Grade I deserve in this class

My friend Stephen Colbert once said to me, "Eric, it's not what you say, it's the gravitas with which you say it. I'm assuming he said it to me. I was the only one in the room watching television when he said it.

Well, what I'm about to say takes HUGE gravitas. Gravitas, by the way, is Latin for cojones. It's also a huge departure for my personality. I am normally the humblest of the humble, but right now I smell blood. I can test the 12 quality points on the tip of my tongue.

I deserve the grade of A in Opinion Journalism. I deserve the A the same way those eggs deserve their grade of A from the USDA. Because the work is of high quality. I need not rest of my own laurels to back up this claim, however, as the quality of my work has been attested to by my peers as well as well as reflected in the contents of my already received grades in this class.

In numerous Tuesday lectures I received votes for having provided the best presentation of the day. I even won once and as was involved in another three-way tie for victory on top of being in the hunt for second and third place on numerous occasions.

So the audience enjoys my work, and while that is not a direct link to its quality, it is a testament to its efficacy and ability to attract the readers attention.

I also deserve the grade of A because of the distinctively original quality of my work. An originality that was alluded to via several blog comments I received during the semester. For example:

this was extremely entertaining!!!!

-LMR : in response to my texting grammar presentation

This. is. hilarious.
Nice dry humor. Wise cracks are a plus and a must when it comes to some of the topics. Love the presentations.
-Denver4 - texting grammar

COMMENT ON STUDENT EVALUATION:
I concur. You definitely know how to interest an audience.
-Mactavius

Also note my persistence in improving the aesthetics and internet acumen of my posts. I have learned to wrap text properly, which is no small achievement for me. I also learned how to use embed codes, and was ahead of the curve in figuring out that You Tube videos must be decreased in size in order to properly fit on one's blog post.

I also take responsibility for the classes shift from education to entertainment after the first few presentations. Which I apologize for profusely. As such I also chose to cease showing 3 minute videos in my presentations in lieu of actual intellectual content.

letter to editor

Dear Editor:

I am writing because I am concerned about your practice of printing the names of those arrested for crimes and a description of police incidents which are published daily.

While I understand that such things are public record, I must say that I disagree with the practice of airing everyones dirty laundry.

I write this letter because I recently had a friend arrested for DUI and his name and was published in the paper with a description of the incident.

I personally do not condone DUI in any form and I fully support the courts imposing the appropriate punishment. I would not consider it unfair to suspend his driving license for a considerable period of time.

The trouble is that now comes a stigma that my friend may not be able to rid himself of regardless of any corrections in his behavoir. My friend has had a very troubled past few months which culminated in his decision the drive under the influence of alcohol. I do not believe it prudent to further punish him by humiliating him by publishing his name in the paper.

I question why people read such sections of the paper. I believe it is an extension of voyuerism. If that is the case then I firmly believe people should mind their own business. I doubt they would like it if they made a mistake and that mistake was printed and distributed to the community. God forbid they are innocent. I have never seen the newspaper include a section on those who were proven innocent of the minor offenses for which there names were published in the newspaper. I know the paper is not culpable for the information provided to them by law enforcement, but if your going to lend enough credence to the information to publish it then maybe it should be considered to periodicly update readers that a given person had been wrongly charged with a crime.

Thank you,
Eric Smith

Ethics

Considering that there is indeed no objective morality it is concievable that circumstances exist in which one should circumvent to mores of his society and perform an action not sanctioned by his culture in which the end will justify the means.

Stealing medicince that one cannot afford to save a life, for example, is one of those situations. Helping slaves escape to the North during the Era of Slavery comes to mind. Such actions are or were illegal, but are they wrong?

On the other hand, take the use of Nuclear Force against Japan at the end of WWII. Was it absolutley nessesary to win the war. No. Did it save thousands upon thousands of American lives. Yes. Are American soldiers lives worth more than those of Japanese civilians? It probably depends on whether or not you were slated to be a member of the U.S. invasion force as to whether or not the use of the A-Bomb was a cut and dry matter. An easy decision.



Yes, I support the tactics of the Sea Shepherd.

The Sea Shepherds are not saying that the lives of the whales are more important than the fisherman/whalers. What they are saying is that the whalers do not have to right to systematically destroy what is considered a treasure of the Earth. The Whales. Whether intentional or incidental the removal of species that belong to the citizens of the world cannot be jeopardized by the short term needs or mores of the few. Especially if it is inessential to survival.

Additionally, if whaling was part of an ancient culture, that is respectable and said culture may not be the ones' responsible for brining about the need to protect these species at all cost. Nevertheless, that ancient culture, no matter how old the culture and how sacred the act of whaling, must face up to the demands of modern times and accept that a global community does not allow such actions to currenlty take place.

Cultures once practiced human sacrifice. That was the more of the time and place. It was acceptable then, but nowadays under NO circumstances would such a rationalization be accepted by any outside party as a legitimate reason to continue such practices.

Not to mention the possible effects of the loss of certian Keystone species on the balance of an entire ecosystem. The groups that drive various species to extinction generally do not have a firm grasp of such a subject. As such, organizations like the Sea Shepards then obtain jurisdiction to move in and defend the interests of more educated human society in the interest of preserving the planet and any delicate life systems in place.

Free Topic: Someone is going to get speared: Deep speared

What I am referring to is the proliferation of Maple baseball bats in professional baseball over the last 10 years.

Previously ash had been the defualt wood for baseball bats. The wood was light, but not too light, and durable at the same time.

Barry Bonds is often credited with faciliting the transfer from ash to maple. It was with a maple bat that he hit his 73 home runs in 2001. After that the rates skyrocketed to the point that from my naked eye observation it seems that the vast majority of players are now using maple.

