For the longest time, we didn't have Internet service at our house. Well last year we caved and got everything hooked up. So this past holiday season, we decided that we would inch a bit further out from under our rock and we ended up with Netflix. I know, there are better services and even free ones, but it's a place for us to start. So I have spent some time watching all of my favorite old scary movies, and even some of the newer ones that I can't bring myself to buy on DVD.
Then I watched 'Season of the Witch'. And it was one of the most emotional, terrifying, comedic movies that I have seen in a long time (but not for the reasons you think!). The premise was solid-ish. The cast was decent. The costuming and props were stellar. But it was clear that beyond what the movie had going for it, that the actors just didn't give a shit. I mean at least Kevin Costner was able to try and hold an accent for about 5 minutes during Robin Hood. Yeah, the one from the 90's.
I was really disappointed in Nick Cage and Ron Pearlman. Nick Cage has about the same range of emotion as a rock, and with Ron Pearlman, it was like watching Clay (from Sons of Anarchy) on horse back instead of a motorcycle. Then it hit me.
They have given up. They just don't give a shit anymore. They don't care that they don't have an english accent in a movie that is based in the dark ages in Europe. They don't think twice about the fact that 2 former crusaders would just as quickly kill someone accused of witchcraft as spend 6 days escorting her across the mountains. They don't think twice about risking their life for someone who is a lesser class back when class meant everything.
I don't know maybe it's just me. But it's not just the movies. I have seen evidence of people everywhere just giving up. "I am not going to vote because it won't change anything." "I am not gonna look for work because the government will pay me to stay home." "I am not going to watch my kids, because they need to be kids." And so on. Our nation is in a state of decline because we have all become a bunch of lazy bastards. We want to take the easy way out. We join groups so we won't have to think for ourselves. We want others to tell us what to do or how to act.
We have lost our drive to excel. We have given up.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Meh...
I noticed that during the wonderful holiday season, that I was slacking on my little corner of the Internet. I had been distracted. I was busy trying to survive what will someday be known as 'The Most Stressful Time of the Year'. I think that the holidays will even beat out tax season for that honor. But enough about me...
I was listening to the radio this morning and what I can't help but notice is that everyone seems to have lost their damn minds. People are in a tizzy about Tebow and the Broncos, someone even tried to make the connection that he is the second coming of Jesus. Something about how all of the numbers match up from the first playoff game to his favorite bible verse. Then I was amused that our government is meeting today to discuss ending the censorship of public broadcasters.
Yep. Soon you could be able to hear George Carlin's 7 words you can't say on the radio, on the radio. Nudity and language would be essentially what you can get right now for the low, low price of your cable bill. Now don't get me wrong, I am not a prude, nor am I going to use the 'Think of the children' line. Right now it is a basic battle of rights versus censorship. Is the fact that television and radio are restricted by the FCC a violation of free speech? Should they have different rules governing them then everyone else? Just listen to the bleeps and watch the blurs. While it has been the standard for many years, now people are taking the fight to the supreme court claiming that it is a violation of rights.
Now I don't think that I would really care that much if they decided that you could cuss on the radio. I also know that parents everywhere will be using the fact that they have kids to try and get the government to do what they want. Well here's an idea...pay attention to what your kids are watching! If you don't want to hear people cussing, then don't watch that channel. I am sure that despite all of the warnings and the doom sayers, that the industry will police itself. I don't think that if the standards are changed for radio and TV that every station in the US will develop an acute case of Touretts. I don't think that boobs and butts will take the place of the evening news. I would like to think that our broadcasters would want their stations to maintain the integrity that they have built over the years.
But then again I could be wrong.
Yep. Soon you could be able to hear George Carlin's 7 words you can't say on the radio, on the radio. Nudity and language would be essentially what you can get right now for the low, low price of your cable bill. Now don't get me wrong, I am not a prude, nor am I going to use the 'Think of the children' line. Right now it is a basic battle of rights versus censorship. Is the fact that television and radio are restricted by the FCC a violation of free speech? Should they have different rules governing them then everyone else? Just listen to the bleeps and watch the blurs. While it has been the standard for many years, now people are taking the fight to the supreme court claiming that it is a violation of rights.
But then again I could be wrong.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Lack of support
There are all kinds of support. There are structural supports. There are emotional supports. There is child support. There is athletic support. There are way too many types of support to list here. Then there is community support. Now I define community support like this. We live in a giant group, there are people with several different roles. Each roll needs to be able to provide some type of support for the surrounding rolls. Otherwise we couldn't function as a giant colony. Kinda like a bra when the underwire snaps. Things get uncomfortable and binding.
So I have a hard time trying to figure out people who won't support anything.
And the definintion of support, just in case anyone forgot along the way...
So I have a hard time trying to figure out people who won't support anything.
