Okay... this is the hist and lit I learned at school coming out for a second... and if it seems shallow it's because it most assuredly is...
... so gametime...
... Words are powerful... of course
... Put people into a situation... have them describe what happened... and confusion abounds... their versions are different... of course... you get multiple perspectives with all just a little right... and most clouded over by bias, prejudice, and a lot of other things that probably end with -iss...
... What's more...
... Every word they use in their description... every part they latch on to to describe... everything they key on... is the Universe for that person... it's all that they know... and it tells you more about the person describing the situation than it does anything about the situation itself...
... It's all in the words they use...
... a fight to one person is a conflict to another... a discussion to still another... and a setting straight to one more other...
... a budget to one person is an allowance to another... it's a power struggle or a mutual arrangement...
... and it's these labels... and everything that comes with them... that tells you how that person sees the world... and very little if anything about the reality of the world...
... So... hopefully if I got Sophomore year right... that's a glimpse of post-modernism shining it's beacon on the rest of the world... funny thing is... I actually just read this whole thing from some writings by Buddha... sitting next to the bible in our hotel room today... ... and who... if my history serves me correctly... was just a little bit before the post-modernist thinkers...
... But now do I agree with it all... multiple perspectives? sure... words unable to describe true reality? ummm... let's just say I'm still gonna believe gravity exists and I'll still look both ways before crossing the street...
Friday, August 8, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Star Wars
Yesterday the sci fi network was helping George Lucas promote his new movie by playing a IV, V, and VI movie marathon...
... For the record... I'm just a little bit a nerd... secondly... these old Star Wars movies are actually really good... in comparison to the new Star Wars movies which were the second biggest let down of my life... Not simply because of Jar Jar Binks... though he has a lot to do with it... it's mostly a lot of small things all connected together that lift the first ones up and tear the second ones down...
... And it begins with characters...
... The characters are better... In the depth... everyone has something more to offer... something bigger about them... not seen... from their past... in their future... you get a glimpse of it every now and then and that's it... There's no delicacy in the new ones... they're smaller... they're too good... too evil... too holier than thou... too reckless... there's no moving pieces, no internal struggle, nothing you don't already suspect... everything's out there for everyone to see from every character... I guess except one... Anakin does struggle... but poorly... he was so not big enough an actor for his role...
... but I'm not sure if I should blame his awful acting abilities or the...
... Plot...
... In the old There is also something more going on with the plot... something bigger outside of all the characters... something.. again... NOT SEEN... the pieces all move and these characters simply happen to fall into it all and be in the right place at the right time... and it works...
... The new movies are so forced... so forced... we already know how it's going to end... The trick is how it gets there...
... But there is no trick... start to finish is a straight, DEAD, path to the IVth movie... not a twist you don't already see... not an "I wonder what's going to happen next" moment... not an "oh wow I can't believe that just happened" in the theater... It's just one plodding scene on into the next for 6 solid hours...
... and not one writer did anything about it? Not one person looked past the... "oh, this is a surefire 100 schmill in the bank" to the hopeful possibility of putting their stamp on history... a movie that people are going to bring up.. and watch again... and be their bar with future movies...
... fool us... scare us... take me to a place in the movie where there is no possible way it's going to work out the way I know it HAS to work out... and then do something I don't expect with it... something that works... that's totally believable that solves the whole mess and makes it good...
... Maybe make the Anakin/Princess relationship a little bit harder... put a diplomat in the picture that she has to choose between...
... Maybe include a couple more jedis around Anakin's age in training to act as foils for Anakin to deepen the plot... maybe develop some sort of character out of this awful actor despite his awful acting...
... and yes...
... There was almost a twist... almost... when Duku? told Obiwan he was a traitor to the government because he learned that the government was the pawn of the Sith... What a twist... What an actual incredible twist... It could work... Make Duku good... make the Jedi have to pick sides... there's confusion... there's friends fighting friends... there's trust issues... and divided loyalties... and strife... few, if any, really know which side is the right one to begin with... and place 'no actin' Anakin and Princess right in the middle of the whole mess... sit back... and see how the cards turn out...
... I probably... actually... might have liked it then...
... For the record... I'm just a little bit a nerd... secondly... these old Star Wars movies are actually really good... in comparison to the new Star Wars movies which were the second biggest let down of my life... Not simply because of Jar Jar Binks... though he has a lot to do with it... it's mostly a lot of small things all connected together that lift the first ones up and tear the second ones down...