They cite its combination of light weight and hard wood as the reason. Players swear by maple.

The trouble is that when a maple bat breaks it snaps in two sending a tumbling spear arching through the infield. I'm talking sharp here, scary sharp. Ash bats chipped, and you could perform tests on the bat at home plate to determine whether or not a break had occurred. Maple, on the other hand, gives a hitter no indication that his bat may be broken, except for the shrapnel flying in all directions after his bat EXPLODES.

I get quesy just thinking about one of those bats sticking into someone. There is no question that serious injury or death could be the result.

In the past two years bat breakage rates and injuries from schards of wood have caused the mlb to look into banning these bats. I happen to think it's the next logical move.





Baseball at breaking point.

Maple Bat Backlash.

Why should I be hired?

I hate talking about myself. What I love talking about is the story or the issue.

In a nutshell that's why I should be hired.

I love talking to people and finding out what they think, what they have seen, and where they have been. I also love diving into the history of a situation and uncovering the backstory of how the a given issue got to be where it is.

Opinion writing is not always about my feelings on an issue. Nor is it always important what I think is right. What is important is what the facts bear out to be true, or what the statistics reveal to us as the reality of any given situation, especially on the "weighty" subjects. Music and movies are one thing, environment and international conflict are subjects that must be undertaken carefully.

I don't view my opinion journalism posts as an opportunitgy to tell everyone what I think. I view them as an oppurtunity to learn about the assigned subject and then pass that knowledge on to other people by including it in my writing. That is the exiting aspect of any form of journalism , the knowledge that I am providing a service to others. The service of providing accurate information about a relevent issue or situation.

If the facts point toward a particular conclusion then that's the point of view I will endorse.

In terms of my writing style, I will quote another persons assesment of me "Because of the unusual nature of most of his posts I found myself reading a post about something I wasn’t even interested in because it was out of the ordinary".

If my writing is good, then it is only because of the level of enthusiam I have about learning, and the sense of humor I try to bring along with it.

Political Cartoons

The thing I love the most about political cartoons is tracing their evolution over the past 250 years.

I'll show some examples from 1800-1865.





Note how incredibly "busy" these cartoons are. And they are drawn with a higher degree of artisticness then many modern cartoons, which present caricatures, or loose sketches. The satire is contained in both the image and the dialogue. The cartoons from this period are almost a stand alone editorial when one takes into account the sheer wordcount.

Merely looking at the image in most of the cartoons of this period will leave you with almost no idea of what point is being made or what is topic is being skewerd.

1902


Above is the cartoon which imortalized the infamous Theodore Roosevelt incident in which he refused to shoot a bear cub. This is event from which the term "Teddy Bear" was derived. Notice the more "cartoonish" feel and the lack of text. The picture tells the story.

Political cartoons are also a neat way to discern what the major fears or concerns were of the general populace of any given time. Many of the cartoons I have seen from the 1950s feature prominent imagery of the metaphor for the end of all things "the bomb"



Below the social unrest of the 60s is alluded to. Notice how each character is labeled and a one sentence statement is at the top. In a similar cartoon from a century before each character would have been labeled and would have had a bubble of dialogue above each of their heads. Further evidence of the elevation of imagery and diminishment of text in the evolution of political cartoons.

State and Local Government

Hunter S. Thompson For Sheriff

That's right. Freak Power Party in full swing.



In 1970 Hunter came back to Aspen Colorado for round 2. Previously, as recounted in his article Freak Power in the Rockies, he had done his best to help Joe Edwards, a 29 year old "head, lawyer..." win the office of mayor in aspen Colorado.

The next year Thompson himself took up the cause of politics when he ran for Sheriff of Pitkin County Colorado.

Believe it or not Thompson won the city of Aspen, and only lost 56% to 44%. That's right, a man on the Freak Power ticket won 44% of the vote with propositions like:

1. "Sod the streets (of Aspen) at once. Rip up all city streets with jackhammers..."
2. All public movement would be by foot and bicycle.
3. Change the name of the city of Aspen to "Fat City" by public referendum
4. Anyone selling drugs for a PROFIT would be arrested. Note the word Profit

(lifted from The Great Shark Hunt)

Favorite Superhero/Villian

PIZZA PIZZA: DIARRHEA

I now have a new arch nemesis. It used to be Cracklin' Oat Bran. When I edited that out of my diet I thought it was all over with, and I was safe from undesirable sensations in my bowels.

Then, on a fateful Friday night on my way home I was suffering. Suffering...from...the hunger. I saw a sign. Hot and Ready Pizza. Amazing timing. How fortuitous! And only five dollars! My gosh, it's so cheap!!

I asked little Caesar for sustenance. He provided me with what he had promised. It was indeed Hot and Ready.

I trusted him. I took the pizza. I took it into my body. My body.

Caesar deceived me. The pangs didn't start immediately. It took about a day before I began being forced to make trips to the lavatory every 35 minutes.

Ceaser had given me the sickness, but I didn't want to believe it. I went back. He gave another pizza, assured me he meant no harm.

Fool me once, shame on you Caesar. Fool me twice... well...fool me once and I won't get fooled again. Except I got fooled again.

I thought I was done with you Caesar. Little Caesar. Then I went to the free food festival, and who was there? You! You tried to get me again.

You villain!!

Caesar is not merely my favorite villain, he is MY VILLAIN. How could one argue a greater hero or villain than the one that torments him personally?

Review of Productions I have seen

I love theater. Always have. I enjoy the fourth wall. I enjoy seeing how actors have prepared for their roles and portayed their characters. I am impressed by the amount of work done in preparation for a four day run of shows. I am also intrigued by the dynamic between being you character onstage and being yourself three seconds later offstage.



