"This Food's Not Cultured Enough," or: The 5,999,998th Thing to Be Offended About...

I just...can't anymore.

My question is: when did we as an American society denigrate into nursing bruised egos and hurt feelings? Or, specifically: when did college campuses make a spontaneous transformation from institutions where students cared about higher education to places where spoiled, complacent numbskulls with a victim complex gripe, bitch and complain about every single little problem that floats its way into their little narcissistic bubbles? Newsflash, dear children: real life can be offensive. It seems we as a generation have forgotten the golden rule to dealing with things that rustle our jimmies: if you don't like something, don't do it/be around it/partake in it/etc. You'd think kids with a college education and a $30k a year tuition could grasp such an elementary concept.

But no. They're too preoccupied protesting about how the food served in the cafeteria is racist.

At least that's what's been going on at Oberlin College in Ohio. Student groups representing the different cultured populations of the student body are calling out Oberlin's dining department, and the catering service they use, of "a litany of offenses that range from cultural appropriation to cultural insensitivity."

Oh, look! Racism allegations are in the news. Please, show me something I haven't seen.

It goes even further: the African-American student union, ABUSUA, demanded that the dining hall start serving fried chicken once in a while, which apparently was unsuccessful. Many students wrote fiery editorial letters to the campus newspaper, demanding that the caterer, Bon Appétit Management Company, be fired and replaced with chefs who, in the words of one student, "have the respect and autonomy to cook the food they love."

Tomoyo Joshi, a Japanese exchange student, put forth the argument of food as cultural representation: "When you’re cooking a country’s dish for other people, including ones who have never tried the original dish before, you’re also representing the meaning of the dish as well as its culture. So if people not from that heritage take food, modify it and serve it as ‘authentic,’ it is appropriative."

Are...are you kidding me? Are you really serious with this crap? Cultural insensitivity? Because they maybe forgot to put orange sauce on the orange chicken? If they were really serious about such a rampant abuse of cultural appropriation, why have they not protested at franchised places like Panda Express, where, apparently, even Chinese people are split between revulsion and appreciation and where some people don't consider it authentic? Where are the passionate student unions with the picket signs then?

Yeah. I didn't think so.

At this point in time, I'm so used to seeing the news littered with things that people get pissed over that I'm practically waiting, watch in hand, to see when the next thing people get offended over settles in. What can we get pissed at next, folks? The air?

This dude put it best in one of his tweets I found quoted in the New York Times:

When you're defending the cultural authenticity of GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN, you're a living Portlandia sketch.

— Fredrik deBoer (@freddiedeboer) December 19, 2015

Couldn't have put this better myself. You can't write this kind of insane, childish and downright stupid behavior for even the funniest of sitcoms.

In fact, this is what all this should be: funny. Hilarious. Side-splitting. All the level-headed people in the country should be rolling around on the floor, laughing until the veins in their neck burst. But I can't say that I can expect something like that due to the continued rise of the evil influence of -- dare I say it -- political correctness, that chokes the ever-loving life out of this country.

This is America now, folks: where people who may not fully prepare the rice and pepper steak to a T are guilty of committing the same egregious crime of those shallow animals (I hope they've died out) who once burned, lynched and tortured other fellow human beings because their skin color was different. Yes, definitely: there is a total, irrevocable connection between the two charges.

Gimme an ever-loving break.

But hey, I'll vouch on behalf of one thing these Oberlin nimrods didn't see fit to do: at least they haven't demanded that a professor or the dean resign from their position, as our diminutive, low-brain-celled, elitist friends at Yale have proudly done. So I must give these fellas credit in that department. Bless yer hearts, yew really are try-in'.

Let me go broad for a second. I really used to take great pride in our generation. In some instances, I still do. I don't fully buy into the bitter notion that this is, as Sorkin avatar Will McAvoy puppets, the "worst period generation period ever period!" But in these types of instances, it's hard to disagree with The Social Network scribe's old-guard news anchor. This type of pissant grumbling by the old folks is not a new phenomenon, but c'mon, when you get down to the basics of the situation, you're crying in your soup over food! (No pun intended.) And this is why all the adults think this country's on the 3:10 to Hell when our generation takes charge. You social justice warriors ain't doing us any favors with our generational reputation. You've probably given Time more fodder for a sequel article to this one.

Have we already forgotten the lessons in the well-justified and well-deserved open letter that the good Dr. Everett Piper issued to the Oklahoma Wesleyan student body? This ain't a daycare, it's a higher learning institution. You're supposed to be challenged, not coddled. And you're supposed to deal with the situation, not throw a temper tantrum masked by sit-ins and picket signs. So why don't you recognize that fact and go make use of the astronomical tuition you (or, more likely, your parents) shelled out by actually studying what you're passionate about. Because frankly, kiddies: this food protest is a waste of air and a waste of precious time.

It actually mentally hurt to read the New York Times article from whence this story came. After I briefly caught a glimpse of the upcoming story on the news before the channel was (unfortunately) changed, I had to Google the article in order to suspend the disbelief I had found myself in. But it only further boiled the cauldron of pity, disbelief, semi-hatred and just plain ridicule I had for the students that concocted such a miserable, headline-grabbing shrill protest. I instantly wanted to take to a public platform and scathingly denounce these simple-minded, blubbering brats for spewing drivel under the guise of advancing social justice and cultural sensitivity. In their mind, they think they're doing something good for society, when all they're doing is blowing a rusty old horn for a recital they hardly practiced for.

Of course, I can still lambast them, and I probably will. But after researching and writing this, the strongest emotion I have left is sorrow and pity. Sorrow for a time when a person's moral convictions become so sensitive and so twisted that the mere sight of a harmless, slightly-inaccurate dish of culturally traditional food can throw them into such a misplaced righteous anger.

You're getting upset over food; something that you will eat and that your stomach will ultimately break down and digest until it flows through your bowels and comes out as a nice, brown, neatly-compacted log of excrement. Food is meant for nourishment, not a beauty contest. Get over yourselves and your self-righteous, self-serving indignation.

And that's all the words I have for this spat. Go ahead and feel free to start a discussion in the comments.

