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!

"Have You Ever Questioned Your Sexuality?"

The first thing I want to do with this blog is wish everyone a happy 2012. I hope 2012 brings everyone many great things and much progression. The title of the blog isn’t me asking you the question, but rather a question that was asked to me at a New Year’s Eve party. The question was an easy one for me to answer as a heterosexual male, but afterwards I thought about how it might not be as easy for everyone. There is no unnecessary pressure on me to ever question my sexuality. Whereas for a homosexual, the pressure of judgment from others might influence them to repress and question their sexuality. This pressure from the outside that forces individuals to question their natural self seems entirely unfair to me.
When I was younger and discussed homosexuality, I really couldn’t decide whether homosexuality was a force of nature or nurture. At that time, I argued that we most likely have to be born with a gay gene encoded, but that the environment triggered it. I ran with that idea for a while but never seemed to be completely satisfied with my answer. However, one night I was asked a question that really rattled me and made me rethink my position on the topic. A young heterosexual woman asked me on that night when I chose to be heterosexual and it occurred to me that it was never a choice for me, but rather I was born this way. It wasn’t as if I sat around with my family over dinner and discussed the benefits and disadvantages of a heterosexual life and a homosexual life. It wasn’t like picking the best college for me to attend. It simply wasn’t a choice, and so why would I ever question it? Why would anyone ever question their sexuality? Yet, it is still a question we are forced to ask because of this unfair treatment toward homosexuals. So, to me, a question like “Have you ever questioned your sexuality” is an useless question because I was born a heterosexual and I’ve never felt any pressure to question it because I live within the norms of society. However, this unfair question is asking homosexuals to choose between the person they actually are and being ridiculed, or choosing to live a lie and be accepted.

Racism Is Not Dead

There is no denying that racism still exists in America and around the world. The argument that racism is dead is tremendously stupid and an argument that should be extinguished. To be fair, I think some people can claim ignorance on the topic. Even as an ethnic minority, I might have been blind to the fact that I was a victim of racism. I ignorantly believed that it would never happen to me or that I was somehow immune to the poison of racism. I only realized I was a victim a few years ago. It took someone I knew and respected to open up my eyes and be more aware of the venomous words and actions of racism. Racist actions probably aren’t as prominent these days which is most likely the reason some crowds assume racism is dead since acts of racism are explicit. These days we need to be much more aware of the words and propaganda of racists.
I became aware that I could be a victim of racism when someone I respected and worked with thought my level of intelligence was lower only because of my ethnicity. My friend’s family owns a business so I went in every summer to make some extra cash while school was out and to help them out. The grandpa of the family is now retired but stops in every summer to help out. The shop uses a lot of temporary workers who are often ethnic minorities. While working I heard the grandpa of the family claim that my friend, his grandson, needed to show that he is smarter and superior to the other workers since they are of lower intelligence only because of their ethnicity. He made no effort to shield his comments from the other workers and it took an open and very blunt comment from someone I respected and thought held me to the highest of standards to open my eyes. This isn’t a detailed report or meant to be a life changing article. I just think minorities of any kind can also be blamed that racism and other acts of hate exist if they are tolerant of it. I wanted to bring that thought to attention.

When People Fail

It always brings a smile to my face when people criticize you and then proceed to show with a condescending how-to-actually-complete-this-task instructional session. This situation occurred the other day at work with a supervisor. I work at a restaurant and it was my turn to clean the dishes. Anyone who has cleaned dishes know that when food is allowed to dry onto the bowl, plate, pot, or whatever once carried the food, it is miserable task to scrub the now crystallized remains. It seemed as if my co-workers were all pulling a prank on me that night because none of the dishes that sat in the back waiting for me were soaking. When an unknowing manager saw how long it was taking me to wash the dishes, he suggested that I pick up the pace. If this were the Oregon Trail, this particular manager was looking for a pace above grueling. When I explained my situation, he exclaimed that he had the perfect solution to my problem. He pulled out a brush, where I was using a tiny green scrubby, and explained this is the key to all our problems. He grabbed the large pot that once contained the soup-of-the-day and proceeded to explain that this brush works miracles on dry build ups and that he is full of a bunch of other useful tips. When he rinsed the suds out of the pot, we looked inside the pot and along the walls remained much of the residue that started before the miracle brush went to work. My manager also had the benefit of scrubbing a pot that had been soaked for 15 minutes as I poured water in the pot when I started doing dishes. Fail.
I learned that dried soup is a bitch to clean, there are no such thing as miracles when it comes to cleaning dishes (or ever), and that when you allow someone to show you the correct way to do something and they fail, or have no idea what they are doing, it’s great fun.

