tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2464636880532788772024-03-05T14:31:24.394-07:00Cathartic Blahjlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-42152090547933173272012-06-25T23:23:00.001-06:002018-11-18T02:13:03.521-07:00More Bravery from Pixar<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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"Shall I always be left behind when the Riders depart, to mind the house while they win renown, and find food and beds when they return?" "A time may come soon," said [Aragorn], "when none will return. Then there will be need of valour without renown, for none shall remember the deeds that are done in the last defence of your homes. Yet the deeds will not be less valiant because they are unpraised." And [Eowyn] answered, "All your words are but to say: you are a woman, and your part is in the house. But when the men have died in battle and honour, you have leave to be burned in the house, for the men will need it no more. But I am of the House of Eorl and not a serving-woman. I can ride and wield blade, and I do not fear either pain or death." "What do you fear, lady?" he asked. "A cage," she said, "To stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire." </blockquote>
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-<i>The Return of the King </i></blockquote>
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Eowyn, in the guise of Dernhelm, later plays a crucial role in the battle for Minas Tirith. In fact, it is explicitly her rejection of Theoden's gender expectations that allows her to be present at the pivotal moment. She puts on a man's armor and deepens her voice; she actually appropriates masculinity in order to fulfill her destiny. It's doubtful that Mr. Tolkien was intentionally commenting on gender construction in <i>The Lord of the Rings</i>; nevertheless, Eowyn's transformation stands out in a book that is otherwise rife with silent women who sit on the sidelines.<br />
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I couldn't help but think of Eowyn, then, while I was watching Pixar's latest entry, <i>Brave</i>. Merida, the spunky, willful princess of an ostensibly Scottish kingdom, resents the obligation that is thrust on her in the form of an arranged marriage. A series of fantastic obstacles threaten the kingdom, but Merida, along with her loving but overbearing mother, manages to save the day and even avoid marriage.<br />
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I found myself pleasantly surprised by the unorthodox story. Like most people who have seen any movie in the genre, I expected the typical, Disney princess-encounters-conflict-only-to-fall-in-love-with-prince story. Instead, Brave gives us a strong, female character who isn't punished by the plot for wanting a different future for herself.<br />
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Even in the most beloved fairy tales, strong heroines are only at the helm of their fate until they find the right man. Suddenly, then, they become supporting characters in their own stories. Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White...they all were made complete by an archetypal, masculine prince. While there isn't anything intrinsically wrong with that narrative, I wonder why there aren't any other options for damsels; must they always be in distress? And if in distress, can none save themselves?<br />
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In <i>Brave</i>, we are treated to a refreshingly feminist take on fairy tales. The two women, Merida and her mother, seem to have everything under control while the bumbling men nearly destroy themselves in their thirst for violence. The two women overcome a series of dangers and their damaged relationship just in time to rescue the kingdom from threats within and without; all the while the men sit around boasting and cavorting. <br />
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What is incomprehensible to me is the great number of reviews (particularly the <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/brave_2012/reviews/?type=top_critics" target="_blank">Top Critics</a> portion of Rotten Tomatoes) that panned the movie for being too "safe". On the contrary, <i>Brave</i> presents a highly irregular and, if anyone dared to take it seriously, potentially controversial position on the question of how gender is constructed. The message to the little girls in the audience: it's ok if you don't want to be a girly princess who becomes complete once a man solves your inadequacy. I can imagine a more conservative, "boys should act like boys and girls should act like girls" perspective that would see <i>Brave</i> as a perverse redefinition of femininity.<br />
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I suspect that most girls, regardless of the shape of their formative years, will probably always imagine themselves as beautiful princesses who will one day be swept off their feet by a prince on a white steed. They'll play dress-up and have tea parties and eventually fall in love and get married. All of those things are wonderful, truly. But for those little girls who long for a different story, for those girls who pine after the "chance of doing great deeds," it's nice to know that there is at least one fairy tale that gives color to their dreams.jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-65041622280282561602011-11-01T21:27:00.004-06:002011-11-01T22:18:59.818-06:00Gridlock<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Z8UBw-khDP_-7ZiJl9GIFOjICvyMZonttTbUaydJRR5KSvKXyztDKkdXb8V_q81rjwT1Z0bcuNGdVMbei1isNji2WYKn7MmBAXm4z47nukqcWJwmPrSu8kAC-4n35wXxPcBRe6LatT0Q/s1600/Traffic-jam-Los-Angeles-007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Z8UBw-khDP_-7ZiJl9GIFOjICvyMZonttTbUaydJRR5KSvKXyztDKkdXb8V_q81rjwT1Z0bcuNGdVMbei1isNji2WYKn7MmBAXm4z47nukqcWJwmPrSu8kAC-4n35wXxPcBRe6LatT0Q/s400/Traffic-jam-Los-Angeles-007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670236801004381282" border="0" /></a><blockquote>"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a flip flop stamping on a human face—forever."<br />-George Orwell</blockquote>I had been warned about traffic before moving to LA. I wasn't prepared, however, for the staggering truth of it: a mass of humanity and steel and exhaust forced through a looping, labyrinthine sieve.<br /><br />I don't hate it, though. That fact surprised me as much as the phenomenon itself. It is simultaneously oppressive and symbolic of the natural order of things. I don't hate it; I respect it. Humans have created this place; LA is a city of commerce, glamour, beauty and disease. It is the best of us and the worst. And the traffic is like a deep scar...sometimes noble and sometimes hideous.<br /><br />Traffic, I propose, has made LA a patient city. The denizens of this former wasteland are willing to wait for their dreams to come true. They'll wait for opportunity, fate and yes, traffic. When lines of cars snake out to the horizon on gridlocked highways, I see a patchwork of different ambitions and hopes struggling to survive. They steer this way and that towards all the things they want in life.<br /><br />Los Angelenos are willing to wait. The traffic may let up any minute...jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-20425296180679747212011-10-09T22:02:00.006-06:002011-11-01T22:18:35.923-06:00The Promised Land<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD48xpKU5nJlkhMWqQ1QMQAeR7iiT5NpGa83eUX9FHHUwXyW3SFBonYpvbPbauDYCQX-_0WQ6kkhSdqKwa4zBhep906EG7qrenGAv5mME8oXkMsTViJ6p7qWmaGVf0SxlcxFbX50fFeSoE/s1600/losangelespalm.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD48xpKU5nJlkhMWqQ1QMQAeR7iiT5NpGa83eUX9FHHUwXyW3SFBonYpvbPbauDYCQX-_0WQ6kkhSdqKwa4zBhep906EG7qrenGAv5mME8oXkMsTViJ6p7qWmaGVf0SxlcxFbX50fFeSoE/s200/losangelespalm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670105165320784802" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Los Angelenos</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />All come from somewhere</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />To live in sunshine</span><br />-Billy Joel</blockquote>After 7 days, 1900 miles and lots of gas, I've finally arrived in Los Angeles.<br /><br />What next? Job, apartment, relationships, destiny? All in due time.<br /><br />For now I'll bask in the sunshine and chaos. I'll frolic under palm tree and overpass. I'll chuckle at reports of the frozen tundratic land I've left behind.<br /><br />Not all my dreams may come to fruition, but it won't be because of the City of Angels. I don't suppose <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> things are possible here, but I aim to tiptoe along the boundary between fantasy and reality.jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-25232824147862813122011-10-05T19:42:00.008-06:002011-11-01T22:17:52.448-06:00Steven P. Jobs 1955-2011<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0n84Jpo7VJ3uSibjISUca27QWMKi7KnxgNmQUqMKOh3mGrZ34sNqENCrPJ8cXOImCwKYRff6K6UdPefNw4320KIdrVDczBeKQxb40hyphenhyphen1adM8NRGVBcBBFS9BEDjbZdV4kv7osfNgvRal/s1600/steve.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC0n84Jpo7VJ3uSibjISUca27QWMKi7KnxgNmQUqMKOh3mGrZ34sNqENCrPJ8cXOImCwKYRff6K6UdPefNw4320KIdrVDczBeKQxb40hyphenhyphen1adM8NRGVBcBBFS9BEDjbZdV4kv7osfNgvRal/s400/steve.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660192568742956418" border="0" /></a>Humanity has lost a giant today. Many will mourn, and their reasons will be varied and perhaps unexpected.<br /><br />I suspect that the full meaning of Steve Jobs' life won't be understood for many years. He was more than just a brilliant entrepreneur and cunning inventor; his genius extended beyond microchips and earnings statements. His life represented something deeper and farther-reaching: a vision for humanity. And, personally, he was a hero and luminary who I looked to for hope in my own future.<br /><br />Our family's first personal computer was a Macintosh SE. It was 1987, and we lived on the bleeding edge of technology; it was the first Mac with an internal hard drive (32 MB!). All my computer-savvy friends at school had Commodore 64's and "IBM Compatibles". Debates often raged at the lunch table about which computer was best, but I vigorously defended our Mac even in the face of public ridicule. Without knowing or understanding it, I had joined a fraternity of consumers unlike any before or since.<br /><br />It wasn't until several years later that I learned about the high priest of our <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cult-Mac-Leander-Kahney/dp/1886411832">cult</a>. Steve Jobs, the nerd of all nerds, birthed a cultural force that lay dormant for decades in the hearts and minds of faithful Apple users. We happily clicked and fawned over our devices even as irrelevance seemed to settle finally upon us with the domination of Microsoft Windows and the ubiquity of the bland 'PC' moniker.