And the definintion of support, just in case anyone forgot along the way...
sup·port
[suh-pawrt, -pohrt]
verb (used with object)
1. to bear or hold up (a load, mass, structure, part, etc.); serve as a foundation for.
2. to sustain or withstand (weight, pressure, strain, etc.) without giving way; serve as a prop for.
3. to undergo or endure, especially with patience or submission; tolerate.
4. to sustain (a person, the mind, spirits, courage, etc.) under trial or affliction: They supported him throughout his ordeal.
5. to maintain (a person, family, establishment, institution, etc.) by supplying with things necessary to existence; provide for: to support a family.
I look around me, and all I see are people who pay lip-service to the word above. They are willing to put their name behind something or someone as long as it fits in their grand plans.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Post Holiday fun!
Frag-"Today we are going to start the new post "Hannakwanzayulemasseid" tradition...The imaginary gift swap!"
Fig-"Huh? Oh I see, I can get rid of all the odd stuff I got by giving it to someone else!"
Frag-"Yep. Now here is how it works, You can gift anyone with anything, it does not matter that you may not have received a piece of ill fitting lingerie or Aunt Ethels Fruitcake. It is then up to the person you gifted to re-gift to someone else! So if you take part in the gift swap, please tag the people you are gifting to this community, so they can share in the joy!
Fig-"Okay, I'll go first. To my facebook friends I gift a years subscription to my issues! To Becky, I gift 1 brick of fruitcake that has no doubt been passed around for the last 5 years. To all of the politicians, I gift the extra brain cells that I have in hopes that someday they will be as smart as the average person. To Jules, I gift the Black leather teddy!"
Frag-"Good start. Now let's see...To Jesse I gift the tin of stale popcorn! To Wolf, I gift a 3 year old cheese and meat tray that I got last year from the person that I gave it to the year before, Raven and Eric get the creepy snowman candles..."
Frag-"Okay see how that works, it is now up to the people who read my little blog to find someone to re-gift the stuffs (and add their own stuff). Then it is up to the re-giftees to re-gift adding their own personal touches along the way!"
Fig-"Come on people! I wanna see how far that fruit cake will travel!!!"
Frag-"And the starting bell has sounded!! Swap Away!!!"
Leave your 'gifts' in the comments!
Fig-"Huh? Oh I see, I can get rid of all the odd stuff I got by giving it to someone else!"
Frag-"Yep. Now here is how it works, You can gift anyone with anything, it does not matter that you may not have received a piece of ill fitting lingerie or Aunt Ethels Fruitcake. It is then up to the person you gifted to re-gift to someone else! So if you take part in the gift swap, please tag the people you are gifting to this community, so they can share in the joy!
Fig-"Okay, I'll go first. To my facebook friends I gift a years subscription to my issues! To Becky, I gift 1 brick of fruitcake that has no doubt been passed around for the last 5 years. To all of the politicians, I gift the extra brain cells that I have in hopes that someday they will be as smart as the average person. To Jules, I gift the Black leather teddy!"
Frag-"Good start. Now let's see...To Jesse I gift the tin of stale popcorn! To Wolf, I gift a 3 year old cheese and meat tray that I got last year from the person that I gave it to the year before, Raven and Eric get the creepy snowman candles..."
Frag-"Okay see how that works, it is now up to the people who read my little blog to find someone to re-gift the stuffs (and add their own stuff). Then it is up to the re-giftees to re-gift adding their own personal touches along the way!"
Fig-"Come on people! I wanna see how far that fruit cake will travel!!!"
Frag-"And the starting bell has sounded!! Swap Away!!!"
Leave your 'gifts' in the comments!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
The point of no return...
We all have moments. We all want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. We all want to be needed and loved. We all want to belong. What we don't realize, is that in order to belong, we have to give up part of ourselves. We tell ourselves that what ever group we plan on joining, will accept us for who and what we are, but in the end most groups demand major changes in order to belong. Most groups want us to give up a part of ourselves and replace it with what they want in their members.
It is the party line. Any group no matter who they are or what they stand for have a party line. And they want their members to swallow that line like a fat kid chugs kool-aid. The 'party line' is how and what the group chooses to align itself with. Look at politics, you have democrats and republicans. They want the people who claim to be dems and reps to follow what the party says. They want them to vote for the party candidates. Fortunately in that case, people can and do exercise a certain amount of free will.
That is one end of the spectrum. The other end is the close knit groups. These are the frats, the gangs, and the clubs. They tend to use a much more subtle type of indoctrination. The promise of family and brotherhood is seductive. The promise that no matter what goes wrong, your 'brothers', your 'family' will be there. So many people are willing to let go of what makes them special, and they are willing to follow blindly what is asked of them. That's not loyalty, that's idiocy. True family, and true brothers never ask you to take on tasks that they, themselves would never take on first. They never ask you to give up a part of your self if you want to spend time with them.