Good Law, God. This Should Work.

Here is a good rule in the Bible:
“If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, 29 he shall pay her father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the young woman, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives.” -Deuteronomy 22:28-29 of the NIV.

If we can take a moment to ignore all the psychological and moral implications of this law the Bible attempts to teach us, I think we should take a second to convert shekels and see how much rape costs. According to this website (http://coinmill.com/ILS_USD.html#ILS=50) 50 Israeli New Shekels converts to 13 dollars and 50 cents. A mighty steep fine for any man to pay. With his newly acquired $13.50 and his daughter’s psychological state in shambles, the father could take his daughter to the nearest Subway and enjoy a couple of those $5 foot-longs. Or better, he should pocket and save the $13.50 because he has a wedding he will need to help support.

Rape victims often suffer from psychological trauma afterwards (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_trauma_syndrome). To force the victim and victimizer to marry is not a penalty to the rapist, it’s penalizing the raped. To force the two people to a lifelong bond is salt in the wounds for the victim.

Good rule dude.

An Awesome God We Serve

Foreword: I started this blog about a month and a half prior to its posting. I had a bunch of chores come in between and general laziness. If the blog seems a bit disconnected, I do apologize. I thought about scraping the entire thing, but in the end my what-the-hell attitude got the best of me. It’s not like I have a journalistic reputation I must upkeep or anything. These are just private scribbles.

I didn’t write at all during the month of July. It would be a shame if I let another month go by without opening up Microsoft Word to punch the keyboard with my pointless rants.

I thought I moved on from being irritated by religion, but over the last few weeks, religion has managed to aggravate my already unstable mood*. This last weekend we had a guest pastor give a sermon. This sermon was of interest to me because sermons are usually in Korean at my church, but being that the guest pastor is a Caucasian pastor, he gave his sermon in English. I would fully understand what he was saying and I would be able to dissect it myself. At first I was excited for the sermon, but my excitement quickly changed to anger. His sermon was titled “An Awesome God We Serve” which I had nothing against. He would soon go on to describe how god (The Christian god in this situation) has made everything very simple for us, and that he is so awesome for creating such a simple life, world, and rules to live by. He went on the praise creationist and attempted to pick apart the theory of evolution. He claimed that the universe is simple and that it could only have come to be by a designer. How arrogant to believe that the cosmos is simple. It is light-years from simple. Life is not simple. If it were, we wouldn’t have so many problems. The pastor also claimed that the government should change all its complicated laws to 10 simple commandments, because life is that simple thanks to Yahweh. How difficult it would be to govern the most powerful nation on Earth with 10 simple rules that came to be thousands of years ago. People often make the mistake of applying old traditions that don’t apply to today. Then later, the pastor hacked down the 10 commandments to 2 to make it even simpler. It reminded me of a part of one of George Carlin’s acts where Mr. Carlin deconstructed the 10 commandments. The clip can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwNow966px4

Mr. Carlin also broke down the commandments down to 2 simple commandments

Maybe I’m still young and I have some revolt in me, but it troubles me that people are so comfortable living in these traditional ways, slipping into their neat cubicles without any thought. I am being pressured to actively date and potentially find a marriage partner. Although I have no issue with finding someone you love and trading promises of eternal loyalty, marriage seems like such an outdated practice that many of us don’t need in the 21st century. Marriage seems to be an old practice that had many benefits long ago, but might not make sense today. For example, people are often shocked when they see a couple who has been married for 30 years have a divorce. If the split is mutual, it shouldn’t come as such a shock. Humans did not have as long of a life expectancy back when marriage played a prominent role in society. People were not expected to be with someone for 50 years. Marriage, like religion, is a false security blanket we no longer need in the 21st century.

I will end this blog by saying that “The God Delusion” is not a good book to carry around in public. Unless you are looking for a discussion and having to defend a position.

*At this point in the blog, I go off on a wild tangent that I felt distracted from the main point of the blog. I didn’t want to waste the babbling I already jotted down, so I thought I would insert it as a footnote. After reading this footnote, you can thank me for taking this portion out.

