And The Big One...

   Well, they finally did it.  The Supreme Court, in a rare feat for ANY wing of the US government, made several important policy decisions last week.  Many of you probably didn't realize this was going on.  Some of you probably didn't even know what the Supreme Court was.  I do have some issues with the Supreme Court, but I'll get to that later.  Let's look at the two biggest decisions: immigration, and healthcare.
   Immigration has been a hot topic lately.  Obama made a risky political move a couple weeks ago by basically saying he was no longer going to deport kids that were brought here illegally.  I wrote about that last week, so I won't waste your time getting into it here.  What's new is that now the Supreme Court has weighed in on the issue, and they are more or less siding with Obama.
   Striking down the law set by Arizona wasn't a surprise.  The law was pretty harsh, and allowing authorities to stop anyone who looks hispanic and demand to see their papers is sort of fascist, really.  It reminds me of how we treated the Japanese during World War 2, or liberals during McCarthy's era.  And I do agree with the Supreme Courts Decision, at least mostly.  It's one thing to raid a place and deport all of the illegals... or to deport an illegal who broke the law (rather than have him take up space in an American prison).  But when hispanics everywhere have to live in fear, or have to deal with the inconvenience of being looked at like a social pariah, that crosses the line.
   However, I am surprised that the Supreme Court was able to rule on this decision.  Maybe I wasn't paying attention in government class, but does the Supreme Court actually have the power to supersede state law?  I thought States were allowed to trump the federal government in those instances?  Maybe?  I don't know.
   The more important decision is the decision that will affect all of us: healthcare.  I have to admit, I'm struggling a little bit with this one.  I have my questions about the law, sure, but I also have questions about why all my so-called "conservative" friends have their panties in a such a wad about it.  The first thing I did when I heard about this decision was scramble to various news websites in search of what this will actually mean for me, you, us.  Here's what I gather:
   Right now, if someone doesn't have health insurance, they are forced to either cover the costs on their own or go to a city/state/county funded hospital.  These hospitals are paid for and funded by OUR tax dollars.  So in a way, we are paying for their healthcare.  Moving forward with this new healthcare plan, those same people will be penalized (through taxes) if they don't get their own healthcare.  Looking at it this way, it's actually a more conservative system than the one we currently enjoy.  It should mean that they are paying more of their own way.
   I see this becoming a problem in two scenarios.  If these people are having to pay their own way AND we are STILL having to pay taxes to keep those hospitals afloat, then it becomes a problem.  Why should we still be paying if these non-healthcare people are supporting themselves through their tax penalties?  Isn't that how it should work?  Also, what about the people who simply cannot afford healthcare, and also cannot afford the tax penalty?  Believe it or not, there are some people who just don't make enough money.  How can you fine them for not spending themselves into the ground?  Doesn't sound very liberal to me.  Hell it doesn't even sound nice.  So will the rest of us be responsible for covering medical expenses for those people?  Will we be forced to pick up the slack?  If so, then I would much rather keep the system as is... let them go without healthcare.  If they can't afford it, they can't afford it.  Why should the rest of us be penalized for that?  Sounds like socialism to me.
   Then there's the problem that I still believe we will face down the road.  If you're going to move forward with a system like this, you have to go all the way in.  If I'm paying for someone else's healthcare, then I think I have a right to tell them how they can live their life.  I'm not going to pay for some fatass who can't get on a diet to go have dialysis or get diabetes medication.  I'm not going to pay for someone who smoked his whole life and now needs lung cancer treatments.  I'm not going to pay for some baby-mama who can't keep it in her pants to have another kid that will immediately go onto the welfare system.  America is a great country because we all get to have our freedoms.  Want to eat until you puke every meal?  Go for it!  Want to smoke cigars every day until you die?  Be my guest!  Want to keep having children even though it's a terrible idea?  Sure go ahead!  But DON'T MAKE ME PAY FOR IT.  I am not responsible for your mistakes.  You are not responsible for mine.  Or at least, that's the way it should be.  That idea will never work with this new system.  If we're all paying into it, we're all now responsible for each other's choices, and the only right thing to do is to tell people what they can and cannot do.  I'm not saying that's the RIGHT thing to do, but it's the only thing to do in this scenario.
   The bottom line is, healthcare is too expensive.  I went to the doctor because I was coughing up some pretty nasty shit.  He poked around with a tongue depressor, looked in my ears, and then told me to take some pills.  That medical bill was HUNDREDS of dollars.  Hundreds of dollars to have some quack look at me for five minutes and then jot down a note on a piece of paper.  Are you kidding me?  That has to stop.  But it needs to be stopped on THEIR end, not mine.  Stop trying to change the way I pay for healthcare, or how my insurance works.  If government is going to interfere in this stuff, they need to be interfering by telling hospitals to stop charging ridiculous amounts of money for asinine and simple treatments.
   Of course, I'm lucky because my insurance covered most of the cost of my doctor visit.  But insurance is the other side of the equation in this problem.  The whole point of insurance is that you pay into it for a certain number of years, and then when you need that money back, they come to your rescue.  Sure, the insurance company skims a little off the top... they gotta make money.  But it has now gone WAY too far.  Insurance companies have forgotten their purpose.  If I pay into your program for 20 years and then have a heart attack, I should be allowed to recoup every single dollar that I paid into it, and more.  That's the risk insurance companies take.  More often than not, they make good on their investment.  I won't have any super-expensive needs, I'll die, and they come out on top because they've collected my money for 50 years.  But every now and then that system is going to bite insurance companies in the ass.  Deal with it.  This whole idea of "oh no, we can't cover you for that," or "oh no, we're going to have to charge you more from here on out" is absolute bullshit.  It's them cheating the system, and that needs to stop.
   Unfortunately the best way to beat that system is to not pick up health insurance at all.  Get a savings account.  Open an IRA.  Figure out some way to put your own money aside and then get it back when you need it.  That's not going to work anymore.  Now we are all forced to buy health insurance.  We all have to pay into this corrupt and inefficient system.  And unless the government puts some serious restrictions on insurance companies, we're going to be in a world of hurt.  It's another scenario where you have to go all or nothing.  I don't see how this new healthcare system will work if independent insurance companies are all waiting to gorge us at every turn.  Seems kind of unfair in favor of the insurance companies, doesn't it?
   And finally, I want to make a quick remark about the Supreme Court.  I think the Supreme Court is a VERY important part of our political process.  They are the fail safe.  Any idiot can sit here and elect a congressperson, or even the president.  But you don't elect members of the Supreme Court.  They are chosen by congress, and by the president.  And you would hope that somewhere in the midst of that clusterfuck of politicians there are at least SOME people smart enough to make an educated decision.  The Supreme Court should be made up of the smartest, most thoughtful, and even-keeled people in our country.  And while I do have my concerns about Presidents trying to stack the deck in their favor (by choosing more conservative or liberal judges), I think overall the system does work.  Hell the deciding judge in the healthcare case was a traditionally conservative judge, and he crossed the aisle to side with the liberals.  It's still not a perfect system, but it is a very crucial system and it's one I think very few people know anything about.
   People this is important stuff.  This is the very fabric of our society, the very thing our country was founded on, being put in jeopardy.  We are looking at a complete shift in the nature of our country, the rights we have as citizens, and the way we live our everyday lives.  It's time for you to stop watching your stupid home improvement shows... stop worrying about which contestant will be kicked off America's Next Top Model... stop idolizing complete morons like Snooki... and START PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS VERY IMPORTANT SHIT.

