Marooned

So I find myself back here in Nashville for the holidays. Nothing to do. No one to talk to. All the while, I have a sinking sensation that my buddies in Austin and Dallas are all living it up. By "living" I mean drinking, which I could do here, but the few times I've tried the solo adventures into bars, it hasn't been pretty. I end up sitting at the bar studying the graphics on SportCenter with an intensity that I would devote to very few things, like say, Gina or dismantling a bomb.

Now two days into my ten day excursion, I turn to an old, neglected pasttime, television. Cable television to be exact, and I've quickly reassessed that there is NOTHING on TV worth watching. I tend to gravitate towards the old standards, Simpsons and Seinfeld, which ironically I have a plethora of DVDs at home of. But at least here, it's on a big screen.

And that brings me to my next adventure, shopping with my mom for an HD Plasma Wall-mounted TV for my dad. I was in danger of being swallowed up by acronyms and tech speak. Do we want HD or ED? LCD or Plasma? DPL with our LCD or sans-DPL? HD ready or HD compatable? Well, HD ready because then we wouldn't have to buy or rent a seperate HD box. Whoa, slow down there. We'll need the box anyway? So what do we need the HD ready for then? So Plasma's are better? But they're not repairable? LCD's not as good? But repairable? Which lasts longer? I want DPL?? Why not ED LCD with DPL??? So is HD LCD as good as ED Plasma?!!? AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

They blew it

The days of America leading the way in intelligence and innovation seem like such a distant memory. The NY Times covers a failed test of our government's highly touted missle defense system which is estimated to cost $50 billion over the next five years. It gives the impression that our leaders not only have no idea what it is they're trying to do, but they don't have a clue as to how to do it either. So they'll just throw as much money at it as they can and hope for the best.

Naturally optimistic, a program spokesperson pointed out that this aborted test was a "very good exercise". Please note that this one "exercise" had a pricetag of $85 million. But wait, says the spokesperson, we can reuse the malfunctioning rocket again in another exercise. So, we're going to reemploy a missle that didn't work in the first place? Riiiiight. Not deterred, the spokesman adds that the agency says the tests are devised "to build confidence in the system that we are working to design." Well, I think I can sleep safely at night.

How about this for an alternative? Instead of paying a whole lot of money to blow up things that might be shot at us, how about we try to stop pissing people off to the point where they want to kill us all?

With the largest budget and biggest trade deficit in history, the U.S. is looking more and more like a little kid who just started getting an allowance and runs out to waste it all on the shiniest, newest toy out there. We may not need it. We may not know how to use it. But dammit, it's the biggest, baddest one out there. Now all we need is a parent to reach down and smack us for being stupid and tell us that we're cut off.

Precipice

It has been a tumultuous period for elections around the world, with Ukraine and even the U.S. showing a heated and fractured run for the Presidency. With the Iraq elections coming up in the next two months, the trend continues to look bleak. The CIA assessment that was leaked out does nothing to assuage my doubts that the elections will do anything to improve the outlook in Iraq.

The Bush Administration has pointed towards this event as a vital marker towards a free and democratic Iraq. Already there are doubts about the legitimacy and effectiveness that any elections will have. What if, lord help us, we have another situation similar to Kiev? Will Americans continue to put up with the way the administration has tried to deal with Iraq? Will the UN and the rest of the world? Will the Bush faction paint more rose-colored scenarios, saying that things are okay?

Despite what I or anyone thinks of how Bush is handling things, we all need for something good to come out of Iraq. A sliver of hope and optimism. But if the elections crumble into ineffective shambles, Bush and America will lose a major foothold on the claim to "effectiveness" and "progress". It could get ugly in terms of the world perception, as well as the reactions within an already polarized U.S.

Curing Aids? No, I think I'll focus on making robot cockroaches

Upon seeing this article on the Times, I wondered what could possibly be the benefit of artificially recreating one of the most hated, reviled creatures on earth? It's not like they're endangered, or that they need help surviving. Hell, they're supposed to be able to live even after being beheaded, only to die from starvation. They obviously don't need our help.

Then after reading the article, I found out that they were studying collective intelligence in order to reproduce their behavior in AI. Maybe I've seen the Matrix or the Terminator too many times, but I'm a bit pessimistic on the issue of having super-intelligent, adaptive, learning robots.

I always wonder about these scientists and doctors who apply their highly trained minds towards strange goals. "Sure, I'd like to cure cancer, but man, I really want to invent a backscratcher where you don't need to reach all the way back with your arm, cause man that really sucks."

