Will "Kings" Reign?

I watched the first 2 episodes of “Kings”—a new drama on Sundays at 8:00 on NBC. The commercials intrigued me because I thought it recast America as a monarchy instead of a democracy. So I was interested to see how the writers pictured such a world. However, my assumptions about the background of the show were completely wrong. Rather, it is a modernization of the biblical Saul and David story found in 1 and 2 Samuel. I figured this out immediately as there were many allusions to the biblical story—some overt and some more subtle. Here are a few:

The main city with a New York skyline was Shiloh
The king was named Silas (Saul); the young upstart was named David Shepherd; the king’s daughter and David’s love interest was named Michelle (Michal); the Prophet was named Reverend Samuels
An early scene saw David going up against a tank whose model was named “Goliath”

Others could be listed, but you get the point. A more subtle allusion revolved around the anointing of the Spirit. In the biblical narrative, the Spirit is on Saul and then leaves him and rests on David. In the show the Spirit is symbolized by butterflies that come and settle like a crown on the actors’ heads. I thought this was an interesting and profound appropriation.

No matter how many parallels and allusions are included, many modernizations of classics end up falling flat. However, I put this “Kings” one on the level of Romeo + Juliet (1996) with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. One aspect that sets this show apart from other attempts to modernize ancient stories is the clever mix of modern and ancient language. While Romeo + Juliet tried to keep much of Shakespeare’s language, “Kings” uses modern English while sprinkling in some “spiritualized” language. For example, when Reverend Samuels denounces the king he says, “I bring a message. Since you have cast aside the word of the Lord he has cast you aside as king. He grants you no more favors. He protects what you love no longer. God wishes a man after his own heart. You have none.”

Through the first 2 episodes they have done a pretty good job of conveying the original storyline without too much fabrication or plot twisting. However, I wonder if they can keep it up without too many contrived stories. One problem I have is with the portrayal of the king’s son, Jack (Jonathan in the biblical account). In the TV edition he resents David, while the biblical account shows a man, who though he should resent David, loves him and accepts David’s ascension to the throne. Unless a plot line makes them best buddies, it will be a pretty significant divergence from the original.

As I said, my biggest fear is the writers turning this story into something it is not, or choosing to show one side of the characters over against another. But if they do, they will be in good company since the Biblical writers do the same thing. 1 and 2 Samuel tell all the dirty secrets of David, while Chronicles cleans up his history and presents a more pristine “man after God’s own heart.”

I don’t know where this series is going, but I like it thus far and recommend you give it a try. You can watch the first three episodes on the NBC website.

Some Facebook Rants

I recently purged my “friend” list on Facebook. At first I thought it was great to have so many “friends” and to reconnect with people. But as my experience has progressed I have realized that these people are not my “friends”. In fact, I spent four years in high school or college in the proximity of some of these people without ever having a real conversation. My feeling is that if I didn’t make a point to “connect” with them then, why would I now? That may seem heartless and cruel, but it is a fact. I don’t dislike them or wish them ill – I just don’t want to get step up our current association level and become involved in their daily affairs. Most of the people won’t even notice – after all, they have like 300 friends’ lives to wade through and I am probably not on the top of the list. So, my “friend” list has dwindled from 200 to around 120. That is still too many. I would love to pine it down to 50, but that would cause some serious friction among acquaintances.

Maybe that is the next innovation that needs to take place on Facebook – differing categories. Instead of emasculating the definition of the word “friend”, why can’t we categorize people based on our actual relationship? If they are business related, church related, old school people, or whatever else that might solve the problem for me. I know, they have the “top 10” friends group or whatever, but anything that says “Hey, we are going to take all of your information and disseminate it as we please” usually leads me to click “ignore.”

Which leads me to my next Facebook rant – all of these groups and causes are pointless. I don’t join any causes because, listen closely, THEY DON’T DO ANYTHING!!! By definition a “cause” affects change. Signing up for something on Facebook does not make any difference to cancer, to the old vs. new Facebook layout – to anything. Your virtual support is just that – virtual and not actual. Prayer is not going to get put back in schools, abortion is not going to get outlawed, Obama is not going to get impeached just because you join a group or cause. How about writing or emailing your congress person? You might have a shot then. But I don’t think our representatives are trolling about the Facebook groups to help them determine policy.

And if you are signing up to make a statement to your friends, shouldn’t they already know where you stand? Or perhaps they are not actually your friends but merely people you sort of knew at one time. And so we have come full circle.

An Enlightening Trip to the Movies

Thanks to Austin’s recommendation, I have been slowly creeping through Mad Men (as my schedule does not allow for much extra television watching). If you are unaware, the show follows members of a Madison Avenue advertising agency in the 1960’s. In a few episodes, the main character, Don Draper, interacts with what I would call “proto-hippies”. In their discussions, they go back and forth between what these advertising agents are actually accomplishing—manipulation or directing the customers to the best of what they already desire. For example, the company represents Lucky Strike cigarettes. They take the approach that everyone wants to smoke anyway, so just get them to agree that Lucky Strikes is the best brand and everyone goes home a winner. Of course, this influencing takes place by leaving out certain details such as the deadly health impact of these and other cigarettes stemming from the ingredients of the cigarette.