Redefining The Dream

   I read a very interesting (i.e. infuriating) article in Time the other day about the downfall of "The American Dream."  It was a pretty involved article (it took two bathroom sessions for me to get through it)... but in the end it was completely laughable.  The article argued that the American Dream is being challenged like it never has before.  The whole idea of the dream, it said, was that people could work hard and do better than their parents.  They could advance in society.   They could do better.  And for some reason, it's harder to do that now than it ever has been in the past.
   But what you don't see until close to the end of the article is that this is less about doing better than your predecessors, and more about doing as well as everyone else.  What this author fails to understand is that nowhere in the American Dream does it talk about everyone being equal.  The article itself says that in capitalism, there are winners and there are losers.  Not everyone in America is going to be a millionaire.  Some people will have to settle for living comfortable in the suburbs, while others have mansions in the middle of town.  Some people will not even be lucky enough to afford the suburbs.  That's life.  That's capitalism.  That's not what this article is talking about.
   This article is talking about socialism.  This article is basically complaining, saying it's not fair that some people get to go make billions of dollars while the majority of us are stuck in the middle-income range.  It's basically saying that there's no reason for any American to try anymore, because if you can't be a millionaire, what's the point?  Hell, two pages later (albeit in a different article), the fact is stated that there are more young people making more money now than ever before.  The take away here is that WE ARE MAKING MONEY.  It's just not enough for whiney little bitches like the person who wrote this article.
    Get this in your brain: America is not a socialist country.  True, we aren't a true capitalist country anymore either.  Programs like Welfare and Social Security have done away with true capitalism.  But I'm fine giving a little bit.  There's no need to go that far.  Not everyone in America is going to be a millionaire.  Some people will win.  Some people will lose.  That's what keeps it going.
   The trick here is to redefine the American Dream.  Scratch that... it's to REALIZE what the dream actually IS.  The American Dream is not about all of us being rich.  The Dream states that if you work hard, if you are honest, if you pay your dues, then you will be rewarded.  Does that reward mean you will be rich?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  What it means is that you will be comfortable.  And for all the complaining we do, aren't we all pretty damn comfortable?  Can you put food on your table?  Can you afford your little iphone or your trip to the overpriced bar on a Friday night?  Then yes, you are comfortable.  We as a country need to remind our citizens WHAT they are striving for.  It's not to be rich, it's to be happy.  Our media tells us if we're not rich, we're not worth anything.  Our rappers and actors tell us that money can buy us out of prison, it can buy us fame, it can make us one-up everyone we know.  Our douchebags tell us that having more money means you can be louder, drive a dumber car, dress like a tablecloth, and still be popular.  ALL OF THIS IS LIES.
   I'm actually disappointed that Time printed this article (and as its cover issue, no less).  It's basically a cry for socialism.  A big "It's not fair!" whine to the rest of the country.  And I'm sure that after the author wrote his final line, he sat back with a smug grin on his face.  "That'll show 'em" he says.  Then he turns off his nice Apple laptop ($1500), hops into his decent Sedan ($25,000), and heads home to his modest apartment ($1000/month), where he orders chinese ($15) on his iphone ($500 with $100/month contract), turns on his TV ($1200, with $150/month cable bill), and orders a movie on demand ($5) before going to sleep in his queen sized bed ($800).  He's doing fine.  So am I.  Chances are, so are you.