Unless your Daniel Day Lewis. In his case all bets' are off. Ask Daniel Day Lewis to pass the butter during filming and you may find yourself on the floor with "Bill The Butcher" screaming in your face.



For this review I will be speaking of one of the most versatile acting forces I have ever encountered. Geoff Carr. This is in no way an attempt at flattery.

I first encountered Geoff Carr's potent acting musk in the fall of 2008 at a producation of Look Homeward Angel. Carr's intoxicated character intoxicated the audience. He struck the perfect balance between father with a special love for his son and a man frustrated with what happened in his much earlier life.



Then came Flea in her Ear. Carr played TWO roles. I have seen "famous" actors praised for their versatility because of roles played over the course of an entire career. Geoff Carr performed two roles in the same play! Magnificent!



The fact that the two characters may or may not have been intended to remsemble each other in an uncanny manner is not sufficient to diminish the significance of Carr's performance and prepartion. His enthusiasm for the art and process is evident in all of his roles.

Finally Carr had suffiencient help from the supporting cast to accent his talents. Rotating beds shaken by feeble old men and ukelele interludes were quite pleasent.

Note: This essay is not at all to be taken as an extended apology for not seeing The Visit and to highlight the fact that I have tried to frequent GSU affilated productions in the past, specifically those which feature Geoff Carr as a member of the cast.

Summerticipation/Californication (it rhymes)

I anticipate the completion of my project. It is monumental and unprecedented in it's undertaking, concept, and execution.

That project is a pitchers mound.



That's right, I am constructing a pitchers mound in my backyard. Forget all this school crap, if I get my fastball up another 10 mph and I'm looking at a very solid minor league contract.

The red clay. The pop of the catchers mitt receiving my steadily increasing heat, or at least the mesh netting I'm going to be erecting to take the place of a catcher. No one seems to share my insanity, or at least willing to placate my delusions.

Also, I have purchased a necklace with a guitar pick on it. That seems to be a new fad amongst pitchers in the Bigs. I'm wondering if that is sufficient to override the need to practice. Maybe the pick necklace itself will bring the talent needed to achieve my dreams of being a no-name relief pitcher in the minor leagues.

Frickin' awesome.

In fact, my dreams would be fulfilled with 1 relief appearance in a major league spring training game. Cactus or Grapefruit league. I'm not picky.



HEAT

Favorite Work of Art

Everyone has their own point of view on what makes good art. In this blog post, I'm going to select of few my personal favorites and explain what makes them significant to me personally. Additionally, I will try to select examples from various genres of art.

Historically, I am fascinated by Egyptian artwork. With modern day phonetic alphabets, each letter represents a sound. With modern day literature, the art is between the lines, contained in the meaning of the words' written. Hieroglyphs were visual representations of words and actions. The words itself was the art. They were one in the same.



In terms of the written word, I personally love Arthur Miller's play The Crucible.

The Crucible is a story with themes that are timeless. Themes like integrity in the face of corruption, standing up for injustice, mob mentality, and many others.

In copies of the play, Arthur Miller submits an essay comparing the Salem Witch Trails to the Communist Witch hunts of the 1950s. I remember thinking that the same fear of dissent was palpable in the buildup the the United States invasion of Iraq in 2003, when those holding anti-war opinions could be labeled as unpatriotic or even traitors.



At its highest form, comedy is, in my opinion, an art form. Good comedy, while funny, can also be enlightening and thought provoking in the context of a relaxed humorous atmosphere. A thoughtful discourse that at times also happens to be debilitatingly funny.

Lenny Bruce was a pioneer of comedy in the same way that modern rock and roll can be traced back to blues roots.



I am not religous. But every year I make a piece of art that millions of americans also create around christmas time. I put up a christmas tree. And not one of those plastic ones either. It's not christmas unless I have a pine fire hazard erected in my living room covered in COLORED LIGHTS and BUBBLE LIGHTS.

It's art. People put it in their rooms in a place they find aesthetically pleasing, and decorate the tree in a manner that they find appealing.



May I humbly submit, that the above Christmas Tree is indeed art. And so is the one below.

Passionate subject: Innocent Until Proven Guilty, Or Exonerated After 35 Years In Prison

James Bain

For 35 years, in the eye's of the world, this man was a child rapist. He would have told you he was innocent, but that's what they all say.

The trouble is sometimes they are telling the truth.

These are people who were sentenced to DIE for something they DID NOT DO.



James Bain was convicted on the basis of eyewitness testimony. The victim personally identified him. Bain said he was at home with his sister when the crime occurred. Who would you believe? The jury believed the child and sent Bains to prison for the rest of his life when he was 19.

Turns out DNA evidence proves Bain was NOT A RAPIST. So the Georgia Department of Corrections let him go home. After a 35 year stay in prison.

These are people who were sentenced to DIE for something they DID NOT DO.

I do not oppose the Death Penalty on Moral Grounds. People like Ted Bundy and Richard Ramirez make it very hard to do that. I oppose it on grounds that INNOCENT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN AND WILL BE PUT TO DEATH.

I have no idea how else to make my point. That reality should speak for itelf.

THe statistics prove it. Those exonerated are not just a list of names. I believe that people assume that it just won't happen to them.

Put someone in an orange jumpsuit, write the word "convicted of ..." under a photograph of them, and your entire intellectual and emotional perception of them changes. And for all practical purposes perception is reality. The jury said Bain raped a child. So anyone cruising the Georgia Corrections Database would have been under the impression that Bain was a rapist of children.