<br /><br />These days, the chic Apple logo is everywhere, and it's never been hipper to own one of the devices. How did this happen? And why? Is my iPod just that cool? Does the usefulness of my iPhone stagger me with awe? Nay! These things are just a conveyance for our imaginations and the medium through which Jobs' vision could be shared.<br /><br />Steve Jobs was the last great Humanist, Apple's philosopher-king and America's quintessential tragic hero: bold, brave, flawed and able to overcome. The work he did and the products Apple has churned out year after year suggest a fascination with bringing humans closer together. He wanted people to be more closely knit and be able to communicate and work and understand each other with fewer barriers. This is a simple vision, perhaps, but it is remarkable in that it has been realized and appreciated by so many. President Obama probably put it best: "there may be no greater tribute to Steve's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented."<br /><br />It is an unexpected turn of events that Steve's death is on the same day as my arrival in California. This day was meant to be the start of a new journey and a new life. I have been inspired by Steve's example in the past - not as a future tech leader but as a man following a dream - but this tragedy is still more poignant than I would have expected. I have been greatly comforted, though, by his excellent <a href="http://youtu.be/UF8uR6Z6KLc">commencement speech</a> at Stanford in 2005:<br /><blockquote>"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."</blockquote>I am newly inspired by Steve Jobs' life and death. He said in the same speech that death is the "single best invention of life...it clears out the old to make room for the new." While that is a macabre thought on this particular day, its truth is undeniable. What it means to me is that time is precious, and I don't intend to waste any more. I can best honor Steve's memory and life by following my "heart and intuition". And I think it's likely that his ability to stir the imaginations <span style="font-style: italic;">and actions</span> of his fellow humans may even outlast iPods and iPhones.jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-36123324900890511192011-04-12T15:42:00.005-06:002011-04-12T18:09:36.731-06:00The New King of Comedy?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8QmAN3TECSfu3LXHr9Yq5f759GkN_05ot16A9GKHTg-38_pLQprqIJbbEser90pahnZb8-AbMOkJvWF-rwjAIJ4xiIxDM7pK10btx419_2fPGRH53N6pj4OEGnH0U71DeIOqXjeTekrvQ/s1600/1025-Jon-Stewart-stars.JPG_full_600.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8QmAN3TECSfu3LXHr9Yq5f759GkN_05ot16A9GKHTg-38_pLQprqIJbbEser90pahnZb8-AbMOkJvWF-rwjAIJ4xiIxDM7pK10btx419_2fPGRH53N6pj4OEGnH0U71DeIOqXjeTekrvQ/s400/1025-Jon-Stewart-stars.JPG_full_600.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594820645812721570" border="0" /></a>David Letterman received the <span style="font-style: italic;">Johnny Carson Award for Comedic Excellence</span> at <span style="font-style: italic;">The Comedy Awards</span> the other night. Deserved? Probably.<br /><br />While commenting on the annals of comedy is a bit like arguing about the most beautiful woman in the world, I am nevertheless intrigued by the evolution of the comic arts. Perhaps it's the human need for categorizing common lore or the pervasive nostalgic feelings that help make life meaningful, but some part of me sees a hierarchy in any discipline. Who was the best? Who had the most influence? Who was the most successful? These are the questions we ask about sports stars, movie stars, writers, scientists, CEOs and even chefs. We probably like to make these lists because we all hope to be at the top of one someday.<br /><br />In the world of entertainment, Johnny Carson was the undisputed paragon of late night comedy. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Tonight Show</span> ran for 30 years and started the careers of some of our nation's most beloved comedians: Jerry Seinfeld, Robin Williams, Joan Rivers, Bob Newhart and, of course, David Letterman. Much has been written and spoken about Carson's influence; certainly <span style="font-style: italic;">The Comedy Awards</span>' presentation of the eponymous award fawned over his memory.<br /><br />Who can follow in those footsteps? Surely not Jay Leno with his inelegant departure and return. Conan is a little too quirky. Letterman is funny, but his reach seems limited. Perhaps the show director at <span style="font-style: italic;">The Comedy Awards</span> was suggesting a new name when he cut directly from Letterman to the audience that night: Jon Stewart. From the looks of it, Stewart was the first to stand and clap after Letterman took his bow. I suspect that he, too, had an inkling about the torch that is being passed to the next generation of comedy legends.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Daily Show</span> has won the Emmy for "Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series" every year for the last<span style="font-style: italic;"> 8 years</span>. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Daily Show</span> also has its own list of comedians who started as correspondents and have risen to new heights: Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert and Ed Helms to name a few. Though not yet as glittery a list as <span style="font-style: italic;">The Tonight Show</span>'s, it speaks to the ascendancy of Jon Stewart and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Daily Show</span> as national icons.<br /><br />Perhaps it's premature or just plain silly to anoint Stewart at this point, but I think he has changed the nature of the art. Besides establishing a comedic dynasty, interviewing kings, presidents and scholars, and becoming a necessary stop on any artist's new project promotion, he has also used <span style="font-style: italic;">The Daily Show</span> to have a demonstrable impact on U.S. domestic policy. The best example of this is the 9/11 First Responders bill; <span style="font-style: italic;">The Daily Show</span>'s <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/jon-stewart-rants-republican-filibuster-911-responder-bill/story?id=12422872">relentless focus</a> on this topic seems to have created enough of a stir to move it past its stall point.<br /><br />This makes me wonder: do we want more from our comedians in this new century? The early days of comedy involved mostly slapstick and silly musicals (think, The Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chaplin). Today, however, a growing number of successful comedians are those commenting on current events and poking fun at presidents and despots; sometimes they even <a href="http://www.alfranken.com/">run for office</a>.<br /><br />Whatever role comedians play in the evolution of a public consciousness, they will at least continue to make us laugh. For those efforts, the torch-passing has been seamless and natural. There may not be a Jon Stewart Award for Comedic Excellence in the stars, but his ability to leave us in stitches is undeniable. And in the process of making us nearly wet ourselves, Stewart may find his influence growing in ways he can't yet imagine.jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-9716432557147243132011-04-05T11:57:00.011-06:002011-04-05T13:52:27.407-06:00Glide on the Peace Plane<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiWIB4X71cHBVeziwx3rdb7qO65TcuL3FSCgckKGRhLRSnJtk4-cKaVcMfCZgCcAvyYodruIXfVabXvMLbD5dByZqOo_TTbkDA6w5xbRd7VBNHDyHYmaqD1699nW1lKYrsZrkrdZOLqygs/s1600/Saudi_F-15.JPEG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiWIB4X71cHBVeziwx3rdb7qO65TcuL3FSCgckKGRhLRSnJtk4-cKaVcMfCZgCcAvyYodruIXfVabXvMLbD5dByZqOo_TTbkDA6w5xbRd7VBNHDyHYmaqD1699nW1lKYrsZrkrdZOLqygs/s400/Saudi_F-15.JPEG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592163141087297362" border="0" /></a><blockquote>"What kind of peace do we seek? Not a <i>Pax Americana </i>enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and to build a better life for their children-not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women, not merely peace in our time but peace for all time." -JFK</blockquote>Perhaps President Kennedy didn't realize how much money there is in selling American weapons of war.<br /><br />A recent <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/10/news/international/america_exports_weapons_full.fortune/index.htm">article</a> in <span style="font-style: italic;">Fortune</span> discusses the potentially disturbing circumstances surrounding the business of arms exports in the United States. Evidently President Obama is actively trying to increase sales and make it easier for our allies, or would-be allies, to purchase weapons from us.<br /><br />The above picture is a Boeing-made F-15 fighter jet manufactured specifically for Saudi Arabia. I can't help but notice the Arabic letters emblazoned on the fuselage; the juxtaposition of those foreign characters and the classic, stenciled English titles would almost be hilarious if it didn't represent such a seemingly dark and chaotic reality.<br /><br />The scope and magnitude of these arms sales, coupled with recent tumult throughout the Middle East, gives me pause. It's a dangerous world, and even the experts can't say for sure what our best move should be. So for me to weigh in is a little like trying to send forth some kind of personal cosmic energies towards and on behalf of a favorite sports team.<br /><br />As a citizen of this planet, though, I have a vested interest in life moving on without death and destruction on a massive scale. And so, President Obama, what's the plan? The whole world is looking to you for an ingenious solution to terrorism, nuclear weapons, desert insurgencies, domestic woes and the tragically unrealized hope of a world without war and poverty.<br /><br />The president has gotten criticism for not doing anything regarding Libya, then for doing too much, then for not doing enough. The criticism may be deserved in this case, however. Not because, as my conservative counterparts may insist, President Obama is weak and ineffectual. Rather, it's because nobody knows the answers or can identify the correct path.<br /><br />I don't have a clue if we should bomb Libya, liberate Libya, or leave Libya the hell alone. Some critics have harangued the president about his lack of consistency in dealing with the various Islamic hotspots in recent months. Other, more liberal, critics have scoffed at the idea that the President would make decisions based on what was best for global U.S. interests(even <a href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-march-21-2011/america-s-freedom-packages"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Daily Show</span></a>).