Archie Pelago - Off-Peak OST

Rarely do I stumble on a full concept album that I actually enjoy. Being a person that someone would consider a "singles" person, I have to say that coming across the soundtrack to this online game took my breath away. Its surreal beauty makes me feel like I'm dreaming...only I'm wide awake. But you wouldn't know that while you're listening to this music.

All I've uncovered so far is that this group, Archie Pelago, is a trio of musicians based in Brooklyn. One of the members is also a game designer, who put out a first-person perspective game to accompany this awe-inspiring soundtrack I've come across. It's called Off-Peak, for any of those interested in downloading and playing it for yourselves, and I have PewDiePie to thank for stumbling on it and piquing my interest.

As I said before, one of the main draws of the music is that it makes me feel like I'm stumbling through a dream world, quite often how my dreams work when I'm actually sleeping. It's surreal. It's otherworldly. It makes you feel like anything can happen when you close your eyes and spin this music on high volume through your earbuds, Beats or any other headphones of choice. The songs are immaculately mixed, with a wide variety of instruments, both physical and computer-generated, that compliment each other in glorious aural harmony. The otherworldly violins, basses and saxophones really pull me in, personally.

Seriously. Close your eyes and relive some weird dream that you remember having one night as you slept. This stuff will be the perfect accompanying soundtrack.

Take a trip over to the band's Soundcloud and experience the album for yourselves.

Another Life Update (Northwestern Road Trip)

Hey, all! Hope everything is going well with you and yours and whatever else you're involved in.

My goodness - it's already September. 2015 flew by pretty quickly, I don't know about you. But just as I look towards the future with great optimism, so to do I look with the same optimism towards the final months of this year and the coming of '16.


So, here's what I've been up to since I last posted in February: I ended up quitting my part-time job at the Ralphs grocery store (believe me, I don't miss that one bit) because my parents (whom I'm still with) decided to travel the Pacific Northwestern coast. So after my two week's notice was fulfilled, we packed up our motor home and began our westward trek.


Our first technical stop was San Francisco, where we paid a visit to my older brother, who was settling into his new job at the international airport. It's always great seeing him, and we were glad that he was doing well and warming up to his job. The city itself was great as well: we traveled up and down the streets in rickety period trolleys, we drifted to the notorious Alcatraz prison in the middle of the bay, and we smelled all their was to smell at Fisherman's Wharf.

I personally made a stop at American Zoetrope and the cafe beneath the offices, so that was a plus for me. Sadly, Francis Ford Coppola was nowhere to be seen. And no, I did not go into City Lights Bookstores, although I regret not doing that.

We then moved on to Sonoma and Napa Valley. Being the amateur wine connoisseurs they are, my mother and father had to tour any and all vineyards we could. Sadly, since I was but one year under this country's legal drinking age (and still am, as of writing this), I had to skip the festivities.

After the Redwood Forest, the rest of Northern California just wasn't that impressive to me. It was a little too country for me; especially Arcata. But then again, SoCal just spoiled that for me.

. . .

Oregon was okay as well. Besides stopping off at the state aquarium, it was just another pass-through state, really.

. . .

Washington was as far west as we got. We had to see Seattle: the home of that city's most famous native son, Dr. Frasier Crane. We also saw the houseboats that were featured prominently in a scene from the 1993 romcom Sleepless in Seattle. Never actually saw the film (yet).

Then we ended up staying near Spokane, which decided to have a heat wave. But at least we had the pool to cool us off.

. . .

After crossing through the Northwest, we had to make our way to South Dakota. Long story short, as full-time RVers, this was the state where we arranged our permanent address to be (a ton of RVers choose South Dakota). So we had to stay there for a bit while we got driver's licenses and passports and whatnot.

. . .

Then we made our way down to the Southwest. Utah was a fun stop: to cross it off my bucket list, we visited the Golden Spike site, and they brought the historic steam locomotives out on the tracks (despite them being replicas, but pretty darn good replicas, at that).

We visited the beautiful Canyonlands and Bryce Canyon National Parks. There's nothing that beats natural beauty: the thousands upon thousands of pictures my mother took still couldn't do the site justice.

. . .

And then we finally wandered our way back into Southern California. Our home sweet home.

We ended up for a bit in San Diego until our old spot opened in Orange County. We arrived at our old haunt a week ago, and that's where we've been since.

. . .

Anyway, that's been the past four months in a nutshell. I gotta find myself another job, while I'm trying to get a freelance video editing service off the ground simultaneously, whilst also looking for crew jobs on commercials or small films. So that's been consuming my time, as of now.

I realize I haven't kept up as much as I should've, but a lot's been going on. But I plan to make it a goal to keep this site updated. Bear with me as I do.

The Update on Me

It's been a good start to the New Year.

Sunny Southern California is like heaven on earth...compared to the Ice Aged winter wonderland that my home state of Michigan has become. I have a steady part-time job earning a good personal income; while it may not be a basket of fuzzy kittens and lavender rainbows, I’m still thankful to be earning money.

I’m still chasing down the dream of breaking into the film industry. I've been writing a consortium of short scripts; two of which I am resolved on shooting and editing during the summertime. One’s a serious drama, the other’s a quirky comedy. I've made a few connections here and there during my time in Cali – while many of the emails and copies of my résumé have had few responses back, I will not let this probability douse my efforts! 

One script I wrote has generated interest from two different filmmakers; I passed along my blessing and continually keep in contact to check up on how production’s going for both adaptations.

My graphic design is looking good. I just finished up the advertising campaign for a good friend’s start-up business back home, and I've been developing illustrations for a joint collaboration on the first in what will hopefully be an outstanding children’s book series.

So as far as my life is concerned, I’m not complaining, and I have a lot to be thankful for right now. Each day as I move along and continue to grow my passions, I grow as a well-rounded person. This can be said for my writing: getting back into the blogging mood really helps the creative juices flow again.

So after a long hiatus, it’s good to be back.

From UCLA to the HWY: Jim Morrison On Film and the Doors' Formation

See? Even broke film students can go off and start a little rock band that could eventually be hailed as the greatest in rock history.