All of this is to say, media influence has been on my mind lately so I perhaps I was extra sensitive to an encounter at the movie theatres, but I don’t think so. Before the movie began, while I am used to being bombarded with commercials and trailers, I was not prepared for the video I saw. I can think of no description other than “propaganda.” It was the following music video to a song by Kid Rock called “Warrior”.



I found this video both subtle and not so subtle at the same time. On the one hand you have two red neck icons – Kid Rock and Dale Earnhardt Jr. – supporting the National Guard. Though I am non-violent in principles, I do not begrudge those who want to serve their country in the Armed Forces. However, this is propaganda of the worst sort – glorifying the war and acting as though race relations are being impacted for the better through our armed presence in places such as Iraq. It is a lie that recruiters have used since the beginning – “Want to be a hero? Want to see some action? Want to serve your country? Then join the ______________ (fill in your branch of the armed forces).”

Am I un-American? Perhaps. But if “un-American” means thinking critically about the sort of propaganda that is being served up to this country, then sign me up for the fight against McCarthyism.

Octuplet Obsession

To keep this blog on the cutting edge of cultural developments, today I would like to address a serious issue that has come to the forefront in the last month. In case you have been under a rock, a woman, Nadya Suleman, – mother of 6 – had octuplets. I wanted to spend this entry going off on her, but I will let someone else do that. The following is an editorial is by Jim Wooten and from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sunday, February 08, 2009. I have edited it for content and space but you can read the entire article here.

****************
Octuplets and all children deserve better

The octuplets born to an unmarried woman in California are consequences of self-centeredness gone awry. The woman, Nadya Suleman, had six children, all conceived with the help of a sperm-donor friend. The eight born last month grew from six implanted embryos, life created with friend-donated sperm. She told NBC’s “Today” show that she wanted a large family because she felt alone as an only child. “All I wanted was children,” she said. “I wanted to be a mom. That’s all I ever wanted in my life. I love my children.” The outrage is that a narcissistic adult, for her own pleasure, intentionally brought 14 children into the world, children who will never know their father. It was a conscious, medically assisted choice to have multiple births —- a decision suggesting an impaired mental state that should have raised questions about her fitness as the primary adult female in the children’s lives.

The octuplets should be a wake-up call to the nation. It is child cruelty to inflict the suffering on human life that Suleman visits upon these 14 children. As Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears has noted, children born to unmarried women and to those in cohabiting relationships “must often overcome increased risks of poverty, education failure, child abuse, delinquency, emotional distress and mental illness.” The focus of all law and public policies really should be reoriented to children. They desperately need protection from self-centered adults who casually create life for reasons that are frivolous and self-indulgent. The octuplets’ birth dramatically highlights the plight of children carelessly and frivolously conceived. It should be the spectacle that prompts ministers, educators, entertainers, politicians, aunts, uncles and other family members need to recognize the harm unmarried adults are causing to children.

Life begins at conception. Anything adults do prior to that moment that doesn’t harm a third person is their business. At the moment of life, however, the wants and even the needs of the adults are incidental to those of the child. These 14 children need a protector.
*******************

Here are some additional statistics for you to consider from an article on yahoo.com:

Suleman has been supporting her six other children with $490 a month in food stamps and receives Social Security disability payments for three of the youngsters that could total $2,379 a month.
She has estimated her in vitro fertilization procedures have cost $100,000.
Suleman has said she saved for the treatments by working double shifts and also used money from a disability award exceeding $165,000 that she received after an on-the-job back injury.
The Suleman octuplets' medical costs have not been disclosed, but in 2006, the average cost for a premature baby's hospital stay in California was $164,273, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Eight times that equals $1.3 million.
For a single mother, the cost of raising 14 children through age 17 ranges from $1.3 million to $2.7 million, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

If you want to get into the “medicine” of the story, you can go here.

Her personal website. Not much there, but you can donate if you feel led.

So here’s how I feel. I think she is selfish and unnecessarily burdening herself and the rest of us to fulfill some need of hers. If she wants to have children and love them, then fine – I don’t begrudge her that. But when she already has 6 children and spending $100,000 on fertilization techniques whose end result could be nothing other that the birth of multiple children is irresponsible and selfish. There are plenty of options for her to have children and not be such a burden – being a foster mother is one good option. Another would have been to spend the $100,000 on adopting children because God knows there are plenty of children both here in America and abroad that desperately need a good home. Does she deserve the death threats she has received? Of course not. But something has to be done for the future to keep this sort of thing from happening. I implore lawmakers to seriously consider barring these doctors from practicing this brand of “medicine” that is so manipulative and has such wide reaching consequences.