The Grey

   From Netflix:  After narrowly surviving a deadly plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness, a band of oil riggers must fend for their lives in the ice and snow. But thanks to wolves that view their presence as a threat, they aren't alone.
   My Take:  Wow.  What a movie.  Don't even bother reading the Netflix review... it doesn't do this movie justice.  Don't pay attention to the "Rotten Tomatoes" reviews either.  This is a movie you need to experience for yourself.  I rented this movie expecting an action flick.  What I got was so much more.  Yes there's action, plenty of jumps and intense moments.  But that's not what makes this movie great.
   What makes this movie great is all of the layers underneath that action.  On the surface this may look like a typical survival story.  A badass (Liam Neeson) is stranded with a bunch of goofballs who have no idea how to survive, and it's up to him to lead them to safety while fighting off wolves left and right.  So basically, Liam beating the shit out of wolves.  But if you dig under that, there is a much deeper story about a man fighting his inner demons.  A man struggling with his past, his current life, and where he's going in the future.  Once you see this layer, the wolves become nothing more than a metaphor.
   A metaphor for what?  You'll have to watch the movie.  Terrific visuals.  A strong, moving soundtrack.  Amazing acting, especially from Liam Neeson.  It's emotional, it's stirring, it's incredible... and when the credits rolled, my brother and I sat in silence.  When one of us finally did speak, the first word out of our mouth was an astonished "shit."


   I almost ran over a guy backing out of my driveway this morning.  He was walking by just as I put the car in reverse and started pulling out of the garage.  It was an honest mistake... I couldn't see him, and he had his headphones on so I'm sure he didn't hear me.  But the guy's reaction took all forgiveness and acceptance out of the picture.
   Really asshole?  Did you think I could see you through that SOLID FUCKING BRICK WALL?  Maybe if you didn't have your stupid headphones in, walking around like there's a stick in your ass.  And who wears khaki shorts with a sleeveless shirt, knee-high socks and bright white shoes anyway?  I'll tell you who.  WEIRDOS.
    Just be glad I stopped.  Do your stupid little arms-up-in-the-air routine like you're so upset because you were too stupid to look where you were walking.  Oh, and fuck off.

Citizen, Calm Down

   It's a bold move, it's a risky move, and it's definitely a political move.  Recently, President Obama stepped up to the podium and announced a new plan for Illegal Immigrants.  Under this plan, illegal immigrants who were brought here as young children, who have led crime-free lives, and who are productive members of society, can obtain work permits and hold jobs without fear of being deported.
   As you can imagine, this has caused quite an uproar.  It's always amazed me how touchy people get when you talk about illegal immigration.  "They're taking our jobs!" you say.  "They're bringing bad things to our country!" you say.  Even I've complained about illegal immigrants, claiming that it's not fair for them to not pay taxes like the rest of us.
   But consider this: I will wager that the average "illegal immigrant" is more of a Citizen than the average "American."  Let's set aside for a minute the obvious truth that many of them know more about our country, it's history, it's culture, than we do.  Let's focus specifically on the issues that seem to get the most attention.  You say they're taking your jobs, but what jobs are they really taking?  Janitors.  Garbage men.  Jobs that many Americans now consider "beneath" them.  You say they are bringing bad things into our country.  To some extent that may be true... there are plenty of illegal immigrants who are involved with drug cartels or commit some pretty bad crimes while they are here.  But there are also a lot of illegal immigrants who come here to work or get a good education... people who are willing to sacrifice everything to get a leg up in life.  And take my complaint about taxes.  A recent "Time" article explains that actually most of them DO pay taxes just like you or me.
   The reality is that these low-lifes... these "illegals..." actually exemplify everything that has made America the great country that it is today.  Not to say what everyone else always says, but we really are all immigrants.  When America was still growing, it grew because people stepped on each other.  It was a constant fight to try to get to the top.  No one was going to help you but yourself.  It was dirty, sometimes it was pretty sheisty, but it ultimately drove us to become the leaders of the world.  This is what these illegal immigrants are doing today.  They come here with nothing, take whatever work they can, and they refuse to stop until they make a difference for their families and for this country.  YES there are some bad apples, but there are also plenty of American citizens who commit terrible crimes every day.
   And just look in the mirror.  We have reached a point in this country where the entire idea of citizenship needs to be revisited.  "Being born here" is no longer enough of a reason for you to become a citizen.  Americans have become lazy and spoiled.  We think because our parents crapped us out on American soil, we suddenly have access to all these amazing things.  We think that entitles us to handouts, to getting preferential treatment, to putting ourselves above the rest of the world.  Having pride in your country and heritage is one thing, but this is so misguided it's sickening.  When was the last time you voted?  How much do you really know about our past?  Our presidents?  Our constitution?  I think for every single one of these illegal immigrants, you can find an American who is LESS American, and if you replaced those "citizens" with these "illegals," we would all be better for it.
   I hate to say it, but "Starship Troopers" had it absolutely right.  It's time for us to adopt a new system for citizenship.  It's time for us to look at a system where we are all born on equal footing.  NO ONE is born a citizen.  You serve your country and earn citizenship.  Join the military.  Get a quality (read: productive) job.  Do a service (like being a mailman or garbage collector).  Work in your community.  How is it okay for someone who does nothing with their life but sit on their ass, take handouts from the government, and get addicted to drugs, to be a US citizen, while someone from Mexico/China/Nigeria/Slovania/YouNameIt works their butts off every single day and has to constantly worry about being deported?  That, my friends, is messed up.
   So was Obama right in bringing this up?  Well it's a bold political move.  It will probably gain him some points with the hispanic population... but the people it really affects won't be able to vote for him so I have to think that he had legit motives behind this.  And I do think it was the right decision to make.  These people are here.  They're helping to keep this country going.  They're going to stay, like it or not... so we might as well give them an easy way to become an actual member of society.  I might eat my words by saying this, but I think it will really improve the quality of life for all of us knowing that these people don't have to resort to desperate measures to keep their identities hidden and stay under the radar anymore.  And on that same note, I think it's time we all re-evaluate our citizenship.  What are we taking for granted?  What can we learn from these people who would do anything to share the rights that we enjoy every day?  We're pretty lucky when you think about it...