<br /><br />There have been some well-branded doctrines and taglines in past administrations that have helped Americans understand and connect with the foreign policy choices and the reasons behind them. (Think Monroe Doctrine, Bush Doctrine, Shock and Awe, Axis of Evil) What is the Obama Doctrine? People have struggled to figure that out, and I tend to think that it's because there is no such doctrine. We seem to expect our presidents to develop and adhere to monolithic dogmas that act, at best, as guidelines for foreign policy decisions and, at worst, as blind templates to be used in any situation. The world is increasingly a place, though, where such expectations are foolish.<br /><br />But what of arms sales? Where does that fit in to the president's plan? It is certainly disturbing to think of the U.S. selling arms to countries who might use those very weapons against us in the future. On the other hand, the <span style="font-style: italic;">Fortune</span> article points out that, in virtually every case, the weapons we're selling aren't exactly top-of-the-line. The F-15, for example, is a 30-year old design. We sell Patriot Missiles, and those haven't been in vogue since the first Gulf War.<br /><br />There are various theories surrounding the rationale for selling these weapons. The most interesting one suggests that the U.S. is essentially duping the Saudis and others into buying 'second hand' goods; we get all the upside: money, jobs, allies, and the buyers can't ever effectively use them to seriously harm us or anyone we care about. Moreover, nations like Saudi Arabia, armed with second-tier U.S. weapons, can help isolate wild cards like Iran.<br /><br />I don't think there is an Obama Doctrine, but if there is, maybe it's an effort to reposition the United States as that girl in high school who tries to be everyone's best friend: not many really like her, but they definitely don't hate her. Conventional wisdom says that engagement and proximity are crucial for peaceful coexistence, whether it be in the form of global arms trade or navigating the dicey waters of a teenage girl's social life.<br /><br />As a grad student 5 weeks away from completing his MBA, I tend to believe that it's hard to get mad at the people you do business with. So maybe that's our goal: let potent economic forces stir the cooperative self-interest in all of us.<br /><blockquote>"It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity, but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities, but of their advantages."<br />-Adam Smith</blockquote>jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-15879871876861290972011-02-22T11:25:00.004-07:002011-02-22T12:24:01.486-07:00Mobile Nirvana<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdUGTZPGiLu43EPtln7CCyVGL44NNdmpvso22abpmTtMVnFXwAc48t1EcjZXvb2BsRk7bRgvx8PFSqjzW2fHqzN2RZLFBsd_MtFRNeLprUr6Iwslte0qxoKkMbnEHQxGnjDYC_JaGHalO/s1600/verizon-iphone-launch-feb-3rd.jpeg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 231px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdUGTZPGiLu43EPtln7CCyVGL44NNdmpvso22abpmTtMVnFXwAc48t1EcjZXvb2BsRk7bRgvx8PFSqjzW2fHqzN2RZLFBsd_MtFRNeLprUr6Iwslte0qxoKkMbnEHQxGnjDYC_JaGHalO/s400/verizon-iphone-launch-feb-3rd.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576594948179944498" border="0" /></a>"iPhone 4. Verizon. It begins." This is the recent tag line that appeared in Apple ads for the new Verizon iPhone. Too dramatic? Not for me.<br /><br />I'm a longtime Apple user. Maybe product loyalty is an inherent trait, since I'm also a fairly longtime Verizon customer. I couldn't have predicted the ascendancy of the iPhone, nor could I have envisioned the 4 year reign of AT&T's exclusivity agreement with Apple. So, needless to say, my technological ch'i has been noticeably out of wack for several years.<br /><br />No longer. The Verizon iPhone 4 is my new companion. To know it is to know blissful, electronic enlightenment. After a 6-month stint with an Android phone, I have finally arrived. No more goofy usability problems or OS malfunctions. It knows my MacBook, and my MacBook knows it. I have emerged from my dark, primitive chrysalis, and now I can fly freely to and fro across the technoverse.<br /><span class="sqq"><span class="sqq"></span></span><blockquote><span class="sqq"><span class="sqq">"If a man can control his [phone] he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.</span>”</span><br />-Buddha</blockquote>jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-78820863160976965992011-02-21T22:38:00.006-07:002011-02-22T12:25:13.624-07:00Hoodwinked!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCUhJfVhVl_bsVVAk4Mno8ZUCZEgYRJ2R0vDSu1qLrf6TtiayJ_tFairjPTkK72uzUv7C4PE_Kp7TOAXLql-vZp5SMmzQT7nm8s0G2weGiqAI2yLGiDeCxi5SoM9NrxQvplFDRXd9CQoD/s1600/tim-burton-2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCUhJfVhVl_bsVVAk4Mno8ZUCZEgYRJ2R0vDSu1qLrf6TtiayJ_tFairjPTkK72uzUv7C4PE_Kp7TOAXLql-vZp5SMmzQT7nm8s0G2weGiqAI2yLGiDeCxi5SoM9NrxQvplFDRXd9CQoD/s320/tim-burton-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576386985049784386" border="0" /></a>Oh Tim Burton, who have ye become?<br /><br />I recently saw Burton's version of <span style="font-style: italic;">Alice in Wonderland</span>, and I'm left wondering..what happened? He used to be a director with so much promise. He was unique and quirky. He made darkness nifty and entertaining. He made <span style="font-style: italic;">Batman</span>!<br /><br />After <span style="font-style: italic;">Pee-wee's Big Adventure</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Beetlejuice</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Batman</span>, I remember thinking <span style="font-style: italic;">Edward Scissorhands</span> was weird but not bad; I assumed it was either an aberrant misstep or merely not my thing. Then came <span style="font-style: italic;">Batman Returns</span>. Ok, I thought, sequels are tough. He got a pass. <span style="font-style: italic;">Ed Wood</span>? Just being experimental. Everyone is allowed a <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078723/"><span style="font-style: italic;">1941</span></a>, after all.<br /><br />At <span style="font-style: italic;">Mars Attacks</span>, I was still trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, but the doubt was clearly growing. <span style="font-style: italic;">Sleepy Hollow</span> was weakly hollow, but still in the Burton vocabulary.<br /><br />Enter <span style="font-style: italic;">Planet of the Apes</span>. There aren't enough disparaging words available to accurately trash this horrid mess of a movie. And still I believed that, somehow, the best days of Tim Burton were still ahead. Maybe it's because I recall so fondly the twisted genius of <span style="font-style: italic;">Pee-wee</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Beetlejuice</span>. Maybe it's because I give him too much credit for causing me to believe that a superhero movie could touch brilliance and reinvigorate a ridiculous sub-genre.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Big Fish</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Sweeney Todd</span> all flew by in a blur of speckled mediocrity. The titillating murkiness of his earlier work had given way to full blown creepers. What was intriguing and subtly hilarious about Michael Keaton's <span style="font-style: italic;">Batman</span> had been obliterated by the uncomfortably effeminate and Michael Jackson-esque <span style="font-style: italic;">Willy Wonka</span>.<br /><br />And now <span style="font-style: italic;">Alice in Wonderland</span>. I'm not sure why I'm surprised. Maybe I continually hope for the resurrection of a promising career in a world of so much schlock. Maybe the redemption narrative just simply rules supreme in my psyche. Either way, I give up on you, Tim Burton! You won't hoodwink me any longer! Joel and Ethan understand me. Steven still has many wonderful cards up his sleeve, no doubt. Quentin, I'm tingling with anticipation. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Departed</span> showed us that Marty still has some game, and even Oliver, though wussing out in his old age, may still surprise us.<br /><blockquote>"We've seen every conceivable battle sequence, every duel, all carnage, countless showdowns and all-too-long fights to the finish. Why does <span style="font-style: italic;">Alice in Wonderland</span> have to end with an action sequence? Characters not rich enough? Story run out? Little minds, jazzed by sugar from the candy counter, might get too worked up without it? Or is it that executives, not trusting their artists and timid in the face of real stories, demand an action climax as insurance? Insurance of what? That the story will have a beginning and a middle but nothing so tedious as an ending?"<br />-Roger Ebert</blockquote>jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-49385038857936924632010-12-14T00:09:00.008-07:002011-02-22T12:26:27.657-07:00Tread Lightly...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggv6uzlw2ueja4B-o2qBx9FnCxaF56XFb5Z-6vNbgebwAJ6ldXWEQMTpBPX5bZneSNI2CnSOSUEATJzKFFmy3b_Xs7wmIuowM6AwrF7mSiGSyG-uL3jVfbOd77xPOwYzGpvccTtA-iD6I9/s1600/200px-TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader%25281stEd%2529.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 142px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggv6uzlw2ueja4B-o2qBx9FnCxaF56XFb5Z-6vNbgebwAJ6ldXWEQMTpBPX5bZneSNI2CnSOSUEATJzKFFmy3b_Xs7wmIuowM6AwrF7mSiGSyG-uL3jVfbOd77xPOwYzGpvccTtA-iD6I9/s200/200px-TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader%25281stEd%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550460007745936882" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-style: italic;">...On the next page she came to a spell 'for the refreshment of the spirit.' The pictures were fewer here but very beautiful. And what Lucy found herself reading was more like a story than a spell. It went on for three pages and before she had read to the bottom of the page she had forgotten that she was reading at all. She was living in the story as if it were real, and all the pictures were real too. When she had got to the third page and come to the end, she said, "That is the loveliest story I've ever read or ever shall read in my whole life. Oh, I wish I could have gone on reading it for ten years"...</span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">-Lucy, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader</span></blockquote>Like many, I had a very active imagination as a child. Books like those in <span style="font-style: italic;">The Chronicles of Narnia</span>, then, were the perfect escape for a young mind sometimes burdened by the hardships of youth. One gets the sense that Mr. Lewis wrote his books just for that very purpose: a literary city of refuge for children who haven't quite discovered who they are. The message while there, though, is that the real world is worth returning to.<br /><br />I watched the movie version of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Voyage of the Dawn Treader</span> this evening. Setting aside, for a minute, the unforgivable massacre of the plot, this movie is a total betrayal of the essential beauty of the novel.