Rami Ungar The Writer

Review: Seth MacFarlene on Saturday Night Live

Posted: September 16, 2012 in Review
Tags: entertainment, review, Saturday Night Live

Now, you all know I’m a huge horror fan. But I do like a little comedy every now and then, and I have been known to do a little reviewing on SNL every now and then. So, since there’s been some changes in cast and it’s an election year in the United States, I decided to do a review of the season premiere of Saturday Night Live!

First, let’s start with the host and the musical guest. Seth MacFarlane was awesome, doing numerous voice impressions throughout the show and at one point playing a stuttering Army sergeant (was not sure if I should laugh, or object over the fact that I’ve been to speech therapy before). I was not impressed by Frank Ocean as musical guest though, remarking that he reminded me of Usher trying to be Ne-Yo. But hey, I don’t really know his music, so whatever.

The actors were pretty decent this episode: Jay Pharaoh took over the role of playing Obama with a stellar performance, which I approve of, seeing as he was underutilized last season. Taran Killam also did well as Paul Ryan, and Nasim Pedrad was able to match an impression for every one of MacFarlane’s. I did not see enough of the new cast members (Cecily Strong, Aidy Bryant, and Tim Robinson, for those of you who don’t know) to really form an opinion, but I think they’ll make the transition to SNL okay, if they jsut keep their heads about them.

The skits were also decent: during the cold open, Pharaoh and Jason Sudeikis (whom, I’m convinced, did not tell people whether or not he was rejoining the cast until the final week before the new season just to get interest for the new season) were playing off each other to get plenty of laughs from the audience. Weekend Update was phenomenal as usual, though I don’t think “Innocence of Muslims” is something you can make a joke about. And in one skit, YouTube sensation Psy (I didn’t know who he was until this episode either, but down below is the video that made him famous) made an appearance, which was hilarious.

I did think that the Amish website skit was too short for my tastes, and the commercial breaks were too long. Also, I thought the new opening credits for the show was interesting, if a little heavy on tranistion use. Other than that, very few objections, bringing my rating of the episode a 4.2 out of 5. Let’s hope they can keep up the yucks for the next episode, with musical guest Mumford and Sons and guest host Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

And if you’re curious who Psy is and why he was featured in an SNL sketch, here’s his video. Trust me, it’s great; he’s dance like me, except possibly worse!

“The Innocence of Muslims” Makes Me Sick

Posted: September 13, 2012 in Living and Life, Politics and Leadership
Tags: human rights, politics and leadership

Everyone who reads my blog knows I believe that Muslims and the terrorists who claim to be Muslims are two totally separate things, that you can’t be a Muslim or a believer in Allah and kill for the sake of Allah. Which is why I was sickened when a man named Nakoula Basseley Nakoula (or Sam Becile; this guy’s got so many identities it’s hard to keep up) made a movie called “The Innocence of Muslims”, which portrays Mohammed as nutcase from illegitimate parentage who created a cult that likes to kill people, especially Christians, and dehumanize women. and then released a 14-minute trailer on YouTube! I watched five minutes of that video, and I felt nauseated.

The video has caused a wide reaction, the east of which has been rioting up and down the Middle East, where portrayal of Muhammed (not to mention portrayal of Muhammed in such a gross fashion) is generally considered an insult. People at American embassies have died because the riots have gotten out of hand, and some have made use of the video to try and make political gains in elections.

What do I think? I think the man who made this movie and reportedly decieved the actors into thinking they were making an entirely different movie, is a monster. He’s abused free speech, caused a huge amount of anguish and rage, and God bless the lawyer who can find a way to get this man in prison for what he’s done. This isn’t art or free expression he’s made; it’s just hate-speech, similar to the movie Der Juden as made by the Nazis.

Now, I know I don’t usually take such upfront, angry stances on issues; I try to couch my messages in terms that won’t be considered incendiary. But this time, I take exception. Whoever made this film, whoever you really are, I hope they can find a way to put you in jail for what you’ve caused. It’s senseless, gruesome, and it’s totally inaccurate.

And to all Muslims out there, I hope you don’t let this blatant insult to your religion bother you. This one man, a man who stomps on America’s values and acts decidely un-American, is a monster, and he will answer for what he’s done, either in the courts or by some Divine Intervention. When that happens, I hope we can all move on.

