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Doubts

I don’t know what’s wrong me. I just broke 60,000 words in my WIP. Yet I thought I’d be further along by now. It’s about a year and a half into the story line and although a ton of things have happened, it feels like only now has the protagonist been able to cross the threshold and begin exploring outer space. Part of me fears that because Travis has been stuck in juvenile prison and then house arrest for so long it drags the plot down. Maybe I could go back and edit down some of the subplots or start the story later?

No because if I did that then I’d never get the first draft done. I always want to go back and rewrite this bit, then that part. If I don’t reign it I’ll spends hours agonizing over a sentence.

Shitty first drafty aside, the thing I also fear is I haven’t incorporated Phoenix enough and given him enough of a role to justify having him. The thing is their journeys while separate are intertwined and can’t be completed with them helping each other.

While I’m getting work done everyday, sometimes I feel like I’m getting nowhere because even though I want to go full tilt with the action new problems spring up to hold them back. I guess this is good. If things were too easy it’d be boring right? But I don’t know. Maybe I need to take a break and reevaluate the story?

There are so many things I want to say with this story but it seems like I’m getting bogged down with the mundane happenings on Earth. There are other plot lines to explore. Like the secret society Travis’s grandfather was involved with during college.

Then there’s the government agencies tracking down kids with superhuman abilities to experiment on them and create super soldiers. And there’s the yet unexplored subplot where Phoenix goes out and fight crime ala Superman on Earth and Travis has to clean up the messes he causes.

Perhaps the main issue is I’m trying to do too much in a short time and should accept that I’ll probably need to break off the story into a trilogy or more books to tell the whole story. I don’t know yet. But the thing I fear the most is that I’m not good even to pull this off. I put so much pressure on myself sometimes I just want to take a few days off to recharge.

Don’t get me wrong. I love writing it., but lately I’ve been putting in one to two thousand words a day and am starting to feel burnt out. I’ve been neglecting my short stories and my other WIP. While the first draft is done it needs editing and rewriting in places.

Maybe I just need to break up the monotony of my routine. For the past two months it’s up at 6 or 7 exercise until 8/o’clock then blogging/journaling from 9-1, reading the news from 1-2 then working on my WIP from 4-8pm. Perhaps I should set a side one day a week just to have fun? I’ll try it and see how it goes.

Let Freedom Ring

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As you celebrate the Fourth of July today, remember this day is about independence from a tyrannical government. We have forgotten the price of freedom is constant vigilance. We’ve allowed corporations and the federal government to turn us into docile sheep ready for slaughter.

Under the current administration this country has marched ever closer to becoming a police state. The constitution, once a hallmark of our democratic republic, holds little more value than toilet paper these days.The government assassinates US citizens abroad, detains them indefinitely and spies on everything we do and say. Yet this is treated as normal.

Don’t tell me to chill out when I see our civil liberties being eroded all in the name of safety. Don’t tell me it’s OK because the guy in office has a D next to his name. Allowing any president these powers is unacceptable and will only lead to further expansion of executive powers.

The ineptitude of our elected officials is symptomatic of a deeper problem. Politics has shifted from being about serving the will of the people to whoring yourself out to the highest bidder. No longer is it about doing what’s right, but what’s politically safe.

Once politicians were held accountable to their constitutes.Now gerrymandered districts make it neigh impossible to oust incumbents.Where once people could assembly to peacefully protest, now they are treated like terrorists. So what can we do?

It’s time we made them remember what Independence Day is about. Flood your representatives’ inbox and voice mail. Go to their offices and demand the will of the people is heard. I’m calling for a massive campaign of protests and civil disobedience to make their lives hell until they can no longer carry on with business as usual.

If you feel there is something rotting in the state of American, then join me on the steps of Congress next July 4th and let’s give them an Independence Day they will not soon forget.

The Scars We Bear

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The scars we carry are a road map of the life we lived. They remind us of what we’ve been through and we can use that knowledge to move us forward. It’s easy to forget those dark times in life, but there’s wisdom in the pain of the past.

I have scars from my head to my feet.