I wish her the best, but expect the worst. I know my tax dollars will help give these kids what they need to survive. I just wish they had been spent elsewhere.

All that glitters is not Grammy-worthy

This blog has focused pretty heavily on TV shows the last few weeks, so I thought I would change it up and talk about music. In the last couple of weeks I have seen various commercials promoting the Grammy Awards show. These commercials kept touting great acts such as the Jonas Bothers (check out my rant against them here), Lil Wayne (who I add to my “no talent ass clown" list), and Carrie Underwood (whose country genre I could do without). So, needless to say, I had not planned on tuning in to see a bunch of artists that I wish would be censored. But a strange thing happened, the Grammys were on while my wife and I caught up on “House” and “Burn Notice” on my laptop. So, I was able to pick and choose what I could take in. And I will say, there were some awesome performances and some embarrassing combinations. So here goes:

Kid Rock was entertaining as usual. I like the song “Amen” and so was happy to see its inclusion in his medley.

Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus sang a song written by the former called "Fifteen". I am not a fan of either and don’t see what all the hubbub is about. But, it was a decent song.

Then, the embarrassment of the night – the Jonas Brothers teamed up with the legend - Stevie Wonder – to do their crappy song "Burnin' Up". One day, someone will explain to me why these guys deserve to perform at the Grammys with Stevie. Until then, I will have to resign myself to continue despising them.

A highlight for me was Dave Grohl playing drums for Paul McCartney as he performed "I Saw Her Standing There". I was hoping they would do a medley and Dave would come out from behind the drums and play some guitar, but it was not to be.

Radiohead performed "15 Step" with USC Trojan Marching Band. If you didn’t see it, you have to check it out below. Classic Radiohead brilliance.



Two groups combined the old and the new to made for great performances. There was a Four Tops medley with stand ins Jamie Foxx and Ne-Yo. In addition, John Mayer, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Keith Urban gave tribute to "Bo Diddley". I believe that song could have gone on for 10 minutes and I would have been in heaven. Unfortunately, the production had to make way for Lil’ Wayne & Robin Thicke’s tribute to New Orleans. While that is all well and good, how Lil’ Wayne wins Best Rap Album, Rap Song, and Solo Performance stretches my compression of the human species to the limit and demeans the value of winning a Grammy. Because too many bad sentences can begin with, “If Lil’ Wayne can win a Grammy…”

So all in all, I was entertained by many of the acts and was glad that they included not just the commercial successes in both the award winners and in the performances.

Super Bowl Civility

I enjoyed the Super Bowl last night, though I went in assuming it was going to be awful. I assumed that Pittsburgh would dominate and that the game would not be close. And, much of the game played out in this way. Fortunately, the fourth quarter more than made up for the rest of lopsided game and it ended up being quite an exciting conclusion.

However, I watched the game with a bunch of high schoolers and middle schoolers, if you can call it watching. They have the attention span of flies, and so they were constantly running off to play basketball, dodge ball, Rock Band, or whatever else. Also they all were rooting for the Cardinals (while I was rooting for Pittsburgh). So, they paid little attention to the game until the fourth quarter when Arizona actually showed up.

It was at this point the inexplicable happened. When Arizona took the lead, two middle schoolers got in my face and were taunting me. I am not a violent man, but I was ready to twist the heads off of their puny bodies. I mean, really? You haven’t rooted for this team ever before, and now you find it necessary to verbally abuse me because they are winning? It is insane! It is a silly game that you and I have no vested interest in. Maybe - maybe - if it is your favorite team you could root like a fanatic. But even then, you aren’t on the team. You don’t own the team. It doesn’t really matter if they win or lose other than your pride bring bolstered or hurt. SO GET OFF ME!!

I know, they are immature 6th graders. But even still, get a clue. This is no way to act. When I hear of LSU fans showing up at Alabama fans house and shooting them. When I hear about Soccer fans rioting and killing one another. When I see the sort of conduct that would be completely unacceptable under any other circumstances, it makes me want to distance myself from the human race as much as possible.

We need to get a clue about what is important. We can root for our teams, or their teams, or any teams. But for God’s sake, we don’t need to dispense with civility in order to do it. Perhaps instead of $3 million commercials about Clydesdales we need sensitivity training commercials. Or maybe, just maybe, we could treat each other with some respect understanding that life is bigger than a silly game filled with testosterone overloaded men trying to maim each other.

Sorry for the Super Bowl downer, but that’s just how I feel. I’ll leave breaking down the commercials to someone else.

Media Update

Just an update on the media I have been watching lately.

I have caught up on the 2 ½ seasons of 30 Rock. Funny stuff. Lemon’s character reminds me of Elaine from Seinfeld in many ways. She is intelligent but often circumstances conspire against her which set up the humorous situations. I will say that although this show is hilarious at times, I don’t see why it gets more industry acclaim than “The Office”.