Now imagine that person is you. Makes people thinking your rude or a drunk seem insignificant, doesn't it? You know your not a drunk, and that's all that matters. With crime however, it does not work that way. Bains knew he was not a child rapist. But what everyone else thought kept him incarcerated.

Arguments for capitol punishment I have personally heard include: "the vast majority are guilty, and I'm sorry if some poor guy gets swept under the rug."

This is also known as the "if you wanna make an omelet you gotta crack some eggs" argument. I guess in this case we are making a "justice omelet." I don't foresee any of the proposers of this line of logic volunteering to be the ingredients.

That's the problem. Being accused of something you did not do, for most people, is the stuff of movies. It's not something that can actually happen. "They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Really? Bains was at home. Is that the wrong place to be?

Death Penalty statistics are batted around all the time. But my argument does not really hinge on statistics outside of wrongful conviction rates, which is enough for me.

For me personally, the concept of the penalty as a deterrent is odd, regardless of statistics considering that most individuals who commit a crime do not intend to be caught.

Deathpenalty.org
Amnesty

"May ten guilty men go free before one innocent man goes to prison"

"Long Songs" Album Review

"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida-Honey
Don't you know that I'm lovin' you"

Long songs. From the first moment that title is appealing to me. I'm thinking echoes, by Pink Floyd, In-A-Gadda-Da_Vida by Iron Butterfly, Machine Gun clocking in at 12:00 by Jimi Hendrix. Music you can put on and drift away. Your listening in the back of your mind somewhere under-studied by science. That place that exists but is unproven in the same way that we have yet found a way to quantify consciousness. As such it remains in the realm of philosophy.

Studies have shown that listening to classical music has positive effects on scholastic endeavors and higher thinking abilities. I have to believe that long "Rock" songs have to be approaching that same effect. At least on me. Long songs are the only music I can listen to and work on intellectual pursuits at the same time. Like I am doing right now. I'm willing to bet my brain activity lights up like a pinball machine in the same way test subjects neural electrical activity responds to Mozart.

Of course it's all aesthetics.



That out of the way let's try the "Review" portion of the review post.

First song up is "Life is colder than beer" by Reading. I have tried to find this band on the internet to hyperlink. I have not been successful. As such I can give you no extra info on this band and the song other than my experience listening to the aforementioned track.

I loved it. The monologue at the beginning is interesting. A woman is describing her previous apathy towards making anything significant out of her life and her concurrent predilection for drinking heavily. But all that's "changed". She has a "purpose" now. Some "meaning". She gives the vibe that she's hooked onto some sort of new philosophy kick, or maybe discovered Jesus. The feel to me is very tongue-in-cheek and sarcastic. As such I love it in the way I enjoy all things satirical. Without any background info about the bands m.o. however, I cannot say for sure that it is not completely face value.

The music is mostly instrumental, with intermittent punctuated verses as most "long songs" tend to be. Fine by me. Especially since I do not consider myself the best at interpreting lyrics.

"Life is colder than beer" is the perfect title for this song. The lead singer talks about not caring for fame and success, or at least now that he has it he does not want it, or it is not pleasant to continue down the path towards achieving it. Beer is cold, but is at least intoxicating. Life is cold, but hard. Wake up calls and realizations are generally not intoxicating. In fact, they are sobering.

Good song. Good sound. Good depth to the material. Grade is A+.

Track 2 is "Vinyl Fever" by Japancakes.



I did not think it could get better after "Life is colder than beer" but it at least stayed as good.

Wonderfully integrated elements of drums, guitar, bass, keyboard, and what I guess are other "synthesized" elements. I do not understand the technical side of music. 808 drum machines are as high up as I get. Thanks Beastie Boys.

Great beat. Repetitive but not redundant. Transitions occur. Keeps your subconscious attentive while your active mind can take a break.

Great music to put on and daydream. Very relaxing. Not yoga-ish though.

This is the kind of music you absorb.

Grade: A-

Well the first two tracks have been a very pleasant surprise.

Track 3 is "Respect is Due" by The Dismemberment Plan.



Very good. Not quite for me. Looking into this band I see that they were and Indie Rock band formed in 1993. As such I pick up the vibe that they were truly and Indie band and not part of that pseudo-indie wave that picked up in the early 2000's and runs through now. Fans of The Dismemberment Plan are probably true fans of the "Indie" style.

Like Indie music, the vocals are not the typical mainstream polished sounding ones. Much like a speaking voice. Good consistent guitar riff plays through the entire song.

If I would ever let down the walls that protect me from you
I would say respect is due
but not in this lifetime

Very nice. Thoughtful lyrics that define the Indie style. At least from my inexperienced perspective.

Grade: A, like the eggs the USDA lets us eat.

Track 4. "Danelecto 2" by href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yo_la_tengo">Yo La Tengo
href="http://wersmusic.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/2007_10_yolatengo.jpg">

My brain has entered a state of confusion. The name comes off like a cheap electronic mix, which are a dime-a-dozen. Then I read that Yo La Tengo is an alternative music band dating back to 1984. I guess in that period of time you would want to experiment with different styles and sounds. Like when Neal Young did whatever it was he did in the early 80s that caused David Geffen to get pissed and demand a rock album.

I was expecting something in between "Groove is in the Heart" and "The Macharena". This song was neither. That's a good thing.

Artists like to explore, so if this track is a departure for them then power to them.

Not my cup of tea. I like it, but I don't see myself ever specifically seeking out this song. Kind of reminds me of Mario or Legend of Zelda video game music.

Maybe the video game sound is due to the fact that the version I am hearing is the Nobukazu Takemura Mix. Yeah, I think that explains it.

Grade: B-. I would like to hear the original version.