Time To Start Punching...

   This just makes me sick.  I'm sure by now you've probably seen or at least heard about the video of some middle schoolers picking on an old lady on the school bus.  I honestly couldn't even sit through the whole thing, it made me so mad.  My first instinct was to find each of them (on the bus, preferably), work out some deal where the bus driver opens the doors to let me in and then locks them behind me, and I just go through there windmilling, pounding the ever-living shit out of each and every one of those punk-ass kids.
   I get it, kids are smartasses.  Especially at that age (middle school), they think they know everything.  Ever since Bart Simpson, kids that age have been spoiled, loud-mouthed, and completely offensive.  That's nothing new.  But it has gotten markedly worse in the past few years.  What once was a snide or smartass remark has turned into absolute cruelty.  I don't care if this bus monitor lady was crabby, mean, etc.  There is a line that you do not cross, especially as a student, and these punks all crossed it in about the first 10 seconds of this video.
   So why is this happening?  I'll tell you - media.  Media instigates all of this kind of behavior.  It encourages kids to act this way, because of who it spotlights and follows in the real world.  Justin Beiber?  Lindsay Lohan?  Snooki???  This is who the media follows.  These spoiled little bitches do whatever they want and get away with everything.  They are offensive, they are scabs on society, and yet they are lauded and followed by the media like we're their puppies starving for attention.  It's pathetic.  It has almost become a competition among kids now to see who can be the most offensive.  In this age where "bad publicity is still publicity," we are witnessing the downfall of our younger generations.
   But kids and media aren't the only ones we can blame.  This all starts with the parents.  Granted I'm not a parent, but I have seen enough parents in my life to know that we are witnessing some of the worst parenting the world has ever experienced.  Part of it is the parents themselves.  Moms who "need a break" from their child, so they dump the kid off in front of a TV while they go have a spa day or whatever.  Dads who don't even care enough about their kids to stop for a minute and see how their days went.  Parents who are so concerned about getting rich and looking cool to their friends, that kids become an afterthought.  This unprecedented level of selfishness is definitely spurring the bad behavior.  Kids have no guidance, and believe it or not they DO need to be shown the difference between right and wrong or they will have a tough time distinguishing it on their own.
   And finally, there's society.  More specifically, the pussification of society.  You may remember a few years ago when I complained about new rules on the playground and in schools.  No longer were you able to have competitive sports.  EVERYONE had to win, and EVERYONE had to get a trophy.  Then I complained about California trying to outlaw spanking.  Then I complained about schools not being able to adequately discipline children, because parents were complaining all the time and forcing the schools to back off.  Well these same children are now getting older and reaching the age where they are becoming adults.
   We are starting to see the side effects of the rules that we as a society put in place so many years ago... and I think we're all going to regret it.  These kids grew up thinking they were WAY cooler than they are.  They've never tasted humble pie, so they think they are absolutely invincible.  They were never taught morals, or good sportsmanship, or how to accept loss or failure.  They were never disciplined for being bad.  They received a good talking-to, or maybe they were put in time out, but they never had their butts whipped with a belt, which I GUARANTEE you sticks with someone better than a stern warning.
   So my question to our so-called "leaders" is this: what do you think?  How are your plans of equality, niceness, and civility working out for us now?  How does it feel to look at videos like this and know that this is a direct result of the rules you were so passionate about a few years ago?  And to parents: how does it feel knowing that your spa day was so important that you forgot that a life depended on your guidance and example?  How does it feel knowing that your selfishness and inability to cope with ANY sort of difficulty in life has turned your child into a punk ass bitch?  And finally, to the media: controversy sells, but how far will you go to make money?  How does it feel knowing that a little whiney brat like Justin Beiber, or a spoiled little witch like Lindsay Lohan, while putting dollars in your pockets, is actively ruining society?  Are you comfortable knowing that you have a direct hand in making things worse for all of us?  GROW UP PEOPLE.  YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES.  Honestly, it makes me not even want to have kids.  It seems cruel to bring anyone into this world right now...

