Fox News, Obama, and Oil Prices

Out of all the 24 hour news channels, Fox News always seems to hook my attention. This is not because I agree with the network as I barely consider what they do as “news”. With gas prices on the rise, I see a lot of segments on Fox criticizing president Obama. They often have panels discussing what the president should do about oil prices. I don’t know enough about economics to give you a thesis on the supply and demand of oil. I don’t know enough science to tell you how much oil there actually is left in the Earth and what is sustainable and what is not. However, I do think I can say that Obama doesn’t control how much oil is left in the Earth and does not have the authority to create more oil. Oil is a finite resource that Obama has no control over.

Now with that in mind, Obama can create the illusion of cheaper gas. He can do this through military means which has many levels of costs. In the long term, it hurts our relationships with other countries which could end up costing us more later. Also, anytime the military is involved, we the people are directly financing military action. Obama could also choose to subsidize the oil so that we can see gas around the three dollar mark at the pumps, but obviously that doesn’t mean the oil was actually cheaper. It’s simply just the illusion of cheaper gas. We don’t see the cost of barrels of oil every day, but we do drive by gas stations every day.

So, with a wider perspective and some mildly critical thought we can see that Obama has little, or even nothing to do with the supply of oil. Sure, Obama can influence how much oil is allocated for the United States by countries on top of oil reserves, but this still has little to do with how much oil the Earth actually has. It’s fair of Fox News to be critical of Obama, and I think we all should be. However, what Fox should actually be pressuring Obama to do is to come up with a long term plan on sustainable energy because no human being can actually make more oil.

1 Peter Chapter 2&3

I’ve been trying to read the Bible more lately and I’ve been failing miserably. I have however been able to check out the words of Peter a bit. I was not surprised to find that I didn’t like what I was reading. I will share a couple of verses I take issue with below.

1 Peter Chapter 2 Verses 13-14 (NIV):
“13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority,14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.”

I want to preface the rest of this blog by saying that I am trying my best not to take anything out of context. I have read the chapters in their entirety so if you believe that something doesn’t sound right, please read the other verses and correct me. Also, if I am missing some sort of historical context, please enlighten me.

Perhaps I don’t like verses 13 and 14 because I am a skeptic. I don’t think everything should be taken at face value. Perhaps my rebellious nature also has something to do with. I find it much more rewarding when I challenge a proposed idea, learn about it, and test it myself. In the end, if the proposed idea is still standing after my tests, I will gladly adopt it. Simply by looking at history, we know that authority figures have not always been right. Yet Peter tells us that we should submit to these leaders and that Yahweh has sent them to punish wrong. Did Yahweh send Hitler to murder all those people? If so, Yahweh is no leader I want to follow. Imagine minorities submitting to every establishment. Imagine how far behind our societies would be if we had no one challenging the norms. The Earth would still be flat and the sun would still revolve around us.


1Peter Chapter 2 Verse 18 (NIV):
“Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.”

What would America and the world be like if we told this to African-American slaves and they all accepted it? We certainly wouldn’t have had a Rosa Parks, a Martin Luther King Jr., or a Barack Obama.


1 Peter Chapter 3 Verse 1 (NIV):
“Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives.”

The level of misogyny in the Bible is something I immensely detest. The world back when Peter was around was primarily a man’s world. Women having a voice in our world is sadly a very recent occurrence. Although we have come a long way, I would still argue we live in a world that is created by men. I feel like the world would be very different, and in my opinion better, if the world and history were shaped by women. Therefore, I very much disagree with Peter when he tells women to submit to their husbands.

Oh, but wait!

1 Peter Chapter 3 Verse 7 (NIV):
“Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives…”
Verse 7 might completely negate my criticism and justify verse 1. However, if we continue reading:
“…and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”
We learn that Peter does in fact look at the female counterpart as “weaker”. He almost had something nice to say.