I have also started a new show, “Leverage.” So far it is okay, but I have only seen 2 of 7 episodes. Basically a bunch of high end criminal types get together to pull of jobs to teach someone else a lesson. It is Ocean’s 11 with some morality. Kind of Robin Hoodish I guess. While the jobs are interesting and I enjoy seeing how they are pulled off, I don’t know that that the storylines are compelling enough for me. I guess time will tell. (A shout out goes to Tom and his Facebook for introducing me to this show).

Also, there has been some debate in other posts about Monk, The Mentalist, and Psych. Let me set the record straight. Monk was first, and Monk's phobias and their impact on his ability to solve crimes make it funny. Psych is silly funny, in an Adam Sandler vein. And the Mentalist contains a more refined comedic element. All are similar in that they include hyper observant main characters. All are funny in different ways. But each is different and, I believe, worth watching.

Moving on. The previews to a new movie, “Taken”, look very intriguing. Though I doubt I will see it in the theatre, I hope I remember it when it makes it to the Library.

I watched the NFL playoffs this weekend. I was happy to see either AFC team in the Super Bowl but think the NFC is a joke. Maybe the Cardinals will pull off a feat like the Giants of last year, but I just don’t see it happening. Early Super Bowl pick – Steelers 27-Cardinals 13.

All for now. Get outside an enjoy the snow (all of you who live north of Tennessee and East of Illinois).

Potpourri of Artists

I attended the Tennessee Christian Teen Convention this weekend, and as usual they brought in a variety of talented folks to provide entertainment. The following are a few of which I took notice that you are welcome to check out on you own.

First up was illusionist Jared Hall. He did quite a few cool illusions and tricks. He incorporated more comedy than most of the more popular illusionists which made his illusions take longer than necessary. But they were good nonetheless. Here is a video of one illusion that I saw in which he levitated a table. And here is a video of him getting out of a straight jacket in less than a minute. Not bad, if you’re into that.

Next up is comedian Jeff Allen. He is an old guy and used a lot of older reference that I found hilarious, but which probably fell on deaf, teenage years. He has a style similar to Brian Regan and self deprecating mannerisms which make for a very entertaining show. Here is a quick bit from his repertoire.

Joe Castillo is an artist whose medium is sand on a light board. He tells unbelievable stories just by moving sand around a table. It is incredible. Here is video of “The Passion.

Finally, the big musical group was Family Force 5 who are reminiscent of Korn with their droning guitars highlighted with electronic beats. They were okay, but I don’t think I am going to pile the family in the minivan and follow them on tour across the country. You can listen to some songs on their myspace page.

It is always tough to get acts that will appeal to the most people in attendance. But, I think the planning committee did pretty well. If you see any of these guys in your neighborhood, check them out.

Guitar Greats

I have this friend, and we have gotten into a few discussions about guitarists - specifically, who is the best guitarist ever. Now he is a moron because he thinks Eddie Van Halen is the best guitarist ever – which is INSANE! I tell him that he is so limited in his understanding of music. But he stands firm.

The problem with this discussion is the same problem with trying to pick the best song or group ever. Besides being extremely subjective, one also has to deal with different genres. Even with guitarists, they play different styles and in different ways. How do you compare great Metal guitarists with Blues players? How do you compare Classic Rock with Hair Band Rock? It seems an impossible task. So, determining who is the “best” ends up comparing apples to oranges rather than comparing Fugis to Granny Smiths. But, it must be done or else we have little to talk about. I propose using criteria such as technique and difficulty of skills in addition to producing music that is pleasing to the ear. Again, it remains subjective, but at least puts us at the same table.

To such ends, Rolling Stone put out their top 100 list of guitarists of which I have reproduced the top ten below:

1) Jimi Hendrix
2) Duane Allman
3) B.B. King
4) Eric Clapton
5) Robert Johnson
6) Chuck Berry
7) Stevie Ray Vaughan
8) Ry Cooder
9) Jimmy Page
10) Keith Richards

All these guys are great. No doubt about it. But some are before my time and some are WAY before my time. So, my top 3 would be the following (in no particular order) – Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton. The reason they are not in order is because they play different styles, but do so exceptionally well. Whenever their songs come on the radio or Pandora, I will listen. Other guitarist’s stuff is hit or miss for me depending what mood I am in. And as for Eddie Van Halen, well, would be lucky to make my top 50.


So, who is in your top 3 or 5 guitarists?
Do you agree with the Rolling Stone list or feel they have overlooked a monumental influence?