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Dawn Treader</span>, like all of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Narnia</span> books, springs out of the idea that the minds and imaginations of children are not just silly things; they are, on the contrary, a crucial part of maturation. The worlds we create as children are vital in that we learn how to see ourselves living, acting and choosing for ourselves. We go away to search for buried treasure, climb an impossibly high mountain, or explore a distant planet. But as we go, we are anchored to our real lives by story elements that are familiar to us. We may be suddenly ripped from our delicate reverie by a call to dinner or the end of a chapter, but joy from that world is still with us, and it may even help us deal with reality, however harsh it may be.<br /><br />I didn't really expect the movie to explore any of that stuff, but I was holding out hope that it might somehow hit on the nature of childhood or simply show Narnia through the eyes of an awe-filled child whose dreams are boundless and bold.<br /><br />Instead, the director, writers and producers chose to rearrange it into an unnecessarily high-paced barrage of special effects and regurgitated sci-fi/fantasy plot devices. A once-delightful story with complex and conflicted characters, unexpected twists and an interesting theological foundation has been lobotomized and fluffed.<br /><br />This is the third movie in the series, and each has strayed further from the path. Since I have played out these stories in my head countless times, I suppose no movie could compare to what I've been able to conjure. Having said that, such an admirable and noteworthy set of writings is deserving of a more substantive attempt. Children are meant to enter Narnia for the nourishment of their souls, and, instead, this movie simply primes a baser desire for flash and swashbuckling.<br /><br />Of course even this cinematic travesty can't ruin what lives in my mind and heart. I'm content to, every once in a while, return to the Narnia of my dreams. To slip away to a place in my mind, even if only for a few minutes, to a safe place where where colors are more perfect, breezes are always warm, and happiness is something that is easily accessible to all who yearn for it. It isn't an escape or even a respite anymore; it is a nostalgic pause that reminds me of who I have become and what steps it took to get here. Moreover, I can be encouraged by the fact that adventures aren't just for children's books and that we all have the chance to be the hero of our own story.jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-20236515377914695782010-12-09T15:27:00.008-07:002011-02-22T12:28:23.880-07:00Unlikely bedfellows<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZcBnAMoh7u4ktOCq7p7iDC-sL_U3oL-d7GIU2HZZhpM_TIqEDUu2mI_Q2Qixlqjr7PSvoejzuAwrK2DB-o3uW_mhWz3lGeMWD4D0b_QR98QeQHDEpZMQjmZt8okc9qRQ_x9v-REBrtu5/s1600/54409-u-s-president-barack-obama-between-senate-minority-leader-mi.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdZcBnAMoh7u4ktOCq7p7iDC-sL_U3oL-d7GIU2HZZhpM_TIqEDUu2mI_Q2Qixlqjr7PSvoejzuAwrK2DB-o3uW_mhWz3lGeMWD4D0b_QR98QeQHDEpZMQjmZt8okc9qRQ_x9v-REBrtu5/s400/54409-u-s-president-barack-obama-between-senate-minority-leader-mi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548819357737618338" border="0" /></a>Someone pissed off the Democrats. And everyone knows how feisty they can be while they're hot and bothered. The culprit? The leader of their party.<br /><br />It has been truly fascinating to watch the Bush tax cut debate unfold over the last few days. The tax cuts, instituted in 2001 by President Bush, were set to expire at the end of this year. The fact that we're still in the middle of a massive economic slowdown has primed the pump for a classic tug of war between liberals and conservatives over the nature of taxation.<br /><br />I don't think anyone really knew exactly how the situation would play out; President Obama wasn't really going to allow the tax cuts to become permanent, and yet he also couldn't get away with "raising" taxes in our current economy. The Republicans, still mid-victory lap from the midterm revolution, also have their ideological purity to maintain; they always have to fight tooth and nail for lower taxes.<br /><br />Some kind of deal had to be made, and the Republicans have a hearty helping of leverage now that they'll own the House in January. I wasn't surprised about the particulars of the deal, but I have been shocked at the reaction from the Democrats: fiery rhetoric, murmurs of 2012 primary challenge to the president, and a refusal on the part of Nancy Pelosi to allow the bill to go to a vote.<br /><br />(Why is it that conservatives are so much better than liberals at towing the line? Conservatives easily fall into goose-stepping stride while the liberals sidle up to the table, preparing to eat their young.)<br /><br />This feels like an old school political dog fight. I just wouldn't have expected the cast of characters to be aligned in the way they are. In a weird twist, the president is essentially lining up with the Republicans(who are still in the minority, by the way) to push through a conservative tax plan.<br /><br />I'm not sure what to make of this. Is the president, who I once thought was as shrewd a politician as there has been, making a huge tactical mistake? Is he truly weak and thus at the mercy of the outrageously vocal Republicans? Or is this really the best play available? It occurs to me that President Obama might be banking on the fact that the liberal base of the Democratic Party is the least threatening group of people in the cosmos. He knows he can get this deal punched through regardless of the objections of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. He also knows that he'll have to give up <span style="font-style: italic;">some</span> stuff in order to be an effective president in the next two years. Perhaps he expects to come out on the other side of this thing looking like the only adult in an ongoing food fight. (I suspect he also knows that two years is plenty of time to win back the loyalty of the liberals. Liberals are, after all, fickle fish.)<br /><br />I've always been a fan of harmony between otherwise disparate groups of people. Therefore it seems like a reasonable tax deal given the political and economic climate. I don't really think(having been warned numerous times about the severe limitations of fiscal policy) that extended tax cuts are going to save the economy. I think <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2010/10/19/news/economy/business_paralysis.fortune/index.htm">consistency</a> more than anything would be helpful. Personally, though, I can't help but like the reduction of the payroll tax..that should help a bit. Tax cuts for millionaires? Hmmm. Perhaps I'll feel differently when I am one myself.jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-74743498250437475952010-11-28T12:24:00.011-07:002011-02-22T12:29:19.967-07:00We all fall down<object height="278" width="450"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Yr94zStsk8E?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Yr94zStsk8E?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="278" width="450"></embed></object><br />General Motors hasn't been known, recently, for tact or class. A company that was once one of the largest and most respected corporations in the world has fallen on hard times. They've become the object of ridicule and criticism. They've been at the center of a political debate over how the government should deal with the imminent collapse of a major institution. "Too big to fail?" Foolish executives, massive job losses and colossal market share reduction have left them downtrodden and pathetic.<br /><br />I was surprised, then, to see this commercial the other day. It's the first time that I've become aware of any demonstration of remorse from GM. I'm not knowledgeable about all the changes in management at GM, but it appears that someone is making some good choices. This commercial, which amounts to a corporate PSA, comes within weeks of <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AP50E20101127">GM's huge and successful IPO</a>. They raised over $20 billion from the stock issue; some huge proportion will go towards repayment of the $50 billion bailout from the federal government.<br /><br />This seems like good, humble corporate governance after a season of terrible decisions. Moreover, this commercial, albeit, creatively speaking, a hodge-podge of barely relatable images, plays like an act of contrition on the part of GM. The former corporate titan says, literally, "Thank you for helping us get back up."<br /><br />As a Democrat, and supporter of President Obama, I can't help but see this as vindication of the bailout. Certainly not everyone will see it that way. But I feel as if there is a gentle voice whispering, "see, it was important to help and rehabilitate an iconic American institution and protect thousands of jobs."<br /><br />I'm a fan of redemption stories of all types. I would probably never buy any car other than a Honda or Toyota(except for maybe a Cadillac), but I'm happy for GM. I respect and admire them for using their influence and resources to communicate such a heartfelt message to the American people, and I'm pleasantly surprised that they had enough insight to recognize their role in the development of American industry and their future role in helping our economy return to its former glory.jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-86139637625590624592010-11-01T20:53:00.008-06:002011-02-22T12:31:10.009-07:00A Prouder Monkey<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHPK_Jq2PTeze73HeUWIW9FJnz3VuBnIelz3HcDW-qCKY0rIXI4-ytsbphDuofQtY8Kv6HHOEqSIOc_6s0TAjzV18toF9OKc0PTLh5JUf1FC4647tEpeOEsaD2EQWiurgrPelxYL8wN3V/s1600/Curious+George.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 137px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHPK_Jq2PTeze73HeUWIW9FJnz3VuBnIelz3HcDW-qCKY0rIXI4-ytsbphDuofQtY8Kv6HHOEqSIOc_6s0TAjzV18toF9OKc0PTLh5JUf1FC4647tEpeOEsaD2EQWiurgrPelxYL8wN3V/s200/Curious+George.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534793996021163378" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Swing in this tree </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Oh I am bounce around so well </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Branch to branch, </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> limb to limb you see </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> All in a day's dream </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> I'm stuck </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Like the other monkeys here </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> I am a humble monkey...