.

El Guapo is a talented blogger on the rise, regarded by many as a cross between Bill Simmons and Socrates.  Through real life experience and expertise in many facets of life, the Guaps aims to provide readers with unique takes that will enhance the way they think and live.  Keep up with his main blog Infinite Wisdom From El Guapo’s Brain.  NBA fans have to place to go with his basketball blog, Infinite Wisdomon the NBA.  Like him on Facebook, and follow him on Twitter and Instagram.  Leave comments in the section below.  Stay Guapo out there!

Jay Cutler: American Role Model

The following is an exclusive interview I had with Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler.  On Monday night we met in an abandoned parking lot in Inglewood for reasons Cutler would not disclose.  I told him we could have met at my apartment or a local Denny's but he insisted.  We talked about football, important issues, his wife, and his position as a role model.  

El Guapo: Well, Jay.  Let me just start off by saying thank you for meeting with me.  I know you are a busy guy, but it means a lot that you would take the time to talk to me.

Jay Cutler: No problem.  I wasn't doing anything anyway.  The hotel I'm staying at doesn't have a lot of channels, so...

EG: Right, I get that...

JC: Plus, my agent said you've been emailing him every day for the last month...

EG: Well, I'm persistent...

JC: Not sure how you even got his contact number...

EG:... and resourceful...

JC: ... and in the last email you said that for everyday you don't hear back, a Bears fan dies.

EG: Well, my words were twisted there.  See there it sounds like I made a threat, when in reality...

JC: Honestly, I don't give a shit.  Fuck Bears fans.

EG: Snap, crackle, pop!

JC: Yeah, well, they've never really shown me love.  That kind of sucks.

EG: I feel you.  I've always said you're the most under appreciated QB in the league.

JC: Thank you, Del Taco.

EG: It's E... it's El Guapo... but that's fine too.

Jay Cutler shrugs.

EG: I shouldn't really be talking to you.  Especially after yesterday.

JC: What happened yesterday?

EG: You kidding me?  You guys beat my Raiders!

JC: Oh.  That's who we played?  I honestly never know.  I just care who's on my team and who's not on my team.  It simplifies things for me.  Knowing the names of 32 NFL teams is a lot more work than it's worth.

EG: I guess, but the name of the team is on the jersey.  You could just read it.  It's not like you have to memorize it or anything.  I would understand if the jerseys literally just had a number, but it has a name and a logo.  You have to at least recognize the logo, right?

Jay Cutler shrugs again.

EG: You're doing great by the way.  Speaking of yesterday's game, you threw an interception.  It seems to happen a lot with you.  Bears fans certainly don't like it.  I have you on my fantasy team as my QB2, I don't like it.  Yesterday I did like it, but any other day I don't.  How does it feel when you throw an INT or even worse, a pick 6?

JC: It feels a lot like buying 1% milk.  I don't really mind.  The way I cope is I usually just tell myself that I made a completion to Sherman or Revis, or whoever I just threw it to.  Then I go back to the bench, drink some Gatorade, hang out with teammates, until I'm called back to the field.  Then I just see where it goes.  If I throw another interception, I throw another interception.

EG: ... So what I'm internalizing is that you have a positive outlook on life?

JC: Most definitely.  Look, I get paid millions of dollars to play catch.  Sometimes with my team and the other team.  Chicago is kind of a cool city.  I found $20 on the floor on the way over here.  Plus, have you seen what my wife looks like?  Have you seen her?  (Singing) I'm waaaay up, I feel blessed.

EG: Oh, I have definitely seen her.  I am Googling her as we speak...

I'm looking at photos of Kristin Cavallari.

EG: Oh yeah.  She is... Mhmm... I bet you don't fumble those!

JC: Come on.

EG: Sorry, I got a little carried away.

JC: I mean, that's my wife, and I don't even know what that means...

EG: I said I was sorry.

At this point it gets quiet for about three and a half minutes.  Jay Cutler checks his phone a couple of times.

EG: So what you looking at?

JC: Fantasy football.  Checking my standings.

EG: No way!  You do fantasy?  I have you on my team as my QB2.

JC: Yeah, you mentioned that.  Who's your starter?

EG: Drew Brees.  I mean he had a hell of a game yesterday.  I was kind of worried last week because of the injury.  I ended up starting Blake Bortles because you were out too.

JC: Yikes!  You lose?

EG: What you think?  And I didn't start Alfred Blue and he got something like 26 fan points.  I thought this way gonna be my year.  Who you got on your team?

JC: Well, I got myself.

We both chuckle.

EG: So who was your first round pick?

JC: Uh... me.  And then I auto picked the rest of the way.  So I'm not sure who is on my team.