Again, at face value, the words of Peter sound nice. Be nice to your king, your president, your god, your leader. Respect your husband and respect your wife. However, when you dig deeper and really think about the words of Peter, you begin to see how dangerous blindly accepting his ideals are. We begin to understand that these ideas would derail the progression of living creatures.

Not 6,000 Years Old

I was at church this weekend reading a book about the culture of gardening and the book suggested that the earth has been around for 3 billion years and that we need to look to the earth for gardening tips. However, after reading that tip, it occurred to me that some people believe the earth doesn’t have 3 billion years of gardening experience to draw upon. Christians believe that the earth is 6,000 years old and this to me shows a certain level of arrogance. Christians believe that this giant blue ball was created in their honor. There is no humility in believing that this beautiful planet was put together just so we could walk around on it and do harm to each other and other living creatures. No, I believe the earth was around before we were, and the conditions happened to be just right for us to make a home on it. The earth was around before we were and will most likely continue spinning when we are gone. There is no humility in believing that the earth was created for us, and that the earth ends when we do.

The N.B.A Needs A Chris Kluwe

I haven't been following the N.B.A lockout closely. At this point, these money loving idiots aren't all that relevant to me. About as relevant to me as knowing if my neighbor took a shit this morning. All I know is that a lot of venom is being tossed around and that they aren't close to resuming normally scheduled N.B.A actions.

One thing the potential N.F.L lockout had that the N.B.A doesn't have (thus far) is a Chris Kluwe. Yes, yes, I understand that punters don't exist in the N.B.A. Kicking the ball is a violation in basketball. What I mean by "A Chris Kluwe" is: a member of either side of the table that stands up and speaks against his peers. Kluwe made some not so flattering comments about the biggest stars in the N.F.L this summer when it came to the labor talks. Then the great, although one sided (advantage Kluwe), conversation between Kluwe and Nate Jackson on Deadspin ensued. If you haven't been able to read Kluwe's rebuttal, go read that now. It's better than anything you'll read on my Hub (Not too steep of a task).

Maybe I missed it, but is there anyone in the N.B.A going against the grain? Anyone that is standing up and saying, "Hey guys, we're actually really lucky to be in the position we are in"?

Lights - "Siberia" Review

This album review is a bit late so I’ll keep it short since anyone who is interested in this review will probably have been able to check out the album by now. Valerie Anne Poxleitner, better known as Lights, released her second studio full length, Siberia, on October 4th, 2011. Lights is a Canadian synthpop artist, and although Siberia is still very much a synthpop record, I think her sound is a lot different on this record than her previous album, The Listening. It seems like she stripped away much of the “cotton-candy” sound out of her songs and replaced it with a lot more maturity. Not every song off of Siberia fits this description, but the album as a whole does. For an artist that is primary known for her fun and upbeat songs, I dare say this album is dark at times.

The dubstep movement is no secret at this point. A lot of the people within “the scene” seem to be against this movement toward electronic instrumentals arguing that it’s not “organic” enough. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about the movement, but I can’t deny that having another avenue for creating music and expressing oneself is a good thing. I’m sure anytime there are any sort of advancements in any field, there is always some form of resistance. Humans just seem not to do well with change. Siberia seems to be Lights’ contribution to the dubstep movement. Someone who listens to Skillrex might see this statement as absurd as Siberia probably isn’t considered pure dubstep to most. However, I would argue that Lights takes a different spin on dubstep by using the elements of dubstep and applying it to more traditional music format. She finds a way to create a fusion of the two worlds where she can still use lyrics to convey and enhance the story of the song. Whereas Skrillex is primarily heavy synth and beats without any lyrics. I think this ability to find a balance between the two worlds shows how creative this young lady is. I’m not a huge Lights fan, but I can recommend at least checking this record out.

Lydia Album and Concert Review

I’ve been putting off my review of the new Lydia album, Paint It Gold. Then a few nights ago, I went down to Minneapolis to watch Lydia play at the 7th Street Entry. Now that I have even more material and finally have some time, I will condense my review of the show and the new record together.