Share your thoughts with me on this. I’m curious to know if you feel how I feel.

Translating “Snake” Into Russian

Posted: September 13, 2012 in Novel, Progress Report, Writing
Tags: novel, Snake, writing

Chinese symbol for “snake” surrounded by a snake. Pretty cool, huh?

Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve written about the Snake. Like, several weeks, at least.

Oh, for thsoe of you who don’t know, I’m working on two novels. One, a science fiction novel titled Reborn City, I’m trying to market to publishers write now. The other, a serial killer thriller called Snake, is in the middle of its first draft. Currently I’m working on chapter thirty-three of Snake, which isn’t very far in considering thrillers are notorious for having many chapters with less than ten pages per chapter.

One of the things I’m doing for Snake is that I’m also working on some Russian transliteration, as my main character speaks Russian throughout the novel. I’m working with one of my university’s Russian professors on this (and if he’s reading this, thank you so very much for your help), and he’s been a big help. It’s not always easy, though: according to my professor, getting phrases and words I’d normally use in English translated and then transliterated into Russian can be difficult, as I not only have to get across the meaning, but the intention as well. It’s like getting down on one knee and saying “I love you, will you marry me?” to a foreign girl in her native language, but you actually end up saying “love marry you” or “marriage me you” instead. The effect’s just lost.

Still, I think a pretty good job’s been done, and every bit of Russian up to chapter thirty-two has been transliterated. Hopefully when I see my professor again, I’ll have some easier phrases to translate. We’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we? I know where I want to go with this story, but how I’m getting there and what happens in the meantime is still up in the air in some ways.

All for now. Talk to you later.

Aspects of Plot Can Make A Difference

Posted: September 11, 2012 in ideas, Reflections, short story, Writing
Tags: editing, ideas, short story, writing

I have an assignment for my creative-writing class: to write a short story and then turn it in at the end of the semester. For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been writing about an orphan girl who finds out she’s not who she thought she was (and for those of you who think it’s a short story I started writing in May that I thought of during meditation, this is a different story, the one I thought of while out at a club one night). For a while now, it’s been slow-going, mostly because it’s less horror/sci-fi/fantasy and more along the lines of literary writing, which I’m not too fond of.

However, today I had an idea of where the plot would go, and what the actions taken by this girl and the places she would go could symbolically mean. Like that, I felt my writer’s block dissolve, the story forming for me in my head. So throughout the day, I’ve been working on this story, passing the minimum number of words required and getting well beyond.

Other stories I am working on that have been plot problems, I’ve been thinking of ways to improve them, and today I thought of ways to fix those too. One story, one involving a psychic girl who’s life is very unlike Carrie’s, I got an idea from an acquaintance on how to make the plot better, involving the girl leaving her home for the first time in her entire life. It should be an interesting story.

And another story, involving a school shooting, I’ve been working with on and off throughout the years. However, the story never gets any better. Today, I saw how it could be fixed. It’ll be a radical change for the story, but it might just work for the better.

Even after publishing a few short stories, I’m still learning about the importance of plot, among other things. Hopefully someday, I’ll be able to teach others the things I have learned. But for now, I’ve got a girl in a short story who is not psychic in the least who needs to realize her life needs a radical change. Talk to you later.

Marking 9/11 Eleven Years Later

Posted: September 11, 2012 in Reflections, Social Activism
Tags: activism

The 9/11 memorial, a tribute to all that was lost…and all that we can build from the ashes.

Many people say they remember where they were when 9/11 happened. I wish I did; I was in the third grade, had a short attention span, and didn’t think of much beyond my own life. Now I see so much more now than when I was eight years old. I see the tragedy of that day, I see the lives lost, and I see that a lot of what this country goes through each day can be traced back to nineteen men who carried out a terrible plan concieved and approved by a man whom the world is better off without.

I like to think some progress has been made since that horrific day. Islamaphobia has been combatted with information of the peaceful nature of actual Islam and with dialogue between Muslims and other groups; our law enforcement and defense agencies are better at dealing with terrorism of all kinds and on all levels; a memorial to those lost has been built, and much of Ground Zero is coming back as well; and with the threat of terrorism recognized, more and more cell leaders are being brought to justice with the passing of time.