Further collective-thinking robot paranoia can be explored in Crichton's Prey, which has some interesting theories and insights on swarm behavior, with a few killings of humans by nanomachines thrown in.

Autoerotica

I've never been a big car person. My dad used to drag me to the car convention at the Texas State Fair every year. Not that I wasn't wowed by some cool design every once in a while, but I just didn't have that starry eyed sensation that my dad exhibited for automobiles. When my parents offered to buy me a new car for my graduation, I actually declined, saying that my current car still runs and there's no need. Even after getting talked into it, I didn't have enough interest to know what kind of car I wanted. I thought, maybe a smaller car. I don't need a family sedan and there's no way I'd get an SUV. So I decided to look into a VW Jetta, but after being unable to fit my frame into one, I went for the much larger, more styling Passat.

With my car in the shop, I've been forced to drive in a rental for the past two days in a ghetto Neon. It just feels cheap and smarmy. And it smells. Really bad. I feel the need to rinse off after touching anything in it. Like a warm toilet seat in a public restroom, you know there's been about a hundred people in it and probably another hundred waiting to get in it after you.

Abhorrent physical sensations aside, I've noticed something else in the absense of the VW; there was an unnoticed pride that was attached to my car. Of course I thought it was cool looking and nice and clean and drove great, but I just didn't realize how much I loved my car. There was no sense of loathing to get on the road, like I'm feeling in with the Neon. Everytime I'm about to get in the Dodge, there's an urge to look around and explain to any bystanders that this isn't my car and that I'm not so devoid of taste that I would have ever EVER consciously picked this car out for myself.

I'm so very ready to have my car back from the shop, which by the way has only served to aggrivate my maliciousness towards car repair. I think the experience of dealing with repair shops is actually one of the circles of Hell, somewhere in between the Sowers of Discord and the Judecca.

Furiouser and furiouser

There's no way I could enlighten anyone on the disasterous elections in Ukraine better than Sue has. After poisonings, mass protesting, Supreme Court interventions and whatnot, one can only look with amazement and utter an immortal Omarism: "Damn, that shit is fucked up."

Racism Redux

NPR follows up in Fremont, California on the school district with an immigrant majority and the white population looking in. The focus shifts away from the parents and towards the kids in the high schools. The students talk about dealing with intense pressure and racism. I found the testimonials by the mixed minority kids (or "hybrids") to be the ones that I related to the most. Although 100% Chinese, I've never easily integrated into an Asian group. My feeling constantly stuck inbetween cultures is echoed in some of the statements given in the article.

Despite all of the issues that these students face, it's refreshing to hear how well most of them are coping. There's a lightheartedness and optimism in their tone. They seem to shrug off the pressure in an automatic confidence that they'll overcome whatever they face. Ah, to be young and enthusiastic again; not jaded and cynical like I am now.

Who's crying out for segregated facilities now, biatch?

NPR reports that a school district in California is experiencing an interesting case of racism. Rich and educated immigrants have populated a community and are looking to segregate their children from white kids who are supposedly underperforming, bringing down test grades and thus reducing the quality of the education. Strangely, the school district in dispute is already among the top performing districts in the country. Leave it to Asian parents to fanatically obsess over their kids' education. Then again, aren't schools already segregating within themselves? Honors classes, AP courses and magnet schools are designed to allow the "smart and gifted kids" to take more intensive lessons, so is making an entire seperate school district for smart kids so outrageous?

I'm not trying to validate this effort but I also hate using the Racism card as the end-all reasoning behind everything. That's not to say that I don't think Asians aren't out of their minds. I know firsthand how much Asians push their kids and how racist they really are. And California is practically overrun with Asians. I have cousins who go to schools that are 90% Asian and are baffled that my friends aren't all Chinese or Korean. They're also prime examples of how being in a homogonized society can create very close minded viewpoints. Despite the parents' good intentions, this article further illustrates how discrimination hurts everyone.

America doesn't not think that things aren't not how they think they shouldn't not be.

The NY Times addresses the state of the nation with a profusion of statistics and percentages that conclusively finds that some people think one thing about this and other people might think another thing about that.

NYC MOMA ASAP

The New York MOMA finally opens its doors in a brand new facility within the heart of Manhattan. I was lucky enough to experience New York City twice this year but was pretty disappointed that I wasn't going to be able to see this new structure. Instead I had to settle for the makeshift home in Queens. I'm glad I went but it was still underwhelming. Fortunately I got to see the traveling exhibit in Houston (on the last day) so I'm not completely broken up about it.