I’ll begin by sharing my thoughts on the new album. Paint It Gold was released on October 4thof 2011. I wanted to give the album a handful of spins before I wrote a review for it. When I felt I was ready to give the record an honest review, I was hit with a storm of busy. I mentioned in previous posts that I dislike when fans harp that bands need to not evolve and keep one sound throughout their entire career. I’m not one of those fans, but I will admit when I think a particular album off a discography stands out as the masterpiece. For instance, when I discuss Underoath with people, I have no doubt that Define The Great Line is the album that defines Underoath at their peak. Another example is Senses Fails’ Still Searching. When it comes to Lydia’s discography, I think many would argue that Illuninate is that album. Does Paint It Goldlive up to Illumanite? Although I wish I could report that it is just as good, I would be lying if I did. This is their first album since the hiatus, and they could be shaking off the rust. Although I don’t see that as a valid excuse since Lydia front man, Leighton Antelman, seemed to have kept busy during the hiatus. Antelman has been the primary song writer for most of Lydia’s history. It’s hard to compare how much influence Antelman had on how the songs shaped.Illuminate had a much different lineup from Paint It Gold and Assailants which is the album between Illuminate and Paint It Gold and before their hiatus. One has to ask if Mindy White really did have that big of an influence on how the songs sound. Mindy White is a fan favorite and a former member of Lydia. She was only with Lydia during Illuminate before she left the band to go on to form States. Was it Mindy that gave Illuminate its polish and will we ever hear anything as good as Illuminate without her? Or, could it be that the other members that quit after Illuminate also played a large role? Mindy seems to be at the forefront of this question since she was the fan favorite.

Now I don’t want my comparison of the two albums to make it sound like Paint It Gold is a poor album. It’s still a good album and it still very much feels like Lydia. I’ve been a fan of music and a fan of the scene for a very long time, but I’ve never really been a big lyrics guy. I’ve never looked too deeply into the lyrics because I think it’s near impossible to know what the writer is trying to get across without knowing them personally. I usually take the lyrics for what they are and try to personalize it. I think what made me a fan of Lydia is that the band forced me to listen to the lyrics a bit more. I say “the band,” and not just the writer of the lyrics because Lydia is excellent at writing lyrics against the context of their instrumentals to help create an image. When I listen to Lydia, I feel like I don’t have to interpret or personalize the lyrics. The lyrics and instrumentals, in a perfect marriage, are painted on a screen for me to understand. Quite often when I listen to Lydia I just close my eyes and just let the song sink in. Antelman’s unique voice with his lyrics and the perfectly complementing instrumentals is a force to give you chills every time you listen to Lydia.

Now because I don’t look too deeply into the band and the lyrics, I have a question for fans that might look into the personal lives of the band with more depth. Who is Hailey? Antelman seems to continuously refer to Hailey. And I have to admit, the songs he refers to Hailey are some of my favorite.

The Lydia concert was my second time seeing Lydia live. I never got the chance to see Lydia with their complete Illuminate group which is a shame. However, Lydia was typical Lydia keeping it low key as exemplified by Antelman and other members coming out without any shoes and socks. There wasn’t much special production, a customized backdrop, or special entrance. After sound check was completed, they simply walked out onto the tiny stage and begin to play their catalogue of atmospheric tunes. Antelman wasn’t pitch perfect, but he can get away with it since he isn’t known to be a strong vocalist. His unique voice and song writing skills are what people admire. I didn’t mention Lydia’s first album This December; It's One More And I'm Free. I must admit I’m really not a fan of that album. That is the first album of Lydia’s discography I listened to and I thought I would never listen to Lydia again. Luckily, some of my friends learned about Lydia when Illuminate came out and multiple occasions suggested I listen to Illuminate. After delaying listening to Illuminate for quite some time, I finally caved and gave it a chance and the rest is history. After I became a full time Lydia fan, I went back and tried to give This December; It's One More And I'm Free a second chance. Thinking maybe I had missed something the first time I listened to it. Even after giving the record a second chance, I have to say that I cannot get into it. If my memory serves me right, I read Antelman concede that This December; It's One More And I'm Free is not something he is very proud of. And so although the concert overall was good, Lydia really lost me towards the end when they started playing more songs off of This December; It's One More And I'm Free. The song they played for the encore even came off that record, which was disappointing to me. Again, the concert overall was good, very calm and just about the music, but I don’t see myself going to another Lydia show for a while. I’ve seen Lydia twice now, and I’ve seen what I have to see and heard what I wanted to hear, but there isn’t really much there pulling me back. I could potentially see them in two album cycles or if they make something that matches Illuminate.

