So, it's a political season and Bernie Sanders, our fun loving independent Senator from Vermont has been calling himself a Democratic Socialist. Many on the right have said we are descending into socialism. Some even equate the Nazi party to the concept of socialism, which is akin to saying; 'Mormons are Christians, therefore all Christians are Mormon.'
So, here's the definition: Socialism is a political ideology and movement which has proposed a set of social and economic measures, policies and systems characterized by social ownership and democratic control of the means of production.
Our Democracy has socialistic elements. Our infrastructure and defense structure are a form of socialism. Our civil service works for the people. Get over the word. It's not evil. It's baked into our democratic process. We are not ever going to become a communistic state nor are we (unless we elect Trump) going to become a fascist state.
Our choices on the Democratic side are a Centrist hawk who used to support Barry Goldwater and an independent Senator with more of a labor focus. The Republican side has Trump, who will probably be the party's nominee. He's a self-serving nut job who plays to the lowest common denominator in the Republican party. They also have some decent candidates in Bush, Kasich, and Rubio, but all of them are fairly conservative, but not a wild card like Trump.
The bottom line though is that even in the right wing of the Republican party, there are socialistic elements. There is a need and role for government, or social programs that the state must manage. People need to get off of the term socialism and focus on the issues. Stupid slogans and demagoguery do nothing but whip up the base and speak to the unintelligent.
So my wish for the new year is a reasoned debate on real issues. Pfft... I can dream.
So, I’m 54 years old. I know it doesn’t seem like I’m that old. At least it doesn’t to me. I mean, for the most part, I dress in black t-shirts and shorts, listen to music that is too loud, and post on Facebook too much. But, I am 54 and prone to bouts of reflection. That is why this blog entry is about that; reflection on being beyond mid-life and moving forward with a positive attitude. I’ve always been an optimist. I try to see the good in what lies ahead of me. I realize that there are negative forces out there, but I can’t see the need to expend energy to dwell on them (other than to understand the source and avoid the trap). I think that there can be beauty in everything, but then again some would say that I’m overly sentimental. I was listening to a song on a new album I just purchased (linked here) and it covers the age old idea of building a time machine and going back in your past to change your future. This is an interesting thought exercise and believe me, when time machine technology becomes available, I’m running back to a couple of places to make sure that I sufficiently mess up my future. What? If you go back to more than one point in your past, won’t only the furthest point have any lasting effect? Possibly, but I like to think of time as a bowl of spaghetti, rather than a single ribbon. There are so many points in my past where decisions pushed me one way, when multiple other ways were available. Do those other paths exist in alternate realities? I would love to think so. I would also love to think that all of those paths tend to lead in the same general direction; a path toward happiness. So, going back, I might realize that what I perceived as ignorance and poor self-image was just fear. I might have spoken more to that amazing individual I met at a party in the early 90s. I might have realized that some of the people I lost contact with were really people that I needed in my life all along. I might have been able to influence my parents decisions on various issues (primarily seeing the value in mutual funds, but I digress). All of these trips to the past would create a slightly different future, but in the end, would I be in a fundamentally different place? I hope not. Things seem to work out if you let them. The important people in your life end up being there. At least that’s how I see it. I’m 54 years old, but I think young. I have old man ailments. I’m overweight, and I could get down on myself and let the poor self-image of the past overwhelm me. But, I have hope. I know that the future will be positive. I know that the people in my life that I call friend are wonderful and important to me. I believe that in that variety of futures in this multiverse, those same friends will influence my life. So, what does this all mean? It means that as I reflect, I feel happy and positive. I hope my family and friends know how much I value and love them. Bah, call this the ramblings of a middle aged hipster and just leave me be on this end of summer morning. I’ll soon be back to inappropriate jokes, music videos that harken back too much to the 70s, and posting on Facebook like a 20-something girl.
2015 promises to be a good year for movies, and if you page through this blog, you will gather that I do enjoy a movie now and then. So, without further ado, here are my top picks for most anticipated movies of 2015...