Track 5 is "The Diamond Sea" by the Sonic Youth


Thurston Moore guides us through the beginning of the song with his vocals. The song builds for a few minutes, the vocals cease, and then some sort of faint air raid siren goes off in the background, then things revert back to their original form.

A 19 minute marathon of a song, if your a Sonic Youth fan, or a fan of well, music, you'll sit through it. If your subconscious attention span also suffers from attention deficit disorder, or you need you music to grab your attention and keep it stimulated, then you will not be making it through this entire track.

Summary:Tracks 1,2,3,and 5 are the kinds of songs you listen to while staring at your lava lamp during a thunderstorm. Awesome.

On a critical level I feel that these are the kinds of songs which require knowledge of the band and an affinity for the genre to truly offer a relevant critical analysis.

Scanner Darkly Film Review

Philip K Dick

If you want to be able to grasp A Scanner Darkly, and bring an educated outlook to your viewing of this film then I suggest you do some preemptive reading on whom Phillip K Dick was and the worlds' which he creates and the themes which he explores.

Suffice it to say that Philip was a bit on the crazy side of well...crazy. But in a good way, from the perspective of someone who wants to see great art and won't admit to himself that if he wants a fantastic theatrical omelet he might have to get it from a cracked egg, and deep down he's okay with that despite whatever psychiatric suffering the artist serving him the dish may be undergoing.

Additionally: Philip K. Dick.

In no way am I talking about myself. Okay, maybe I am.

Blade Runner. Minority Report. These are also films adapted from the works of Philip.

(BTW the entire article I shall be fighting the urge to refer to him as Mr. Dick.)

Scanner Darkly is a 2006 film directed by Ricahrd Linklater. It stars Keanu Reeves, Woody Harrelson, Robert Downey Jr, Wynona Ryder, and Rory Cochrane. Continuing his theme of involving himself in thoughtful work of weight and social relevance, George Clooney was a producer of the film.

Immediately I gravitated to the film due to the fact that it sported a cast of people who's smaller projects tend to be their most creative, interesting exploits. You get the impression it's a film they want to do, not just to pay bills and keep their names in the public eye.

The film takes place seven years from the time that the viewer is watching it. Technology is less the theme of this work as opposed to the book and film Minority Report.

Keanu Reeves plays and undercover police officer attempting to gain intelligence as to whom is behind the distribution of Substance D. Substance D. is the highly addictive drug that has debilitated law enforcements attempts at winning the drug war.

Like many of Dick's works themes of the government using technology to survey and control the behavior is prominent,a key puzzle piece in his view of a Dystopian American Future.

I think the best production decision was the one that gave the film it's distinct look . The actors were filmed digitally and then interpolated rotoscope was used to animate them.

This was I believe to be the bast way to present the story on the screen. The constantly pulsating and morphing disguise suit which the police wear to remain anonymous to each other would have been difficult to pull off without the aid of animation. And without animation the discourse may have become more about the films special effects than the story and themes contained within.

As I am typing this however, I feel impotent of the ability to describe what I am talking about in terms of the distinct look of the film, and the aforementioned disguise utilized by law enforcement in the film.

So Here is the Trailer:



I felt the film was excellent. The main thing I hope for when I view a film is to "see something I haven't seen already" meaning I want a fresh artistic dish. Scanner Darkly provides this and more. It provides food for thought and visual stimuli due to it's unique production methods.

Georgia Education Budget Cuts

Quick, let's Stop Investing in the Future!!!!

Or at least that's how it comes off to me.

Initially I tried to say I did not know enough about the budget issue to have a strong opinion for or against, but now, with my research, my firm position sitting on the metaphorical "fence" has been compromised.

On a national level the United States has seen falls across the board when compared to other nations in education. People like Bill Gates and Ann Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education, believe that raising academic standards is the main way of keeping the United States viable in the world market.

As of 2008 the U.S. was rank 18th in education in the world.

Additionally it seems odd to take away from inner city schools in metro atlanta that are already hurting for money. I recall having duct-taped textbooks in high school, not to keep the cover shiny, but so that my textbook would not fall apart.

I have not been successful in obtaining a list of specific programs that I feel could be cut before reaching for money from education's pockets, but I know of some general standard budget draining programs that are probably not going anywhere.

And as we all know military and law enforcement budgets are out of the question. I'm willing to bet that our choked prisons contain more that a couple of prisoners who were convicted of crimes less than violent and whom pose no risk to anyone should they be released. That would definantly free up some money.

Frankly modern politicians get further with "tough on crime" rhetoric than they do with "let's raise taxes a bit or relax some of our silly draconian laws to make room for education investment. So don't look to see any officials running on letting people out of prison.

The drug enforcement question is obvious. i have been unable to obtain an estimate of the total cost of marijauna prohibtion on the state, but I'm willing to bet it would help pay for a few high school textbooks.

Honestly the first thing that comes to mind for me is an experimental raise in the cost of lottery tickets. If Georgia Lotto ticket sales already go towards college funding and HOPE Scholarships why not find that maximum price where revenues can be increased without decreasing sales of lotto tickets.

If one million Georgia citizens buy 1 ticket at 1 extra dollar per ticket that's an automatic extra 1 million dollars for education funding.

It's not the best idea but it's a start. And we are going to have to start somewhere.

Philosophy: Bill Hicks

Bill Hicks

Another Dead Hero:


Invariably when a come across a person who is a self described "HUGE" fan of the band TOOL I ask them if they know anything about Bill Hicks, the man who's image is frequently used in the artwork of TOOLS album sleeves and they generally say they don't know anything besides the fact that he was apparently very influential on the band.

Quick Bio:
Born: December 16 1961
Died: February 26 1994 (pancreatic cancer)
Occupation: Comedian, Philosopher, Enlightener

There's not really any scholarly works on Bill Hicks, ironic considering the wide array of influence he has on many contemporary artists.