Someone should count how many times I said Illuminate.

Evolution of Thrice

Just a short entry this time that doesn't really have a lot of meat. Really just an observation I had today.

I've been listening to a lot more Thrice lately and mostly on shuffle. It hit me today while listening to some of their really old material, that Thrice has evolved so much. I think they really capture how a band is suppose to evolve. It annoys me a bit when I'm at shows and fans only want bands to play their old material. It bothers me that fans expect artists to remain complacent and never change.

Thrice formed in 1998 and started as what I would describe as a punk-alternative rock act. In 2003 they released "The Artist and the Ambulance" where I think their sound began to change. This album probably also marked the peak of their popularity. I think the album did so well because they still had their core punk base, as well as a growing group of alternative-rock listeners. Their sound took another evolution when "Vheissu" was released. They really matured with this record, and I think a lot of their older fans felt abandoned, although I thought it was a very strong record.

I was lucky to follow them throughout their evolution. If you're interested in this type of music, I highly suggest going through each of their albums in order.

Identity Crisis(2000/2001)
The Illusion of Safety(2002)
The Artist in the Ambulance(2003)
Vheissu(2005)
The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II(2007)
The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV(2008)
Beggars(2009)
Major/Minor(2011)

The Little American Consumer

Don’t let the title fool you, there is nothing physically small about Americans. We are large and it is unacceptable if the things we eat and buy are not large. If anything is little about the American consumer, it is our brains. Note that I say “our” as I do include myself in that group of mindless consumer. However, I am attempting to be more conscious about how I consume services and products instead of accepting how we consume as status quo. This is not the first time I had the discussion about American consumers in my head, but the topic was re-visited last week with the release of the new Call of Duty game. There is no doubt that Call of Duty is an immense franchise and that it now has international influence. Call of Duty has become one of those media events where if you aren’t on board, you’re just not cool. It’s exactly what its marketers want. However, not all Call of Duty games are made equal.

The Call of Duty franchise started back in 2003 when the game was based off of World War II. The original game, along with the sequel, was developed by Infinity Ward. Call of Duty 3 would be the first game in the series developed by Treyarch. Call of Duty 4 marks a new chapter for the franchise as it was the first game not set in World War II. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was the game that elevated the franchise to the next level. The franchise now has become a yearly event that consumers eat up every year. The original Modern Warfare, back in 2007, is the game that hooked me. As mentioned above, not all Call of Duty games are created equally. If you have followed the series closely after the original Modern Warfare, you will have noticed that Infinity Ward and Treyarch have taken turns developing the Call of Duty games. Modern Warfare (2007), Modern Warfare 2 (2009), and Modern Warfare 3 (2011) were developed by Infinity Ward while World at War (2008) and Black Ops (2010) were developed by Treyarch. I don’t know much about the first three Call of Duty games, but I do know that the games since Call of Duty 4 have been immensely successful. My issue with all 5 of these games being equally successful is that they aren’t of equal quality. Most fans of the game would argue that the Treyarch games don’t compare to the games developed by Infinity Ward. Now I don’t want it to sound like the games made by Treyarch are bad, they are at its core still Call of Duty games, but I certainly do feel like they are a step behind their Infinity Ward counterparts. But since the games are still sold under the same Call of Duty banner, they are treated as equal games because the consumers of the games aren’t seeing the whole picture. Let’s say I get into the smart phone making business which would be horrible because I don’t know the first thing about making cell phones. However, I can guarantee you that if I hired people to help me develop a phone that was functional and barely considered a “smart phone,” but I got to sell it under the Apple brand name, my phone would be a hit. My phone would be a complete flop if I didn’t get to sell it as an Apple phone because then consumers would catch on that it’s an absolute piece of crap and an enormous waste of metals. This is what has happened to the Call of Duty games. No one cares if the games are of any quality or if they are breaking the mold and evolving games as long as Call of Duty is printed on the cover.