#10 - Jurassic World: This franchise is somewhat old and tired, but with Chris Pratt coming off that great performance in Guardians, I'm intrigued.
#9 - Ant Man: Marvel has a great track record. That plus Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas seems a good fit. I'm in after seeing the trailer.
#8 - Inside Out: It's a Pixar movie... nuff said.
#7 - The Kingsmen: Okay this hits for me on a lot of levels. It has Samuel L. Jackson as a bad guy. I'm in.
#6 - Tommorowland: Combine Disney, George Clooney, and what looks like an interesting sci-fi story and I'm in.
#5 - Jupiter Ascending - Brought to you by the folks who brought you the Matrix. It looks really pretty. I wonder at what point Sean Bean dies in this movie.
#4 - James Bond ‘Specter”: I'm a sucker for a good (and even not so good) Bond movies, and this one sounds like it could bring us full circle back to the Connery Bond.
#3 - Avengers: Age of Ultron: In a year where a new Joss Wheedon Avengers movie comes out and it's only #3 on my most anticipated, shows a potentially great year at the movies.
#2 - Mad Max: Fury Road: This trailer looks awesome in so many ways. I was caught off guard when I saw it, but I'm totally looking forward to this movie.
#1 - Star Wars: The Force Awakens: It's kind of anti-climatic that this is #1 on the list. It's almost a forgone conclusion and easily dismissed. Also, you have to wait until December for release, but I LOVED the trailer and am really looking forward to this movie.
So, what do you think? 2015 looks like a good year. Mad Max seems a big surprise to me. I'm really looking forward to that movie.
The holiday season is full of top ten lists. Therefore, here's my top ten movies that made me the geek boy that I am.
First some honorable mentions:
Tropic Thunder:
There are a lot of comedies on my list. This one is hilarious and has a spectacular ensemble cast. The Tom Cruise performance almost put it on the top ten.
Brazil:
Terry Gillian is a genius. Brazil is a classic from my youth and was only edged out by 12 Monkeys (The Fisher King was also in contention).
Galaxy Quest:
This is one of the most quotable movies I've seen. Never give up. Never surrender.
Idiocracy:
When this movie came out it was very much out there in terms of a dystopian future. Now it looks about spot on.
True Lies:
One of the best Arnold movies ever. Nuff said.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back:
Should be in the top ten, but the Wrath of Kahn edges it out slightly.
Seven:
This is one of the best movies and probably my number 11 overall. I love the suspense and the twist ending. ... Don't open the box.
The Edge of Tomorrow:
In an era where Hollywood doesn't take chances, comes this truly original and truly wonderful science fiction movie. I love everything about this film.
Okay and now on to the top 10:
10: Star Trek: The Wrath of Kahn
By far the best (IMHO) of the Star Trek movies. At the time it legitimized the original series.
9: A Hard Day's Night
I'm a big Beatles fan and this movie truly captures Beatlemania and the vibe of the band. It is also an excellent movie in its own rite.
8 ; The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou
I love Wes Anderson movies. They are sweet and quirky and full of child like wonder. Life Aquatic is my favorite. Bill Murray just knocks it out of the park with this movie.
7: O Brother, Where Art Thou?
The Cohen Brothers have also made so many good movies. This retelling of the story of Ulysses is spot on in the way that it captures Americana. The performances of Clooney and Tim Blake Nelson are stand outs in my opinion.
6: The Avengers
This was the best interpretation of a comic book ever. Joss Wheedon got everything right in this movie and it cemented the Marvel name as one associated with quality.
5: Young Frankenstein
Mel Brooks is a comedic genius. This movie has it all, with the great interplay between Terri Garr and Gene Wilder. A classic in my mind.
4: Twelve Monkeys
Dystopian science fiction is one of my favorite types of story. This work is excellent, with a great Bruce Willis performance.
3: Princess Mononoke
Hayao Miyazaki is a master of animation. His movies are wonderful pieces of art. This is my favorite. I love the message and the tone. Truly beautiful.