I want to go back to New York simply to go see this new place. I missed the Met and the Guggenheim and I'm thinking that I need a museum oriented trip. Actually, I'll make up any excuse to go back up there. I was completely caught off guard as to how much I was swept away by the energy, diversity and excitement of the Big Apple. It's like a grown up's DisneyWorld, with hobos and druggies instead of Mickey and Donald, a subway instead of Space Mountain, and a bombardment of petty commercialism instead of a bombardment of petty commercialism with a mouse silhouette. A wonderful world indeed.

Return of the Nerd

I just reread my last two posts which revolved around cartoon movies and comic books. Highly cultured. Just wait for further posts on indepth analysis of Star Wars, handy graphing calculator functions and why Kirk is better than Picard. I don't blame anyone who has the urge to kick sand in my face, stuff me in a locker or give me a wedgie.

inCredible

Peter Sanderson has some interesting insights in his continuing column, Comics in Context, about the new Pixar movie, The Incredibles and its continuation of super heroes as modern metaphors towards humanity and society. Gone are the clear cut roles of superhumans doing good deeds. They now deal with everyday problems, midlife crises and discrimination. In this latest example, a super hero is sued by a rescued man trying to commit suicide. No longer are bystanders ecstatic and grateful. Instead, they're grumbling and resentful.

Pixar is not the first to take a stab at the deconstruction of a hero. Alan Moore's The Watchmen is a seminal piece dealing with retired heroes and how they cope. Stan Lee's Marvel evolved the view of superheroes in the sixties by giving them everyday problems. His Spiderman was an outcast and a geek who resented having such responsibility with powers. The Hulk was a reinvention of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in that a man was a imprisoned by an out of control persona.

Perhaps the most powerful cultural allegory created by Stan Lee is the X-Men. Being born with powers, making them different, was reflection of racism and discrimination. The mutants risk their lives for a society that hates and fears them. They constantly struggle with what they do and why they do it. One of their greatest enemies is a group of robots called the Sentinals, created by the regular humans to catch and kill mutants. Their arch nemesis, Magneto, is fueled by hatred towards humans born out of his experience in a concentration camp during the Holocaust, perhaps the most extreme example of racial hatred. Ironically, Stan Lee had no grand scheme when he created the X-men. He was simply looking for a way to sidestep the growing difficulty in explaining how super heroes gained their powers. Spiderman was bitten by a radioactive spider, the Hulk and the Fantastic Four were immersed in gamma rays; it was an easy excuse to just say that some of the costumed fighters were born with super abilities.

Like the Lee and his X-men, Pixar may have not forseen the cultural implications created in its characters. Maybe they were just looking for an entertaining story. They end up bringing to light the struggles that people have today. Whether working crappy jobs they hate or hiding who they are for fear of difference, we are shown how these characters are unhappy and strained and supressed. Sanderson writes that it's similar to artists not using their natural abilities.

The dilemma is not always external. Some of them are very personal. Batman is constantly on the edge of falling into darkness. He has no superpowers but dons an alterego do deal with his deep psychological problems. Superman, the iconic blueprint of what a hero is has lamented that he needs Clark Kent and that he'd go crazy if he had to be Superman all the time. Spiderman has always fought with the burden of being a hero and has multiple times cast away his costume. But there is always something that draws him back, a responsibility. Not even the villians are cookie cutter anymore. Magneto straddles the line of good and evil. He is even friends with the X-men's founder. The show, Smallville added a wrinkle to the Superman/Lex Luthor relationship by making them best friends before they grow up to be bitter enemies.

Many shrug off comics as a childish pasttime, but people are starting to take notice that there is tremendous potential in the writing and the characters. These adventurers are used to reflect ourselves, albiet in a more romantic, exciting way. Under the capes and tights, the message is for acceptance of yourself and others around you.

Cloy Story

Leave it to a floundering megamillion corporation to destroy any sense of quality in one of its most beloved products. As CNN reports, Disney is in the initial stages of production to begin a second sequel to its hit, Toy Story. The first fully computer animated full length film was conceived and created by Pixar, with Disney more or less distributing it. As Pixar has grown, both in stature and financially, they've tried to break off from Disney's hold. Now with only one film left to give Disney under their agreement, Pixar will be on its own, leaving Disney with a gaping void. As per contract, Disney has complete ownership of whatever Pixar has created. Like leeches, they're going to now suck out all of the vitality and sacredness of whatever they can.

