Everyone One Deserves a little MAYHEM!

ok, so recently, you have to have seen these commercials: A guy, dressed in a suit, claims to be something, that distracts you from driving, or causes you to file an insurance claim, and says get allstate. its an insurance commerical, fine. but they have done something that very few commercials have done lately: NOT MADE ME BORED AFTER JUST ONE VIEWING!!! these commercials are great! i think the blend of cockiness followed by simulated bodily harm, really hits a nerve in the human pleasure center. and now, they've come out with city specific radio adds (well, i don't know if it happens in your city, Allstate actually started in Chicago, so it may just be here, iono, comment and tell me!), that are also genius. so i guess i'm just saying, way 2 go allstate, you found what worked and you're sticking with it, unlike geico, who's got 3 different mascots: the gecko, the caveman, and that face vincent price, (though the vincent price about wood chucks and a few of those new gecko ones are pretty funny, but PICK ONE AND STICK WITH IT!). THAT IS, whoa sry, left caps lock on there for a second, that is all, good by for now.

try and keep up.

ok, television is getting into a very BAD habit. i dont know what to call it, so i'll just call it "Plot Line ADD". there are some shows out there, that skip from scene to scene to scene to scene, all in the span of 10 minutes, and you're expected to assimilate a large amount of information very quickly, or to understand a small amount of information, even quicker. i'll give you 2 examples:

Better with you: a sitcom about 3 couples, all in various stages of their lives/relationships, 2 parents, married for a long time, the 1st daughter and her bf, who've been 2gether for 9 years, and the 2nd daughter who is getting married and having a baby after knowing a guy for like...3 weeks or something. but the premise is irrelevant. the problem is, the scenes go back and fourth so quickly, you can hardly keep up. the scenes only last like a minute or two, before changing to the next scene. for those of us who are older than lets say.....me, who can't operate a stove or print pictures or work a tv without the help of.........a millennial baby, i can see how one could easily get left behind in the speed of the show. (dont get me wrong, the show is hilarious, and i'm really glad to see that someone other than ashton kutcher still has a career after that 70's show, Debbie-Jo Rupp!) it's just fast paced thats all.

THE EVENT: SIT UP AND PAY ATTENTION! cause if your not, you'll be more lost than lost fans after the series finale. this show switches scenes after about 45 seconds, and each new scene has a new location and/or time period, so you have to mentally catalogue things, not only in local episode storyline terms, but also in overall, over arching terms. now lost started this trend of ridiculously large casts and plot lines (with a scifi twist i guess i have 2 stipulate, b/c soaps do the same thing, though they don't shift near as fast, or as often!), but THE EVENT ups the ante, and forces your brain to work harder than that college math final where you went out clubbing the night before the test (nobody else did that?). i read a book a while back that basically stipulated that the more pop culture evolves and pushes boundaries, the smarter we get. dramas went from the single plot of drag-net, to the double plot of starsky and hutch (they were always doing something at the begining and end of every episode), to the multiplot episodes of NYPD Blue (now this book was written just before Lost came out, so, that would have been the next evolutionary step, where as the Event is simply picking up speed on the same concept).

so is tv giving us ADD? are we being forced to thing quicker and in differening directions from minute to minute b/c of what we watch on tv? who really knows, who really cares? tv is for turning on, tuning in, and droping out. thats all i know.

Katy Perry needs to be Unplugged!

ok, don't take the title the wrong way. i really enjoy Katy perry's music. i like message of "firework" and the mental imagery of "teenage dream". and how catchy/addictive was "California Gurls"? i mean really! what i mean is, katy perry needs an acoustic album. now granted i've never seen her in concert or anything, but i did watch when she was the musical guest on SNL a few weeks (maybe months, my timeline is......relative these days) ago. and while it sounded a little weird, i understood why. because the songs that she sings are all modded, or electrified, or w.e. in a studio, with backup singers and echos and all kinds of tweaks and electronic sounds. now, theres nothing wrong with that, any good artist can appreciate all other forms of art for what they are and what reaction they're trying to get from their audience. so i see/hear the appeal of techno elements in bubble-gum pop music like that. but the reason it sounded so weird is because she was trying to recreate that sound in a live setting, which is foolish at best, and embarrassing at the worst (right ashley simpson? jk. (but not really)). so at the beginning of her songs, when its just her and the microphone, she sounds amazing (and i'd be willing to bet she actually has a really great voice, and then she would have to be exiled bc no one is that pretty, with that great a voice, and not a cylon. jk, again). so i think she needs to work it out with mtv, get unplugged back on the air, (part of a movement to bring MUSIC back to MUSICtelevision), or get in on that crossroads vibe over on CMT, with somebody like, sugarland, or little big town, or even a classic like reba or somebody, how awesome would that be? so, Katy perry, not that you'll ever see this or read this, but on the astronomically small chance you do? get unplugged, do an acoustic album, and show the world that your not all bubble gum pop. that you have a killer voice too.