As alluring and as tempting as it is to seek and perhaps find something like that, you have to ask yourself, 'Will I like what I will become if I take the leap?' 'Is it worth loosing my morals, and my internal compass just to fit in with a group?'
As a wise man once said..."I don't want to belong to any group that would have me as a member."
It is the party line. Any group no matter who they are or what they stand for have a party line. And they want their members to swallow that line like a fat kid chugs kool-aid. The 'party line' is how and what the group chooses to align itself with. Look at politics, you have democrats and republicans. They want the people who claim to be dems and reps to follow what the party says. They want them to vote for the party candidates. Fortunately in that case, people can and do exercise a certain amount of free will.
That is one end of the spectrum. The other end is the close knit groups. These are the frats, the gangs, and the clubs. They tend to use a much more subtle type of indoctrination. The promise of family and brotherhood is seductive. The promise that no matter what goes wrong, your 'brothers', your 'family' will be there. So many people are willing to let go of what makes them special, and they are willing to follow blindly what is asked of them. That's not loyalty, that's idiocy. True family, and true brothers never ask you to take on tasks that they, themselves would never take on first. They never ask you to give up a part of your self if you want to spend time with them.
As alluring and as tempting as it is to seek and perhaps find something like that, you have to ask yourself, 'Will I like what I will become if I take the leap?' 'Is it worth loosing my morals, and my internal compass just to fit in with a group?'
As a wise man once said..."I don't want to belong to any group that would have me as a member."
Friday, December 30, 2011
Boredom...
I know things get tired and boring. I know that people, as much as they say they don't mind change, actually hate it. I realize that people have lives that may or may not include everyone they have ever met. But what I don't get is when people feel the need to start drama. Life is a fluid creature. It changes, it evolves, it devolves and it moves in really strange ways.
But if you are so bored that you need to focus your attention on a few people, then you need to find a freakin' hobby. I guess I should feel honored that I can spend months doing nothing at all and still be a topic of conversation. But damn, if you're gonna talk about me give me a heads up so that I can do something cool.
A few days ago, I had another strange encounter with a very bored person. Wolf and I had gone to our regular grocery store to pick up a few items, and within 10 seconds of entering the store, we had a security guard following us at a not-so-discreet distance. He followed us through the whole store. I wanted to go an ask him what he found so damn interesting about us, seeing as we were shopping. I held my inner bitch in check and we went on our way. As I was mulling over the experience in my mind I came to the conclusion that the guy that was following us was on a power trip, and bored.
Now one bored person isn't that bad. But when you get a group of bored people, then shit starts getting interesting. It doesn't take very long for a rumor to spread, and it takes even less time for people to start forming negative opinions. Those start to spread like a cancer. And a lot of people will take those rumors at their word, rather than seek the truth. Why? Because it is more interesting to hear the over-blown, made-up, fictional tales. It alleviates the boredom and makes life seem a little less dull, or shitty because now things are happening to others and not to them. Add a sense of entitlement, some misguided philosophies, and you have any large group of people that have spent a fair amount of time together.
Throw in some alcohol and you've got a party!
But if you are so bored that you need to focus your attention on a few people, then you need to find a freakin' hobby. I guess I should feel honored that I can spend months doing nothing at all and still be a topic of conversation. But damn, if you're gonna talk about me give me a heads up so that I can do something cool.
A few days ago, I had another strange encounter with a very bored person. Wolf and I had gone to our regular grocery store to pick up a few items, and within 10 seconds of entering the store, we had a security guard following us at a not-so-discreet distance. He followed us through the whole store. I wanted to go an ask him what he found so damn interesting about us, seeing as we were shopping. I held my inner bitch in check and we went on our way. As I was mulling over the experience in my mind I came to the conclusion that the guy that was following us was on a power trip, and bored.
Now one bored person isn't that bad. But when you get a group of bored people, then shit starts getting interesting. It doesn't take very long for a rumor to spread, and it takes even less time for people to start forming negative opinions. Those start to spread like a cancer. And a lot of people will take those rumors at their word, rather than seek the truth. Why? Because it is more interesting to hear the over-blown, made-up, fictional tales. It alleviates the boredom and makes life seem a little less dull, or shitty because now things are happening to others and not to them. Add a sense of entitlement, some misguided philosophies, and you have any large group of people that have spent a fair amount of time together.
Throw in some alcohol and you've got a party!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Oops
So I had this great holiday post planned, almost finshed, and I closed the window. So I am not going to try and remember what I had typed. At least not after a bottle of mead.
So all you guys are gonna get is happy -what ever you celebrate, be nice to each other and try to pick a new years resolution that you actually have a chance of following.
So all you guys are gonna get is happy -what ever you celebrate, be nice to each other and try to pick a new years resolution that you actually have a chance of following.
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