Unknown

   From Netflix: Liam Neeson stars in this taut thriller as a man who regains consciousness after an auto accident only to discover that another man is impersonating him, and that no one -- not even his wife (January Jones) -- recognizes his identity as the real Dr. Martin Harris. Finding himself with an unexpected ally (Diane Kruger), Harris struggles to solve the mystery and hang onto his own wits, while also being stalked by anonymous killers.
   My Take: Liam Neeson wakes up not knowing who he is... stalked by unknown killers... and kicking ass?  Absolutely count me in.  That's what I said to myself when I saw the trailer for this movie.  But, as we all know, movie trailers can be deceiving... and this, unfortunately is one of those trailers.
   While there is far less ass kicking in this movie than I believe was originally promised, "Unknown" still delivers on all the other counts.  It's a very twisty-turny story, and the big twist I have to admit caught me completely off-guard.  Unfortunately this looks like it was a movie that was founded on a good twist, and then the rest of the movie was written around that twist.
   It just doesn't feel like much thought went into the rest of the film.  There are quite a few loose ends that didn't feel like they really got tied up.  Things I don't want to get into here because it would ruin the movie, but things that I think you'll notice if you decide to watch it.  I get that memory is a funny thing, and I guess that could work as an excuse, but it just seems like they hid behind memory-loss to mask quite a few problems with the plot or script.
   And January Jones, while smoking hot, SUCKS as an actress.  Stick to modeling.  Or maybe Playboy.
   So the ultimate question: is this movie worth your time?  Depends.  If you're looking for another "Taken," this probably isn't for you.  Liam's not the badass that the trailer might have you believe.  Well he kind of is, but you'll just have to watch.  It is an entertaining and twisty story that I think will catch you by surprise.  And January Jones is hot.  So yeah, if you don't have anything better to do, give it a shot I guess.


   And finally, in a bit of sad news, Jim Carey has apparently decided he doesn't want to participate in a Dumb & Dumber sequel.  Or, to hear it from him, that the studio wasn't committing enough.  Whatever the reason, it looks like the sequel won't be made.  Sad to hear, but really do you want to mess with perfection?  The original is still one of the best comedies I have EVER seen.  While it was exciting to see the possibility of more of the same, perhaps the risks outweighed the reward.  And to be honest, Jim Cary hasn't really been that funny lately anyway.

Totally Bueno

   How far would you go for a free pizza?  Would you punch your best friend in the face?  Would you stare directly at the sun?  How about this?  Would you speak Spanish???  That's the promotion that one Houston-area pizza chain recently ran, and you would not believe the backlash they got.  Or maybe you would, I don't know.

   Let's just sit back and think about this for two seconds. You walk into a pizza place.  You say some phrase in spanish ("pizza por favor" maybe?).  And boom, you get a free pizza.  Do we really want to create a backlash over something this silly?  I guarantee if a pizza joint ran the same promotion, but where you had to speak Italian, no one would be upset.
   No, what this really stems from is the inherent anger at immigration... particularly Hispanic immigration.  And that is what's ridiculous.  I'm a white guy, and while I've written in here plenty about reverse racism and how I think we have now become the race that is expected to roll over and let the other races shit on us, I do think this is in bad taste for ANY race, but particularly whites.
   The truth is, I think a lot of whites are very concerned about no longer being the majority.  Everywhere you look, more and more signs, billboards, commercials, TV shows, etc etc etc are appearing in Spanish.  Especially down here in Texas, Hispanics have become the majority race.  And while I will sit here and joke about how Mexico is slowly reclaiming the territory they lost back in the Alamo days, it does pose an interesting and sort of frightening scenario.
   I don't know Spanish.  I suck at foreign languages, period.  And what I'm seeing here is a world coming that I will be less effective in.  Every night I look at the ratings, and the Spanish stations are crushing the English stations.  Advertiser priorities are changing.  Hell, city priorities are changing.  And while this does concern me a little bit, it certainly doesn't make me mad at THEM for doing it.  This is my shortcoming, and it's something I need to deal with.
   But this anger over something as stupid as a pizza promotion is just silly.  If THAT is going to be the basis for our arguments against immigration, then that is some pretty shaky ground to stand on.  Nothing screams "racist" like getting mad about something that has no impact and no importance on anything in anyone's lives.  I for one would gladly speak a Spanish phrase, or jump off a roof, or kayak through some rapids, if it means at the end I get a free pizza.  It's time we all lighten up a little bit and choose our battles.