And I had to use the Apple analogy because the same goes for Apple. Again, I don’t think Apple makes crap products. I think their products are great but it’s the hype created by the mindless consumer that irks me. Call of Duty and Apple have become religions, where any of the mistakes they make are shielded by their army of brainless loyalists. These two names barely have the market anything anymore. All they need to do is mention something and point their zombie followers in the direction they would like the zombies to go. The way Americans consume politics has become this way as well. It is much more dangerous to consume politics this way because of the ramifications. It doesn’t matter if the party you’re loyal to goes against your interests, as long as the politician you want to vote for is wearing the brand you love so much. I think this point is more easily seen in the Republican Party. I consider myself an independent because on some issues I’m conservative, and on some issues I’m liberal. However, it is very hard for me to support the Republican Party because of what the party has become and because of the way their zombies consume politics.

Underoath at The Triple Rock (Review)

Why do I suffer being shoulder to shoulder with people who have let the scent of their body odor ferment on their skin over a week? Why do I keep returning to the pit just to have elbows thrown at my face and to bang knees with other concert goers? Why do I allow myself to have stage divers torpedo at my cranium? To answer those questions simply, it’s for the love of music. It’s so I can submerge myself into the art and the atmosphere of live music.

I have been an Underoath fan for many years now, so I was not going to this show hoping to be exposed to new music and to be converted. I went to enjoy myself and to support a very talented band. I knew of the supporting acts, but have not spent much time listening to them. By the time I arrived at The Triple Rock in Minneapolis, This Is Hell was already mid-song. Pretty good opening act, but I was unfamiliar with their music and they didn’t do much to draw me to their music. The band I was least familiar with was The Chariot. Looking back, I fully wish I had known their songs because they put on an incredibly energetic show and their fans were as rowdy as ever. I learned later while chatting with Chris from Underoath that The Chariot barely made it to the venue on time. When This Is Hell finished and was loading their trailer, The Chariot pulled in and began to unload. Comeback Kid was the main support to Underoath. They are long time veterans of the scene and they haven’t lost a step. For a band with such a large catalogue of songs, it must be difficult to cater to their new and old fans simultaneously.

That brings us the headliner. Grammy nominated Underoath released their newest album, Disambiguation, on November 9th, 2010. Disambiguation is Underoath’s first album without founding member Aaron Gillespie, and this was my first time seeing them without Gillespie. I was very interested to see how they would perform their old songs and how Spencer Chamberlain would handle full time vocal duties. The set did not have the production value that Underoath shows in the past have had, but my assumption is the lower level production was mostly due to the economy and because The Triple Rock best serves for an intimate setting. With that in mind, Underoath’s performance was still as good as ever. Like Comeback Kid, Underoath has an extensive back catalogue of songs to choose from. They did a great job creating a set list that covered all their albums (or at least the albums since Spencer Chamberlain joined) and did a good job sneaking in slower songs in between the brutal ones. However, the set list in my opinion was not perfect. I very much dislike when fans at shows want bands to play only their older material. This show was no exception as many fans called for songs off of They’re Only Chasing Safety, the album that launched them into a larger fan base. However, I was hoping for more songs off of Define The Great Line which is arguably Underoath’s masterpiece. It had not occurred to me how many “slow” songs were on Disambiguation until I went to the show.