</span></blockquote>I've been thinking about Dave Matthews' "Proudest Monkey" a lot recently. Part of me just wants to think that this jam-tastic song is only a foggy protrusion of Matthews' formerly drug-addled mind. Perhaps a mere random assortment of images he conjured after a stoned screening of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Jungle Book</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">Project X</span>.<br /><br />Another part of me, however, can't help but dig a little deeper. What if, instead, it is an unlikely ode on the human condition? A reflection on our origins and our future?<br /><br />Setting aside for a minute the evolutionary ramifications of monkeys, could this song suggest something about the human need for growth and change and improvement? Are humans innately prepared to move into new places and phases of understanding?<br /><br />I find myself inadvertently cowering in the corner some days. The glare and weight of each day sometimes seem too difficult, and I sit in the proverbial tree eating bananas. Is it because of what's out there? Or is it because I have grown too comfortable in the shade?<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Then comes the day </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Staring at myself I turn to question me </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> I wonder do I want the simple, simple </span><a style="cursor: pointer; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); text-decoration: none; background: url("http://files.adbrite.com/mb/images/green-double-underline-006600.gif") repeat-x scroll center bottom transparent; margin-bottom: -2px; padding-bottom: 2px; font-style: italic;" name="AdBriteInlineAd_life" id="AdBriteInlineAd_life" target="_top"></a><span style="font-style: italic;">life that I once lived in well </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Oh things were quiet then </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> In a way they were the better days...</span></blockquote>The song gives me some hope, though; it isn't because of the insatiable forces of nature that, perhaps, propel natural selection and adaptation(although I'm willing to accept that they play a role). The hope in this case stems from a seemingly content <span style="font-style: italic;">animal</span> who is willing to jump to a new limb or no limb at all:<br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">But then came the day </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> I climbed out of these safe limbs </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Ventured away </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Walking tall, head high up and singing </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> I went to the city </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Car horns, corners and the gritty </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Now I am the proudest monkey you've ever seen</span></blockquote><span>It's hard to climb out of those safe limbs. What is it that drives us to do and be more? What is it that keeps us the same? Is one better than the other? Were they really the better days? (The matrix tells me this steak is juicy and delicious...) And would the monkey cease to be proud if he stayed where it's safe and secure?<br /><br />I have some strange thirst that makes me look around every day and wonder at people's motives and desires. I have many questions and few answers. Why do people do what they do? What do they hope for? Is life a quest for knowledge and joy? Or is it, as I have often suspected, an endless treading of water?<br /><br />Regardless of the depth of insight in this song, I feel confident that the tension between hope and despair is normal. There probably aren't great, sweeping, meaningful conclusions that hint at a fundamental truth(though that would be nice) undergirding the whole of our existence, but we can still make choices to expand our outlook; we can reach for more. Is there intrinsic value in considering different possibilities? Maybe not. But nature has shown that things which are static and intractable are often subject to destruction. Even rocks and mountains will eventually crumble. In the meantime they are symbols of steadfastness..yet birds still poop on them.<br /><br />Too dismal? On the contrary, a scrappy and weathered outlook is preferable to me. Songs are more interesting, relationships are more necessary, and the rapidly expanding universe is the limit. Some might say that this is a misguided defense of pessimism. I'd rather think of it as my own version of a swan dive off of those safe limbs into the spongy unknown.<br /></span>jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-35017761476071845942010-10-18T12:27:00.007-06:002011-02-22T12:32:05.323-07:00Another Misunderstood Genius<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqe8AWfaKGvxbcnaE-WhMKcHkN1SL8MHsP2VILNyI11bdTNPlXi5waKScuE1rq3P8bWxioBeNNBT1SNrjN55CyDYpKBEDZgYhv48xVQLTp74gF2bKn8x0xr9cr3nn458OolbTYZdj4vkY/s1600/steve_jobs_apple-480x362.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 151px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqe8AWfaKGvxbcnaE-WhMKcHkN1SL8MHsP2VILNyI11bdTNPlXi5waKScuE1rq3P8bWxioBeNNBT1SNrjN55CyDYpKBEDZgYhv48xVQLTp74gF2bKn8x0xr9cr3nn458OolbTYZdj4vkY/s200/steve_jobs_apple-480x362.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529456053071517362" border="0" /></a><span><blockquote>"Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and Steve Jobs, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood."<br /> -Ralph Waldo Emerson</blockquote>Well, that's what Ralph would have said..if he had owned an iPod.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The New York Times</span> recently published an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/18/technology/18apple.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=apple&st=cse">article</a> about Apple's potential iPhone market share plunge due to vigorous competition from Android phones. The article suggests that Apple is in for another rude awakening like it had in the mid-90s when they essentially lost the OS war to Microsoft.<br /><br />I'm a huge fan of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Times</span>, but it surprises me how short-sighted they are when it comes to Apple. For one thing, they're ignoring a key component of that 1990s tumble: the absence of Steve Jobs. Apple pushed out its genius creator in the 80s after an explosion in success and a subsequent power struggle. Following Jobs' ouster, in a McDonald's-like frenzy of product innovation attempts, Apple came out with the predecessor of the of the PDA(the Newton), the first laptop, education-friendly computers, and a host of other stuff. While many of the releases were prescient and interesting, they were prohibitively untimely. Apple ended up losing huge swaths of the market.<br /><br />Perhaps the most tragic misfire in Jobs' absence was the "clone" program that attempted to increase market share by allowing third parties to manufacture and sell Macintosh desktop computers generically through hardware and software licensure. This feeble effort only served to further dilute the brand. Microsoft, still under the command of a spunky Bill Gates, saw their influence expand exponentially in a flourishing economy, hungry for new computer technology and without much competition from the formerly dominant Apple. It wasn't until 1997 when Apple came to its senses and put Jobs back in the saddle. A year later, Apple introduced the iMac; a wave of bleeding edge innovation has followed.<br /><br />It is true that Android phones are gaining a lot of ground in the smartphone market. The problem with the concerns expressed in the article is that it doesn't really matter. They assume that Apple's primary goal is to dominate a market or sell a lot of phones. Of course, as a corporation, they have a responsibility to investors...and their investors have become very happy. But what makes Steve Jobs get up in the morning? Higher EPS? A million more iPhones sold? A new contract with Verizon? I don't think so:<br /></span><blockquote>"Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful...that's what matters to me."</blockquote>I maintain that Apple, or any similarly forward-looking company, doesn't have much to fear from Android or Microsoft or HP or many other technology companies. Those guys are all playing on Apple's field; Apple sets the trends..the temperature..and the rest wait around to see who can emulate the fastest. Other companies have just now 'arrived' on the smartphone scene. Apple isn't really in the smartphone market. Or the computer market. Or the mp3 player market. They're in the life-change market.<br /><br />As arrogant as it may be, Steve Jobs believes that he can change the world. He believes that he already has. And he's right. He doesn't have to worry about competing in the world of personal technology; he <span style="font-style: italic;">invented</span> that world.<br /><br />People pay entrance fees and wait in stuffy convention centers just to hear about the next Apple product. Writers speculate and entrepreneurs drool. Like Slugworth in Wonka's factory, they connive and scheme just to get a glimpse. Is it just to find out what the next gadget will be? No, it's because they know when Steve Jobs takes the stage, the future will unfold a little bit more.<span><br /></span>jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-45236878446686268642010-10-14T09:39:00.005-06:002011-02-22T12:33:39.556-07:00Paging Dr. Mengele<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0e4ZOqbtxufApucxQPcppHa5ifp7OVAklrkgUzTwmeYcYZ7VywJ0FPYFGFtVXPJHQFp4Zkpe6i1Qk1DqQhoSlMJSxJ2VqGBXOaqz307eJwTuZVHuYSAIgHjl-s4yD0qVjz1SjvqCet18/s1600/tuskegee.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0e4ZOqbtxufApucxQPcppHa5ifp7OVAklrkgUzTwmeYcYZ7VywJ0FPYFGFtVXPJHQFp4Zkpe6i1Qk1DqQhoSlMJSxJ2VqGBXOaqz307eJwTuZVHuYSAIgHjl-s4yD0qVjz1SjvqCet18/s320/tuskegee.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527931777631228178" border="0" /></a>Our very own Angel of Death? Angel of Extreme Discomfort?<br /><br />A college professor recently made the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/02/health/research/02infect.html">discovery</a> that in Guatemala in the 1940s, an American doctor purposefully infected <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Guatemalan</span> patients with syphilis in order to study the effects of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">penicillin</span> on the disease.<br /><br />That's pretty disturbing. The <span style="font-style: italic;">The New York Times</span> article, in fact, points out that while Dr. John Cutler was doing this, the United States was prosecuting Nazis for war crimes in the Nuremberg trials; war crimes that included, by the way, heinous medical practices like purposely infecting patients with diseases.