The first one I got when my mother went into labor with me and my head got trapped under her pelvis. The dent in the bone can be felt if you press my forehead. I was three when I cut my left index finger while helping my mom peel potatoes. Following this I cut my arm left arm running around our coffee table. The wound was such that when I flexed my muscle blood gushed out.

When I was four I found a snail and my mother’s friend gave me a glass jar shaped like a Christmas tree to put it in. While going up the stairs into our apartment I slipped. The jar shattered and a shard of glass punctured my left side.

We lived in Western Germany at the time and my dad had to take me to the hospital on base. On the way there the engine of our red neeson caught fire. Dad put it out with Mom’s Pepsi but the car wouldn’t start so he carried me the rest of the way to the hospital, blood streaming down my side as we went. After the doc poked around inside me for what felt like forever he sowed me up with four metal stitches. They hurt like hell coming out.

In fourth grade I had to have brain surgery to remove to a cystic mass above my right temporal lobe. Afterwards the right side of face swelled up like a balloon. The day after surgery I had a massive seizure that lasted over three hours. My stay lasted three months and I received 211 staples.

A few days after surgery one of the staples got caught on the arm board of my IV and I pulled it out in my sleep. When I awoke the next morning my pillow and most of bed spread was cover in blood. I freaked out but after taking a look at it the doctor said I was fined and ,with a kachink, he put a new staple in my head. Weeks later when they took the staples out number two-hundred-eleven was hadn’t healed yet. I kept picking at the hole left by it and they eventually had to close
it with three sutures.

Over the years my collections of scars continued to increase, but the one that holds the most significance to me is the one on my right wrist. I was seven and stuck in the ICU of Children’s Hospital due to complications from an allergic reaction to antibiotics.

I’d been there for almost a year and by that point they resorted to sewing IVs where ever they could: feet, toes, inner things, stomach, etc. On the day in question they tried to one into the artery in my wrist. the needle ruptured the arterial wall and my wrist swelled up to the size of a tennis ball. My parents took one look and called the doctors in.

They diagnosed an aneurysm, disinfected the area and did the surgery right there in my room. With no anesthesia or pain killers the first incision sent waves of pain up my arm, but things only got worse from there. I don’t know how long the operation took because I blacked out four or five times.

When they were done I was left with 37 stitches and a six inch scar on my tiny arm. As I grew it shrunk, but I still remember the pain of it all. Whenever I think I can’t go on or when things get tough I look down at it and know that if I survived that I can survive anything.

The Intolerance of The Religious

When openly gay lawmaker State Rep. Brian Sims (D-Philadelphia) took to the Pennsylvania House to talk about section 3 of DOMA being stuck down, his republican colleagues used procedural prestidigitation to silence him. (Riley)

“One of those lawmakers, conservative state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler), told WHYY that he believed Sims’ comments would be a violation of “God’s law.”(Mike Riley via
Huffington Post)

It never fails how the followers of the so called Prince of Peace are all about acceptance and tolerance, unless you disagree with them. Then they use the same book they claim is sunshine and gum drops to bludgeon anyone they don’t like.

Has it ever crossed their minds they are selectively citing scripture to support their bigotry? Or that this country was founded as secular nation and it doesn’t matter what their god or any other has to say.

Does anyone else find it rather tiresome how these Jesus warriors see the devil everywhere and not content to be hermits insist we adhere to their moral code? And if we don’t they scream about being oppressed. Yes because when you make up over 90% of the population, not getting your way every time is a grave injustice.

The hypocrisy of these people is stunning. They are ones who scream the loudest about the government getting involved in people’s lives. Until it’s an issue they don’t like then they couldn’t care less about government intervention.

The thing which makes me lose hope in humanity is not that these type continue to be elected but they seem to get dumber with each election. If it’s not comments on legitimate rape, or masturbating fetuses, it’s introducing legislation that puts the Taliban to shame.

You’re going to cut food stamps at a time when million are starving? Yet have no problem cutting taxes for the super wealthy who’ve gained the most from the economic recover? So much for to whom much is given much is required.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise since the god they worship is the free market. So long as the Dow is high and their portfolios are doing fine, screw everyone else. Those parasites should die in street and lessen the burden on society and the job creators.