We Are In Control

   I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so.  Way back when... when this whole "Socialist Healthcare" idea was being tossed around by our brilliant president and congresspeople, I warned all of you that what they were proposing might sound good now, but it was only the tip of the iceberg.  And we are now witnessing that iceberg begin to take shape, and it's a shape that I think we should all agree is most definitely not a good one.
   Just recently, New York City started to ban large sodas from restaurants and other places.  This means you can only order soda in small amounts.  Yes, it's nice and healthy, but there's one big problem that affects all of us: it violates our freedoms.
   Why shouldn't we be allowed to buy big sodas?  Obesity is a huge (ha!) problem in this country, no one can argue that... but it is simply not the government's place to tell us what we can and cannot eat or drink.  If I want to be a fatass and not take care of myself, then that is my right.  It's a terrible idea, and one that will cost me in the future, but I am an individual and I have a right to live my life the way I see fit.  I have a right to raise my children the way I see fit.  I have a right to do whatever I please, so long as it doesn't break the law (and even then I can do it, I just get thrown in jail for it).
   But that's not the case anymore.  Now government can step in and tell me what is and is not allowed.  Smoking?  Drinking?  Eating?  What's next?  The government is now calling the shots on what is allowed and what is not allowed.  We do need this, to some extent.  Programs like the FDA are certainly important and help save lives every single day.  But when you can tell me what I'm allowed to order for lunch, you've gone way, way too far.  And yet we allowed this.  We encouraged it.  We voted for it and we embraced it when it was first presented.  "Nothing will change!"  They said.  Well don't you feel like a chump now?  If you don't, you will... because I guarantee you this is only the beginning of these kinds of rules.
   See the problem now is that we HAVE to have rules like this for the system to work.  Used to be, Mr. Fatass would drink a shitload of soda, get fat, have health problems, and die.  But HE was the one responsible for all of this.  HE paid his OWN medical expenses, and HE paid his OWN funeral expenses.  That's not the case anymore though, is it?  Now WE are going to pay for his medical expenses.  Well I certainly am not going to pay for this dude to kill himself, especially while I'm trying to live a healthy life.  That's not right, and it's not fair.  So what's the answer?  Restrict his diet, of course!  Sure it violates his rights a little, but I have a right to not have to pay for his bad choices, right?  Now EVERYBODY'S rights are being violated!  The joys of Social Healthcare!
   Like I said, I guarantee you it's not going to stop here.  Nope, sodas are just the beginning.  What happens when you start restricting our alcohol consumption?  Or what about when you make a rule that says we can only eat meat three days a week?  Or that there will be candy rations?  You can say I'm overreacting, but I will be right here telling you "I told you so" when suddenly you're having to down protein shakes on your lunch break instead of that delicious hamburger you've been looking forward to all day.
   Will it make us healthier?  Probably.  Will it make us happy?  Probably not.  And does it violate our rights?  Absolutely.  Social Healthcare sounds great on paper, but it is not what this country was founded on, and it's not going to help us move forward.  Maybe instead of socialism, this administration should promote social responsibility.

The Help

    From Netflix: In 1960s Jackson, Miss., aspiring writer Eugenia Phelan crosses taboo racial lines by conversing with Aibileen Clark about her life as a housekeeper, and their ensuing friendship upsets the fragile dynamic between the haves and the have-nots. When other long-silent black servants begin opening up to Eugenia, the disapproving conservative Southern town soon gets swept up in the turbulence of changing times.
   My Take:  I'm going to be honest here... I originally was not very interested in this movie.  The subject matter was something I didn't really want to dwell on, and the whole idea of a bunch of women banding together is nice, but not really my cup of tea when it comes to movies.  Then I discovered that the soundtrack was composed by Thomas Newman, who is definitely one of my favorite composers.  Add to that a little nudge of persuasion from a beautiful woman named Ceci, and I found myself actually kind of excited to sit down and see it.
   I was not disappointed.  The acting in this movie was simply brilliant.  The hatred, the abuse, the pain, it was all too real and absolutely believable.  It created such a strong illusion that things I would normally take issue with were completely acceptable.  I consider this another "Shawshank" type movie... one that is incredible important and powerful, but one that I certainly don't need to watch a hundred times.  It's also another one brilliantly composed by the great Thomas Newman.
   You will not leave this movie feeling good.  You may feel vindicated, knowing that justice was served and that we as a country are in at least a marginally better place now.  But while this is a movie that I think we all should see, I can't tell you to run out and pick it up this instant, because it is not very easy to watch.  It's tough to look at, but it's important to look at, because it is all too real.  And living in Texas (or anywhere in the south, really), chances are if you were white, your grandparents and great grandparents did treat people this way.  I'm not saying you should go hate your grandparents... I mean that's how it was back in that time.  But I do think this movie will open your eyes, and maybe show you just how wrong and backwards we were as a country back then.
   Overall, this is a powerful, interesting, engrossing movie.  And just like "Shawshank," it's one that I think we all need to see... even if you only see it once.