What's in a Name?

OK, no seriously, WHAT IS THE EVENT!?!?!? this is a tv show that calls itself, "the Event" and yet, wont even tell you what it is. I mean, at least "Lost" had the decency to tell you how'd you feel when it started and when it ended (and pretty much all the time in between!) but "the Event" is a useless title. Unless i guess if you view it as a meta sort of thing, in so much as "the Event" is the event of everyone watching the show, or perhaps its a lesson in appreciation on the events of everyday life, saying that every moment is a big deal. i dont know, it's just annoying.

Not everything on here is gonna be me pontificating or me bitching at the universe. its my "online journal," ya know?

The Greatest Experiment EVER.

So i recently read an article in an issue of Scientific American, that was about how science and democracy are basically the same thing. now most people think that this doesnt really make sense, as the general public's consensus is that science is a step by step process that always results that were sort of predicted, or led to some great discovery. well anyone who's been a scientist for longer than 30 seconds or even cracked a textbook knows how much b.s. that is. science is messy, murky, and the road to discovery is littered with potholes, dead animals, and forks. America is much the same way, or atleast, started that way. the founding fathers often referred the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution as "an experiment." and to a certain extent it is, and still is. both science and democracy have feedback loops that alter not only it's current state, but also its future. science has hypothesis manipulation, and democracy has elections. elections are the ultimate in social experimentation. every so often, we tweak the variables a bit, intentionally, or unintentionally, and see who gets elected. it begs the question, if the given "constants" in our experiment change (i.e. constituencies, the economy, the war, etc.), do our variables matter that much more, or that much less? in the first decades of our country, we didn't go looking for fights. it was the british who invaded us in '76. it was the british again in 1812 (also shares a 9/11 reference, if you're so inclined, google it). and the french soon after that. it wasn't until people started attacking our citizens in the world at large (the sinking of the Lusitania by a german U-boat is what brought us into WW1), that we proved ourself top of the heap. and when it happened again in 41, we proved it again. but it was after ww2 that the "experiment" started to turn sour. now don't get me wrong, i love america, i don't think i could ever actually live anywhere else, though i'd love to visit alot of places. but you can't compare to america's freedom. some see it as a burden, others (like myself) a joy. its all a matter of interpretation. but back to the point. after ww2, the military industrial complex had become so bloated and over arching, due to roosevelt's "keen" oversight, that to dismantle it and force it to go back to making cars was impossible. companies had tasted the blood of war. seen the profit margins increase to far beyond anything they could get domestically just making cars and airplanes. so what happened? they paid lobbyists to put the bug in congress' ear, that communism was on the rise. (remember, its congress that declares war, not the president, no matter what a tea party supporter picketing from a lawn chair tells you). they find somebody like McCarthy to hunt down commies in every corner of american society, political, entertainment, even plain old citizens (The Rosenburgs, though it turns out they actually were selling secrets to the commies), and put him center stage, and the cold war is born. America started going around the world and picking fights. Korea, Vietnam, Afganistan (in the 80's, not the '00s). The military industrial complex thrived on this stuff. they left the politics to the politicians. they didnt have to sell "military operations" to america, the politicians did. and every politician that sold america on "stopping the spread of communism" got a cash back kick back, from the corporations that got military contracts. the exact same thing happens today, just not on the battle field, it happens in the cornfield. and the oilfield. why did we invade Kuwait in the 80's? they were sitting on the biggest oil field on the planet, and Saddam started going in and lighting things on fire like a 16 year old with a pack of cigarettes. so our politicians are running our country anymore, corporations our. i mean, lets just be honest about it. japan is. they actually have seats in their senate that belong to corporations. CORPORATIONS! that means, that a company has a vote in how a country is run. this isn't a scifi novel, this is real stuff. there's a reason this country was founded the way it was: FOR the PEOPLE, OF the PEOPLE, and BY the PEOPLE. not for the profit of a corporation, not of a buisness deal, not by a CEO. this is why america votes. TO STAY FREE. if you don't vote, you have no right to bitch. you can be a political as you want, but if you don't respect your responsibility to vote, and it is a responsibility, not a gift or a right, then why are you here? I'm serious. it's right there in the Declaration of independence: "But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security." if you have the ability, you have the Responsibility, to vote. research your candidates. whos old, who's new, who's affiliated, who's independant. but get informed. if you think that the country is great the way it is, don't vote. cause by not voting, you increase an incumbents chances to get re-elected. i dont like where the country has gone. but that's what so great about the experiment. it's not designed to end. it was not designed with a specific goal in mind, but a structure for it's continuity and longevity. so, join the great experiment. go out and vote on NOV. 2nd. and keep the experiment going.