Forget fixing student loan rates. It’s only a matter of time before one of these nimrods proposes bringing back poor houses and indentured servitude. And as our roads and bridges crumble they couldn’t be assed to spend a cent. But let it involve the private sector or the defense budget and they’ll cut each other’s throat to be the first one to toss out the money bags.

No matter the issue they always take whichever side is the most dickish and then justify it with asinine reasons. Sorry gays you can’t get married because then people might marry dogs and children. Nope, can’t have universal health care because then the government will ice grandma.

Gun control? Well didn’t you know it’s a plot to institute Marshall law and put everyone in FEMA camps to be educated in the glory of Fearless Leader. The polar ice caps are gone and storms have gotten worse. Naw, Global Warming is a hoax perpetrated by the lame stream media, so that Obama can wreck the economy and turn the country into a socialist paradise.

Yes when you believe in magical thinking the jump to full on conspiracy theorist is a short one. They both ascribe an us against them mentality and any criticism of their beliefs is used as evidence they are correct.

Religion and conspiracy theories make people feel part of something bigger than themselves and privy to secret knowledge. And when confronted with information that contradicts their world view they ignore it or claim the speaker is part of the conspiracy. Moreover they provide cover for the mental ill by validating their delusions and paranoia.

So what can be done?

Call out these crazies and vote them out of office. It’s possible with hard work as proven by the ousting of Michele Bachmann, Allen West, and Todd Akin.

Paula Deen and the Power of Words

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One thing writing has taught me is words have power, but only to the extent people allow them to affect them. As someone who has a speech impairment I’m careful with how I choose my words. As such I tend to only comment on things if I find them important. But as an adamant supporter of free speech and thought I cringe when people go into to histrionics over innocuous comments.

I understand taking offense at something someone said, but I can’t stand the semantic games that are played where by it becomes not about what was said but what was felt to have been said. Facts no longer matter because all emotions are valid. And telling someone they’re overreacting ,or seeing an issue where none is, gets you labeled a victim blamer.

The world is full of miscreants and bullies, but the solution isn’t to crawl into the fetus position every time someone says something you find offensive. Nor is it to go crusading against every slight.

The appropriate response is to evaluate each instance and respond accordingly. Don’t let the mob dictate how offended you should feel, or shame you for not finding the latest social injustice the worst thing ever.

The meme that if you don’t find something offensive you’re a heartless bastard and condone it is wrong. You can abhor what is said yet agree the person has the right to say it. Moreover, not everything that is deemed offensive is. Many times it boils down to interpretation. a Even in clear cut cases what is said doesn’t rise to the same level and should be ignored or mocked for its stupidity.

In the current flack over comments Paula Deen made over past use of racial slurs what is lost is the things she’s alleged to have done. The discrimination lawsuit filed by Lisa T. Jackson, a former restaurant manager at Uncle Bubba’s Oyster House in Savannah (owned by Deen and her brother) clams she and others were the targets of racist and sexist remarks. And that the black employees were barred from coming to the front of the restaurant(aulaborlawforum). This is what should be the topic of discussion. Not what Deen said years ago.

Nigger is an ugly word with a legacy of pain and hate attached to it. For that reason it shouldn’t be locked away or replaced with the puerile n word. No let the word and all it represents be proclaimed so we never forget the past. To do otherwise strengthens what it stands for and disrespects those who suffered to make the what is today.

If we want to have a discussion about race in America instead of another discussion about how to have one, then that means becoming immune to the use of racial slurs. Because human beings are emotional and irrational creatures they will say hurtful things in the heat of discussions. So instead of letting the conversation be derailed, acknowledge the use of stereotypes/slurs, educate the person on why they are wrong and move on.

Words hurt but only to the extent you allow them to. My mother is white and my father is black. Growing up I heard Oreo, zebra, high yellow, mulatto and the occasional “he got that good hair.” This didn’t bother me until I was old enough to understand what they meant.

I did well in school, was into science, devoured books, and was an English geek with a habit of correcting my siblings and peers‘ grammar. For this I was called out for acting and talking white. As I slipped into my teen years my tastes turned from R&B to Marilyn Mason and Metallica. For this my younger brother started calling me white boy.