When Toy Story 2 was announced, I was very skeptical. None of Disney's sequels have been anywhere near up to par with the originals. Not only that, even the theatrical released animations were starting to show serious degradation of quality and originality. Fortunately, Pixar's utter commitment to a solid story and further advancement in animation led to a great continuation of the story.

Who knows, maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised again. Maybe Disney will pull off some of that magic that it's been sorely lacking in the past decade. Then again, given the company's reputation of exploitation, money mongering and lack of self-respect, I'm not holding my breath.

Um... this can't be a good thing.

Looks like the (second) honeymoon is over. Powell and three other Secretaries of Bush resigned in ONE DAY! That just gives me so much more confidence in our president. What does that say when your top officials start jumping ship so soon after reelection? It makes me wonder if they were all hoping that Bush would lose the election so they wouldn't have to actively step down. We all know that anti-Bush people are probably waving their arms crying "See?!" but I wonder what John Q. Bushlover thinks of all this. Most likely they won't even bat an eyelid at it. Sadly, I'm realizing that a lot of the people out there are all too willing to fanatically believe in their President. Where's all the conspiracy-theory, X-files devoted, I-hate-the-government paranoia that made the mid nineties such a joy?

In the iPod

(yeah i have every song and CD loaded onto the iPod but this is what's in my current playlist)

12 Rounds - Where Fools Go
The Beatles - Dig a Pony
Beck - Deadweight
Ben Kweller - Falling
Cuttin' the Grass - Dooley/Stir It Up
The Fiery Furnaces - Don't Dance Her Down
Gomez - Touchin' Up/Free to Run
Gotan Project - Whatever Lola Wants
Herbie Hancock - Cantaloupe Island
Ivy - I've Got a Feeling
The Keys - Love Your Sons and Daughters
Mellowdrone - Beautiful Day
Method Man and Redman - Da Rockwilder
Modest Mouse - Gravity Rides Everything
Nirvana - Pennyroyal Tea (Unplugged version)
North Mississippi Allstars - Drinkin Muddy Water
Phantom Planet - Wishing Well
Rufus Wainwright - Last Cup of Coffee
The Stills - Lola Stars and Stripes
Van Morrison - Into the Mystic
Wyclef Jean - Gone Til November
Zero 7 - Warm Sound

Fauxocracy

The New Republic talks about the deterioration of Hong Kong's democratic process by the controlling Chinese. I had my fears as to the fate of the island when the British prepared to hand it back over to China in '97. Many shared those fears which is why my family made the trip to Hong Kong in 1996 and why many fled from it, fearing chaos and stripping of rights. But the transition seemed to go rather smoothly with China proclaiming that it would operate under the idea of "one country, two systems". The territory is such a massive cash cow that it looked like China was content to let things stay the way they were in order to leech off of the financial gain.

Now, slowly but surely, the Chinese government is eroding away the existing democracy while eyeing Taiwan in the distance. I've never been a proponent of the U.S.'s role as the world's watchdog; in fact, I wish we would take on a less involved policy similar to the early 1900s. But the fact is that the U.S. and its leaders have shown a desire to spread "democracy and freedom". That makes their reluctance to step in to this situation rather curious. The situation is not nearly as dire or violent as Iraq, where we're entrenched deep in a conflict to place a foothold for democratic control. Hong Kong seems like a much more winnable agenda.

So what are the real motivations behind this inaction? Fear of stirring things up with China, the world's last real Communist power? Over-extending the already strained resources of our military? It's clear that the government wants very badly to establish some sort of democratic seat in the Middle East and the less advertised oil implications are obvious. But Hong Kong is a behemonth as far as importing and exporting. It's not like this is some insignificant country we have no stake in.

Iraq is a situation that we are in and the reality is that we're in too deep to easily break away from to concentrate on other things. Still, the Hong Kong issue seems like a situation that can still be resolved in a swift, peaceful manner. If the democracy in the territory is dissolved, then Taiwan may not be far behind. Then the U.S. will face a much larger and more dangerous predicament.

Moral Victory?

Bush wins the reelection with many of the exit polls citing that a majority of America agrees with the moral values of the current president. There's a lot of post-electoral depression going on and it's understandable. How can we have such polarity throughout this nation? The fact that I'm not in the majority makes me feel completely out of synch with the rest of the country. How do we, the minority, face the reality of another four years?