Prominent Themes:

1. Governments and organized religion have often times acted as a divisive and oppressive force in society. Especially right-wing and war hawkish elements.

2. Integrity and truth are paramount. Hick's material was often directed at the concepts of greed and "selling out". For example, under no circumstances was it acceptable to him for a prominent artist to allow himself or his music to be used in large scale commercial advertisements. He refereed to rock stars selling coca-cola as "Regeans capitalist wet dream". Pop stars such as Debbie Gibson (think Brittany Spears) with number one albums were indications that we were living on "the third mall from the sun."

3. Drugs like mushrooms and marijuana held powerful positive effects allowing someone to let go of their beliefs about the world and truly see that all is subjective.

Someone with a very small amount of exposure to Hick's material could very easily come away with the impression that he was arrogant and mean spirited when in fact prolonged listening proves the opposite to be true. The theme of togetherness and love are paramount to his worldview.

And if your thinking, probably justifiably so that this does not sound like a funny comedian, please consider:

#19: 100 greatest comedians of all time-as voted on by other comedians

Additionally a film is being planned with Ron Howard directing and Russell Crowe producing and very interested in possibly portraying Bill Hicks.





"The world is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it's real because that's how powerful our minds are. The ride goes up and down, around and around, it has thrills and chills, and it's very brightly colored, and it's very loud, and it's fun for a while. Many people have been on the ride a long time, and they begin to wonder, "Hey, is this real, or is this just a ride?" And other people have remembered, and they come back to us and say, "Hey, don't worry; don't be afraid, ever. Because this is just a ride." And we...kill those people. "Shut him up! I've got a lot invested in this ride, shut him up! Look at my furrows of worry, look at my big bank account, and my family. This has to be real." It's just a ride. But we always kill the good guys who try and tell us that, you ever notice that? And let the demons run amok? But it doesn't matter, because it's just a ride. And we can change it any time we want. It's only a choice. No effort, not work, no job, no savings of money. Just a simple choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love instead see all of us as one. Here's what we can do to change the world, right now, to a better ride. Take all that money we spend on weapons and defenses each year and instead spend it feeding and clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would pay for many times over, not one human being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and outer, forever, in peace."

Public Finance

If you get the feeling this guy of full of it, it's only because he is.

His name is Matthew Lesko and you may recall him from those inane late-night infomercials I remember seeing since the mid 1990s.

They rival Head-On in stupidity.

Essentially Lesko's claim to fame is his assertion that the government is giving away millions and millions of dollars of "free Money" and you would be amazed at what you could get. Just buy any one of his 15 books on the subject.

I say any one of his books because they are all essentially the same thing. You actually can obtain the information for free. It's called the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. Published every year.

Famous (infamous) Quotes:
"I plagiarized the whole thing," he says proudly. "I didn't write a lick."

"I get stuff for free and I sell it for as much as I can get."

I Will NOT be showing a video as a matter of principle. Punish yourself on your own time.


Bridge to Nowhere

"Wasteful Spending" has been a catch phrase for a while now in the lingo of arguing for smaller government.

I thought I would take a look at the logistics of one of the more famous examples from the 2008 presidential election. Ignoring however, the he said she said of for or against.

The idea started and was championed by every Alaskan representative as a positive idea.

Personally I never had an opinion because I don't live in the area and don't know the specifics of the situation.

The Following is pulled from this website:





Why did they like it? Because every politician loves federal funding that boosts the economy of a given area in their district that creates jobs and looks good. Spending generally only becomes wasteful when it's not in your district.

Again from Knik Bridge Facts
Who will benefit from the bridge? Who will lose out?

Those who may benefit from the bridge include:

* Residential and industrial/commercial developers in the Point MacKenzie area
* Landowners in the Point MacKenzie area
* New homeowners in Point MacKenzie (but many of these homeowners will pay a daily toll to travel to work, reducing the financial gain from cheaper housing)
* Bridge-related construction firms

Those who may lose out from the bridge include:

* Downtown Anchorage businesses and cultural institutions
* Anchorage bowl residential property and business owners, whose homes and businesses will not increase in value as much as they would without a bridge
* Mat-Su Borough property owners whose taxes likely will increase to fund access roads and/or new infrastructure needed because of the bridge
* Communities throughout the state that will lose state transportation funds to pay for the Knik Arm bridge instead
* Government Hill residents, who will have a highway through their close-knit, historic neighborhood

Cost:
Total cost around 1.5 Billion dollars.

Although I would say that calling it a bridge to nowhere is a relative term. If you happen to find yourself on an uninhabited island and want to get back to the city, you may find yourself likely to take that convenient "Bridge to Somewhere"

Although the whole idea does remind me of this:

Elimination of the Penny

Republican Jim Kolbe has twice (2002,2006) attempted to introduce legislation that would have ended the production of pennies and eventually left the 5 cent nickel as the lowest value in circulation. Both attempts were ignored.

Reasons for Elimination

1. Producation is at a loss. It currently costs about 1.7 cents to mint a penny.

2. Ultility is limited. Very few people use pennies in their daily transactions. Vending machines and toll booths do not accept them.

3. It would have no effect on prices. Consumers may actually gain about 1/40 a cent per transaction. (robert whaples, wake forest)

Preservation

1. It takes forever for our nation to do anything. (my opinion)

2. History. We've always used the penny. And people like Abraham Lincoln. His face is soothing like a cough drop.

3. The Zinc Lobby. Yes, there is a zinc lobby. They actively lobby in favor of the penny to preserve company profits on behalf of Jarden Zinc Products.