<br /><br />The strange thing is that I'm not really too surprised or bothered by this fact. Of course it's inexcusable and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">abhorrent</span> to do what Cutler did, but it doesn't rock me to the core the way it should.<br /><br />Shouldn't such a shocking revelation act like a slap in the face to your average American? Shouldn't we all be outraged? Shouldn't it drive us to the next inevitable question: What <span style="font-style: italic;">else</span> are you keeping from us? What <span style="font-style: italic;">other</span> travesties are you hiding? JFK? September 11<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">th</span>? Area 51? Elvis?<br /><br />For some reason, though, I'm not that bothered. Maybe it's because it was so long ago. Maybe it's because I'm comfortable with the realities of human nature. Or maybe it's because I'm just not sure yet what this situation really <span style="font-style: italic;">says</span> about who we are as a people..or that it even speaks to our identity at all.<br /><br />What it does speak to, though, is that someone did it before, and therefore someone could do it again. People are capable of anything. Some might suggest that the answer to our human shortcomings is a more targeted approach to encouraging the best in us: personal responsibility. I applaud that notion, but I struggle to see how that can, corporately, be accomplished. Religion, you say? Ah, well history has done a pretty good job of showing how well that works. Evangelical Christianity? I'll refer you to the former answer.<br /><br />I'm convinced that there are no purely social forces that can contend with the seemingly entropic nature of humanity. Humans can behave 'good' or 'bad', and, left in a vacuum, that 'goodness' and 'badness' will continue to ebb and flow. The only thing that has ever constrained behavior is the institution. Institutions are what keep us organized and settled. It is our institutionalized conscience that allows us to silence our demons and let loose our better angels. Does it always work? Clearly not. But it definitely lets us look back at old horrors and see them as horrors. Moreover, once we recognize a horror, it's easier to move on knowing that we have the ability to do better.jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-13608506075153254462010-08-27T07:25:00.007-06:002011-02-22T12:34:09.297-07:00The Death of Youth?I finally return from my blogging slumber...for what? To purge the feelings associated with a 'landmark' birthday? I turn 30 today, and, like watching your car's odometer flop over to 100,000 miles, I can't help but wonder how much this puppy's got left in her...<br /><br />I don't want to be too melodramatic, but...geez I feel old. It seems like your 20s are the best time in life since it's the only decade we desire. In your teens, you can't wait to get into your 20s. As you approach 30, you claw and struggle to hang on to every last moment. But..inevitably, irrevocably, we are violently ripped out of youth into the gaping maw of aches, pains, drooling, memory loss, and, finally, rigor mortis....<br /><br />Nope..too grim. I'm already over it.<br /><br />Let's see what you got 30s!jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-82853395744407621712010-03-28T10:09:00.003-06:002011-02-22T12:34:37.617-07:00Are you kidding me right now?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqxvshMQe9p9VtOyJLSufik8c8m8y4USkvA-IUOGAWPp3DTkDtFHPI3Rmj7_ofJWaVBqAxKqk3XnJRsYj5aQcVeHKQGZ16cL9id9ePcAeVLHVScfymm9i1d-MZB9bYvrnbSHY_-zQIFDc/s1600/ncb_a_weber01_576.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqxvshMQe9p9VtOyJLSufik8c8m8y4USkvA-IUOGAWPp3DTkDtFHPI3Rmj7_ofJWaVBqAxKqk3XnJRsYj5aQcVeHKQGZ16cL9id9ePcAeVLHVScfymm9i1d-MZB9bYvrnbSHY_-zQIFDc/s400/ncb_a_weber01_576.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453717965693350994" border="0" /></a>Bruce's face says it all. Terrible regular season. Lost in double OT to Ohio State and missed the Tournament. Lost to <span style="font-style: italic;">Dayton</span> in the NIT. And now...my bracket is totally screwed!<br /><br />Now I know why people randomly become fans of the most successful teams; it's hard to lose! All these disappointments are difficult to weather. Why stay loyal to a team when you can pick up the Yankees with their 27 World Series victories? Or the Steelers with 6 Super Bowl wins? Or the Lady Volunteers with 8 NCAA titles?<br /><br />But, of course, I won't ever do that. I can't. My loyalty is like a chronic disease. So I'll continue to endure mediocrity and awfulness with some tiny, hidden speck of hope that maybe even one of my silly teams will some day win it all, hoist a trophy or take a victory lap. Until then...<span style="font-style: italic;">ugh</span>...jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-41748360714202368432010-03-23T13:27:00.004-06:002011-02-22T12:36:48.468-07:00A New Platform for Creativity<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzFrWEHtt2BYIqn3nYDVTukiXyK9SYkoQn5srNgfMOTTCLO19eAHehxeauB76Zy1uzyS3DUU17Fh07Dwr1UF8e7qqtQAl5SjgMtI-h3kj6AECjlHwQt1RF9147eUgwThsawpp0F8ogkj8D/s1600-h/bioshock-rapture-image-bioshock-523402_1024_551.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzFrWEHtt2BYIqn3nYDVTukiXyK9SYkoQn5srNgfMOTTCLO19eAHehxeauB76Zy1uzyS3DUU17Fh07Dwr1UF8e7qqtQAl5SjgMtI-h3kj6AECjlHwQt1RF9147eUgwThsawpp0F8ogkj8D/s400/bioshock-rapture-image-bioshock-523402_1024_551.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451913352117643986" border="0" /></a>How old is too old for video games? I hope I'm not there yet, since I just really enjoyed finishing <span style="font-style: italic;">Bioshock 2.</span> This is a game that can appeal to extreme gamers AND English majors who never got to use their degree in a career...and who like mowing down hoards of zombies. (Perhaps someday I'll explore the beauty of the zombie genre by itself.)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Bioshock 2</span> takes place in the city of Rapture, a would-be utopia under the surface of the ocean. As the game story unfolds, you learn that a maniacal genius has created this underwater metropolis to escape the burden of world governments. Rapture is meant to be a haven for those elites who can find no place under the thumb of laws and societal norms. Something goes horribly wrong, though, as utopian societies are wont to do. What's left in the aftermath of a major conflict is a huge, hulking, art deco-infused city with zombie-like, genetically enhanced monsters who roam around looking for the next kill.<br /><br />Apart from the thrill of unleashing round after round into these hideous freaks, the game explores prescient questions about genetic engineering, cloning and societal reconstruction. In the spirit of Ayn Rand, George Orwell and Aldous Huxley, the city of Rapture becomes the setting for a reimagining of the kind of ethical wrestling that plagued those writers who were, in their own time, the seers of the world to come.<br /><br />How far have we come? While the threat of worldwide totalitarianism is no longer a major issue, can't the same concerns play themselves out in a whole new way? And can't they manifest themselves in ways that aren't only fit for conspiracy theorists? What kind of society do we want? How will we get there? What freedoms are we willing to sacrifice? What desires lurk amongst the minds of our fellow humans that might some day create a 21st century version of Rapture?<br /><br />I don't have a clue, of course. I am gratified to know, though, that people, even <span style="font-style: italic;">video game makers</span>, feel some need to ask the questions and attempt to learn from the past in order to prepare for the future. Sophistication is no longer just for books and poetry; video games, TV shows, horror movies, newspaper articles and..maybe even blogs..are the new medium for exploring what could be based on what is.jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-50699254600455150972010-03-22T11:59:00.006-06:002011-04-05T13:53:57.823-06:00Big Brother is Reading Your Blog<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFO1XGqLGVGBKDGi_AgJX7DmU_tCTCAjhJf4W2Q8zMIlkZWUExa4JvJK24BZBMtG_m12H9YzciwI7IC8o1FTt4kZ1xD2MNmO-FF7O_mVO9I6HA8S8OjFORlEYGzm5EkmONfM1HruL6s2r7/s1600-h/PHO-10Mar16-212154.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 245px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFO1XGqLGVGBKDGi_AgJX7DmU_tCTCAjhJf4W2Q8zMIlkZWUExa4JvJK24BZBMtG_m12H9YzciwI7IC8o1FTt4kZ1xD2MNmO-FF7O_mVO9I6HA8S8OjFORlEYGzm5EkmONfM1HruL6s2r7/s400/PHO-10Mar16-212154.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451521131444265042" border="0" /></a>Healthcare for everyone at last? So it would seem. The president will sign the House's healthcare bill tomorrow, and the last step will be for the Senate to approve the package of changes that will make the final bill unified.<br /><br />Some people aren't happy about this. In fact, some people are downright furious. The Republicans continually suggest that the vast majority of Americans are outraged by this turn of events. I've never heard so many direct references to polling data.<br /><br />I understand the basic concerns: high spending, taxes on people who make the most, toddlers having to pay off trillions of dollars of debt. Those concerns are duly noted, but the way those legitimate concerns have been manifested in the public eye is kind of alarming. The pure hatred for President Obama and Nancy Pelosi is..disturbing.<br /><br />Bill Kristol's brand <a href="http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/special-editorial-repeal">new article</a> in The Weekly Standard is probably representative of the new Republican election strategy: Repeal! From now until November, every Republican will be promising to repeal the evil Obamacare if they are elected. This is a bold strategy since such an effort would require the kind of congressional revolution that we've never seen before. Frankly, if such a thing happened, I would be happy to concede that the American people really didn't want healthcare reform. And, of course, that's exactly what the president said at the recent Healthcare Summit:<br /><blockquote>"We cannot have another year-long debate about this, so the question that I'm going to ask myself and I ask of all of you is, is there enough serious effort that in a month's time or a few weeks' time or six weeks' time we could actually resolve something? And if we can't, then I think we've got to go ahead and make some decisions, and then that's what elections are for."</blockquote>The president is keenly aware of the risk he's taking on by pursuing this agenda. He certainly could have made a token effort in order to appease the constituents who voted for him with the understanding that he would fix healthcare. Instead, he has chosen to <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> rock the boat and do what he thinks is best: a major overhaul of the system. Will it work? Will people be happy about it? We'll have a pretty good sense of that in November.