2: The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension
I don't know how many times I've seen this movie. Too many but not enough. This movie not only defines the 80s but is eminently quotable and so much fun. This is my undisputed number 2.
1: Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb
My undisputed number 1, ever since I've seen it, was this wonderful Kubrick film. This movie has everything I want to see in a movie. I love it a lot :)
So, people are upset about all the 'illegals' that 'flood' the US and bemoan 'liberal' attempts to give 'amnesty' to all of these interlopers.
So, that overly inflated sentence is meant to inflame. It's hyperbole and indicative of the debate (if you want to call it that) in this country.
Why is there illegal immigration?
This is the question that isn't really explored. People with a short attention span would say that people come to this country for our jobs. Well, that's partially true, but what most people don't get is that the jobs that illegal immigrants usually get are the lowest paying type of service jobs that many in this country don't even want. In addition to the low pay, employers are not really encouraged to hire 'real Americans' over illegals for those types of jobs, because they save money by ignoring the fact that those people are not American citizens. The illegal worker doesn't demand health care or try and collectively bargain for a higher wage. They are a class of people in indentured servitude, unable to complain. They can only work and die.
The attack on illegal immigration is currently aimed at trying to find, round up, and deport illegal immigrants. This is massively inefficient. Why is there no real attempt to address the reason for illegal immigration at the root; the people who knowingly hire illegal immigrants? The simple answer is that it is politically easy to hire officers and throw people who don't have a voice in this country out. It's a political win/win. Increased attention on tax paying employers who have political clout and produce items at a low cost to the consumer are a much harder sell.
Now, we sit here with no legal ability to bring people into this country, few resources to deal with what is here (due to a systematic reduction in funding for those agencies that deal with immigration) and a new crisis on our border due to the influx of children coming from war torn areas of Central America.
Congress turns a blind eye to the whole issue, but uses it as a cudgel against their opponents because it is an easy issue, without an easy solution. The key points behind any comprehensive immigration reform is to have a valid path to citizenship for people who legitimately want to make a go of it in this country, but there also needs to be funding for interdiction and a crackdown on employers who hire illegals. It totally ignores the fact that legal immigrants add to the national revenue. This is a hard sell.
The American public would have to stomach higher prices for produce and other currently 'low cost' goods for a lasting immigration solution. The political landscape is such that the Democrats want to try, but their efforts are seen as week (even though Obama has deported more people than any other President). The Republicans want a stronger presence on the border and to focus on introduction, but are loath to pay for that increased presence and they don't even want to address the employer (the people that vote for them). So we are stuck with no real solution and a permanent Catch 22 on how to deal with this.
There is no easy answer. The hard answer costs money and pisses people off and causes higher consumer prices. Therefore, it's okay to bitch and moan about illegal immigration, but if you do so and think that there's an easy answer and that one political diatribe is superior, then you are fooling yourself. Nobody wants to address the people who employ illegal immigrants. Nobody wants to tell Americans that they will have to pay more for food and other services. That's the hard answer.
First and foremost we have to understand the culture that we live in. What do we see? What are we constantly barraged with? Images of beautiful people living beautiful lives. 'Nerds' or intellectual and generally socially awkward people strive for that ideal that their favorite media bathes them in, but, in order to thrive, they need to grow and develop the skills to understand how the real and flawed world works.
I start with a basic disagreement on the author's look at the TV show Big Bang Theory. Yes, the show started as a bad stereotype, but has evolved beyond that. The main reason for that evolution (in my opinion) was the addition of the female characters of Bernadette and Amy. Those two gave the Penny character more depth and allowed a more holistic view of interpersonal relationships, where everyone was quirky. The addition of the equal and interesting female characters in addition to the 'pretty blond' helped show something more than a stereotype of how 'cool people' thought nerds were supposed to act.