   I spent all of last weekend working endlessly on my very first "48 Hour Film" project, and I'll close this week by saying a big "thank you" to everyone who was involved.  Danny, Johnny, Christina, AJ, Colin, Meena, Michelle, Sam, Patty, Michael, Chris, Taylor, Uncle Mike, Aunt Carol, and anyone else who I may have left out.  You all were amazing.  You contributed, you let us into your homes, you went without sleep, and you helped us make a great movie that I am incredibly proud of.  The screenings of these movies are coming up (at the Studio Movie Grille) in Houston.  Keep an eye on my Facebook page for screening times and information.  Once the screenings are completed, I will look into posting the video on YouTube (though I'm not sure yet what the rules are for that).  This was a fantastic experience, and it's one I look forward to having again in the future.  Lata Playas...

IQ Poll

   Despite my frequent complaints about our voting system (it's 2012, time to take it online people), I decided to brave the polls and vote in the Texas Primary Election.  I made sure I had all of my information ready, left early, and prepared to stand in line.  Turns out it was a line of one other person.  Yes, the voter turnout at this Texas Primary was pretty dismal, which I guess I should have expected, but that doesn't mean I'm not disappointed (again) by it.

   I will never forget my college Political Science II Class.  It was taught by a guy named "Barnes," and his big thing was he couldn't stand it when people's cell phones went off while he was teaching.  Like if a cell phone went off during class, he would just up and leave.  And everything he was going to talk about would still be on the exam.  That was his major pet peeve.  I remember someone's phone going off one time during a test and he actually threatened to kick out an entire section of the class unless they ratted out the guy whose phone it was.  And then the unthinkable happened: his phone went off one day, right in the middle of class.  It was glorious.  But the point of this now ridiculously long paragraph is this: Barnes said one time that it was always funny to him how everyone made a big deal about the presidential election, but no one ever went to the state or local elections.  He said it was funny because the state and local elections had a much more profound impact on our lives than the big national ones.  I used to think that was true.

   But is it now?  Sure, local elections have to do with people who arrest and charge suspected criminals.  They help keep our sewers going and our roads in good shape (terrible job of that, by the way, here in Houston).  But it sure seems like a larger amount of power and responsibility is heading toward the federal government.  You might recall from history or political science class that this is not what our forefathers had in mind.  But the question is, what did they know?  Did they not want a strong federal government because they felt like states should have more power, and that was the better way to do it?  Or did they say the federal government shouldn't be in charge of certain things because it was simply too hard for them to keep a country this big under control during those times?  Imagine trying to pass healthcare laws back then.  Some dude would have to leave Washington on horseback and explain to every single town what the new rules were.  He would die before he made it to Colorado.  There was no TV, there was no internet, there was no quick way of communicating.

   The reality now is that the federal government must play a bigger role in our lives.  There are too many laws, and too many people moving from state to state every single day for us to have a different set of laws in each state to have to abide by.  Should the states still have some power?  Absolutely.  The federal government is way too big and inefficient to manage things like surface streets or water supplies.  But don't think that's going to stop them from trying.  And this is where it all unwinds.  Just because the federal government shouldn't be mucking about in state or local matters doesn't mean that they don't want to.

   Our federal government has grown out of control as a whole, but it does need to be there and it does need to manage certain things that maybe originally it wasn't designed to manage.  Driver's Licenses... the postal service... highways... cell phone and tv airwaves... there are certain things that would be a huge mess if it weren't for the overarching management of the federal government.  And even then some of these things are still a mess, but less of a mess.

   Man I am really rambling today.  The point of this whole thing was to tell you about my experience at the poll.  It was shocking.

   Like I said, I got to the polls and nobody was there.  So I'm thinking piece of cake, right?  Wrong.  I get to the poll guy and give him my voter registration card.  He starts flipping through his book looking for my name, only to realize he had the wrong book (like for the wrong letters of the alphabet).  So he flounders around looking for another book for a little while, and when he finally finds he he immediately goes to the RO section and starts looking for me.

   ME: "Hey uh, shouldn't you be looking in the RI's?"

   HIM: "Nah I got it man."

   ME: (after a few minutes) "Yeah but you're in the RO's right now.  My last name is..."

   HIM: "I got it."

   ME: (stunned silence)

   HIM: (after several minutes of searching) "Well, it's not here."

   ME: "Yeah you need to look under RI."

   HIM: "I looked all through here and I don't see it."

   ME: "Can you just humor me?" (At this point I flip the book back to the RIs)

   HIM: (immediately finding my name and passing right over it) "Nope."

   ME: "That's me right there."

   HIM: "...You're last name is Roberts, right?"

   ME: Uh, no, it's Rigg.

   HIM: "Oh.  Well yeah, there you are."