Some Yuletide Joy

So, I am bored with Facebook. It was nice at first, catching up with some old friends. Seeing the amazing power of the search engine at work. But, my personality is not to really be all that concerned with regular interaction with these people. I just don’t need it or overly desire it. So why else would I use Facebook? I have enjoyed some of the applications – Dungeons and Dragons, Mob Wars, Pro Football Pick ‘Em. But, after retiring 3 characters, and amassing mass amounts of land and experience I just don’t see the lure of it. Will I continue updating my status – probably as I like to be clever. Most likely I will just use it for pictures and videos as the easy interface has taken over my own personal website.

In regard to TV watching, I just finished up the first season of the Unit. It is really good. To be honest, at one time (in early middle school) I wanted to be a special operative. Then I realized that I don’t agree with killing people. So, military service is kind of out the question for me. Anyway, the worst part of the Unit is the whiney, stupid wives. Their storylines are contrived and seem just to be for filler than any real contribution to the overall picture. Season 2 is on tap with Season 3 waiting in the wings.

I have been watching a few sports lately and have been so frustrated by local coverage. It pisses me off. Last week in men’s college basketball Georgetown was playing someone (I forget but a top 10 team) and it went into overtime. Instead of staying with the game they went to the tip off of Kentucky v. Indiana. Now I know I am living in “Wildcat Country” but am I wrong in assuming that basketball fans supersede Wildcat fans? Couldn’t they just finish up the good game and then switch to two college basketball relics? And then, this week my CBS affiliate decided to show the NFL powerhouses of Cincinnati vs. Cleveland instead of those perennial losers Tennessee vs. Pittsburgh (sarcasm thoroughly employed in that last sentence). Apparently, deciding home field advantage is not as important as watching the crappy loser located near your city. It is not just because I have no care about either team. If the Lions or Colts (whom I follow) were involved in an unimportant game and there was another of greater overall significance, then I would say, “Broadcast the latter.”

Enough ranting. If these ramblings seem incoherent, I was up all last night at a lock in with my youth group. If things go well, that could have been my last one ever.

Zeitgiest

Google has released its Zeitgiest 2008 (spirit of the times): “As the year comes to a close, it's time to look at the big events, memorable moments and emerging trends that captivated us in 2008.” They do this trend study by charting the billions of searches that go through their servers. Though most things were to be expected, I found some interesting things of note. Here are the top 10 fastest rising searches from around the world:
1. sarah palin
2. beijing 2008
3. facebook login
4. tuenti (Spanish Facebook)
5. heath ledger
6. obama
7. nasza klasa (Social networking in Poland)
8. wer kennt wen (Social networking in Germany)
9. euro 2008
10. jonas brothers

Nothing terribly surprising there, except I am amazed that Heath Ledger beat out our next president. I also still fail to see the fascination with the Jonas Brothers.

In a similar vein, here are the top 5 image searches:
1. sarah palin
2. obama
3. twilight
4. miley cyrus
5. joker

I assume Miley made it with all the hubbub concerning her “sensually charged photos”. But how is the Joker in the top 5? Is it possible that a whole generation has no idea who this super criminal is or what he looks like? Bizzare.

In the sports category here are the top 5 searched clubs:
1. manchester united
2. chelsea
3. chivas
4. barcelona
5. arsenal

I was happy to see Man U and Arsenal, but somewhat surprised at Chelsea but no Liverpool. Also, Chivas? Really? And here is the most bizarre list I found – Mascot searches:
1. olympic mascot
2. georgia mascot
3. tennessee mascot
4. ohio state mascot
5. phillies mascot
6. auburn mascot
7. alabama mascot
8. stanford mascot
9. harvard mascot
10. notre dame mascot

I don’t know why these mascots were searched so often. Perhaps they are going into retirement, got fired, or quit and the spot is open to the public. Who knows, but of those listed Auburn, Alabama, Stanford and Harvard seem out of place. The rest are pretty well known but who cares about those 4? Apparently a lot of people – enough to make the list.

So, I end with the question, what thing, picture, concept have you searched for the most this year? I will admit that mine has revolved around celebrities – mostly because I don’t know who the hell these people are. I see something on TV or on the news about them and they are made out to be the biggest thing since Swatch Watches. But I have never heard of them. So, I have to Google them to placate my inquisitive nature. I know, I am just feeding the entertainment monster, but I can’t help my self.

Thanksgiving Wretching

Thanksgiving Break was good for me. Got to see some of the folks from my previous church and got to see Carrie’s Brother’s family for a while. Got a 7-Eleven Slurpee – Vanilla Cream flavored. Turkey was tasty – but no mashed potatoes. Also, I finished up a paper that was due on “The Development of Israelite Religion.” I know, enthralling stuff. Let me know if you want me to email you a copy.

The most startling experience of the week came during the Dallas-Seattle football game – a halftime performance by the Jonas Brothers. Now I have seen the Jonas Brothers everywhere. Girls seem to be going crazy for these guys. There is a bunch of swag out there. But I have never heard a song or seen a video by this familial trio. I have just seen public appearances that consisted of silly jabbering with the anchor person while teenage girls screamed in the background.