Regardless, Underoath still put on an amazing show and I had a great time. The concert reminded me of my youth but it also reminded me why I have been a fan of music and of the scene for many, many years. If you’re a fan of the hardcore, screamo, metal scene and have not seen Underoath yet, add it to the bucket list. You can thank me later.

Tim Tebow Is Not The Answer

I posted a Tweet today during the Bronco's game saying the same thing as the title of this post. Then the Broncos came back to win in overtime against Miami. After the game, I began to get replies on how Tim Tebow might be the answer.

Until I see something to change my mind, and I have no problem changing my stance if I am proven wrong, I am standing by my original statement.

I didn't get the Bronco's game, but all the headlines seem to be crediting Tebow for the win. Can someone give sufficient support that Tebow actually manufactured the win by himself? Plus, the game was against the Dolphins. You're suppose to win! If you're the Broncos and you're looking at the team schedule at the start of the season, you expect to fill in the October 23rd box with a W. Plus, you don't get into the playoffs with one win. Tebow might get a few more wins coming up, making my point more difficult, as the Broncos play the Raiders and the Chiefs after they play the Lions next week. But I'm excited to see what Tebow lovers are going to say after he plays a team that can put immense pressure on him.

More power to Tebow if he can become a successful N.F.L quarterback. I just think passing is a skill that most N.F.L quarterbacks need.

Why Is This Group Taken Seriously?

I have a question and 3 clips. My question is: Why are some of these Republicans taken seriously? The three clips will provide examples for why they shouldn’t be taken seriously.

Clip 1: http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/jon-stewart-after-herman-cains-libya-gaffe

I hardly need to explain or go into detail on this one as Jon Stewart dissects it all for us. But for the defenders of Herman Cain, please do tell us what is going on. Why does it seem like he is buffering data with an old school 56k connection? And is it okay for Herman Cain to answer every question by shaking his head and replying with “999”? The latter should be an absurd question, but I honestly feel like some of his supporters will defend his reaction.

Clip 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WELkanHrSqw

Now I can agree to disagree as I am, in a general sense, pro-choice. But for those pro-lifers out there, can you please help clarify what Cain is saying? How can abortion be legal and illegal at the same time? Why the hell are the people in the back clapping? I can understand the first batch of claps as they probably had no idea of the stupidity that was to follow, but why would you continue to clap when Cain is making absolutely no sense?! At this point, we all need to set aside the issue of abortion, and try to make sense of what Cain is saying. I also love the faces of the other two gentlemen as they are attempting to understand Cain’s logic (or lack of). Lastly, I love how Cain asks, “does that help clear it up?” as if he were the one making sense.

Clip 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmi_p1iLs3g&feature=related

Now I don’t really have a problem with Rick Perry admitting that he can’t name the third agency. I would rather have this than people like Bachmann, Palin, and Cain making stuff up and attempting to patch up the holes later. I find Perry quite humble for admitting he can’t name the third agency he would get rid of. However, just because I respect and prefer this type of answer, doesn’t mean he is fit to be president. You know why I don’t run for president? Well, first I’m too young, and because I don’t think I’m qualified. Perry is obviously not ready to be president. When people really like or really hate something, they generally remember those things. It’s the middle stuff that they are indifferent on that they usually forget and not the things they feel more passionately about.

Creating God and Man

The other day I was surfing the web and I came across videos and articles on number theories and calculating odds at Vegas and at other events. Then later in the day I came across videos on religion and logic.

Then a question popped into my head.

Which has better odds of being true:
A) God created man.
or
B) Man created God.