Here's a nice little treasure I stumbled upon; from The Smith Tapes archives on Soundcloud.com comes the Doors' legendary frontman on how the iconic group started.

For those of you Doors fans that weren't aware, Jim Morrison attended film classes at UCLA in 1965, eventually producing a student film and graduating with a filmmaking degree. After the college days, he ended up living on the beach, ran into an old chum named Ray Manzarek, and...well, I'm sure you know the rest.

Jim ended up putting his film skills back into use long after he and the Doors became established as a dynamic rock group, when he wrote and directed a short film called HWY: An American Pastoral in 1969. Parts of this rarely-seen film can be viewed in the quintessential Doors documentary, 2009's When You're Strange, as well as what seems to be a minute portion of Jim's UCLA student thesis.


As a film student, music lover and devoted Doors fan myself, I mind myself fascinated by Morrison's life and his interests and character. Even though he made relatively few films in his lifetime, his respect and passion for the cinematic arts was relevant in other manifestations, like his poetry and some of the lyrical content of Doors songs (such as the ironically-named "Twentieth Century Fox" or his poem "The Movie" off the An American Prayer album).

Anyway, that's today's interesting little tidbit.

Malice, Misogyny and Murder: The Isla Vista Killings

I'm sure many of the readership here are aware of what took place on the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara, so I won't be doing a re-hashing of events.

I had read up on the case, and when it comes to murders and violent crimes, people look for a motive; why did the killer do what they did? Elliot Rodger's rationale for his spree is one that deeply shocked me.

Sprinkled throughout the 141-paged autobiography/manifesto he left behind, Elliot made repeated references to how bitter and angry he felt towards women, perceiving them as having constantly rejected him and complained about women not giving him a chance to prove how "worthy" he was. He bemoans the fact that despite how his life had started out idyllic, that his first childhood friend was a girl, this woman he eventually knew would become the bane of his existence:

"[She would] eventually come to represent everything I hate and despise; everything that is against me, and everything that I’m against"

He goes on to paint himself as a victim of the "wickedness" of women, stating that he was "unbeknownst to the horror and misery the female gender would inflict upon me later in my life. In the present day, these girls would treat me like the scum of the earth; but at that time, we were all equals. Such bitter irony."

He continued to share his pain by trying to gain sympathy from the public, posting video and text rants to Facebook and YouTube, one video of which baffled me greatly as he stated his grievances about feeling shunned and rejected.

We've all been there, men and women alike. We've all been rejected by somebody, we all throw ourselves a pity party, men crying "who do women hate me?", women crying "why do men despise me?" Eventually, we need to look at ourselves, think "What the hell am I doing with my life? I'm wasting my time with this," pick ourselves up off the ground and move on with our lives. That's life, life isn't fair. We might get let down and rejected by a significant other, a crush, or who could be the love of our lives. It might hurt for the longest time, but it's possible to come out the other end; a little bruised, but wiser. We eventually resolve it in our own way.

But as recent history told, Elliot took that step much too far. Obviously something wasn't clicking inside his brain when he tried to rationalize his feelings.

While reviewing what his thoughts and feelings were before he committed his crime, the ones which stuck out to me were his contradictory (and essentially hypocritical) statements, of which I will use the above video I've linked to illustrate my opinion.

At one point, he asks "women" (implicating the entire female gender) why they are so "repulsed" by him, later in the video, he goes on to say that he "deserves women," that he tries to dress nicely in order to impress them, that he's polite and "the ultimate gentleman." I read that Elliot had suffered from mental illness, I feel like a big chunk of that might have been narcissistic personality disorder.

On one end, there's someone with an inflated ego. But this was pure obsession; obsession with himself, obsession with the twisted thought that women, and the world on top of that, was out to get him. Contained in his own world, Elliot figured the best way he could solve his problems: revenge, a tactic which is never the answer to a problem.

Also, it once again brought forth a stark reality for some; stereotypes and objectification. From his writings and his musings, I think Elliot never really did feel anything for women, other than that they served only as a means for his desirous satisfaction. You hear him talk about how he never kissed a girl, how he was still a virgin and never had sex, how he had never even held a girl's hand, and how he felt that because they never offered affection to him, women were in the wrong and deserved to be punished. Sure doesn't seem like someone who cares about a girl's personality or feelings.

But he didn't just reserve his firebrands for females, he also came at the men he perceived as douchey, loser jocks and "jerks" that women seem attracted to.

If the Internet had their way with diagnoses, they'd probably label him as a "nice guy", albeit an extreme case of one. I guarantee you the Internet will be abuzz with misogyny accusations against this kid; and they'd be correct in assuming so. But everything on the Internet can get taken and run with, as it's seen with the #YesAllWomen Twitter hashtag, so I assume digital blood will be spilled on this issue.

The reality of this event was an eye-opener to me, because it reminded me of some experiences I've witnessed. I've had some friends who fell into the same feelings of despair, a couple even tried to commit suicide. Thank the Lord that they never followed through on that and that they're still alive today, but after seeing those happen and seeing what Elliot had done really made me see how serious it is when people go through these moments; how important it is for people to come alongside them, talk with them and prevent them from doing anything regrettable; or, if it's a serious case that could put people at harm, take any necessary action to prevent a tragedy, including institutionalization. It was said that the police was called to Elliot's home in response to his suicide threats; after convincing the officers that he was a "polite young man," they didn't pursue the case further. Many feel that despite this, they still should've kept a closer eye on him and his activities, and I agree whole-heartedly.

Another lesson I took from this event was the persistent reminder that life is precious, and you never know when, where and how you could lose it.

The emotion I came away from this tragic story with was a great deal of sadness. Sadness for the innocent victims who lost their lives in this kid's blind rage. Sadness for the families of the victims and sadness for Elliot's family, who will find it hard to live down what he had committed.

Rest in peace for the victims who died at Isla Vista, and I pray that comfort, love and forgiveness find their way to the families who were scarred by this horrible event.

Tracing My Family History

I'm a self-professed history nut, whether it be American, European, world or family history. Learning about the past and the lives of notable people is always interesting to me; it lets me see what influenced their lives and played a part in why they chose to do what they did. Which is why biographies tend to score high on my reading lists.