... And it begins with characters...
... The characters are better... In the depth... everyone has something more to offer... something bigger about them... not seen... from their past... in their future... you get a glimpse of it every now and then and that's it... There's no delicacy in the new ones... they're smaller... they're too good... too evil... too holier than thou... too reckless... there's no moving pieces, no internal struggle, nothing you don't already suspect... everything's out there for everyone to see from every character... I guess except one... Anakin does struggle... but poorly... he was so not big enough an actor for his role...
... but I'm not sure if I should blame his awful acting abilities or the...
... Plot...
... In the old There is also something more going on with the plot... something bigger outside of all the characters... something.. again... NOT SEEN... the pieces all move and these characters simply happen to fall into it all and be in the right place at the right time... and it works...
... The new movies are so forced... so forced... we already know how it's going to end... The trick is how it gets there...
... But there is no trick... start to finish is a straight, DEAD, path to the IVth movie... not a twist you don't already see... not an "I wonder what's going to happen next" moment... not an "oh wow I can't believe that just happened" in the theater... It's just one plodding scene on into the next for 6 solid hours...
... and not one writer did anything about it? Not one person looked past the... "oh, this is a surefire 100 schmill in the bank" to the hopeful possibility of putting their stamp on history... a movie that people are going to bring up.. and watch again... and be their bar with future movies...
... fool us... scare us... take me to a place in the movie where there is no possible way it's going to work out the way I know it HAS to work out... and then do something I don't expect with it... something that works... that's totally believable that solves the whole mess and makes it good...
... Maybe make the Anakin/Princess relationship a little bit harder... put a diplomat in the picture that she has to choose between...
... Maybe include a couple more jedis around Anakin's age in training to act as foils for Anakin to deepen the plot... maybe develop some sort of character out of this awful actor despite his awful acting...
... and yes...
... There was almost a twist... almost... when Duku? told Obiwan he was a traitor to the government because he learned that the government was the pawn of the Sith... What a twist... What an actual incredible twist... It could work... Make Duku good... make the Jedi have to pick sides... there's confusion... there's friends fighting friends... there's trust issues... and divided loyalties... and strife... few, if any, really know which side is the right one to begin with... and place 'no actin' Anakin and Princess right in the middle of the whole mess... sit back... and see how the cards turn out...
... I probably... actually... might have liked it then...
Monday, August 4, 2008
Weddings and Such
I'm not a crier.. I'm not... not not not... Niether am I a Stoic... I Have cried... like... there are times that I will cry... right close to the end of Armageddon... something's stuck in my eye... cutting onions... stuff like that...
...but I'm not weird... and there is the science to prove it...
... Some study somewhere has shown that your body has the exact same physiological reaction when you feel happy, sad, scared, angry... heart beats faster... sweaty palms... that feeling in the pit of your stomache... overall.. you're excited... and it's your mind that tells you only afterwards what you really are feeling...
... And I was happy.. why waste any emotions on tears when I want to save them all to be happy...
... So maybe I should cry.. but surrounded by all of the people that love me best.. are there for me.. are supporting me.. my mind tells me I have to be happy.. and so instead of cry my mind made me uncontrollably smile the whole entire wedding..
... So I'm not a crier...
...but I'm not weird... and there is the science to prove it...
... Some study somewhere has shown that your body has the exact same physiological reaction when you feel happy, sad, scared, angry... heart beats faster... sweaty palms... that feeling in the pit of your stomache... overall.. you're excited... and it's your mind that tells you only afterwards what you really are feeling...
... And I was happy.. why waste any emotions on tears when I want to save them all to be happy...
... So maybe I should cry.. but surrounded by all of the people that love me best.. are there for me.. are supporting me.. my mind tells me I have to be happy.. and so instead of cry my mind made me uncontrollably smile the whole entire wedding..
... So I'm not a crier...
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Happy Birthday to me
So after living through multiple surprise birthdays over the past few days... trial and error has decided that the best thing to do after everyone yells surprise is not to stand around sheepishly, awkwardly... an with a slight wave say thanks... nor is it to waste time shaking hands or trade hugs with every surpriser as they all wait and stare at you... for some reason everyone just stands there and looks to you for a while... so to save awkward paused silence maybe suggest food or drink and get people moving in some sort of direction...