   At this point, he proceeded to slowly write my name down and then print my ticket, and then wave me to the nearest voting booth.  I walked to the booth, still stunned, and was barely able to concentrate while filling out the ballot.  So many questions were racing through my head... everything from "how in the world did this guy qualify to be a poll worker?" to "I wonder how many people he turned away because he supposedly couldn't find their names... as if the turnout wasn't already low enough," to "man, could this guy actually be a spy for the democrats?  Could they be so low as to plant people like this at the polls?  Do the republicans do the same thing?"  I was in a paranoid mood.

   But seriously though, how can this be?  Are these people paid?  Are they interviewed by the party before going out and representing them at the polling locations?  How does this system work?  I am intrigued that someone with that level of intelligence could play any role in our country's government.  But then, maybe it's government that put him there in the first place.  Gotta take everyone, right?  Can't have any kind of qualification test that makes sure that only the people who are qualified for the position actually get it, right?  That would be unfair, after all.

   Shocking.

Couples Retreat

   From Netflix:  Desperate to save their marriage, one couple convinces three other couples to go in on a group rate price for an island retreat designed for troubled unions. But the "mandatory therapy" brews up nothing but trouble for everyone.

   My take: Here are a bunch of funny people put into a painfully awkward situation on an island with a bunch of weirdos.  The only way to make it any more uncomfortable is to put Ben Stiller in there.  And they didn't!  What more could you ask for?  In all seriousness though, this movie is pretty damn funny.  Near perfect casting all the way around.  There were some great lines, some excellent moments, and some very nice bikinis.  But still, I couldn't help but not really like this movie very much.

   I'll admit I've struggled to put my finger on what it really is.  And I think the closest I can get to determining my problem with this movie is that it never really goes anywhere.  Sure, the couples all go through challenges and do some funny stuff and then hate each other and then make up with each other.  Sure there is some sort of lesson about really getting to the root of what your relationship is with your spouse.  There is a story... it's just not told very well.

   There are several points where this movie stalls.  Things that could and should be funny are, but they just don't seem to really fit with the rest of what's going on.  Probably the best (worst?) example of this is the "shark attack" scene.  It went on for way too long, it wasn't very funny, and it really didn't play that big a role in the rest of the movie.  It's like it was just tacked on... or rather like it originally served a bigger purpose, but that purpose was taken out by some studio exec who felt like they needed to shave 15 minutes off the length of the movie so it would be more marketable.

   The ending is also terrible.  No payoff, no explanation.  It's like an entire scene was just deleted from the movie.  There's some offhand joke about the guy waiting for them since sunrise... but you never feel like there was any real reason for why he acted the way he had the entire movie.  He just hands them their statues and acts like he taught them this great lesson.  But he didn't.  It just made no sense.

   Bottom line: this is a funny movie.  It will make you laugh.  But if you're looking for something that is funny and actually has a good story, I really think this movie will leave you wanting.  As much as I hate to say this, you might actually be better off renting a Ben Stiller awkward-fest.

The Adjustment Bureau

   From Netflix:  A congressman (Matt Damon) who's a rising star on the political scene finds himself entranced by a beautiful ballerina (Emily Blunt), but mysterious circumstances ensure that their love affair is predestined to be a non-starter. Screenwriter George Nolfi (The Bourne Ultimatum) makes his directorial debut with this romantic adaptation of Philip K. Dick's classic sci-fi short story "Adjustment Team."

   My take:  Here's a story that will not work for everybody, and I think it has a lot to do with one reason: the story centers around God.  More specifically, it centers around Free Will and God's apparent lack of control over Free Will.  For me personally, this idea registers, because I have always believed (I thought I read it somewhere) that God willingly gave us all Free Will.  I thought it was part of the whole "in His image" thing, and that the idea was we were going to be able to do what we wanted, but we would also have to face the consequences.

   If you go at this movie with that mindset, or if you believe in that idea, then I think you will really enjoy yourself.  Here are some agents of God who are trying to help humanity survive, and while they know we would just blow ourselves up without them, they also have to deal with absolutely no gratitude or even realization from us.  It's got to be frustrating.  On the other hand, you have a story about true love and how it conquers everything, especially when free will is involved.  It's actually a pretty interesting story.

   I do, of course, have a couple of problems.  My main problem is that I seriously doubt Matt Damon's character would be regarded as important enough by any of these "adjustment" folks to where they wouldn't just wipe his brain.  Once he proved that he wasn't going to do what was expected of him, you'd think they would just zap him and be done with it.  Sure that one guy liked him enough to break the rules for him, but the rest of the people wouldn't seem to care.  Or maybe they had orders not to do it?  Whatever the case that seemed kind of silly to me.  And also it bugged me that their love was still part of a previous "plan."  Kind of takes the spontaneity out of it, and also removes some of the "we're battling the system" feeling too.

   Still, this is a good movie.  Yes you will hear people say they didn't care for it, and no, it certainly isn't for everyone.  But it is an intriguing way of thinking.  Sort of a peek behind the curtain, or at least one imagining of what that curtain could be.  A movie that makes you think.  Imagine that?

And I saw "Avengers" again.  And it was just as awesome the second time.  Keep 'em comin.'