I've been interested in tracing where my family history came from. Y'know that show that runs on TV, Who Do You Think You Are?, where they take famous personalities and trace their lineage? (Yes, I've seen both the American and British versions of the show.) It's sort of like that journey, only without cameras following me, and...I'm not famous...as least not yet...

I've known ever since I was old enough to remember that our family had its roots in Germany and Italy. Think about it, how much more German can you get with Finkbeiner?

I've scoured a lot of sources on what exactly my surname means and where it came from, and so far, I think I've found my favorite definition, taken from the Dictionary of American Family Names, through Ancestry.com:

"German: altered form of Finkbunter, a habitational name from any of various farmsteads named Finkbunt, from Middle High German vinke ‘finch’ (or perhaps viehten ‘pine trees’) + biunte ‘enclosed plot’."

Interesting; we were named after birds. Awesome.

Another interesting take on it comes from this site:

"One who had frivolous ideas."

Well...I wouldn't say "frivolous"...but sometimes, you have to take it like it is.

Anyway, I was able to find out from where and from whom the current Finkbeiner line started. It started with my three-times great grandfather, John Finkbeiner (whose name I believe might have been anglicized from Johann, just a bit of a hunch), who was born on a farmstead in March of 1829 in the Kingdom of Württemberg in southern Germany. I estimate sometime in the early 1850s he emigrated from Germany, headed for North America. He settled in Canada for a time, where he met and married my three-times great grandmother, Regina Mohrlock. They had their first four children while settled in Canada, then moved down to America shortly after the Civil War, ultimately settling in the town of Sebewaing, Michigan, where they had five more children. Great-great-great grandpa John lived a fruitful life before dying in 1915 at the age of 86.

One of John's sons, great-great grandfather Emmanual, was father to my great grandfather, Leland, who was father to my grandpa, who is father to my dad, who is father to my brother and I. Given that nice, long counting, that would technically make me a sixth-generation German-American. And that is a heritage I'm glad to be proud of. I haven't uncovered much of my mother's side, as of yet, but hers is a combination of Italian and Irish (given her maiden name of McMahon), namely from the Sicilian region. Mamma mia, my friends!

I like to keep in touch with my cultural heritage whenever I can, which I why I find myself gravitated towards things German or Italian.

When it comes to food; easily both. Spaghetti, pizza, ravioli, tortellini...(crud, my mouth is watering just thinking about it!) Hamburgers...oh, those glorious Hamburgers...frankfurters, German sausage...and maybe some sauerkraut here and there.

Two of my favorite novelists, John Steinbeck and Kurt Vonnegut (whose brilliantly-written biography I'm reading currently), were ethnic Germans who had their roots in the same country, but whose families made great lives here in America. A common thing I've found in their writing, more notably Steinbeck's, is that despite their European origins, they wrote of their love for America and their pride as Americans. My family may have come from Germany and as much as I love German culture, America will always be my first and foremost home, because that's who I am.

Anyway, that's a little bit of info into my little journey. I still keep up on it, here and there, and it's always interesting. What about you, do you have any interesting family history stories? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

[UPDATE (5/16/2014)]: When I got back on Ancestry.com and went perusing through some of those leaf hints that they leave on certain relatives, I went back to some that were linked to 3-times-Great-Grandpa John. Even though I still haven't technically paid for full access to all their records as of yet, this little surprising thing popped up.

Although the lead was quite small, I discovered in this "Millennium File Record" hint a Johann Georg Finkbeiner.

So, two thingies here:

1) My anglicized name theory was spot on, like a boss.
2) The irony is delicious, given that in my acting background, I had a lead in my school's production of The Sound of Music; the Captain's first name is, in fact, Georg. Whoa...

ANOTHER THING: I have a few anecdotes on some of my family's military history: my father was an Air Marshal stationed at the NORAD mountain base in Colorado, serving in the Air Force from 1983 to 1987. He told me some wicked cool stories about his time there, from monitoring and tracking Soviet missile signals and intercepting coded messages from the Kremlin, his run-in with the commanding general of the base (whoever was the commanding officer of NORAD for most of the 80s, I forget his name)

On my mother's side, my uncle Thomas "Tommy" McMahon served in the Vietnam War until December of 1969, when he was killed in action. He was 19; the same age I am, as of writing this sentence. It was a harrowing thought, and when seeing his name on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. during my senior year trip, it was the most sobering and reflective moments of the entire trip. It's like a part of this lost uncle, who died when he was still a kid, has always stuck with me, inside me, for some odd reason.

So far, I have not been able to find any relatives who served in either the Civil War or both World Wars. I'll for sure be digging into that one.

On #CancelColbert

I use Twitter, and I'm not blind to any of the trends that come and go on this site. And as of currently, the Twitterverse is in a war of words concerning the hashtag #CancelColbert, referring to a Twitter campaign by activists wishing to have Comedy Central's staple news satire "The Colbert Report" removed for accusations of racism from its namesake host, Stephen Colbert.

So here's the basic rundown: in the latest episode of the show, Colbert made an attempt to mock Dan Snyder and his handling of the Washington Red Skins racism controversey. Snyder, the owner of the NFL team, has come under pressure from the Native American community to change the name of the team, as the term "redskins" carries racist undertones. This is something I don't disagree with, since you can just glance at the historical record of the 19th-century United States and see all you need to see when it came to relations between the American government/people and the Native Americans. Not a pretty thing.

In an attempt to make up for this heated debacle, Snyder has formed an organization called the Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation, which, on its site, is said that its mission is to "work as partners to tackle the troubling realities facing so many Tribes across our country." Some might see this as a step in the right direction. For Colbert, not so much. I'm assuming he saw it as a double-edged sword kinda thing, for Snyder to try and save his reputation by raising charity but not changing the name of the team. I think it sounds a little dubious myself.

Anyway, with that full context now in place, Colbert was attempting to satirize Snyder's efforts, but to many, he tripped up big-time. He followed up with this quote from that segment of the show:

"I am willing to show the Asian community I care by introducing the Ching-Chong Ding-Dong Foundation for Sensitivity to Orientals or Whatever."