Yeah those comments hurt until I grew a thicker skin and stopped letting those them hold power over me. As a lover of words I spent countless hours reading the dictionary camped out in the bathroom and else where. My reverence for words is only matched by my abhorrence to censorship in all its forms.

As a writer my job is to evoke your emotions and thoughts. All of them. Sometimes you have to be shocked into paying attention. I don’t go out of my way to offend people unless there is a good reason. This why I chose to spell out nigger. When people begin dictating what words I can use, without respect to their context or historical usage, now that’s offensive.

Something Instead of Nothing

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When people talk about the Big Bang Theory they often say things like, “Well what went bang?” or “You can’t get something out of nothing.”

To begin, nothing exploded.

The Big Bang was the point at which the universe expanded from a tiny region of super dense and hot energy. And at which point time as we know it began.

The term was coined by physicist William Hoyle as an insult. He favored the steady state theory, which held the universe always existed in its current state.

Since Hoyle’s day our understanding of universe has increased several folds, but we still don’t have all the answers. As to where the mass/energy came from there are a few competing theories.

Theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss posits that the energy making up the quantum singularity popped into existence the same way virtual particles have been observed to spontaneously form and decay in the lab. For a more in depth explanation check out his book The Universe From Nothing. He also has a lecture of the same name on you tube.

The oscillating universe model posits that our universe is the current one in a long series of big bangs and big crunches(when the universe reaches it expansion limits and implodes).

There is also the theory that our universe is one of a countless number connected by membranes, (like soap bubbles). The energy/mass from one can be transferred to another via nexuses(points in space and time shared by universes)or black holes.

Modern steady state theory says the universe has always existed in some form. Be it purely energy, matter, or some combination of the two.

The take home here is that while scientists don’t have all the answers, they’re
working to find new and better explanations for why there’s something instead of nothing.

My Body

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I was three, going on four the first time I watched Stand by Me. My favorite scene was when Billy Hogan vomited and set a chain reaction of everyone else puking. I must have watched that scene two or three hundred times by now. I couldn’t remember the title so I always called it My Body.

When I was six I suffered a severe allergic reaction to antibiotics that put in the hospital for two years. It compromised my immunity system, such that I’d spend two, three months at time in the hospital fighting pneumonia or one infection after another.

Dad worked multiple jobs, while Mom took care of my younger brother and sister. They visited when they could, but more often than not I was alone most of the time. Books and movies filled the void.

When not stuck in the hospital I was imprisoned in my body, only going out to school and short bursts play before my asthma acted up. While everyone was out having fun I had adventures in my head. I’d pretend I was one of the Castle Rock boys, and this helped the loneliness.

It wasn’t until I was about 14 that my health improved enough for me go out and interact with other kids. But by then they had moved on to girls. That was the year I finally got what Stand By Me was about.

Coming of age was difficult enough in the late 90’s. Add in a breathing tube and the realization you’re attracted to other guys and you have a recipe for a cluster fuck if ever there was one.

I tried to ignore these new feelings and it seemed to work until I feel hard for my younger brother’s friend. He was 13 going on 14 while I was about to turn 16. Nothing happened because I was too scared to make a move. I got over my crush and moved on to other guys, and later girls too.

The scene that still gets to me is where Chris confesses to taking the milk money then gave it back. Only to have the teacher use it to buy a new outfit. It rips at my heart and puts me back into every situation an adult failed to protect me. From the librarian who threw me head first into a bookcase when I was 6, to the doctors who misdiagnosed me.

To this day I’ll pop on my battered DVD and watch the movie because it holds up so well. I still see so much of younger myself in Gordie Lachance. Later on in life I never had friends like the boys from Castle Rock, but you know what? That’s OK.

Letter to the Past

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Hey, this is you from the future. Right now you think things suck out loud right? Well they won’t always. You’ll survive and be stronger for it, so pay no mind to what others say about you.

I know you think people suck and can’t be trusted , but sometimes they can surprise you with their kindness. Sure you’ll always have to deal with assholes, but it gets easier with practice.

