Yes, I admit it. I have Olympic Fever. Even though I describe myself as the ultimate inept athlete I really enjoy both the Summer and the Winter Olympics. The number one reason is it plays to my jingoistic tendencies that my country is competing against the rest of the world and the pride that instills. It even doesn't matter whether we win or not, even though it is sweeter when we do, it is that we are participating in an event that puts so many countries and cultures together in an non-violent way where we all are in an adversarial position that isn't life threatening. In fact I will even cheer for countries not my own, like Russia when Sharapova plays or Murray in doubles tennis. But, when the U.S. is in the game I am all in for us!
Too bad we can't be like some primitive African tribes that settle their disputes by yelling insults and the one who comes up with the best one wins. Can you imagine if Iran would participate in a 4000 kilometer bike race to determine if they continue with their nuclear arms program and abides by the results. So many things could be resolved in using sports to resolve disputes. I wish John Lennon got his wish in his song "Imagine" Wait, I have an idea!! Mitt Romney and Barack Obama could play a one on one game of basketball to see who gets to be president. Yea, but that would take me out of the loop and at least now I can pretend that big money isn't a factor and my vote really counts. At least now I can express my opinion by voting, even if no one wants to listen. So I guess sports can't solve everything. At least the Olympics kicked off most of the negativity of the campaign of the front page and the air waves for a short time.
Sorry, I have to take one more parting shot. When you lie for a living you should know when to do it properly. Mitt Romney went to England to watch his horse perform. In an interview he belittles the English for not being prepared enough to run the Olympics and a few other barbs. Does he have "Mad Cow" disease? Certainly "Hoof -in -mouth" disease! It was like when your wife comes out of the dressing room with a new dress (you guessed it) and says "Does this dress make me look fat?" Your answer is.......wait for it...."Why no dear, I think look lovely." If you want to keep peace in the house!
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Sadness, reflection and infamy
I had thought I was going to write about a number of political issues but now they seem better suited to the back burner after the tragedy in Aurora, Colo. My heart goes out to the people and families affected by the actions of a deranged, sick human being that seems, at first lance, to have no political agenda, no beef with the theater and no real connection to the film. It has been reported that he had dyed his hair and claimed to be "The Joker". An individual that seemed to confuse reality with entertainment. Almost points out what I wrote about last week.
We, those of us in the Arts and us older folk have fathered a generation that accepts what they see on the big screen, small screen and the laptop as fact. Assuming that if it is on the Internet it is true. I heard a statement in a popular TV show that "If it is on the Internet it must be true. They wouldn't allow it on there if it wasn't." Seems laughable but too many of our children and grand children actually believe that. Don't feel too bad about that. Not too long ago there was the phrase that if it was written in "The Times(New York) it must be true. I am old enough to remember that. Go back even further and the radio show "War of the Worlds" narrated by Orsen Wells had the impact that people jumped off buildings rather than be captured by the invading aliens from Mars. Only because they didn't hear the disclaimer at the beginning of the show.
The actions of this mentally ill individual that hurt and killed so many, that changed the lives of millions of people, that saddened a nation, that made us all feel less safe is more than unfortunate and makes me ill every time I think about it. My heart says no punishment is too extreme, but my head says we must consider him ill and not not motivated by greed or revenge or any of the accepted reasons for heinous actions. And, the film, just like "War of the Worlds" will be for ever remembered as "the movie where that guy killed all those people." is the legacy of this work of art. My heart goes out to all those that were in the theater that night, my thoughts are with their families that will have to live with this tragedy for the rest of their lives. My hope is that with time, they and us will not forget, but that with time the pain will ease and we all can move on and the film will get the accolades it deserves as a work of fiction.
We, those of us in the Arts and us older folk have fathered a generation that accepts what they see on the big screen, small screen and the laptop as fact. Assuming that if it is on the Internet it is true. I heard a statement in a popular TV show that "If it is on the Internet it must be true. They wouldn't allow it on there if it wasn't." Seems laughable but too many of our children and grand children actually believe that. Don't feel too bad about that. Not too long ago there was the phrase that if it was written in "The Times(New York) it must be true. I am old enough to remember that. Go back even further and the radio show "War of the Worlds" narrated by Orsen Wells had the impact that people jumped off buildings rather than be captured by the invading aliens from Mars. Only because they didn't hear the disclaimer at the beginning of the show.