<br /><br />In the meantime, I think it's worth noting that the fear-inspiring rhetoric (or, I daresay, <span style="font-style: italic;">propaganda</span>) set loose by the Tea Partiers and the Republican Party is..silly. The talk of socialism and government takeover and baby-killers is really nonsense (Note the protester's sign in the picture above). The healthcare bill is about regulation and rules for insurance companies; they would have you believe that the healthcare police will raid your house for non-government produced pharmaceuticals and private health insurance policy documents. "I'm sorry, ma'am, does that packet say Anthem on it? We're taking you in."<br /><br />So now the battle really begins. It's a battle of words and images waged with innuendo and blogs and Youtube clips. Who will America believe? President Obama who says that this bill is the best thing for the present and future? Or the nebulous right wing mass who conjures images of Big Brother looking over your shoulder and at your medical charts?jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-52291583675259336332010-03-08T01:51:00.004-07:002011-04-05T13:54:48.874-06:00A Good Night for the Academy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUeIJsPde8V3xIbnKKgbC0ynK1HiolwRiX3HN2yhrXUbixh7HY_fPG3qH_SkrYsMDN07qIPK58Q5Xj741HFH4D06TyeDKkKpYu4oKfxEmd4EQkNB0r4ORrxmtDiCS0JF2F-gfoEgtPkxy/s1600-h/52620188.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUeIJsPde8V3xIbnKKgbC0ynK1HiolwRiX3HN2yhrXUbixh7HY_fPG3qH_SkrYsMDN07qIPK58Q5Xj741HFH4D06TyeDKkKpYu4oKfxEmd4EQkNB0r4ORrxmtDiCS0JF2F-gfoEgtPkxy/s400/52620188.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446183324226287634" border="0" /></a>James Cameron is about to choke his ex-wife since her movie was really good, and his movie really wasn't. Ah...justice.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Avatar</span>, the most overblown, overhyped movie ever, walked away from Oscar night with only three piddly statues for the effort (and for the $300 million budget). Much has been written about this silly, Smurfs-meet-Ewoks story, and many people undoubtedly expected it to rake in the awards. The awards it won, however, were for the less exciting visual effects and similar categories that nobody really cares about.<br /><br />I applaud the Academy for not indulging the mass appetite for mindless, CGI action. Although I've been told that watching <span style="font-style: italic;">Avatar</span> in 3D is a must, I can't help but think I got the idea without alien palm fronds jumping off the screen at me. The mystical, psuedo-illuminati people behind the Academy Awards weren't fooled either. And even though I'll probably never forgive them for choosing <span style="font-style: italic;">Gladiator</span> over <span style="font-style: italic;">Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon</span>, they moved one step closer towards vindication tonight.<br /><br />(They also didn't lose any points for going ahead with selecting Christoph Waltz to bring home the Best Supporting Actor award for <span style="font-style: italic;">Inglorious Basterds</span>. His genius in that role was appropriately recognized. I only wish Quentin Tarantino had finally been recognized for <span style="font-style: italic;">his</span> genius.)<br /><br />Congrats to Kathryn Bigelow for making a great movie and for becoming the first woman to ever win the Oscar for Best Director.jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-30740809212200899582010-01-28T01:47:00.009-07:002011-04-05T13:56:04.273-06:00Stickin it to the man...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFvwpq_FAJIPtWhyphenhyphenyd5Onjkwci1tm3I3WYVAaFTCcVHZnrlnpu0C-c6mg-1z2baOGuRijSHlu48JjXQ8phHIcjSc6Yguw6Bh7PO3KlhD5cFfxmZ55alNWDnfSt_3BN1YVSqpq5t8yZJfq/s1600-h/limbaugh_oxycontin1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFvwpq_FAJIPtWhyphenhyphenyd5Onjkwci1tm3I3WYVAaFTCcVHZnrlnpu0C-c6mg-1z2baOGuRijSHlu48JjXQ8phHIcjSc6Yguw6Bh7PO3KlhD5cFfxmZ55alNWDnfSt_3BN1YVSqpq5t8yZJfq/s320/limbaugh_oxycontin1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431722971453124690" border="0" /></a>Illini, Chicagoan, film critic...Roger Ebert is my kind of guy. I say that even though he gave <span style="font-style: italic;">Avatar</span> 4 stars, and I would have only given it 2.<br /><br />Earlier this month, though, I was really proud of him for <a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100114/OPINION/100119985">this</a> response to an outrageous Rush Limbaugh outburst.<br /><br />It seems that Rush, with all of his wisdom and discretion, chose to suggest that President Obama is likely to steal money intended for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti through the official White House website.<br /><br />Believe it or not, I can't say that I'm too concerned with another dose of Rush's absurdities; I don't expect much anymore. No, the real mind obliterator is that so many, upwards of 20 million people by some <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/06/AR2009030603435.html">estimates</a>, gobble it all up each week.<br /><br />Do people really think that President Obama would do something like that? Did Democrats think President Bush was doing things like that? Is claiming such a thing really just some vague, <span style="font-style: italic;">cathartic</span> boo-and-hiss session? Maybe venting is good?<br /><br />Whatever the case, I'm glad that Rog decided to call him out. Shouldn't there be sociological consequences when someone who exerts substantial influence decides to just <span style="font-style: italic;">say</span> things? The lingering question in my mind, though, has to do with the number of people who really identify with Rush. There are clearly millions of listeners, but how much stuff do they agree with? Is there an analogous personality on the left who is equally preposterous?<br /><br />Just this evening, at the facility I work in, there was a group of about 150 conservatives, including some Republican county officials, who got together to watch the State of the Union (which I actually haven't watched yet). I have no doubt they made quite a ruckus over the president's speech. What I was most struck with, though, is that, even though there is a yawning chasm between us on the political spectrum, they were at least choosing to engage in the process. Maybe they hate everything the president stands for, and maybe they think the nation is disintegrating before our very eyes; but they showed up. They want their voices heard.<br /><br />I'm not sure if I, or Roger Ebert, can muster the same respect for Rush as for a local gathering of like-minded citizens, but I suppose he has the same right to blabber on as anyone else.<br /><br />I just don't know why they're paying him $400 million for it.jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-18847698528428791462010-01-25T08:58:00.006-07:002011-04-05T14:08:31.689-06:00NBC and the Grip of Jay Leno<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJH8qAfms0_lBpt0ykdzaVD5hEi2dCZ5h2ulMW8mr8fzaS741gAqCAsbNmWgY_OLxd8cZmeLdH4G_blkKjRDadEFeYUn1ftWZwOrcQ2ilUnnKhMwuE6_H2gMaOw_nS2N4E8hTrpyqWGpej/s1600-h/jay-leno-and-conan-obrien.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJH8qAfms0_lBpt0ykdzaVD5hEi2dCZ5h2ulMW8mr8fzaS741gAqCAsbNmWgY_OLxd8cZmeLdH4G_blkKjRDadEFeYUn1ftWZwOrcQ2ilUnnKhMwuE6_H2gMaOw_nS2N4E8hTrpyqWGpej/s320/jay-leno-and-conan-obrien.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430708195024108690" border="0" /></a>I can't understand it. NBC gave us Seinfeld, The West Wing, 30 Rock, The Office, Cheers, The Cosby Show, The A-Team, Frasier, Star Trek....basically some of the most popular and successful television shows in history. Shows that, for better or worse, have <span style="font-style: italic;">shaped</span> American culture(yes, it should give us pause that TV can do that, but I think we just need to accept it.)<br /><br />That list, of course, should also include the tremendously successful <span style="font-style: italic;">Tonight Show</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Late Night With David Letterman</span>. Something happened, though, that blurged up the greatness of those shows: Jay Leno.<br /><br />In 1992, when Johnny Carson was retiring from The Tonight Show, a well-known spat erupted over who would succeed him. David Letterman had been in the slot right after Johnny Carson, and so he seemed like the logical choice to take over. Even Johnny wanted it. Somehow, though, NBC, the network that seemed to have the golden touch, decided that the lesser-known Leno should be the host.<br /><br />Fast-forwarding to 2009, NBC is at it again. Conan O'Brien gets bumped for Jay Leno. I would love to understand what power Jay Leno has over NBC that he can throw his weight around like this.<span style="font-style: italic;"> He's not that funny</span>. Why would NBC continually choose Leno over the comedic genius of Letterman and O'Brien? What's going on there?<br /><br />Jay Leno has a grip on NBC. A fierce grip. What is the secret of your power, Jay?jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-40210485694717337692010-01-18T22:30:00.004-07:002011-04-05T13:57:46.330-06:00A Lifetime of Learning<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmWm3FUXCjywE4HIlspbSp55vmPHYnBuVm2PTs9WUg_S4XNqZ8GWADzrJq0UPsBlJDaG-rCo_eX5ww6dHmI0ZKz1q_3JthxIghihM-jx-vyxSMkRoCL2xlkYCMsxOh96Z5mBJvRqUuHYd/s1600-h/justice-oliver-wendell-holmes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmWm3FUXCjywE4HIlspbSp55vmPHYnBuVm2PTs9WUg_S4XNqZ8GWADzrJq0UPsBlJDaG-rCo_eX5ww6dHmI0ZKz1q_3JthxIghihM-jx-vyxSMkRoCL2xlkYCMsxOh96Z5mBJvRqUuHYd/s320/justice-oliver-wendell-holmes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428325016871882306" border="0" /></a>"Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society."<br />-Oliver Wendell Holmes<br /><br />My thoughts often turn to deceased Supreme Court justices around this time of year; there's something about that slightly perforated W2 that just tickles my fancy. It's like my own personalized bingo card.<br /><br />Nobody really likes paying taxes, of course. There are those who are really enraged at the concept, though. I have a hard time relating to those feelings since I tend to think of all the cool stuff we get from paying those taxes: tanks, stamps, cheap celery, CAT scans for grandma, etc.<br /><br />Taxes have also gotten more sophisticated in recent years. The federal government <span style="font-style: italic;">seems</span> to be interested in some sort of widespread effort to help people and foster better living and common prosperity. I was trying to think of other, more sinister reasons for things like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, but I had trouble coming up with any. No doubt the liberally-biased media has brainwashed me..or perhaps they brain<span style="font-style: italic;">filthed</span> me.