It’s true college is just high school with more sex and drugs. Plus the work’s harder, but it’s not a total clusterfuck. You’ll make friends and even go out. So try not to be so shy.

And when it comes to love, don’t believe all those stories you’ve read. When you get crushes like mad, and you will, don’t stress out. Yeah you’ll get your heart broken but that’s all part of the game, kid. Get it out of your system and you’ll be cool.

When all else fails remember what you’ve been through and anything else will seem like chump change. And one last thing: don’t ever stop writing. You have talent ,you just need to practice. And when you get older don’t feel so bad. You can’t stay young forever. Remember to live and you’ll do fine. Well later kid.

So what advice would give your past self? Comment and share.

Honor

So it’s June, and once again Pride has descended upon us, but pride in what exactly? For years hasn’t the mantra been being LGBT is just one part of the whole person, that it doesn’t define you. So what is that we’re suppose to be celebrating? That it’s OK to like who you like?

Well no duh, but isn’t that already SOP the other 11 months? Seems rather superfluous and counter productive since Pride has become just another excuse to get drunk and hook up.

I get wanting to be with others like you and having a good time. But what I don’t get is parading around in skimpy outfits and other outrageous costumes. Just seems like a ton of attention whoring.

When I came out at 19 I’d bought into the propaganda that the gay “community” was inclusive. Never have I experienced such elitism since high school. You’re judged on every aspect and if you didn’t meet the cut, you didn’t exist. So I had no desire to park take in the circus depicted in the media.

Out of morbid curiosity I went to Motor City Pride last year.
Sure there were a bunch of people in colorful outfits and I bought the requisite rainbow swag, but there was fuck all to do besides walk around and watch performances. More interactive entertainment would have been awesome. Granted, I got a hook up out of the deal, but I’m still left wondering what was the point?

While there is still a ways to go for full equality, the past decade has been one of great gains for LGBT people. DOMA was ruled unconstitutional. Prop 8 was dismissed without merit making the lower court ruling overturning it stand. And same sex marriage has been legalized in several states and the District of Columbia. So once marriage equality is achieved what else is there then?

The concept of gay pride, like black pride or any other “pride,” is foreign to me. These are labels and pride is about what‘s inside. Pride is about holding true to your core values in spite what people may think. It’s about the obstacles you’ve overcome, not identity politics. Every stolen breath, every inch you’ve fought for. It’s telling the world ,”Fuck you. I will not bow.” Pride is about every day you choose to get up and continue fighting through the shit life throws your way.

Wonder Women

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Introduction

Beginning in the late 90s we saw the emergence of strong female characters in what was dubbed the “girl power” era. These characters could kick the ass of any guy and looked fabulous while doing it. They were a response to criticism from feminists about the lack of good females roles. However all characters are not created equally.

Xena: Warrior Princess came on the scene in ’95. A spin off of Hercules, it followed her and gal pal Gabriel as they traveled the world righting wrongs. While watched by both genders it had a strong following among lesbians due to the copious amounts of homoerotic subtext between Xena and Gabriel. At first the producers denied it, then embraced it, making their lesbian relationship all but cannon in later seasons.

The Buffy Effect

However it took another fantastical female to popularize and codify this meme. Enter wonder woman Buffy Summers. Josh Whedon’s eponymous vampire slayer was one part cheerleader, snarky punster, and action hero. Buffy was at its core was about coming of age and made the metaphor of high school is hell literal.

The thing that made Buffy work was the smart and funny writing coupled with the endless joy of watching 110 lb Sarah Michelle Gellar open a can of whoop ass on burly vamps who outweighed her by a hundred pounds or more. The reason this worked was the mythos around the slayer, where as Xena’s mythos was inconsistent often owing to her plot convenient back story.

Monster Magnetism
One of the running jokes of the series was that if a female was interested in Xander Harris then she turned out to be the monster of the week or otherwise supernatural. Since then this theme has popped up in other works where men are magnets for supernatural women. in Dark Angel genetically engineered super soldier Max Guevara, aka X5-452, falls for Logan Kane , super hacker extraordinaire, and uses her super blood to restore his mobility.