National Elimination Precedents
Isreal
Australia
Finland
Hungary
Sweden
Brazil
UK

Still uses one cent denomination or smaller:US
Russia
Japan
Namibia
and a list that reads like the coalition of the willing.

GAZPROM

Dry Facts:

GAZPROM

GAZPROM is a Russian natural gas company. It is the largest extractor of natural gas in the world.

It was formed in 1989 when the soviet ministry of gas transformed itself into a corporation but maintained all it's current assets.



As you can see it's reach spans the Entire European continent.

Any given year Gazprom produces 17% of the worlds total gas production, and about 10% of the Russian economy.


In Laymans Terms:

Pay up or Vladimir Putin will turn off the heat.

He has once already.

This dynamic brings a whole new meaning to the term "Cold War."


The United States is not the only nation with an issue regarding dependency upon foreign imported fossil fuels.

Essentially Russia can blackmail Eastern Europe. They can do this with price demands. Theoretically they can also suffer a "supply shortage" or "transportation issues" if western European foreign policy takes a turn they don't like.

Russia Ukraine Gas Dispute of 2006

This conflict started in March 2005 over the natural gas and transit prices.

On 1 January 2006 Russia cut gas supplies to the Ukraine. 80% of Russian Gas supplied to Eastern Europe flows through the Ukraine. SO RUSSIA CUT THE GAS SUPPLIES ESSENTIALLY TO MANY EU NATIONS IN THE DEAD OF WINTER.

Supply reductions were known to be occurring. The Ukraine may have been siphoning off gas, or Russia was under supplying and falsely accusing Ukraine of siphoning. Either way the gas had to start flowing, and the Russians were in full control of the situation.

"Europe's Strategic Dependence on Russian Energy" (2007) by Ariel Cohen states:

* Locking in Demand - Moscow is attempting to use long-term contracts with European countries to lock in demand. By dealing separately with countries rather than as a group, Moscow can discriminate countries on prices.
* Locking in Supply - Moscow attempts to consolidate its control of strategic energy infrastructure throughout Europe and Eurasia, including supply, sale, and distribution of natural gas as well as as pipelines, refineries, electric grids, and ports.
*External Consolidation - Moscow is consolidating control of supply outside Russia, particularly by signing long-term exploration and supply agreements with Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.
* Internal Consolidation - Moscow is consolidating Russia's oil and gas sector in the hands of state-controlled entities. Major international entities are pushed out of Russia.
* A Gas OPEC - Russia is "stealthily and steadily" developing a "gas OPEC" cartel to control the output and price of gas. The cartel would include major producers, including Argentina, Bolivia, Venezuela, Iran, and Qatar.[9]

The Communist Soviet Union has passed but a new power, but Russia has rebuilt extremely strong relationships forming a kind of new unofficial capitalist federation consisting of former members of the Soviet Union.

Political Parties

Effective third party candidacies for president. According to Wikipedia there have been only 2 significant ones in the past 100 years. Sadly I have to disagree as we will see.

Bull Moose Party



Actually the Progressive Party was the real moniker of this 1912 attempt at the presidency. But since America love's nicknames, the Bull Moose Party became the popular name.

Essentially, Teddy Roosevelt was ticked at William Howard Taft. That's really about it.

"Theodore Roosevelt was president of the United States until 1909. When he left office, William Howard Taft was chosen to run and won the presidency for the Republican Party. In 1912, Roosevelt was unhappy with Taft's time in office and put his name forward to become the Republican Party's nominee again. The Party chose to stick with Taft. This angered Roosevelt who walked out of the convention and then formed his own party." (americanhistory.about.com)

See, I'm not lying.

Then again this is a guy who just 3 years prior to becoming the president of our nation literally charged a MACHINE GUN NEST in the Spanish American War. Walking out of a convention was not a tough decision.

A hilarious anecdote:
"Roosevelt personally led the attack but paused after charging a few feet with only a handful of men following. He turned around and inquired why no one had followed."

Platforms Included:

"women's suffrage, social welfare assistance for women and children, farm relief, revisions in banking, health insurance in industries, and worker's compensation. The party also wanted an easier method to amend the constitution."(americanhistory.about.com)

This guys resume reads like a Progressive and a Maverick at the same time. Somewhere Glenn Beck is very confused.

Reform Party
The reform party was the result of the 1992 Independent Candidacy of Billionaire Ross Perot.

18.9% of the vote in 1992. 9% in 1996. In the three elections since no 3rd party candidate has broken 5%.

His candidacy was described by the New York Times as "starkly pro-business like a republican", yet "arguing for a level of regulation normally identified with liberal democrats."

But I don't think most people got past these soundholes growing off the side of his noggin.




And finally the dark side of recent American electoral history.




Personally I find the white shading of these states ironically appropriate.

Those four states voted for a man who only 5 years previous had said:
"segregation now, segregation tomorrow and segregation forever" - George Wallace



And apparently less than 20 years before I was born a significant amount of the U.S. population still agreed with him.

The coolest thing I've ever seen

Sit back and let that blow your mind

Additionally:





Interesting, a celebrity willing to satirize his own existance. An edge we've lost as a culture?

Spring Break Blog Entry

No beaches. No booze. No fun.

Not necessarily.

Zihuatenhjo. Mexican city on the Pacific coast. Mexicans say the Pacific has no memory. That's where I will be spending some time in the future. No throngs of students. No tourists.

Pitching again. Or at least I am emptying the contents of my athletic bag by tossing baseballs into a fence. 26 tosses a round, and about 5 rounds.

I even bought a Jair Jurrjen's necklace. Sometimes it's all about looking the part.