However, there’s still much to be done: Islamaphobia, although diminished, still rears its ugly head in this country, and usually finds a medium such as the internet or the news to do it; conspiracy theorists cause endless heartbreak to families and friends of victims by saying that the government, not terrorists, were responsible for 9/11; there has been bickering of a political nature on everything between a new mosque and the 9/11 museum, and sometimes this bickering divides so much it seriously hurts Americans; there are still terrorists out there who hate America and kill for the sake of killing; and there are still those who will find no solace since they lost their loved ones.

Friends, blog readers, countrymen, I ask you to mark this day. Remember it, what has been, what hasn’t been done yet, and what we can do to make sure it gets done. Remember, every single person on this planet has the power to change the world, so take advantage of that ability, and try to remember this day when you go out to change the world.

Have a nice day.

“Aasif” In My Class?

Posted: September 11, 2012 in Living and Life, short story
Tags: college life, Kony 2012, Ohio State University, online magazine, short story

Today in my history class we had a guest speaker, whose focus was African history, particularly in her native country of Liberia. While discussing the civil war in Liberia, she also broached the topic of child soldiers and Kony 2012 and how they related to her research. After class, I went up to her and told her that I’d recently published a short story titled Aasif (here’s the link for those new followers who haven’t read it yet: http://mobiusmagazine.com/) and that I thought it was interesting that she’d mentioned child soldiers and Kony 2012, which were the inspirations for Aasif. Not only did our guest speaker ask for the web address, she also gave it to my teacher, who also happens to be her advisor in the graduate school.

As we were all leaving the classroom, both my teacher and the guest speaker said they’d take a look at it…and possibly discuss it in class. Discuss my short story in class? Now that’s some exposure! And in history class too! What’s next?

Has anything like this ever happened to you?

The Results of My Shameless Plugging

Posted: September 10, 2012 in Living and Life
Tags: college life

Okay, remember how yesterday I got to plug my work, including this blog and my short story Aasif, thanks to being picked to participate in a skit by my school’s improv group? The plugging payed off; my stats counter registered a huge rise in visits to my blog, ending up at 113 visits by midnight. In addition, most of these visits were to the home page, and some of the search terms used to find my blog included “rami ungar” and “rami ungar soldier”, the latter most revealing as Aasif is about a child soldier. Doesn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to guess what happened, right?

So thanks to all those who visited my blog because of the 8th Floor Improv show. I had no idea that you would all actually come, and guessed that only perhaps a dozen of the 150-person audience would actually log on. Boy, was my guess off. So please enjoy the blog, and come back again if you like what you read. Have a nice day.

An Evening On The 8th Floor

Posted: September 9, 2012 in Living and Life
Tags: college life, comedy, entertainment, Ohio State University, scary stuff, short story, The Hunger Games

8th Floor Improv, to be exact. You see, this evening I went with some members of my dorm to see the campus improv-comedy group, 8th Floor Improv. I’d never seen an improv show before, so I was expecting the show would be awesome or a total fail. Luckily, it was awesome.

Of course, that’s not what I’m here to write about. I’m writing about something the members of 8th Floor did that was very special to me. You see, at some point during the show, the cast asked for a volunteer. Guess who got picked? ME. They sat me down for a candid interview al a Jon Stewart at the Daily Show to talk about who I was, my political impressions, and I got to plug my blog and short story Aasif (which may explain the sudden rise on my stats counter). I also got to show a little of my creepy side, perhaps a little more than I intended, but still enough to show that I’m serious about being the next big wave in horror, and I got to talk about Hunger Games, the book of which I’m reading for the first time, and how I would use economic warfare to bring the Hunger Games to a grinding halt.

It was pretty fun, and afterwards the actors used the discussion to “portray my dreams and nightmares”, which was pretty funny; the actress playing me nearly got me confused with Mitt Romney, couldn’t pronounce my legal name, tried to kill someone criticizing her by writing that person into a short story, and nearly got sued by actors playing Stephanie Meyers and Suzanne Collins.

To 8th Floor Improv, thanks for making me laugh till I nearly puked. In return, I’ll put the link to your website here for anyone who’s interested (http://8thfloorimprov.com/). And if anyone from the group wandered onto this blog, here’s the link to that child-soldier short story you sounded so interested in (http://mobiusmagazine.com/). It’s the fifth one on the list right under “Fiction”. Enjoy.