The exact same quote was tweeted by the official @TheColbertReport account (the actual tweet has since been deleted. This account is managed by the Comedy Central network; Colbert's personal Twitter handle is @StephenAtHome, and even he expressed shock at the former's using the quote). Many red flags were raised, and outspoken outrage was poured.

Suey Park, a writer and activist, took to Twitter with her first use of the now-widespread hashtag, calling shame to the way "comedians hide behind satire as an excuse to joke about things that aren't funny." Okay, agreed. Humor has its limits, and there's a fine line between jokes and insults that has been crossed many times, some with disastrous results.

But what's been used as collateral damage in her argument? White people.

To quote her first Twitter post directly: "#CancelColbert because white liberals are just as complicit in making Asian Americans into punchlines and we aren't amused."

Oh, it's the rhetoric that truly makes me disappointed. The icing on the cake was her statements during her HuffPost Live interview with host Josh Zepps:

"White men definitely feel like they’re entitled to talk over me. They definitely feel like they’re entitled to minimalize my experiences, and they definitely feel like they are somehow exempt and so logical compared to women, who are painted as emotional, right?" I believe she also went on to say that white men can't have valid opinions.

Here's where I draw the line. Those statements are nothing short of a personal attack and a grossly-exaggerated generalization placed on those who don't deserve it. I will agree to the fact that racism has been perpetuated by some white people. Just look at the 1960s, it's a veritable encyclopedia on civil rights struggles. Racism, and hate, in general, has been done by everyone, not just white people, but they seem to be the perfect scapegoat. But as times change and generations change, people change. Sure, there are still racists, and there will always still be racists. Hate will never be fully eradicated, and that's a sad truth. But there are more and more people who are on the side of justice and equality and will work to suppress the hate and promote peace in the world. And some of them are white; are you calling them racist as well?

I'm a white man. I don't talk over people. I share my thoughts but I also listen to the thoughts of others. I respect authority and those who are older than I am, when they deserve my respect. In some fields of study I know more than others, but there are many other things people are more experts at than I am. So, I wouldn't presumptuously call myself "so logical". I respect women and their accomplishments. So, no, her statements on HuffPost Live don't meet her generalizations of all "white men".

I've said it before and I'll say it again: not all white people are racists. Just like all police officers are not bad (that's another one going around) or all rich people are not corrupt and arrogant, these types of broad statements have no credence. It's sounds like nothing more than bombastic rhetoric to me.

I found this interesting quote on Facebook from Tae Yang Kwak, associate professor of history at Ramapo College of New Jersey:

"Is there such a thing as "white privilege?" Absolutely, and it is pervasive. Is there such a things as "white, male privilege?" Absolutely, and it is pervasive. Is every white man an idiot, incapable of valid reflection, analysis, or opinion? No. C'mon! Some of my best friends are white! (They are, but that was a joke.)"

I agree with Ms. Park's right to free speech; as an American, she is free to make her points and her opinions, and no one should minimize her importance and the importance of what she may say. But don't make loaded statements such as the ones she's been making, or be prepared to back those statements up. I will sit here any day and personally defend my honesty and my good character against any accusations I see made against me, perceived or direct. By lumping white people into her category of racist and indifferent, I suddenly become involved. And I will gladly explain myself.

I'm not a perfect person. I mess up from time to time, I make mistakes, I say things without thinking. I've been angry, I've been hypocritical and I've been wrong and I've hurt people close to me. But I own up to what I did, I say I'm sorry, I move on and I learn from my past. But that makes me human; just as human as Ms. Park and Mr. Colbert, and everyone else on planet Earth. But never have I held any racist feelings in my heart and I have never hated anyone because of the color of their skin. As Americans, and as citizens of the world in general, I believe everyone has the right and the chance at life, liberty, freedom and the pursuit of happiness. You, me, the neighbors, the guy down the block, the businessman, that guy at the bus stop, people in Japan, China, Germany, Spain, Italy, Britain, America, everyone in the world...we all should have the chance to be who we want to be.

I'm a Christian, and I live by the Bible. Jesus commands to show love and do good, even to your enemies, and to be an example for Christ in the world. But I know I will continually trip and stumble, because even though I have salvation, I am still a sinner. But I try my absolute best in my life and go out of my way to be kind to others, and that's all I can offer.  And I've found some who don't like me, for good reason or not, but that's something I have to live with, because not everyone is gonna like who I am.

And I'm sure that there are many, many more here like me, with white skin, great personalities, honest ethics and strong morals that stand for justice and equality for everyone on this planet; the oppressed, the free, and everyone inbetween and outside. These are the type of people that don't deserve the label that Ms. Park has put on them. These are not people who are racists.

The original @ColbertReport tweet was really mishandled, and I don't think it should've been tweeted in the first place, at least not without proper and clear context. But making statements like the ones the Twitter activists were making in the name of advancing social equality using white people as collateral? That's hypocritical and makes them sound just as guilty as the people they are accusing of being hateful.

"Hi, I'm Bill.": On the Set of a Professional Indie Film

Being a film student in my position, the opportunity to work on any movie that comes to town is like finding the lost mother lode underneath your backyard. Do you mine it or do you foolishly sell it off and cheat yourself out of a fortune? I'm sure you get where I'm headed with this.

One of my instructors at MPI passed a notice onto our Facebook group page that extra intern help was needed on the set of an independent feature being shot in the Troy/Detroit area. Since the film industry is starting to slowly bloom in Michigan, I was riding high on a wave of opportunities coming into the state. Also, this would've given me another chance to re-live the experience of being on an active film set, like I was a couple years ago...but that story's for another day.

The aforementioned film is called Dial-a-Prayer, brilliantly directed by Maggie Kiley and it stars the great William H. Macy and the very talented Brittany Snow, whom you've seen in Pitch Perfect.

I thought to myself: "Hey, an internship! It's not paid, but what the hell? The experience is all worth it." I'll be getting paid for this one day, and besides, everyone needs to start off at the bottom in this business. Hang up your pride, friends.