The actions of this mentally ill individual that hurt and killed so many, that changed the lives of millions of people, that saddened a nation, that made us all feel less safe is more than unfortunate and makes me ill every time I think about it. My heart says no punishment is too extreme, but my head says we must consider him ill and not not motivated by greed or revenge or any of the accepted reasons for heinous actions. And, the film, just like "War of the Worlds" will be for ever remembered as "the movie where that guy killed all those people." is the legacy of this work of art. My heart goes out to all those that were in the theater that night, my thoughts are with their families that will have to live with this tragedy for the rest of their lives. My hope is that with time, they and us will not forget, but that with time the pain will ease and we all can move on and the film will get the accolades it deserves as a work of fiction.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
I'm Back!
After months of neglect I'm back writing random observations of the things around me. What I keep seeing as I now relax form a very busy Spring is a preponderance of TV ads that are more than the usual buy this toilet paper because it is softer, or this cat food because it tastes better(how would you know?). Even the ads for other TV shows have become, what I consider increasingly obnoxious, more and more toward our dark side than not. Then, once we get into the political ads all hell breaks loose.
Most of you who follow my ramblings know that I am what used to be called a "Bleeding Heart Liberal". In fact, I plan to frequent the OC Fair this month and get a license plate holder that says just that to display on my American made Ford Mustang. At the same time I am also a deep believer in this country and am more optimistic than pessimistic, actually a jingoist as many of my friends would put it. Which brings me to the ads for the election for President of the United States by both parties.
So many people on both sides complain that running negative ads is bad, yet when the campaign committees run focus groups on the effectiveness of the ad they almost always get feedback that the ads work. If they didn't work then they wouldn't invest millions of dollars on producing and running them. Complain all you want people, but you like them. The name calling, half truths, misrepresentations, sound bites and innuendo are great stuff. We eat it up and use it to further our arguments with neighbors and friends. We use it as facts we can recite to bolster our positions and we get lathered up when a new one hits the screen. It doesn't matter what the ads say we will believe the ads that run the most often and shout out the loudest.
What do advertising people believe? "If you say something often enough and loud enough, people will perceived it as truth". The present generations will believe as truth anything from the Internet. Oliver Stone has made good living off of revisionist history in film drama. Not documentaries but fiction loosely based on facts.
So, my message here is two fold; Don't believe everything you hear or see and look at actions and decide where you stand on the actions of our politicians, the effectiveness of our toilet paper and until you have actually tasted that cat food, let your cat decide.
Most of you who follow my ramblings know that I am what used to be called a "Bleeding Heart Liberal". In fact, I plan to frequent the OC Fair this month and get a license plate holder that says just that to display on my American made Ford Mustang. At the same time I am also a deep believer in this country and am more optimistic than pessimistic, actually a jingoist as many of my friends would put it. Which brings me to the ads for the election for President of the United States by both parties.
So many people on both sides complain that running negative ads is bad, yet when the campaign committees run focus groups on the effectiveness of the ad they almost always get feedback that the ads work. If they didn't work then they wouldn't invest millions of dollars on producing and running them. Complain all you want people, but you like them. The name calling, half truths, misrepresentations, sound bites and innuendo are great stuff. We eat it up and use it to further our arguments with neighbors and friends. We use it as facts we can recite to bolster our positions and we get lathered up when a new one hits the screen. It doesn't matter what the ads say we will believe the ads that run the most often and shout out the loudest.
What do advertising people believe? "If you say something often enough and loud enough, people will perceived it as truth". The present generations will believe as truth anything from the Internet. Oliver Stone has made good living off of revisionist history in film drama. Not documentaries but fiction loosely based on facts.
So, my message here is two fold; Don't believe everything you hear or see and look at actions and decide where you stand on the actions of our politicians, the effectiveness of our toilet paper and until you have actually tasted that cat food, let your cat decide.
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