In Angel, several supernatural women fall for the brooding vamp, including Cordelia and Fred who become demonic later in the series. Then there’s Leeloo, the fifth element, who falls for Korben Dallas. You also have countless stories of men being seduced by sirens, sucubi and other supernatural creatures.

Battle Babes

These are female action characters who rack up higher body counts than their male counter parts. Classic examples include the Bride from Kill Bill, and Alice from the Resident Evil franchise. In each case these characters are defined by their ability to take out legions of goons single-handed. Sure it’s fun to watch, but it comes off as cartoony for the same reason it does when male characters do the same thing. Namely no one is that skilled to come away with few if any injuries from such a battle.

Conclusions
So why is this? First it could it be because male writers view women as alien creatures thus believe making them such will resonate with male viewers. The other possible explanation is this is a return to chivalrous ideals where women were put on pedestal to be worshiped from a far.

A simpler explanation is just lazy writing. rather than developing 3d female characters they opt for cartoonish super heroines. As a viewer and reader I couldn’t care less what gender the protagonist is, as long as the story is interesting and well told. My one pet peeve is tokenism, especially when that character comes off as trying too hard.

Supernatural Sex Appeal

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Introduction

For the past several years paranormal/supernatural romance has been the trend. From Twilight and True Blood, to I Am Number 4, and Warm Bodies, there’s no depth to which Hollywood won’t sink to get the legions of tweens, teens, and their moms to come to the theater. The only question is which monster will next make a transformation from the source of screams to wet dreams.

Older than Dirt

Long before Myers came on the scene Buffy and Angel were sexing it, and even before them you had Forever Night, Beauty and the Beast, and Highlander. it’s no secret that harlequin romance novels have been big business for decades. And of course you have countless Greek myths about women being seduced
by the gods, but the question remains. Why?

Waiting for Superman

The problem is that females grew up with stories about princesses being rescued by knights in shining armor or Prince Charming. So once they get out in the dating world they have unrealistic expectations.

When they encounter guys who are jerks they complain how no nice guys exist. Instead of examining what made them attracted to those douches, they blame all men.

Reality check: nice guys do exist, but you put them in the friend zone. Why? Because they’ve perceived as boring, predictable and sexually non-threatening, all the qualities that make for a good husband. Instead you go for the bad boys because they’re the opposite, a challenge.

And when they break your heart you run back to the nice guy and cry about how all men suck. Then when you’re ready to start a family you settle for the same nice guy type you used as an emotional tampon. But you’re not satisfied with how things turned out.

The Sleeper Must Awaken

Husband not cutting it in the bedroom you pine for someone new. Enter these supernatural sex icons. Smart, sophisticated, rich, handsome, and owing to centuries of practice they know how to hit all your buttons. Yes who wouldn’t want that?

However all fantasies come to an end and then you must live in the real world. The truth is no one can make all your problems go away. You must be the source of your happiness. this is true regardless of race, gender or sexuality. If you spend all your time dreaming about the perfect lover you’ll miss a good thing that’s been there all along.

Luke-warm Bodies

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From the previews Warm Bodies seemed like another mediocre paranormal romance in the vane of Twilight, and as such I had no desire to see it.Well when I finally did, while not awful it was by no means a good movie, and I have no desire to ever watch it again.

The parallels to twilight are there no matter how much the fan boys want to deny it. Girl bored with her life falls a guy who turns out to be a monster? Check. Is loosely based on/inspired by Romeo & Juliet? Check. The good monsters help fight the bad ones? Double check. Clichéd love conquers all message and saccharine ending? Big time.

To be fair long before Twilight was around you had the Beauty and the Beast TV series from the 80s, along with Forever Night and the Highlander series. Then Joss Whedon pulled the same crap with Buffy and Angel, then again with her and Spike. Didn’t like it then and still don’t now.

That being said the main reason I disliked Warm Bodies is because it was so predictable and boring. The previews gave away the movie and all the plot points were so obvious you’d have to be brain dead or stoned to not see them coming.