So on Saturday, March 8th, I headed over the production office/set, not knowing what I was getting into. I was excited, but nervous. I knew how strictly regimental these film sets operate, and I was determined not to screw anything up and have myself booted to the street. However, my apprehensions were lowered when I met with the set designer named Kim. She was very nice and very open about all that was going on. She gave me the rundown of the story (which I won't reveal in detail because the film hasn't been released) and filled me in on all the last-minute things that needed to be finished before shooting commenced the following Monday. Determined, I wanted to get to work.

That day was spent creating props and set decorations that would adorn the walls and office spaces of the shooting location. I also had some MPI friends come help out as well, so that was an added bonus. While this part of the production wasn't really my forte, I wasn't complaining. It was all very interesting, because as an aspiring director, it's important to understand how all the departments of a film production work, since I would basically be the boss. Like I said, the experience was all worth it.

But I was still eager to maybe see some shooting going on. So a few days later, I went back to the set on the 13th. This time, there was definitely more action.

They had to change the overall look of the set: the movie takes place over the course of a year or so, and as you know, seasons come and pass. It starts out around Thanksgiving, segues into Christmas, and so on and so forth. Like any office, they have decorations for the holidays. So, I was put on decoration duty with a friend from school. The cubicle area we were in was right across from where they were filming one of the scenes that day, so we got a pretty good look at the set and the acting. I couldn't have been more lucky to see this.

After a few hours or so, the cast and crew broke for lunch. I was shocked when everyone came in the room; this wasn't as big of a crew as I once thought. As a rough estimate off the top of my head, there were probably about a hundred people there, in total.

As I got out of the line, I noticed an empty seat at the table where the cast were. Who was sitting at a forty-five degree angle from the seat? Mr. Macy.

I could not have gotten to that seat faster.

I came upon the group as he was in the middle of telling stories about his experiences filming movies. This time around, he was talking about shooting the 1997 Mark Wahlberg vehicle Boogie Nights, in which Mr. Macy co-starred.

If you haven't heard of it, simply this: Wahlberg's an underground porn star in the late 70s. Enough said.

As he was going along with his stories, I had a small side conversation with a woman who was one of the supporting cast. I asked her what role she played; she filled me in. She asked what I was doing there, was I just visiting or was I part of the crew? I let her know my film school told me about the place and I came down to see what I could do.

As I said the words "film school", all eyes at that section of the table turned to me tentatively. I was met with "Oh, really?" "Wow!" "What school is this?"

This will be a moment that will forever live with me, in both glory and irony.

Mr. Macy leans over the table.

"You go to film school, huh?"

With a smile, he reaches his hand out towards me.

"Hi, I'm Bill."

(The angels sang choruses amongst the clouds. As I shook his hand, a heavenly beam of light radiated down and illuminated the spot where we were. Just kidding, none of this happened.)

I was so stunned, in my starstruck haze I didn't even think to introduce myself and tell him my name. I kick myself for that.

But we talked for a few more minutes, he asked me what I was going into. When I told him directing and writing, he quipped about giving me a call when I needed him for a role.

I just might take you up on that offer, Bill...

But long story short, after that day I was stuck back behind-the-scenes doing the grunt work. I never really got to sit down and talk with him again; the last lunch I was at, he was studying his lines. And we all know it's a grave sin to throw an actor out of their mojo. Hopefully, I'll run into Mr. Macy in Hollywood someday, and I'll be struck dumb if he actually remembers who I am when that happens.

So, that's my little story. If there's any sort of moral to it, it's this: when opportunities are presented to you, take them. Go for it, go all out and do everything you can, no matter how big or how small your part in it may be. You just might learn some valuable lessons and make some valuable memories.

UPDATE [9/21/2014]: The Hollywood Reporter had an article on the story I came across recently, published before filming began.

"Ban Bossy"? Let's Just Throw Out the Whole Dictionary, While We're At It...

In writing this blog, it's become amusing to me to point out the stupid that goes on in everyday life. And sometimes, it just spreads like an uncontained epidemic. Personally, I'm not the type to judge anybody for how they act or what they believe; if that's what you wanna do, go for it. But if you make a stupid point, like the one I'm about to introduce, in the public eye and the public consciousness, how can I not help but question the intelligence of those involved?

To keep it short, I stumbled across this article a friend of mine shared on Facebook and I just couldn't help not addressing this.

Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of the aforementioned Facebook, has launched a campaign aimed at getting women, name young and impressionable girls, to have more confidence in themselves and their abilities. At first glance you'd be like, "Okay, great. Sounds cool."

But how, pray tell, do they go about it? Well, if you check out this promo video for the campaign, which features and is endorsed by luminaries such as Beyoncé, Jennifer Garner, Jane Lynch and former Secretary of State for the Bush administration Condi Rice, they basically try to get girls to shed the label of being called "bossy" if they aspire to be leaders.

As quoted from the video, "by middle school, girls are less interested in leadership than boys, and that's because they worry about being called 'bossy'." It goes on to say, "We need to tell them, 'it's okay to be ambitious. We need to help them lean in!'"

The promo finishes by proposing the idea to (figuratively or literally, it's never really specified) "just ban the word 'bossy'." I assure you, Daniel Webster would be doing somersaults in his grave if that was actually put into motion.

Now, if they were referring to it in the figurative sense (which still is unclear), sure, I guess that works. As they say, words matter, and no one likes to be labeled with hurtful terms. But is being called "bossy" the end of the world? That label should be on the bottom of everyone's "hurtful names called at me" list. I'm sure people in executive positions have been called worse names than that, and depending on the thickness of that person's skin, they couldn't care less about the opinions of disgruntled others. Oh, you think I'm bossy. Well, sorry about that, but screw you. I'm gonna do my own thing, and if that makes you upset, I left you a pack of tissues so you can cry me a river.

That's one part of finding confidence, is letting the hateful words slide off your shoulder and not let it deter you from following what you want to do. But, bossy? I'm sorry, but it's true: only sissies fret about being called that.