I've been turning in some serious Waffle House time as well. At least 4 to 5 nights this spring break. During these study sessions my Blackwater book has been highlighted relentlessly. I know I'm interested in what I am reading, or maybe infuriated, when virtually every word in the book has been turned neon yellow.

I have also learned that urine can smell like coffee.

History of Political Thought

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

American Idol, Hot dogs, and Apple Pie. (i.e. Which Television Show Best Represents American Culture)

Following are two broad categories of Reality Television, and I recognize that the motives of watching any of these shows are not purely negative or worth criticism. This post is written in the spirit of the assignment.

Disclaimer out of the way, let's go.

Train Wreck Television.
That's how I refer to television shows like Cops, The Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown Downward Spiral Hour, and game shows which feature people performing demeaning stunts or eating disgusting food for money or purely just to be on television. It's acceptable to make a fool of yourself as long as you profit or a lot of people learn your name. Afterward, bide your time and accept your guest slot on Rock of Love or the Bob and Tom show. With some luck and a well timed publicity stunt you might achieve enough fame to or infamy to be on one of those C-list celebrity house shows.

Idol worship.
Dancing with the Stars, Newlyweds Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson, The Hills, Real Housewives of(insert city here) etc. Although I think a more appropriate title would be "Really Successful Gold-diggers of...". Denise Richards??? Really?

This is the art of combining voyeurism and consumerism. Watching celebrities. Living through celebs. The benefit of feeling like you are involved in the daily personal life of someone who's existence seems more interesting or desirable. Even if your not that interested it's like the super bowl in that the shows are almost like a social exercise and no one wants to be left out.

Only one show combines contemporary America's desire to both live through celebrities and mock the silly people who are beneath us. This is the one show which provides us with a buffet of flavors in a single dish. The Creme de la Creme.


American Idol


As such, I submit that American Idol displays the current symphony of flavors and preferences that currently encapsulates American culture.

The opening rounds are train wreck television. The three judges visit different cities looking for "talent". We get to laugh at the clueless folks who can't sing and just need to realize how pathetic they are. We get to gawk at the people who wander in with a bizarre gimmick.

It's a modern day Barnum and Bailey Circus. And according to the neilsen ratings, suckers are still being born every minute. About 30 million or so.

The proof is in the pudding. And the pudding is the ratings.

It is in this segment of the show that I am reminded of the Bob Dylan song Ballad of A Thin Man:

You hand in your ticket
And you go watch the geek
Who immediately walks up to you
When he hears you speak
And says, “How does it feel
To be such a freak?”
And you say, “Impossible”
As he hands you a bone

Is the sucker the one on television dressed like a banana singing purple rain or the person who enjoys watching others do this, and then buys the products he or she is hawked during the commercial break?

But I Digress.

Once the auditions are over singers selected the idol worship portion begins.

It's in the word American Idol. Idol

Here is where the other American hunger is satiated. A "idol" is selected, and on top of that, we get to do the selecting. A facet of the "democratization of celebrity." We get to crown someone as being worth our admiration and affection. And in a way, if the contestant you voted for won, you won too. Albeit your own life won't change yet the winner receives instant celebrity.

SIDENOTES/BONUS
1. The capitalist aspect our culture is also on display from the onset of the season. There are winners and losers. Losers go home and winners get a record deal.

2. We like to build up public figures and tear them down. Don't worry, now that this person is famous any embarrassing details of their now public private life are free for scrutiny.

HARDER BETTER FASTER STRONGER AT THE WINTER OLYMPICS



Those four words epitomize the development of athletes over the past 25 years. With modern equipment and advanced training they are just that: harder, better, faster, and stronger.

I remember in the mid 1990s when Pete Sampras's 120mph serve was intimidating. Now Andy Roddick regulary clocks in at over 140mph and tops out at 155mph. In fact, 20 of the 23 fastest tennis serves recorded were performed after the year 2000.

In baseball we watched home run records not merely be broken, but shattered. Albiet steriods were involved.

Sometimes I think we pay a price for always feeling the need to one up a previous record. Especially when it not just the human body involved, but human engineering used to artificially inflate records or force barriers to be broken.

It's in this vain that I bring up the death of 23 year old Nodar Kumaritashvili, a Georgian luger who was killed during practice run at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver on February 12.

Kumaritashvili died on a track that had recieved previous complaints. A record speed of 95mph had been recorded in late 2009 by another luger. In response to the speeds being posted on the Canadian track, the President of the International Luge Federation (FIL) to say that it "made him worry".

Nevertheless runs went on, and why wouldn't they? Olympic officials' had the worlds best emergency medical care available at a moments notice (Nodar was surrounded by medical personal within seconds of his fatal crash) and no lugers had died since
1975.

Then Kumaritashvili had his fatal accident. And despite the olympic commission and FIL's findings that the fatal accident was not due to "an unsafe track" modifications were made to reduce speeds.

This is an example of a reactive approach.

NASCAR, after the death of Dale Earnhardt, took a proactive and prememtive approach.

The limits for what a human being can pilot have not been reached. The limits for what the human body can take in an accident have. As such NASCAR took to installing "safer-barriers" i.e. a softer wall which gives and absorbs the energy from the impact of the automobile instead of forcing the car, and subsequently the driver the from feeling the full impact of a high speed collision.

NASCAR then made the "Car of Tomorrow" a car with several modifications which would increase the safety of the driver.

NASCAR recognized that man and machine had two very different limits. Man could build a car and track that was beyond the scope of what man's body was engineered to handle. As such they took a premeptive approach. As a result no driver has been killed in the last 9 years.

Not bad for a bunch of hicks who turn left for three hours.

However, *&^# still happens. And it is awesome when no one is hurt. Note the 197mph speeds being run.