The idea that the California shooter's psychosis was enhanced somehow by the way that 'Nerd Culture' perpetuates certain stereotypes or expectations is blatantly false. True 'Nerd Culture' is not based on social awkwardness, but on intelligence, and the fascination of the world. It is my contention that truly intelligent individuals understand that relationships are best based on a deep attraction of ideas and that the so-called social norms heaped upon us by society are there only to be mocked and parodied by those who see relationships as deeper than just the superficial and carnal.
American culture breeds misogyny. Misogyny is present in all corners of our society and does need to be exposed and battled. It shouldn't be belittled by only highlighting the extreme. Intelligent people with a love of pop culture are not misogynistic as a matter of course. They are a complex product of society and the pressures that their cohort put upon them. Some people are unstable and break due to those pressures. The majority exist in harmony with the world.
Many nerds are socially awkward and don't have good interpersonal skills. The article asks:
So, a question, to my fellow male nerds:
What the fuck is wrong with us?
The short answer is that you are a product of a culture that perpetuates a misogynistic attitude and that you haven't studied enough to realize that if you thrive by NOT being in the mainstream. You hate the mainstream. An enlightened nerd realizes that it takes time to find like minded individuals who you also might want to partner with in a more physical way. The killer from California was sick, paranoid, and probably arose out of a place where his isolation would be buffered (because fellow nerds can understand and protect isolation).
Perpetuating that misogyny is somehow a bigger problem in this sector of society and not in ALL sectors of society is a classic bait and switch. We can't just throw the nerds under the bus and let the rest of the world go on. We have to realize that misogyny is not to be tolerated in all segments of society and not in just those segments that 'normal' people can ignore.
Also, in such a culture, there exists multiple individuals who resent the fact that they haven't found the right person to partner with. However, the fault lies in the more popular culture for the skewed expectations (watch a James Bond movie if you don't believe me). I believe that so-called 'Nerd Culture' is, or at least can be, more enlightened where ideas are more sexy than anything else
So, a friend of mine posted on Facebook a challenge to list the top 10 movies for a particular letter in the alphabet. Being a big movie nerd, I took that a step further and looked at the top 5 for each letter. This was very hard for some of the big letters like B, D, R. S, and T and some letters like Q only had a few. At any rate, without further ado...
Numbers:
3:10 To Yuma
The 6th Day
The 13th Warrior
300
2010
A:
The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension
Aliens
American History X
Army Of Darkness
The Avengers
B:
The Big Lebowski
Big Trouble In Little China
Blade Runner
Blue Velvet
Brazil
C:
Casablanca
Catch-22
Clerks
A Clockwork Orange
The Commitments
D:
The Dark Knight
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Dogma
Donnie Darko
Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb
E:
Easy Rider
Edward Scissorhands
Elysium
Escape From New York
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
F:
Fargo
The Fifth Element
Fight Club
The Fisher King
Full Metal Jacket
G:
Galaxy Quest
Garden State
Ghost World
Gladiator
The Graduate
H:
A Hard Day's Night
Heathers
Hellboy
High Fidelity
Hot Fuzz
I:
Idiocracy
Inception
The Incredibles
Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Iron Man
J:
Jackie Brown
Johnny Mnemonic
Jumanji
Juno
Jurassic Park
K:
Kelly's Heroes
Kiki's Delivery Service
The King's Speech
A Knight's Tale
Kung Fu Hustle
L:
L.A. Story
Ladyhawke
Lawrence Of Arabia
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou
Life Of Brian
M:
MASH
The Matrix
Memento
Monty Python And The Holy Grail
Mystery Men
N:
Natural Born Killers
Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind
The Nightmare Before Christmas
North By Northwest
Notorious
O:
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
October Sky
Office Space
Old School
Once Upon A Time In Mexico
P:
Pitch Black
The Princess Bride
Princess Mononoke
The Producers
Pulp Fiction
Q:
The Queen
The Quiet American
Quills
R:
Raising Arizona
Rear Window
Repo Man
A Room With A View
Rushmore
S:
Serenity
Seven
Shaun Of The Dead
Slaughterhouse-Five
Spirited Away
T:
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Top Gun
Trading Places
True Lies
Twelve Monkeys