It's also been decided that the actual singing of happy birthday is the hardest, most difficult, add synonym, part of a birthday... which should NOT be gotten into if you have any doubts at all about musical talent slash theatrical timing...
Start too early or too quietly and people don't join in, you trail off, ummmmm, oh, wait, we're not starting yet, ok you go and I'll join you... it's like starting the slow clap and realizing way too late that no one else is going to join you...
Start on a note too low and girls flip the octave till it's too high and it's a whole lot of shrill... and guys, as they should, forego singing in key altogether... or try to prove said manliness by proving their deep voice... or lastly some unfortunates falsetto their self-respect to death... it's just a bad scene altogether...
And start too slow and the song becomes unbearable... pauses are painstaking... notes are held longer than decency should allow... Attempts to speed up the song die awkward muddled up deaths... and candles burn too long and drip wax all over the cake...
So be smart about things and let college music major start the singing... because what else is their major good for anyways...?
It's also been decided that the actual singing of happy birthday is the hardest, most difficult, add synonym, part of a birthday... which should NOT be gotten into if you have any doubts at all about musical talent slash theatrical timing...
Start too early or too quietly and people don't join in, you trail off, ummmmm, oh, wait, we're not starting yet, ok you go and I'll join you... it's like starting the slow clap and realizing way too late that no one else is going to join you...
Start on a note too low and girls flip the octave till it's too high and it's a whole lot of shrill... and guys, as they should, forego singing in key altogether... or try to prove said manliness by proving their deep voice... or lastly some unfortunates falsetto their self-respect to death... it's just a bad scene altogether...
And start too slow and the song becomes unbearable... pauses are painstaking... notes are held longer than decency should allow... Attempts to speed up the song die awkward muddled up deaths... and candles burn too long and drip wax all over the cake...
So be smart about things and let college music major start the singing... because what else is their major good for anyways...?
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Win Some you Lose Some
It's very complicated... like a science but more like a pseudo science... but extended trial and error has led me to conclude that airports are allergic to Danelle. Kinda like how a butterfly flapping it's wings in North America can cause a hurricane in India... Danelle purchasing a ticket online can cause every airport on that day to delay flights, have hailstorms and tornado watches... and make airline companies not give us free hotel or food vouchers...
...after 3 hours waiting in line to be rerouted we're 2nd in line... and a lady to be heretofore named as sneaks... slithers in line ahead of the non-english speaking people ahead of us... Danelle being too nice... doesn't let me call sneaks out and make her go to the back of the line... and we're treated to one more lesson of why you should never be nice to anyone... (taking advantage of you) ... SOOOO... Sneaks gets helped... foreign dude gets helped... and... lady leaves and starts boarding our flight... Screwed...
...Danelle suddenly gets mad... stops sneaks... calls her out... "Just so you know that was VERY RUDE to sneak into line like that"... (SNEAKS) "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize yadda yadda whatever"... I run after the airline lady and convince her to help just one more group (us)... and we get onto our flight... and guess who's sitting in our row... SNEAKS!
...Now we're in THE DIRTY... Sharing a hotel room with a fellow San Diegoanite?... no clothes... no toothbrush... delivery pizza... pepperoni... and no ride from the airport tomorrow... but I'm excited...
...after 3 hours waiting in line to be rerouted we're 2nd in line... and a lady to be heretofore named as sneaks... slithers in line ahead of the non-english speaking people ahead of us... Danelle being too nice... doesn't let me call sneaks out and make her go to the back of the line... and we're treated to one more lesson of why you should never be nice to anyone... (taking advantage of you) ... SOOOO... Sneaks gets helped... foreign dude gets helped... and... lady leaves and starts boarding our flight... Screwed...
...Danelle suddenly gets mad... stops sneaks... calls her out... "Just so you know that was VERY RUDE to sneak into line like that"... (SNEAKS) "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize yadda yadda whatever"... I run after the airline lady and convince her to help just one more group (us)... and we get onto our flight... and guess who's sitting in our row... SNEAKS!
...Now we're in THE DIRTY... Sharing a hotel room with a fellow San Diegoanite?... no clothes... no toothbrush... delivery pizza... pepperoni... and no ride from the airport tomorrow... but I'm excited...
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Privateers 2008
I just heard how the CIA and the NSA are now going to sell contracts to private firms for information gathering and espionage... Small similarity to back in the day when countries would hire out pirates, give them some sort of shaky legal footing, and allow them to do whatever they wanted to the enemy as long as it was the enemy...