So imagine my delight when I found out that JB (apparently short for Jonas Brothers) were performing at half time. I know I am a cynical chap, but I was shocked and appalled. These guys sucked live. I mean beyond being terrible. It was like I was transported back to the 90s and was listening to Hanson – except without the talent. Even one of their songs (“Burning Love”) was only a note or two off from being the hook to “Umm Bop.” I am not exaggerating for effect – it was that close. Don’t believe me? I have the two songs below for your comparison.

Well, I can scratch them off my list of CDs that I want for Christmas. Which brings me to my rant. I know I complained about movies the other week. But music sucks too. It seems that anyone can get signed and promoted in such a way as to convince everyone that s/he has talent, when in fact it is all from the hand of the producer. Pandora has been nice in finding new and decent music, but good luck finding quality music in the mainstream.

So, if anyone has some recommendations for some good, new music, I am all ears. I particularly like rap and hip-hop that is similar to old school stuff, rock (both classic and of the grunge era).


"Burning Love" by Jonas Brothers



"Umm Bop" by Hanson (They would not let me embed, so just click on the link)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd0C_Us31kk

Movie Malaise

I am not a comic book geek anymore (unlike many of the contributors on this blog) and that is okay – both that they are and that I am not. In fact, I have been out of the loop for quite some time and have not seen many of the comic book movies that have come out in the last 5 years. I have not seen Iron Man, Fantastic 4, Spiderman 2, or even the newest Batman (though it is high on my list). Really, they don’t seem to be all that enthralling to me and typically the acting turns out to be a real let down. So, to say I am less than delighted to hear that there are 75 comics being made into films as we speak is an understatement. As I look down the list, I recognize very few of the comics (again going back to me being “out of the game”). No doubt few will actually make it on the big screen, but I am sure that even fewer of those will be worth watching.

The fact is, in my opinion, movies in general just suck these days. Nothing comes out that makes me turn to Carrie and say, “Let’s go through the hassle setting aside a night and getting a babysitter so we can go to the theatre and pay $7/person to see that movie.” It never happens. I saw the “Lord of the Rings” Trilogy in the theatre, and Carrie likes to see the “Harry Potter” movies in the theatre. That’s it. Even after these movies come out on video, we don’t rent them. I am too busy and tired to sit through the drivel that passes for movies these days. I know there are exceptions, but by and large the plots show a lack of ingenuity, so producers try to make up for this deficiency with special effects or star power. Neither do it for me.

So I ask, “Can anyone give me a good reason why I should go to the theatre? Can anyone tell me why I should give my time and money to Hollywood anymore?” Because as it currently stands, I am pretty much done.

Observations from the Election

The following are random thoughts that passed through my head some time during the election process:

I suppose I shouldn’t, but I really question why people voted for the various candidates. Leading up to the election and even after the election it seemed that people just wanted to talk about how “historic” it was going to be. And of course it is historic. But should that fact influence the way we vote? Should we vote for or against the McCain/Palin ticket because we want a woman in the White House or because we think she can reenergize the curmudgeonly Republican party? Should we vote for or against Obama because he is an African-American or because we think he can actually enact change in Washington?

It just seems to me that some people voted not based on credentials but based on physical characteristics. After Obama had preliminarily won, and people were interviewed, they seemed more excited to get an African-American in office rather than the candidate that most lined up with their political, social, and religious beliefs. Am I glad we have broken the race barrier on the highest level? Of course I am. But I wonder if Obama is the right guy to do it? Time will tell.


I am sick of Christians and sometimes wish they were seen and not heard. Leading up to the election I heard the following via interaction with church members, Facebook statuses, blog posts, and other information:
“If Obama gets elected it will be then end of the world.”
“Obama as president will inaugurate the last days.”
And on and on it went with these doom and gloom scenarios based on Obama getting elected. Then, the day after he was, it all changed to, “It’s okay. God is in control. God can bring good from bad. God has instituted the authorities. Blah blah.”
It just seems disingenuous and flip-floppy. Though appropriate for politics, I found it completely inappropriate for God’s people.

Then of course are the doomsday prophecies about what Obama will do in the next 4 years. Since he is apparently pro-abortion, anti-guns, and a socialist, the Religious Right are up in arms. Of course, last I checked Obama’s top 5 things to get accomplished don’t include killing babies, ruining hunting season, and instituting Marxism. He has a few bigger problems to deal with. So why don’t you all calm down at least for a year.

I also don’t understand how our democratic society has forgotten about checks and balances. From what I have heard it is like everyone thinks Obama can enact any change he wants without opposition. I am pretty sure we elected a president as opposed to a totalitarianistic dictator. He has to jump through the hoops too.

Speaking of systems, can someone tell me why California gets 55 Electoral College votes? I know it is based on California having the densest population, but it doesn’t deserve 20 more electoral votes especially when it is guaranteed to vote liberal every time. Basically, the democrats are already 1/5th of the way there each election. I say this not as a Republican, but as a middle independent who would like to see a fairer system.