Moreover the first half hour was so depressive and boring owing both to the dreary cinematography and the fact we are forced to hear R’s monotone voice overs that are as dead as him. I love self deprecating humor, the problem is that Nick Holt didn’t have either the comedic timing or tone that makes it funny. Honestly I thought about turning the movie off about 20 minutes because he came off as such a whiny little bitch. Definitely a case where less is more was warranted.

Second the love theme was handled in the same hackneyed ways we’ve scene a thousand times. Seriously he sees Julie and falls for her instantly? Yawn. Julie has no issue that R ate her boyfriend and only pauses once to ponder whether it’s weird she has the hots for a zombie. Let’s not even mention how R kidnaps and hold her hostage under the pretense of keeping her safe, all so he can perv on her, because that’s not fucked up at all,right?

Plot holes the size of trucks litter the movie. Instead of escaping when she has the chance while changing seats with R during the Joy ride scene, Julie waits until the dead of night and then gets caught. She is then saved by M, who only a few days ago tried to eat her, but by the power of deus ex machina is a good zombie now. And when Julie’s father and his men come upon the house they’re in she again chooses to spend time with the creepy stalker R rather than, you know, going home where it’s safe.

I won’t bore you with the other plot holes because at this point they’re pair for the course of any movie, however what I will say about Warm bodies, is that if it wanted to be a social commentary about modern times then it failed.

The notions that all the worlds problems can be fixed by love is the same fairy tale bullshit that’s been fed to us since we were in diapers. It didn’t address the number one issues of the day: the wealth gap, lack of good paying jobs, and distrust of government institutions.

Julie lives in a compound that has running water electricity and a working TV/com system from which the leadership gives edicts about safety and keeping up moral. Sure she mentions how she hasn’t had a beer in a while and that the internet doesn’t exist, but she still has access to an ipod.

How much would it have killed the writers/directors to add a group of survivors who lived outside the compound? Not only would have added to the story but would have made the conflict between the human and zombies more layered , so that at the end these outsiders would have been less likely to accept R and the others help fighting the bonies or living among them.

All in all I see warm Bodies as a wasted opportunity. To see a staple of the horror genre through a new lens was interesting at first, but ultimately failed because R was a wimpy zombie. I’ll be glad when monster movies go back to scaring people, instead being masturbatory fantasies for emotionally immature teenage and adult women.

Just a Theory

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Only two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the universe.- Albert Einstein

Introduction

It never fails to amaze me how ignorant the general populous is about basic scientific facts, like the difference between a hypothesis and a theory. So this begins a new series on common misunderstandings about science.

The Scientific Method

All branches of science employ the scientific method which begins by observing a problem, formulating a hypothesis, experimenting, then adjusting your hypothesis if need be and then drawing conclusions.

Contrary to popular believe you don’t assume the conclusion then work backwards to find evidence to support it. You assume your hypothesis is wrong, test it then draw conclusions based on the results.

Just a theory

When ever people use the phrase it’s just a theory, they often have no clue what a one is and are using it interchangeably with hypothesis. A hypothesis is a working explanation of a phenomenon bases on available evidence and is falsifiable (can be tested).

Hypotheses don’t graduate to theories, nor do theories graduate into laws.
A law is the mathematical representation of observations. To explain why these occur you need theories.

A theory is a series of interconnected concepts, based on previous knowledge, that is designed to be tested, make accurate predicts about future experiments, and explain laws and natural phenomena. They are the highest level of knowledge and thus deserve respect.

Peer Review

Just because someone comes up with a theory does not mean it’s valid and should be believed. Every theory must go through the peer review process where it is submitted to other experts in the field it applies to, and if its conclusions can’t be justify it’s rejected outright. Moreover, if a theory passes mustard with the peer review board it’s still looked on with skepticism until it yields fruitful results.

When Einstein published his paper on Relativity which predicted gravity could bend light he wasn’t believed until, using his theory he predicted the next solar eclipse to within a one day margin of error.

Nothing’s Set in Stone

Because new information is discovered all the time, theories are subject to change. The lay person is wont to say well what good is science then if it’s constantly changing, but that’s precisely why science is so good at explaining things. If the status quo was never challenged nothing new would come about. It’s also this feature of science which makes it immune from mistakes in the long run.