EG: So I'm guessing you're in last place.

JC: First, actually.  4-0.

EG: Wait, how?!  I carefully and meticulously researched my players by reading a magazine and watching Hard Knocks and I'm sitting at 2-2.  You drafted yourself in the first round and auto picked the rest and you're undefeated?  How in the world is that possible?

Jay Cutler lights a cigarette.  He sticks it in the side of his mouth, not really inhaling.  The cigarette is just an extension of his existence.

JC: I guess I'm just naturally talented at life.  I once showed up an hour late to my SAT, got nearly a perfect score.  I've never lost at Bingo.  When I went to Vanderbilt...

EG: Oh, the uh... Commodores? Right?

JC: Who fucking knows?  But when I went there I had a lot of free time on my hands.  I sometimes went to practice.  Girls would come by my place and, you know.  I'd Cut them up.

EG: Clever.

JC: I decided at some point to try out for the university play.  Why not?  Never acted before.  Tried out for Raisin In the Sun.  Got the part of Walt.

EG: But you're not black...

JC: No.  I'm Jay Cutler.

EG: So you played the lead black character in a university play with no acting experience and played football?

Jay nods.

EG: Sounds like college was fun for you.

JC: Big time!  My friends used to say, "J!" My friends called me "J"...

EG: Jay is your name.

JC: No, not Jay. "J".

I stare blankly.

JC: Like, the letter.  That was my nickname.

EG: Sounds the same though.  Why would that be your nickname?  Let's just move on.  Now, Martellus Bennet recently compared you to Jesus Christ.  What are your thoughts on that?  I mean, your initials match.  Coincidence?

Jay laughs.

JC: He also compared me to Keanu Reeves.  Both are high praise.  Did you ever see the Matrix?  So fucking awesome!

EG: Don't get me started on that!  I wrote an entire blog about the movie.  You should read it!

JC: I don't like reading.  It's not fun.  But I do like watching movies and TV.  I started watching Empire and I realized that it's a lot like the NFC North.  See Aaron Rodgers is like Luscious Lyon.  We are all trying to take his spot.  Matthew Stafford is like Andre.  Teddy Bridgewater is like Hakeem.  I'm like Jamal.

EG: Interesting.  I've never though of it that way.  Why is Matthew like Andre?

JC: No talent.  Shots fired!  Actually, I'm changing my pick.  I'm like Cookie.  No, wait.  I'm Jamal.

EG: Final answer.

JC: Jamal.

EG: Why Jamal?

JC: Because Jamal takes over the Empire.  Just like I'll eventually take over the NFC North.

EG: I think I'd be Bunkie.

JC: Why would you be Bunkie?  Doesn't he die in the first episode?

EG: I don't know.  I just wanted to be a part of this metaphor.

Jay Cutler shrugs yet again.

EG: I know you're a busy but just one more topic.  I've told people before that I look up to you as a role model.  I mean, your life is great.  You're basically Tom Brady without the talent or cheating.  Or rings.  You have this nonchalant approach to life that I just find inspiring.  Should people be more like Jay Cutler?

JC: Short answer: yes.  The Cutler way of life is hard to master, but once you do, everything around you takes care of itself.  I could go home and cry in the shower like Andre after I throw an interception.  I could.  But you know what I do instead?  I go home, Cut up my wife...

EG: Brilliant... Again...

JC: and light a cigarette.  Life is so much better when you give zero fucks.  I got mail saying I had jury duty last winter.  Do you think I showed up?

EG: No?

JC: Hell no!  Well, not initially.  It's a long story I won't get into.  But do you know that song "Don't Worry Be Happy"?

I nod.

JC: That's the soundtrack to my life.  I play that before games, after games, on the way to the bank, during the baby-making process.  I even played it after I accidentally ran over my neighbor's cat.

EG: You know, I had a high opinion of you coming into this interview.  I never thought that opinion would change.  But after hearing everything you've said, so apologetically I might add, the only thing left to say is that you're the greatest human being to ever grace the gridiron.

JC: Thank you.  I appreciate that.

EG: We should go eat together sometime.  Maybe bring Kristen too?  Make it a double date?

Jay Cutler shakes his head.

EG: Well, thank you anyway for stopping by.

El Guapo is a talented blogger on the rise, regarded by many as a cross between Bill Simmons and Socrates.  Through real life experience and expertise in many facets of life, the Guaps aims to provide readers with unique takes that will enhance the way they think and live.  Keep up with his main blog Infinite Wisdom From El Guapo’sBrain.  NBA fans have to place to go with his basketball blog, Infinite Wisdomon the NBA.  Like him on Facebook, and follow him on Twitter and Instagram.  Leave comments in the section below.  Stay Guapo out there!