All in all it was an interesting process. I went from thinking both candidates were great during the Primaries to thinking both were shams during the debates. Here’s to another four years of failed promises!

My Political Platform

JDs Halloween post kindled many thoughts in me. And in this time of voting and change being on the horizon, if I am accepted onto the Halloween Holiday Board I will take immediate action to improve our current situation. As I read over JD’s costume list, I noticed that it reflected much of what I saw from recent Halloweens - WEAK outfits. I remember my mom spending hours sewing up such classic costumes as Yoda and a California Raisin. It is like the parents aren't even trying anymore. Or maybe the kids don't have any imaginations or think that some costumes are too infantile, and thus unworthy. I saw one kid with normal clothes, some white face paint, and some red lines that I supposed were supposed to represent lacerations. I asked him what he was, and he just held out his basket and shrugged. Whatever the case, I think many have forgotten that looking cool is the reason for the season.

I understand that we don’t need to be flushing future college tuition down the drain just for a costume, but come on! Give me something. So I recommend putting more power into the hands of the candy giver. If the kids are just throwing on some shoddy costume just to get candy, then take their very incentive out of their baskets. If you don't approve of the costume (for whatever reason – crappy, no imagination, offensive, etc.) then you don’t hand out candy. It will only take a year or two of this system to increase costume thoughtfulness. Granted, you open yourself to a house and car egging later in the evening, but it is time to make people earn the individually wrapped candy we worked so hard to purchase.

I propose we candy be dolled out according to merit. This socialistic candy distribution to everyone is not working. It has removed any impetus for excelling. Seriously, should the beautifully adorned princess get the same amount of candy as the kid who threw on some work clothes? I ask you - are these the principles that founded America? I don't think so! So here is the breakdown of the candy distribution that makes sense and puts more candy in to the hands that deserve it:

Regular clothes/haphazardly thrown together costume - 0 Pieces
Costume with little imagination - 1 Piece
Costume that is thoughtful, just not over the top - 2 Pieces
Costume reflecting a parent with too much time - 3 Pieces
Costume straight out of Hollywood - 4 Pieces(or a King Size)

This is the year for change. So let’s begin with something near and dear to all of us. After all, if the effort displayed at Halloween is any indication of our economic status, then we are indeed in a crisis.

The Punter Enacts Revenge

I’ve been sick all weekend. I suppose it is some sort of cold. My throat is pretty sore. My head has a lot of pressure. My nose has not seen this much congestion since I drove through Knoxville last year. But, I seem to be on the mend, even if I sound like one of those guys who has throat cancer and talks through the speaker box.

Moving on to better things. Here is my update on the shows I have been watching.

Chuck is still funny and entertaining, though I sort of doubt how long they can keep it up.

Heroes is still captivating and the plot thickens each episode. Which makes me wonder if the writers aren’t in danger of making the plot too convoluted (i.e. Lost – though the writers keep insisting that there will be resolution).

The Mentalist is thoroughly entertaining. It has the humor of Psych with the Zen like import of Life.

Speaking of Life, the show still packs a punch and the interaction between the main characters is wonderful to listen to. Austin has, on various occasions, complained about the scoring of various shows. The music in Life is great. It is as good as I have heard. Great songs at just the right time.

My Own Worst Enemy lacks something. I don’t mind watching it and it is entertaining, but in the end not overly compelling.

I have the first 3 hours of Crusoe ready to watch but have not had the time.


I will leave you with the following video. I saw it live yesterday, and this clip is easily the highlight of Sunday’s football games:

Football Nightmare

Sorry to post off-schedule but I have to something off my chest.

Though I do not live in Michigan anymore, I try to keep up with the Detroit area sports. I still love watching the Pistons and the Red Wings. I am not a big baseball fan, but I root for the Tigers. And then football season came. Man am I embarrassed. But it is not just over the Lions. The Wolverines are a shamockery. Last year they lose to Appalachian State Mountaineers. This year they add the fearsome Toledo Torpedoes to their suckiness resume. The only thing I could cling to while living in Tennessee was the Volunteers seemed to be “rebuilding” as well. Regardless, no football pride exists in the Detroit area anymore.

Since neither the Lions nor the Wolverines are going to make a bowl this year, I recommend that in January they play one another for the “Toilet Bowl.” The loser is not allowed to have a program for a year. More than likely the Lions would win, but at this point it doesn’t matter which team gets suspended. I can’t take it anymore. If they keep it up I am going to have to start rooting for SEC and AFC teams. I shudder as I even type such a thing. But desperate times call for desperate measures.