Oh, and to those who follow this blog and write also, I got a question or two for you: have you ever been interviewed? And if so, do you have any tips? Because like I said, I got to show my creepy side, but I worry sometimes that when I show it, I show too much of it.

Watching the President Gives Me Hope

Posted: September 7, 2012 in Living and Life, Politics and Leadership, Social Activism
Tags: activism, college life, government, human rights, politics and leadership, proper decisions

A wonderful image that speaks for itself.

This evening I went to a watch party close to campus to see President Obama accept his party’s nominations. We heard Eva Longoria, Jill and Joe Biden, Charlie Crest, John Kerry and several other people speak, telling us about what the President Obama’s done for the nation, too many to list here. And finally, when the man of the hour appeared, all I could do was feel like I was about to burst from a single emotion.

That emotion, my friends, was hope.

Yes, I feel hopeful. Amid the screaming, the clapping, the chanting of “USA!” and “Four more years!” and “Yes, We Can!” and others, I was hopeful. Obama spent nearly fifty minutes speaking about his beliefs and his plans in the future, and all of us, those of us listening at the convention, those watching at home, and me, one of nearly a hundred people crowded into a gourmet restaurant, were one in our hopes for this single man.

I support the President on many issues: as a student who needs financial aid and works in the financial aid office part-time at his university, I feel secure in my education knowing that the President is doing his utmost to protect mine and others’ educations and access to higher learning; as a supporter of Israel and of peace, I think the President’s approach to the Middle East, while at times at odds with Israel’s plans, is a vision that includes all parties working together and compromising, not one side getting everything while others are left in the cold; as a human being and as someone with LGBT friends and family, I’m happy my President supports my friends and families and doesn’t think they’re causing a degeneration in American values; as a young man coming from a family that’s at least 78% female, I’m glad my President doesn’t want to mess with my family’s right to make choices about their health; as a student on his parent’s medical insurance, I’m happy my President is defending my basic right to healthcare, not making it more expensive; as a grandson, I’m happy my President is looking out for people like my grandparents, who can afford medical services with his help; and most of all, as a future member of the work force, I’m excited that the President is protecting working and middle-class families and helping them keep their taxes low and their jobs secure.

Now, I know some more conservative bloggers will disagree with me on several points. But I’m hopeful. I’m confident. I’m optimistic. And I’m looking forward to casting my vote in my first presidential election. Because Obama’s been there for me, so I’m going to be there for him.

Something I Learned Today I Wish To Share With You

Posted: September 5, 2012 in Living and Life, Reflections, short story
Tags: college life, online magazine, short story, writing

Now, you’re probably thinking, “Rami’s a college student at Ohio State. What’s so important that he wants to share it with us?” If you’re not thinking that, then I’m sorry for trying to read your mind and failing miserably at it.

But back on subject: I was talking with a friend of mine and I told him my short story, Aasif (which, if you have not read, can be found at this web address: http://mobiusmagazine.com/ ) was published over the weekend. Since my friend was right by a computer, I told him the web address and gave him the name of the story.

Now my friend, who is Muslim, saw the title and said, “Did you know that ‘Aasif’ means ‘sorry’ or ‘apologies’ in Arabic?”

No, I did not. Most likely, I got the name from Aasif Mandvi, the Indian-American correspondent from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, not caring what the name meant. But strangely that name, “Aasif”, makes sense for the character, given what happens to Aasif (and if you still haven’t read the story even though I posted the link above, read it now because there’s a spoiler alert after I close these parentheses): Aasif has to kill a child. Not only that, it’s a child he knows, and the possibility of facing the child’s parents after what he’s done grieves him horribly. He’s also worried because right afterward he killed the warlord Marda’ar, and he wonders if that will have reprecussions on him and his soul.

Now, I won’t get into whether or not Aasif’s problems have solutions; I will say though that I think that everyone has done something horrible, something we wish we could take back, and like Aasif, there’s no way we can. In a way, we can emphasize with Aasif because we’ve all been in his situation before.

Any thoughts on this? Oh, and if you’ve read the story, thanks for your patronage!