This seems to become fodder for a few network commentators, including Glenn Beck (who I rarely follow, but this is a small exception in this case) and fellow TheBlaze host Dana Loesch (there's a woman who finds this whole thing ridiculous?! Say it isn't so!), who said her piece in a way so brilliant that even I couldn't have thought of phrasing it like that.

And another thing, since when was promoting confidence in fellow human beings only limited to women? I know for a fact that there are some guys who need an upgrade in the confidence department. My point is this: encouraging others to follow their dreams is a universal thing, between both genders of man and woman. Everyone needs encouragement, everyone needs to be helped along the way. That just gets on my nerves when things are so selective like this whole campaign.

Now don't misconstrue me, I'm all for encouraging kids of all ages and all genders to follow what they believe in and become whatever they wish to be. That is the cornerstone of the human experience, to have the freedom to make something of yourself. But does it have to be done so condescendingly?  Do I hear hypocrisy blowing in the wind?

And thus ends my musings for the day. Comment if you have anything to contribute.

On Entrepreneurship

A couple weeks ago, I got into a discussion with a very good friend of mine. He told me about recently switching majors in college, moving from classes like biology and chemistry to business and accounting.
Why? I asked. It seemed so unlike him. He went into saying that he was set on fulfilling his life dream of starting up his own business. I couldn't have been more happier for him.

He went into his whole plan of studying towards a business degree, working at an accounting firm for ten years or so, to earn and save enough money, and when the right opportunity came, he would withdraw his savings and use it to start his own company. He also took to the stock market, taking some of his current savings and putting it into an investment broker firm (TD Ameritrade, to be exact), which would distribute his money and invest it into profitable companies. Whatever interest he would accumulate from his investments over the years would contribute to his start-up fund.

Talking about entrepreneurialism and sharing ideas about dream businesses is a topic that really energizes me. I've always had great ambitions to set out on my own, save up revenue and one day have enough to open my own independent film studio and work for myself. I've also thought of purchasing shares in a successful company and using any revenue I generate from that to go towards any fund I set up for my own business plans.

Let's be honest, everyone has the fantasy of becoming their own boss. But passion and determination is the difference between those who fantasize about it and those who have done it.

Becoming an entrepreneur isn't an easy journey. You could go around and study the lives of great innovators, capitalists and corporation owners from any point in American history, from tycoon J.P Morgan to technology guru Steve Jobs, and rarely, if at all, will you find a story in which any of them became an overnight success and faced little to no obstacles in their growth as businessmen. The rocky road of leadership has more ups and downs than any of the tallest roller coasters at Cedar Point.

But one thing kept these individuals going even through the lowest downs: belief in themselves and the things they had to offer to the world.

After researching the lives and decisions of some of the great businessmen in history, I've always found one key aspect in every decision that they've made: how to prove that they're better than the other guy. Competition in the business world can be the fiercest thing anyone's ever faced.

I'll use a few examples. Take Mark Zuckerberg and the social networking giant he fostered and grew, Facebook. He started it with a few friends, just sitting around the dorm room at night, drinking beer and writing lines of code. In the early 2000s, social networking was a small faction, hardly the force it's grown into today. Sites like Friendster and MySpace dominated the Internet. How could Mark's small idea even make it against them? Simple. He set out to prove that Facebook was a better site than either MySpace or Friendster. He studied their operations, noticed the multiple problems the sites faced in regards to functionality and user freedom. He pitched that Facebook ran better, didn't crash frequently and was simple and easy to use while giving user more freedom in regards to posting and social interactions. The gambit worked, and Facebook's membership grew and still continues to grow. The site also drew various companies who use the site to advertise their products, which is another major source of Facebook's revenue. They purchase user data, which include individual people's interests and likes, and they target their advertisements and products to their desired demographic.

Another example is the Apple Corporation. Everyone knows the story: Steve Jobs, his tech buddy Steve Wozniak and a few employees opened the small company in the Jobs garage in the mid-1970s, where they built computer circuit boards that could be compatible with any television set, thereby turning your television into the first computer monitor. At that time in the mid-70s, IBM was still the undisputed and unchallenged reigning king of the computer industry. How could a small company like Apple even try to compete with someone as big as IBM? Same thing. Jobs pitched the idea that Apple developed better quality computer consoles than anything IBM could develop. One big thing he stressed was the simplicity of the machines. Other computers had too many buttons, and their operating systems worked and looked as if they came from another planet. Jobs and Wozniak designed the early Apple consoles with all the functionality of a working machine, but the design wasn't overwhelming to anyone and the average consumer could easily adapt to using it. The Apple products had a grand beauty to them, because the same amount of time and energy was spent on both how the device looked and how it worked. The simplicity of the computer, along with its masterfully crafted design, is what drew millions of customers to purchase Apple products. Steve Jobs continued the tradition of simple operations and stunning designs until his untimely death.

On a personal note, I'm working to become a writer and director in film. That entire industry rests solely on talent and delivery. Producers, studio executives and agents get thousands of job requests from actors, directors, writers and others on a daily basis. Meetings are set up and portfolios are shown. Ideas are pitched and sold. The major question they ask is somewhat like, "Why should I hire you? How are you better than the other thousands of average Joes who come to me with projects and scripts?"

That's where the charisma comes in. A major tenet to being a businessman is being persuasive. I refer back to Steve Jobs again. He had an effect on people, what many call the "reality distortion field." Simply, if Jobs were discussing an idea or plan with you, his demeanor had such an effect on you that you couldn't help but agree with him, even if you were originally opposed to the idea. That's the sign of a good businessman, and not many people have that. A great point is to be persuasive, to convince investors or potential customers why they need what you're selling them, why your product or idea is worth more than any of the other ideas that have passed through their doors.

Studio executives have probably heard more than a thousand versions of the same love story: ditzy girl meets handsome guy, they slowly fall in love, but something drives a wedge in-between their relationship and they don't talk for a while. But fate ultimately decides that the two belong together forever, and they make up and live happily ever after. Be honest, how many movies have you seen that is this very same story or is some sort of riff on it? As anyone can understand, trends get old after a while if they've been done many times over. For example: as a screenwriter, I go to them with a premise of a romantic comedy about two city dwellers who stumble into each other's lives one Christmas night. Assuredly, the guy would say to me, "What, are you trying to make another When Harry Met Sally? I've heard the same damn story over and over. How is yours any different?" Would I back down because he had me there?