The Pirates of the Internet

Last week Brandon and I briefly discussed downloading shows (you can read the comments). With that rise of high speed connections, huge hard drives, and an interest in and ease of digitizing media, file sharing continues to plague the RIAA and MPAA. Granted, they have a case. Artists make a product and expect to be reimbursed if you use that product. That's how capitalism works. Of course, the damages these groups seek when they sue offenders is ludicrous, but I digress. But what about TV shows, especially those on the network stations? Well we will come to that. Let me first outline why I download certain shows off the internet, for free.

First off, there are shows that I enjoy watching and want to continue to watch. However, my schedule does not always permit. For example, any show that comes on before 9:00 at night rules me out (thanks a lot FOX for putting house on at 8:00!). I am putting the kids to bed so that hour is filled up. Also, church meetings, school work, school activities, etc. at times interfere with my TV watching schedule. So, from a selfish standpoint, I want to keep up with my programs. When we lived in TN and we had a DVR there was no problem. In addition I could skip the commercials. But now that I am DVR-less I have to go to greater lengths to watch the shows. But isn’t that what the network/writer/producer wants? Don’t they want an addicted audience? Have they not succeeded? They very fact that I go to such lengths as to find a torrent, and then download the show, and then set up my laptop so my wife and I can watch tells me that they are doing something right.

Second, many stations are putting their shows online anyway. The networks especially, but USA puts the shows I like (Burn Notice, Monk, and Psych) online as well. What’s the difference? Well, one difference is marketing. You have to sit through some commercials before and during the shows online, just as if you were watching it on TV (unless you have a DVR). Now I grant that commercial sponsors are how they can put their shows on TV and keep things running, but really I think commercials have lost their effectiveness. Or, putting shows from premiere stations (HBO, Showtime, etc.) is like stealing because those are special pay channels. And they surely aren’t putting their shows online.

It seems that people who digitize shows and put them up for others to share have been put in the same category as bootleggers (cue the Seinfeld episode). But they aren’t even close to the same thing. This is where the “gray area” comes in for me. Is it wrong to use your DVR to record "Dancing with the Stars" and then put it on the internet at no charge for others to see. After all, you weren't charged to see it. And you aren't charging money for others to see it. Where's the problem? The problem, according to the law, is that you are taking someone else’s intellectual property (if you want to call shows like “Dancing with the Stars” such a thing) and repackaging it (i.e. digitizing and distributing). And here is where the rubber meets the road for me. If you take that show, download it, put it on a DVD and sell it or even keep it in your archives, that seems wrong. But if you download it just to watch it and then delete it from your computer, I see less offense (if any). You are watching the creation of another and taking enjoyment from it without hurting their bottom line. And that is why I do it.

If you feel differently, please let me know. Brandon, you have chimed in already and are free to do so again.
What do you think about downloading shows? Right? Wrong? Gray area? Love to hear from you.

Fall TV Preview

With Fall Programming beginning this week and new shows continuing to begin through October, I thought I would share which shows get the official Sam Long seal of approval. I will begin with the returning shows I will be sure to watch and follow it up with some new shows that contain some potential.

Monk – If you have not seen an episode, you have not seen Tony Shalhoub at his finest. He was great in Wings. He is even better in Monk.
Psych – not great, but entertaining enough to watch.
Burn Notice – I don’t know how long they can keep this show going (plot wise), but so far I am hooked.
Chuck – Funny, clever, interesting. In addition, we get to see a Jewelish (the singer) eye candy.
Heroes – Riveting. That’s all I can say about it.
Life – If you didn’t see the first season, download it and check it out. The lead actor has great stage presence and the plot progress keeps me coming back each week.
The Office – We all know how good this show is.
Lost – We all know how good this show is.
House - We all know how good this show is.

Now, my time and interest are limited, so there are some new shows I plan on giving a try. However I will have to be really impressed in order to devote my limited time to them. (Descriptions are from the network websites):

Crusoe: Based on the tale of Robinson Crusoe, Crusoe will brave the elements in a contemporary tale of love, friendship and self discovery.
2-Hour Series Premiere, Friday, October 17th 8/7c
My Own Worst Enemy: Explores the duality of a man who is pitted against himself and raises the question: who can you trust when you can't trust yourself?
Series Premiere, Monday, October 13th, 10/9c
The Mentalist: Simon Baker stars as Patrick Jane, a detective and independent consultant with the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI) who has a remarkable track record for solving serious crimes by using his razor sharp skills of observation.
Fringe: From J.J. Abrams ("Lost"), Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, the team behind comes a new series that will thrill, terrify and explore the blurring line between the possible and the impossible.


Observations – most of the shows are from USA or NBC. FOX, ABC and CBS have a lot of crappy reality shows that seem to be taking precedence over quality dramas and comedies.

So, what are you looking forward to seeing in the fall programming?
Which show do you think I am an idiot for watching?

Political Commentary

Regardless of where you stand when it comes to politics, this video by Jon Stewart clearly portrays the double standard reporting that pervades the airwaves. Sit back and enjoy.