The Genius.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. ADD. Pt. 1

So i recently saw the movie: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. i really enjoyed it, but it pointed out something going on in this country. The "trend" or "rise" in cases of ADD and ADHD. it would seem that hollywood is just now starting to follow along in the (false) chorus. now don't get me wrong, there are many cases of true ADD and ADHD. brain chemistry and hormone levels can drastically effect behavior at an early, and even in to late adolescence. but a miss diagnosis of ADD for behavior problems is a huge epidemic in this country. it starts with the parents, and stems into the school systems. the American family is under fire. and i dont mean the 50's Mom, Dad, 2.5 kids, good neighborhoods crap that politican's spout when they wanna appeal to the "over 60" crowd. (although, statically that is the crowd that has the highest voting ratio, i would argue, and anyone who wishes to challenge me can, that Obama was elected by the youngest "margin" in history). the american family that i'm talking about is the current one in america. whatever that means to the reader, be it 2 moms, 2 dads, 2 grandparents (who are currently the largest child-rearing group in the nation), or an uncle or aunt, etc etc. the current american adult works more, and makes less than they did even 5 years ago. thus, they have less time to spend with their children, and have looked to the mexican community to work cheaply as housekeepers and child rearers. and the mexican's see it as a booming industry. american children are the new cash crop for them. now don't get me wrong, its not a bad thing to have a housekeeper and/or child raiser. but when you don't build the bonds of mother/child and father/child that everyone needs/deserves, then of course your kids are gonna have behavior problems. the other stem is the school system. i eagerly await the dvd release of "Waiting for Superman", a new documentary about how crappy the current school system is in this country. we've been under the same system of speaker and Colosseum-esque classrooms since the beginning of this country. the problem with that is that only 12% of children flourish in that environment. those who don't, are either punished (as in the days of old), or diagnosed with ritilin and other drugs to dull them out. it's ridiculous. switch to the Montessori method, and see how fast ritilin goes out of style. just try it.

Alas, rant now over, back to my observation. Scott Pilgrim appeals greatly to the ADD generation b/c its pace and visual style are very kinetic and bright. the movie jumps time periods instantaneously, and yet keeps you focused on the story. anyone not paying attention would surely be lost about 12 minutes in. it takes those of us with minds that can quickly assimilate and understand information to keep up with the story. those of us with a bit of ADD and who grew up with a computer at our fingertips are more adept at this, b/c we deal with it every day. the tv (esp. channels like MTV, VH1 and most of the Disney and Cartoon channels) that we watch quickly go from past info to current info to future info, to commercial, and cycles back again, over and over. its the Soap opera format on speed. and online, we switch from facebook to youtube to blogging (lol.), to Postsecret, to netflix, all in the span of 30 seconds. so when the movie flips from day to night to a week later, to next weekend, all in teh span of 2 scenes, those of us exposed to this type of psychological stimulus are the only ones who can keep up with the story.

now the visual element(s) are really what made the movie for me. with out those, the story becomes about a boy literally fighting for his life, and the love of it. but the special effects take it out of reality just enough that it makes it a good story. the graphic novel or comic book (in the sense of it being loud visually and bright) really pushed it over the edge. it was more kinetic and imaginative than say, the watchmen, (which i'll review at a later date, b/c i loved the graphic novel, one of the best BOOKS i've ever read. and there we few things the movie got right, and most they got wrong.), and the more realistic reboots of Batman, Superman, Spiderman (which started the trend), as well as Ironman, the upcoming Green Lantern (nerdgasm!) and next summer's Captain America and the Avengers (mega nerdgasm!!!), although, that may be because that Mythology is deeper and more elaborate than a single Graphic novel like scott pilgrim or The Watchmen, or Arkham Asylum (though thats a single story element that stems from a much deeper storyline). so that fact makes the storyline is more open to artistic licesense than the longer running comics. it could have just as easily been a drug induced story, with most of the same visuals, and almost no change to the story line. and the movement and kineticism has only one cousin of recent memory, and thats Speed Racer. remember that acid trip on screen? but thats the only movie that matches Scott Pilgrims speed, and visual ridiculousness.