...It means no government oversight, like there really is a whole lot of that anyways... it means no need to obey certain rules that public servants might be under, such as the new torture bill that the US just passed not too long ago... it means a whole lot less caring about accidental deaths... and very possibly a whole lot more people mad at the west that might not have to be...
...It means no government oversight, like there really is a whole lot of that anyways... it means no need to obey certain rules that public servants might be under, such as the new torture bill that the US just passed not too long ago... it means a whole lot less caring about accidental deaths... and very possibly a whole lot more people mad at the west that might not have to be...
Friday, May 2, 2008
You Know What I Like About Baptists?
Are you prepared...
... The End is near
...A guy on the street corner holding a sign...
"...Conspiracy theorists unite...
...Look for a one-world government and one currency and all that... Wars and natural disasters... Israel being put back on the map... 1/3 of the world will go up in fire (Nuclear Weapons)... The night will be as bright as the day (Electricity)... Everyone will see Jesus at the same time (Satellites)... The power of the saints will finally be defeated... Science and the media are doing a pretty effective job of it... An army of millions and millions on horseback (China's standing army is 200 million and still rides horses)..."
... Is it too much...? ...Maybe...
... Being aware that you can die is one thing... but believing that the end is almost assure entirely different... And may backfire into... eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die... stop caring about your life past today... press the panic button... or worse yet press the big red nuclear 'button' and invite the end here even faster... self-fulfilling prophecies anyone...?
...But is Armageddon really at hand... Or are we looking too hard...?
... Think about this...
...In the Salem witch trials the pastor of the church had preached for a year on 'enemies in the church' and on witches and the occult... so when girls started having visions they immediately assumed 'enemy' and 'witch'... and they had a witch hunt...
...A few towns over the pastor had preached a year on the workings of the Holy Spirit... and when girls had visions in that town the people said it was the Holy Spirit... they had a revival... In fact the second of the great American revivals...
... So the signs are there to be read any way you want... Utopia or Armageddon...
... The End is near
... Jesus may come back tomorrow...
...What if you died tonight...
...A guy on the street corner holding a sign...
...Or a fire and brimstone pastor scaring children about hell...
,,,it's a simple message and it's meant to completely turn your world upside down...
...Because the thing is... believing the message may in fact turn your life upside down...It tells a person time is short... Live like it's your last day on earth... Get the most out of each day... Proclaim the gospel to those around you... Don't worry about hardships because they will be over soon... and especially... Don't worry about that new car or that big house cause it's going up in fire anyways...
... and then comes nuclear war and Armageddon...
...Because the thing is... believing the message may in fact turn your life upside down...It tells a person time is short... Live like it's your last day on earth... Get the most out of each day... Proclaim the gospel to those around you... Don't worry about hardships because they will be over soon... and especially... Don't worry about that new car or that big house cause it's going up in fire anyways...
... and then comes nuclear war and Armageddon...
"...Conspiracy theorists unite...
...Look for a one-world government and one currency and all that... Wars and natural disasters... Israel being put back on the map... 1/3 of the world will go up in fire (Nuclear Weapons)... The night will be as bright as the day (Electricity)... Everyone will see Jesus at the same time (Satellites)... The power of the saints will finally be defeated... Science and the media are doing a pretty effective job of it... An army of millions and millions on horseback (China's standing army is 200 million and still rides horses)..."
... Is it too much...? ...Maybe...
... Being aware that you can die is one thing... but believing that the end is almost assure entirely different... And may backfire into... eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die... stop caring about your life past today... press the panic button... or worse yet press the big red nuclear 'button' and invite the end here even faster... self-fulfilling prophecies anyone...?
...But is Armageddon really at hand... Or are we looking too hard...?
... Think about this...
...In the Salem witch trials the pastor of the church had preached for a year on 'enemies in the church' and on witches and the occult... so when girls started having visions they immediately assumed 'enemy' and 'witch'... and they had a witch hunt...
...A few towns over the pastor had preached a year on the workings of the Holy Spirit... and when girls had visions in that town the people said it was the Holy Spirit... they had a revival... In fact the second of the great American revivals...
... So the signs are there to be read any way you want... Utopia or Armageddon...
...for my part I hope the Armageddon crew doesn't win.
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