Still, it was a 51/49 split, which is damn close. There's a relief to know that although deeply divided, there is a large number of people out there who do seem to be thinking progressively and not clinging to seemingly outdated values. I don't feel the need to apologize to other countries, as other people do. I heard the issues. I formed my opinions. I cast my vote. I didn't get my way, but neither did 49% of the country. What does the rest of the world see when they look at us? Before they make a blanket condemnation of us all I hope that they realize the turmoil within. Whatever the perception is, we can no longer hide under the excuse that Bush was a fluke and did not win the majority. Voter turnout was the highest in years, but Bush still won the popular vote. I voted for what I thought was the lesser of two evils. But maybe the rest of the country thought that would be Bush. Which is worse, a leader who leads badly or a leader who can't lead?

There is a lot of work that needs to be done to fix the issues we face. But there were no guarantees that Kerry would have been our savior. Most of the voters who chose Kerry admitted to picking him because they were more anti-Bush than pro-Kerry. Bush claimed to be a uniter not a divider. We need him to live up to that claim more than ever, but there are deep-seated reservations that he can't or won't.

The Republicans have a stronger hold on Congress, which is a bit scary. In Texas, there are already actions being taken to amend the state constitution to ban gay marriage. Looks like the values of America are already being imposed on us, whether we agree on them or not.

NOTE: What message was the suicide at the world trade center supposed to convey? Protesting violence with a violent death? It's this counter-productive extremism that pisses me off. I hate even spending time acknowledging this. I don't pity that you died. I pity that you didn't live your life.

Move Bush, get out th' way! (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the GOP)

Today is the day of days. Or so we think. Another few days for provisional votes to roll in and who knows how long after that we're going to be mired in legal battles. Ugly, ugly.

I've noticed that my interest in the election took a significant drop after placing my vote over a week ago. One would think that I'd just gotten worn out by the intense campaigning or tired of the monotony of all the political spin or fed up with the nasty smearing dished out by each candidate. But I think the reality is that I really ony felt invested in one thing: me.

It's like at your graduation when your family cheers at you walking across that stage and then getting up to leave immediately after. To hell with all the other people. Sure it's a big day for others too and they deserve their second in the center but come on, it's like a four hour ceremony! Everyone's crammed into those tiny seats while wearing itchy, uncomfortable church clothes. So in the midst of all the people with the common interest, you still manage to shake your head and think "I'm a selfish, selfish person."

But hey, I did my part, America. I leave the rest to the capable hands of others.

Jon Stewart on CNN's Crossfire

I thought Jon Stewart handled himself rather well on Crossfire, and got in some hilarious zingers at the hosts. Some pretty relevant issues were raised such as responsible journalism. When the tables were turned Jon was exasperated, retorting that his show shouldn't be a source of information. His show's main arena is entertainment and humor. Just because it's a parody of a news show doesn't mean that people can use it as a viable source. That point makes sense to me, but it's become more evident that entertainers are using their voice to influence people's political views but then putting their hands up saying that it's not their job to do that whenever someone calls them out on it. From Michael Moore "documentaries" to Oscar acceptance speeches to song lyrics, celebrities are pushing their own views and agendas on us. I love Radiohead music but I'm not looking to Thom Yorke to gauge my own social/political views. Stop preaching and just entertain me. I'll read the newspaper if I want to get informed. Which, by the way, has its own slant but that's a whole other issue that I'll hold off on ranting about for now.

Watch the video


Other news, I am about to get off early for work to head to Lubbock to go to the Tech/UT game. Go Raiders!!

Practicing my civic duty

i went and voted yesterday, which had much more of a fulfilling effect on me than i would have anticipated. Of course that's all negated by the fact that i'm in a state that's pretty much a sure lock for one side. every time the elections roll around the validity and necessity of the electoral college comes into question. is it serving the purpose that the founding fathers had originally intended? did they forsee our ability to have such vast and all-encompassing knowledge at our fingertips as to be able to make an informed decision? or were their views on the ignorance of the masses still accurate? how many people across this country blindly follow their leaders? how many don't care enough to find out about the stances that the candidates have on pertinant issues? how many rely on things like looks, religion and "values" to make their choice?

this has been a close, hotly contested race. it will be interesting to see what happens, not just in the oval office but the international reaction as well. i'm not a fan of the incumbent but i have my reservations about the challenger as well. i think they're both stretching truths and spouting quotes that we want to hear. who can we trust?

First...

this is the first foray into the world of blogging.

not quite sure what to do with this yet. i may forget about it as early as next week. hopefully this will spark some creative, intellectual activity in my noggin and i will continue to contribute into this bloggin world.