"In Time" Preview

I went to go watch The Thing over the weekend (review forthcoming) and I caught an interesting preview that I noted to re-watch on Youtube when I got home. The preview was for the movie “In Time” starring Justin Timberlake.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-63vHi7pEM

Do the makers of this movie actually believe that they can substitute time for money and critique the capitalist system without the American people catching them on their little sneak job? They probably do, and they probably aren’t wrong for thinking that way.

We see early in the trailer that time is the new currency and a cup of normal coffee costs about four minutes. A minor fee compared to the 32 ounce energy drink which will take off about 9 minutes of your life. When Olivia Wilde’s character runs out of time and appears to die, we hear a voice that claims, “The poor are meant to die, it’s how the system works.” It’s the “poor” that are stomping around on Wall Street today attempting to break the “system”.Shortly after we get another voiceover stating, “No one should be immortal, even if one person has to die,” echoing one side of the health reform debate we have in our country. Although the cuts are short, as they are in any trailer, we often catch glimpses of tickers with numbers going across like they do in the stock market. Except this time, it’s not references to money going across your screen, it’s time sliding across.

I can’t say this movie will be all that good or that it has the makings to be a box office success from this trailer, but within the two minutes and thirty seconds, I have seen many interesting analogies to the real world. It might be worth a watch to see what sort of parallels they can make given feature length. Hopefully they are able to infuse the movie with some powerful social and political undertones without making it too cheesy.

"Red State" Review

As if it were being chased by a bunch of religious extremists, Red State wastes no time getting started, and so I will do the same. After two quick title screens the movie introduces the setting and a character. Along with the abrupt start, the first few lines of dialogue are a bit awkward and poorly delivered which creates a bad tone to start the movie. The audience also learns with haste that this movie is not going to be shy, as we immediately see the Westboro want-to-bes on screen with their hateful signs. Many Kevin Smith fans were hoping for a comeback film, and I think to a degree Smith delivers this. The film is often categorized as a horror film and therefore is not the greatest platform for Smith’s humor to come through, but the film isn’t without any laughs.

The trailer doesn’t exactly give a lot of details about the movie, but it gives you the general idea. To be fair, I can’t really think of a trailer that would be completely fitting for this movie. However, anyone who follows the news and has heard about the Westboro Baptist Church can put the pieces together. Westboro Baptist Church is mentioned in the film, but the movie revolves around a church similar to Westboro that is just as extreme. The movie introduces three high school friends who are sexually curious. The trio uses the Internet to seek sexual services where they find someone who lives nearby and wants to meet them. One of the boys borrows a car one night and the three of them drive out to the country side to meet their mystery partner. The mystery partner happens to be a lure set up by the extreme church and chaos follows. The focus then turns to the church and their mission to clean the world of evil and their desire to earn a seat in heaven.

The movie carries many social undertones, religion being at the forefront. Religious extremism and blind faith are the main topics being discussed, but the movie takes a look at law enforcement and public relations as well. A more distant discussion might be the discussion on gun control.

This movie is not for everyone because of the topic being discussed, but it also isn’t for everyone because it’s not a film that offers a whole lot in terms of what the general movie audience seeks. Movies watchers these days expect to see robots from outer-space, beautiful women, and lots of explosions. Red State is a good movie that brings up very important and relevant topics, but I can’t suggest it to everyone. The movie may start off on a strange beat, but the movie closes with a great Kevin Smith touch, which left a good taste despite how grimy the movie is.

"50/50" Review

Although I haven’t had the chance to catch a lot of movies this year, 50-50 has to be in the top tier for movies I have seen in 2011. It’s not entirely my fault that I haven’t been able to see that many new releases in 2011. I spent the first quarter in Korea, and then everyone who knows me knows summer blockbusters aren’t my favorite kind of movie. 50-50 has been on my radar since late 2010 and I was very excited for the first of my anticipated fall and winter movies. I am a fan of Joseph Gorden-Levitt and of Seth Rogen, so I was very excited to see this duo to hit the screen.