Well I hope this was informative, later.

Fight!

image by John Nyberg via sxc.hu

People are running around like chicken little squawking about how there’s a great schism on the left brewing, and how we need to stick together. Fuck that shit. Why should I continue to vote for candidates who push conservative agendas and throw the causes I care about under the bus just because they have a D next to their name? Why should I or anyone else left of center continue to vote for republican-lite?

We do need a schism to rid ourselves of opportunistic hacks like Obama and Rahm Emanuel who sell out the middle class to their corporate masters ever chance they get. When Stephanie Miller and other professional Obama apologists harp on how we have to be good little Eichmann and vote for the establish ,or the bad old republicans will win seats in the midterm, it makes me sick.

The reason things have gotten this bad is precisely because we keep putting up candidates who capitulate to the crazies on the right at the first whiff of trouble. People bring up the civil rights movement as an example of accepting the lesser of two evils, yet fail to realize the civil rights movement didn’t begin in the 60s. It was the result of decades of work that kept pushing to change the status quo. Did Fredrick Douglas or Sojourner Truth just accept what the politicians of their day were willing to do to advance their causes? Hell
no! They pushed them to do what was right even though it wasn’t politically convenient or viable.

So why then should we lay down and continue to let the democratic establishment screw us? Especially when they then tell us, “You’re welcome, because the republicans wouldn’t have used lube.” I’d rather put my time and money towards candidates who will consistently fight for progressive causes, especially when it’s politically inconvenient, not just give lip service to them during campaign speeches.

If republicans get in office I’m willing to let that happen, so that in the long run a real liberal third party is realized. One that will fight for the goals of the common people and not the highest bidder. Call me an idealist all you want. I’m thinking about the end game twenty, thirty years out.

The two party system is broken beyond repair ,so when it finally collapses I’d rather have one to replace it than nothing at all. Yes comprise is a required part of governance but that does not mean stabbing your constitutes in the back or not having any convictions so you can crow about fake bipartisan that results in the most tepid legislation. So let the punches fly, an occasional revolution is a good thing.

When You’re Evil

image via dragonball.wikia.com

The yin to the hero’s yang, without these malevolent mooks the story would be boring. A good villain strikes fear in the hearts of readers and is made to be loathed. They are the worst of us, cautionary tales on what befalls those who don’t follow the rules.

While often taking on demonic appearances, there is something appealing about these bad-nicks. They represent our unbridled id, the hedonistic pleasure seeking core of us. All of us have experienced situations where we wanted to give in to our baser instincts but couldn’t or wouldn’t. Our hatred of villains stems from projection. Deep down we wish we were them, free to do and say whatever we please.

Yes being good is its own reward but heroes live boring lives. Sure adventuring is fun but once the quest is over what’s left but settling down and starting a family? Villains on the other hand are intriguing, live unusual lives and are sexy.

Buffy Summers: Chosen One, Slayer, etc but because she was a goody two shoes was out shone when Faith was introduced. From the beginning there were stark contrasts between the slayers: blonde vs. brunette, middle class vs poor, etc but the main difference was Buffy had a softness to her whereas Faith was a jagged powder keg waiting to explode.

Even before her full ascent to the dark side there was always a darkness to her borne of someone who’s lived a hard life. Her road to redemption only deepened Faith character, and once good again Faith retained her edge.

Willow’s descent into the big bad of season six was not only believable but sympathetic. She took up magic to be useful to the Scoobies but then became addicted to magic which caused a rift with her girlfriend. Who wouldn’t be tempted to go over the edge after reuniting with your, your loved one only to have murdered and your best friend hanging by a thread?

Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z was infinitely more interesting than the protagonist Goku. Prince and last of his kind, enslaved to the tyrant who destroyed his people, and trained from birth to be the strongest in the universe, yet he is beaten by a low level peasant. Who wouldn’t be pissed? Aside from being all kinds of bad ass, Vegeta is a text book example of a villain turned antihero done right. Yes being bad doesn’t pay in the end, but what a wild ride in the meantime.

So what are some of your favorite villains and what makes them so?