<br /><br />Of course I jest. Clearly there are legitimate concerns with virtually all social programs. I'm not convinced that any of those concerns are reasons not to do them, but they could probably all use a tweak here or there.<br /><br />Today, though, I feel like raising a glass to our national government for coming up with the Lifetime Learning Credit. The first couple of toasts will obviously be because I discovered that I will benefit from this wonderful credit this year (I already did my tax return!). The third toast, though, will be to the federal government for the title of the credit: The <span style="font-style: italic;">Lifetime</span> Learning Credit.<br /><br />Perhaps I'm reading into this too deeply, but I am proud to live in a country where education is valued so highly. From the Lifetime Learning Credit to Stafford Loans to Pell Grants, our government <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> wants you to go to college. Not only that, but they want to you keep learning for the entirety of your lifetime! This is a bold gesture and a lofty goal from a government that was once afraid of whiskey.<br /><br />Many negative things can be said about the spending habits, partisan bickering and psuedo-imperialistic tendencies of our federal government. There are a lot of good things to be said, though, about a vision, created through painstaking, policy-making effort, of a people that are healthy, safe and smart as hell. God bless America?jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-44150130642980240512009-12-19T11:04:00.007-07:002011-04-05T13:59:07.766-06:00The Law of Love<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmj6S9PR83N1r-Js55eMEqcNQNqvLJKNqeqDosHL_ny1DyxtMNhhlr65bxXiNnEW1Vd1KUmFxu82LtaqM4QuPjQ8bCJWJ6-9hnHCVnWJQT7zr2_IwKYszPCqTSXVDlNNJaQ1gVhSG0Mhp/s1600-h/nobel1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmj6S9PR83N1r-Js55eMEqcNQNqvLJKNqeqDosHL_ny1DyxtMNhhlr65bxXiNnEW1Vd1KUmFxu82LtaqM4QuPjQ8bCJWJ6-9hnHCVnWJQT7zr2_IwKYszPCqTSXVDlNNJaQ1gVhSG0Mhp/s400/nobel1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417010647479774562" border="0" /></a>President Obama formally accepted the Nobel Peace Prize last week in Oslo. Per tradition, the president addressed the distinguished audience with a "Nobel lecture". His speech has been discussed and debated by everyone from Glenn Beck to Hugo Chavez.<br /><br />Even those who disagree with the president would undoubtedly agree that he is at least true to himself and his principles. Almost a year into his presidency, it's hard to deny that he is exactly who he said he would be and that he is doing exactly what he said he would do.<br /><br />I won't apologize for being a fan of him; there are few who can so comfortably inhabit the spotlight. There are fewer still who can know, understand and speak to the moment while being in the spotlight. Beyond that, who else could get away with talking about the "law of love"? Moreover, it's hard to compute that an American president talked about the law of love in the same speech as warning the world that the United States won't hesitate to use its military might to protect its citizens. What <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> love?<br /><blockquote>"the human condition can be perfected"<br />"fundamental faith in human progress"<br />"the spark of the divine that stirs in each of us"</blockquote>Gene Roddenberry would be proud to live in a country with such an unabashedly humanist president. President Obama's speech also served as a perfect example of why I wouldn't want anyone else to be in the White House. He isn't perfect. He will most likely make mistakes during his time in office. The underlying philosophy that seems to guide his thinking, though, is that humans have great potential for good; they only require important and well-maintained institutions to help mitigate the bad stuff.<br /><br />What of peace, though? It didn't surprise me that he referenced King, Ghandi and Kennedy; it shocked the hell out of me, however, when his conclusion for potential peace was "the continued expansion of our moral imagination."<br /><br />I have been dwelling on that phrase for days. What does it mean? I'm convinced that it means <span style="font-style: italic;">something</span>; he is, after all, no Palin (mindlessly filling empty space with meaningless blather). I suppose it has to do with perspective; perhaps President Obama is suggesting that no peace is possible until all parties <span style="font-style: italic;">believe</span> that it is possible.<br /><br />Does the world, then, need some big bowl of magic, geopolitically fuzzy koolaid to really create peace? Is the president suggesting that we should, a la Rodney King, all just get along? No, of course not. Clearly, though, hope was not just a campaign slogan. I really think he believes that personal determination and political will and a massive, communal paradigm shift are the main drivers of world peace. It's a choice. This method, of course, is a far cry from the more...tactile...foreign policy that Cheney and Rumsfeld espoused. It doesn't surprise me in the least that our former vice president's head is about to explode over President Obama's choices.<br /><br />Peace is a choice, Obama (and Roddenberry) would say. The speech in Oslo last week amounted to, in my opinion, Choose to be with us, or get the hell out of our way.<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">Peace or utter destruction...it's up to you.<br /> -Captain Kirk</blockquote>jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-34486634230902050262009-12-08T00:27:00.005-07:002011-04-05T13:59:41.195-06:00A Lot More Fame for the Hall<object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/owbYN3XstVQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/owbYN3XstVQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object><br />Michael Jordan was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this past September. Of course there was never any question about whether or not he would be enshrined; everyone knows His Airness deserves to be there. Everyone, it seems, including MJ himself.<br /><br />I had heard that Jordan's speech to the ceremony audience was a display of arrogance, but I hadn't gotten around to watching it for myself until tonight.<br /><br />After watching, a question comes to mind: is it arrogance or just truth? Is Michael Jordan cocky when he speaks of his achievement in basketball? Or is he just being honest?<br /><br />As a fan of MJ since as far back as I can remember, I, too, was a little put off by his display of hubris. When I originally heard about it, I had trouble believing it. Certainly he knows that you can't bluster and trash talk when you're one of the best at something; it just isn't <span style="font-style: italic;">done</span>.<br /><br />As the speech went on, though, I found myself connecting with Michael Jordan on a whole new level. I don't think it really is hubris or arrogance. I think he was just speaking the plain truth. His speech was a parade of thank yous to the many people who had inspired him over the years. That's pretty standard. The speech was also a regurgitation of the vast mental list he has been keeping since his earliest basketball days: who will challenge me to be the most competitive person to ever play a sport?<br /><br />I almost feel as though we all <span style="font-style: italic;">needed</span> to hear the speech. What a rare insight into a unique persona. Who knew what turbulent fire lurked underneath that oftentimes calm demeanor. Yes, he definitely got very excited during games, but I remember the MJ who stood at the free throw line, calmly chewing his gum with the game on the line.<br /><br />I think the reaction to his speech was understandable. Just watching the audience squirm during the speech was excruciating. They were all thinking the same thing: why isn't he doing the usual humble, "I couldn't have done this without you" thing? We were all probably foolish to think that. Isn't it fitting that the greatest player ever, who was constantly able to confound expectations about what was possible in a basketball player, would confound expectations when presented with the greatest honor that can be bestowed on a basketball player?<br /><br />He ended his speech by remarking that induction into the Hall of Fame isn't an endpoint to his career. He said you might see him playing at age 50. "Don't laugh," he said. "Limits, like fear, are often just an illusion."jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-246463688053278877.post-39994314639220049642009-12-01T21:57:00.007-07:002011-04-05T14:00:17.793-06:00Cinematic Genius<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WVn6Yz9W-ng&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WVn6Yz9W-ng&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br />Setting aside, for a moment, questions about Big Bird's gender and the nature of Kermit and Fozzie's relationship, it's nice to bask in the goodness and simplicity of one of my favorite scenes in all of moviedom.<br /><br />Why do I love it so much? Probably because it's about friendship and difficult journeys and the vast unknown. It's a reminder that any obstacle can be overcome when you have someone with you. It's probably also because of Kermit's reaction to an actual fork in the road.<br /><br />It's also an acknowledgment that the process matters more than the outcome. It's strange that such a thing is true since the whole point of the process is the outcome, yet we're never fully satisfied with just the destination; we need the journey to be whole. Who understands that better than Kermit and Fozzie?<br /><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Movin' right along in search of good times and good news,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">With good friends you can't lose,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This could become a habit!</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Opportunity knocks once let's reach out and grab it,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Together we'll nab it,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">We'll hitchhike, bus or yellow cab it!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Movin' right along.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Footloose and fancy-free.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Getting there is half the fun; come share it with me.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Moving right along.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">We'll learn to share the load.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">We don't need a map to keep this show on the road.</span><br /></div></blockquote>jlnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377703820373646001noreply@blogger.com0