My mood is unstable these days because I’m looking for a place I can call home. Some place where I feel like myself and I look forward to going to. This humble stack of lumber and nails that sits on the edge of Plymouth served me well when I was in junior high. I think I wasn’t always comfortable here in high school, but that’s because I was a high school student. Most normal high school students could have everything going for them, and they would still rebel and still would be discontent. College was a turning point in my life, and so I wouldn’t say I felt most comfortable at home then either. I think to an extent, I had a home in Korea my second time around. I hated how small my place was and that most of my rooms were community based, but I was able to situate myself the way I thought was best. Work was great because I felt appreciated and I did something that I felt was important. However, Korea is not a country I can feel fully comfortable in because of the language barrier. I am extremely strict on myself when it comes to communication, so to have a handicap is unbearable at times. I am doing some soul searching (it seems I’m always doing some sort of soul searching) trying to find my place in America. Right now, I’m jobless and I don’t have enough money to pursue anything. My parents consistently give me a difficult time and treat me like I’m 14. I understand I sound like I’m 14 by writing such a statement about the state of my relationship with my parents, but there is no other way to describe what’s going on. I’d like to get my own place, but I am too financially insecure to do anything like that. I don’t know what I want to do with my life to chase anything whole heartedly. I’m hoping something clicks into place soon.

"Baby Don't Hurt Me"

“What is love? Baby don't hurt me. Don't hurt me. No more” *

What a great question it is that Haddaway (Alexander Nestor Haddaway) inquires. In Haddaway’s scenario, although he is not sure what love is, he knows it can hurt and later informs that it is not fair. I am most likely safe assuming we all have a definition of love, even if it is not a perfect definition. Here are the first three definitions given on Dictioanry.com:

1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.

3. sexual passion or desire.

Certainly working definitions, but I’m not sure there is an all encompassing definition of “love”. I should also note that when I talk about the use of the word “love”, I am talking from an American point of view and the way we use to word in English. I feel this is a note worthy because I know Koreans do not use the word “love” the same way we do. Because of this knowledge, I must use caution and assume that other languages might also not use the word as loosely as we do in English. Koreans do not make claims such as, “I love that book!” or “I love pizza!” where we in America throw around the word “love” at every opportunity. This also proves that the three definitions from Dictionary.com do not apply to all situations. The definitions have no mention of, for example, the love for nature, or the love for knowledge. In this case does “love” stand in place for the word “passion”? Of course we understand that both the words might have overlapping qualities, but this is the tricky thing about language. Languages are only as good as the consistencies we give them. For example, an individual might break every rule of grammar in a statement, but we might still be able to understand them. This does not give license to ignore grammar, as grammar is the hope that we do remain consistent with our language, but language certainly is above the laws of grammar. Intrinsically the word “love” is only a syllable of sounds or the contrast between scribbles on its medium. It is the consistencies we give these sounds and scribbles that partially gives the word its value. I say “partially” because I believe “love” gets its other half from the feeling of empathy. “Love” has many characteristics. Passion was mentioned above, and often we hear that love can be unconditional. I have a difficult time making a distinction between the general, store brand, form of love, and the unconditional, Louis Vuitton, version of love because I think love should be unconditional as is.

Of all the characteristics, empathy might be the most important of them all. Empathy gives us the capacity to understand, or feel, another individual even with the limitations of language. There has been a time in most lives where we wished that there were some sort of invention that would allow another person to dive into our minds or the deepest parts of our heart to show them clearly the way we feel. Empathy is that mechanism. I think it can be argued that we can have empathy without love, but I find that it might be difficult to have love without empathy. I cannot say for certain whether women are inherently more empathetic than men, or if the social gender roles have allowed women to grow into a more empathetic role, but I believe a point can be made that women are generally more empathetic than men. At this point in the history of human beings, the phrase “the history of man” applies better than, “the history of human beings.” The world we live in is certainly a world created by men. It is bewildering that women were (are?) treated as inferiors for much of our history. Although conditions are not perfect yet, we have made vast improvements. I believe had it been “the history of woman” the world would be a much different place, and might have been a better place provided that women are inherently more empathetic, and not just empathetic as a reaction to the gender roles that were created by man.

Lately, I have been contemplating a lot about the meaning of love and this constant search for it. I am beginning to learn that the important thing is not to let “love” consume you. Like with many things in life, you have to take it as it comes and in the portions nature rations. I have a love for many things. I have a love for people, a love for knowledge, lately I have discovered my love for nature and the cosmos, I have a love for my family and friends, I have a love for animals, I have a love for art, and I was lucky enough to experience a love for a woman once. There is plenty of love out there to be discovered, to be shared, and to be given. Our responsibility is to keep “love” in motion.

*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zlViU5PBPY&feature=related

Instead of the original version, I felt as though the Roxbury version bettered this entry.