The trailer suggests this movie leans more toward comedy than drama, but the movie does a great job combining both. The drama and comedy don’t conflict with each other but rather enhances each other through contrast as well as seamless meshing. When the drama begins to become dense, the audience is bailed out when the film shows that awkward moments in life can be full of humor. The comedy in the film is grounded by the drama giving it a sense of believability and something to work off of. This movie is what Funny People tried to be, but much better.

The movie is based on the life of Will Reiser, who wrote the movie. Reiser is a friend of Adam Goldberg (Producer) and Rogen who also helped produce the movie and plays the role of Kyle. In the movie, a 27 year old Will is diagnosed with cancer and is given a 50 percent chance of overcoming the cancer. The movie follows him around as we witness how this cancer affects his life and the lives of the people most close to him. Although not all of us can relate to what it feels like to have cancer, the movie does a great job of showing us how each relationship is affected, and relationships are something we can relate to. The audience is given an opportunity to find a bond that they can relate to whether it be the relationship to parents, friends, or intimate partner. The movie also gives us some insight in the psychology of a cancer patient. It makes sense that the movie is founded on true events because it’s easy for people to relate to the movie.

Another aspect the movie did a good job of showing the audience, while keeping the humor, is the interactions between patient and doctor. The film shows us that too many times people are often one dimensional. In the movie, mirroring real life, we see that doctors are very knowledgeable, but lack the general communication skills, or skills to speak in the layman, to clearly communicate with patients. With the therapist, played by Anna Kendrick, we see that her overly zealous textbook approach doesn’t quite work either. We see that when she applies textbook theory in a fluid and interpersonal fashion, the relationship and work with the patient is greatly improved. The movie also does a great job showing that when someone battles cancer, it not only affects them, but the people around them immensely. Without giving away too much, I felt this aspect was best shown in the film when Will drops off Kyle after a drunken night to find a book in Kyle’s bathroom (You’ll have to see the movie to fully understand).

I highly recommend this film, especially to fans of Seth Rogen’s humor. The humor is not lost in the attempt to tell a great story. As mentioned in the introduction, the comedy and drama are evenly weaved throughout the movie and perfectly timed. Great movie to kick off fall.

2011-2012

This blog that I’m suppose to write at the beginning of each year gets pushed back later and later every year. It’s so fitting of the person I am lately; lazy and useless. I don’t have any grand plans for 2012, and not a whole lot of momentum from 2011 carrying over. 2010 was a ship wreck for me. The latter part of 2010 and the beginning of 2011 was a period I just needed to focus on myself. It was a time to heal, a time to find myself, and a time to build. It was about mid 2011 when I started to feel like myself. In fact, I like my new self better than I liked the pre-2010 Min. Unfortunately, not a lot happened towards the end of 2011 and it feels like I wasted most of that time. I feel as though I am more articulate, I have a new confidence in myself, and I have more conviction behind my philosophies than ever. This is mostly due to the emotional turmoil I went through in 2010, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m hoping my growth in 2012 is as or even greater than the growth that occurred in 2010. I am hoping this is the year where I find a professional track. Gain some traction and power my way to a more successful life. I think I need to let go a bit because I’m the type of person who tries to control everything. The future, to a degree, is out of my control. That might be difficult for me to swallow, but it’s just the hand the universe has dealt. I’m hoping when I write my 2012-2013 blog, I can brag a bit. Say that I am completely happy with everything in my life (Yeah right, with my personality, I don’t think I’ll ever be content or complacent). My main missions in life right now is to better my knowledge of the world and universe, use what I know to help other people, and hopefully in about 5 years be able to pamper my parents. I’m sure there are parents out there that have sacrificed more than my parents, but I owe everything I have to them. Am I being completely subjective and bias? Absolutely. Is that okay? Nope. But cut me a break just this once.

I hope 2012 brings great things to everyone! Wish me luck too!