So, are we seeing a trend in Hollywood? more movies that move faster, scream louder, and assault our visual cortexs more fully? i believe so. i mean, the only person to see the full potential of James Camerons Avatar building technology is.....James Cameron........with Avatar! so i think once other directors, especially those who were already visually on the edge: Christopher Nolan (although i see him as an all around ground breaker like cameron, with a smaller (though growing) budget), as well as Richard Linklater (imagine mixing a scanner darkly with the avatar visuals!). or a foriegner (in the good way), like Luc Besson. (the 6th element? super light? The Diva's song on planet Pandora? can you imagine!). so, what the future holds remains to be seen. but in the words of Regina Spektor (total famous crush!!!): the future, its here, it's bright, it's now.

p.s. its part 1 b/c i'm gonna read the graphic novel, and will compare the two, and will do so for the watchmen as well......later. lol.

The Man In the Iron Mosque.

this might put me on a no-fly list, but i dont travel that often, so here's my take on the whole Mosque at Ground Zero situation. I think it needs to happen. for the greater purpose and propagation of America and all she stands for, it does. in the immediate, it'll cause political strive, division, protesting, litigation, and arguments. but in the long run, it'll reestablish this country as the harbor of freedom, acceptance and tolerance that it was founded on. this issue goes all the way to the top. aka, Obama. now of course it's not his decision, but he'll take the heat or the glory, depending on the perspective. just as Hoover and Bush took the crap for the downfall of the economy of their respective eras (though one was more 'guilty as charged' than the other), just as Nixon (though it related directly to him, he didn't have as much say as history likes to say he does) in watergate. Obama will catch the political fire, and if it happens in time, it may loose him the presidential candidacy in 2012. i doubt it'll go up that fast, and the wooden torch will be passed to the next, but it will still be on fire, waiting to burn someones hand. to ensure his place among Lincoln, Washington, Kennedy, and the other great presidents, (which i believe he deserves, as he is a symbol, not only of the acceptance and positive possibility of change in this country, but of the odds he's had to overcome), this needs to be his magnum opus. i'm writing this 5 hours after watching him on tv telling the american people that the war in Iraq is over, which is great, but history pays attention to the first strike, not the last. (the exception to that rule is the atom bombs on Japan, but that's because of the impact it had on so many different areas of politics, science, pop culture, etc.) healthcare, the economy and gay rights are going to fall away in comparison to this. there needs to be a large ceremony, and he has to be there, and make a speech. he needs to assert the division that the american people should make between good muslims and bad al-queda members. the same distinction was made during ww2. especially in the media. watching movies from the time period, there are always good germans, and bad nazi's. he needs to point to the heroes of old. Washington establishing a nation of acceptance, Lincoln not only freeing the slaves but also reuniting a country (as he has had to do). kennedy for breaking down race barriers, (even possibly siting his current job title to that end). assert that he never wanted this war. diplomacy was always his 1st choice, and that it still is. site the fact that muslims were treated badly after 9/11, and this is a major step in rebuilding that bond, and bringing it back into the melting pot that not only is new york, but america as well. site its community building and positive infulence. reference the freedom of religion that we all enjoy, thanks to the men and women in uniform. site how great this country is, site how far its come in its development of not only a free people, but an equal people. talk about how our childrens children will look back on this time and see a a great leap forward in citizenship and equality, and freedom of religion. finish with God Bless all of you, and God Bless the United States of America. get in the limo and drive away. don't take questions. leave them to think of what you've said. to realize that this is the greatest country on earth, and that we are all damn lucky to live here, and do what we do. Middle America will quote to their grandkids watching this speech on tv. Middle america is what this country is really about. Middle america is not fox news, its not cnn. it's not The tea party picketers. it's not the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka Kansas. It's families. it's friends. its beers in the driveway on friday nights. its ballparks and barrooms. its dinners at the table, and sunday morning church. middle america isn't concerned with differences in religion. they're just trying to raise their kids, and provide for them, what they couldnt have for themselves. america is a friendly place. a place where people are accepted, not because we're forced to, but because we want to. we realize that we have more freedom than most places in the world, and we also realize we're not perfect. but we love our country, and we love one another.