No. I've prepared for this moment. I give the executive any and all reasons as to why he should buy the script. I tell him about the fresh new perspective, the different points of view of the characters, why their break-up at the end of the second act is the most tragic thing any moviegoer will see, and why the happy ending will work the way its written. You have to be prepared to back up your idea's credibility and look as if you know exactly what you're talking about. Confidence and charisma are what investors and other leaders look for in the young greenhorns.

Starting a business or selling an idea is a hard fight, but it'll be a fight with a better chance of you winning if you know how to go about it properly. Passion and commitment are the major motivations for any business owner, the continued determination to never give up. If any of the great leaders of business gave up when the chips were down, would we have the same society or future as we have today? Probably not. Because of their unshakable faiths, these greats have moved society and the wheels of history toward the better advancement. And if you have that same desire and never-give-up attitude, then you too can play a hand in that game.

I hope you enjoyed reading my latest article of thoughts. Do any of you have any business ideas? Please feel free to share them here, I'd love to hear about them.

It's Been a While...

Hey, everyone!

I apologize for not posting in a while. I've been busy shooting and editing my latest short film project, along with acting in and working on other people's films. If and when I decide to post mine to YouTube, I'll put a link to it so you can check it out.

However, I'm thinking of holding off on uploading it if I can find some state film festivals to enter it into. The general rules state that a short film entry can't be widely released (which includes uploading it to YouTube) prior to or after acceptance as a contender in the contest. Things remain to be seen.

But life's been great so far, I couldn't ask for anything better. Tell me, how have you guys been?

A School of Idiots? I Think "Yes".

Really, the sheer stupidity of some people never fail to astound me.

Just take a look at this video I very recently came across of students from the University of Oregon mercilessly pelting a former professor's car with snow, deliberately blocking him from leaving and throwing snow at him while he confronts some of the students responsible.

Really? These losers, who are supposed to be men, mind you, acting in such an immature manner? And these people are gonna be the future of America? I weep inside for the direction this country is heading if people with attitudes like that take prominent leadership positions in business and politics.

Don't get me wrong, they're young adults. I'm a young adult. There's no harm in having fun, especially during the college years. But this was no fun, a boundary was crossed when this little "snowball fight" turned into irrational mob mentality. And I sincerely do questions these individuals' judgment on anything.

If anyone from the University of Oregon who participated in this little "snow war" happens to come across this article and reads it, here's one thing I want to say to you:

You are a bona fide idiot and a certain loser, and you'll probably never amount to anything useful in your life if this is how you plan on acting. Please, feel free to respond if you're up to the challenge.

What does anybody else think here? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Cynicism and Why It Cramps My Attitude

Hey, everyone, sorry it's been a while...I've been entangled in multiple filmmaking projects. But, I got a bit of free time before I have to go back to it.

I'm gonna talk about a state of mind that most people have encountered in the downs of their life: cynicism. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, cynicism is defined as beliefs that people are generally selfish and dishonest. Wikipedia reiterates much of the same in more words: ...and attitude or state of mind characterized by a general distrust of others' apparent motives believing that they are selfish in nature and/or displaying that themselves.

Simply put: everyone's a selfish scumbag and there's no hope for the human race. It's basically a sub-feeling of skepticism, which is a general doubt in anything, be in people, philosophies or informational accuracy.

I myself have had to deal with periods where I've become cynical. There were days when I would just hate people and felt everyone was out to get me and undermine me somehow. I would always get these feelings after I felt someone special, like a best friend or a romantic interest, had hurt me in a significant way, leaving me vulnerable to many negative feelings.

I can relate one such instance that happened recently. There's a girl (who will remain unnamed) I was really good friends with. We had a close friendship that was physical, in the sense of hugging each other and whatnot. Me, being the young and naïve romantic that I am, I assumed her being overly nice to me was a clear sign from God that she felt something for me. I had never been in such a relationship with a girl before, which even to the most tried and true of romantics is understandable as to why I felt this way, as a neophyte of sorts. I essentially followed my feelings instead of following my common sense; I had followed these feelings before, and let's just say neither instance ended well.

But let's face it, who wants to follow logic when you're caught up in the belief that your significant other loves you just as much as you love them? I thought so.

So, I wanted to find out the truth myself, so I told her how I felt and asked her about how she felt. She was quiet for a minute as she thought about what she wanted to say. Simply put, she bat around the bush. She claimed that she wasn't interested in anyone. But then a month comes along...she finds herself a boyfriend in his mid-20s. And I found out in the absolute worst way possible: seeing a picture of them cuddling on Facebook.

I would be a pathological liar if I told you I wasn't pissed off. The broken heart, the sorrow, the rage-filled revenge fantasies...they were all there. I felt like she had ripped my heart out and stomped on it; she had ruined my life. And these were the feelings that triggered my bout with cynicism. This was coupled with past events where I was confronted with emotional pain, and it significantly brought down my opinion of people.

I felt everyone was selfish and using me for their own gains, casting me aside when they've had enough. It took a week, but then logic returned to my head. I asked myself, "Why do you keep focusing on this? You've got the rest of your life ahead of you to do great things!" I thought about what my purpose was; God had bigger plans in store for me, why was I sitting here sulking? And so began the slow healing process, and I eventually moved on from the instance. Today, I'm enjoying my studies and my friends, new and old, and I've never been happier.

So, for those of you who are going through a cynical period, here's something that I learned: continue to be trusting towards people. Give them the benefit of the doubt. It might seem hard to believe, but there are a ton of good people in this world. Some negative instances of the life I'm living had seriously damaged my trust in people, but my trust in God is the one that's always been unbreakable. And don't live a double life just to please people who you want to like you; take it from a guy who did that all throughout middle and high school. It's just a giant path that leads to many empty doors. Continue to be who you were made to be; there are people who were made for you as well, even if you might not see it in the short-term.

I've got a best friend of mine who's always happy and has a positive outlook on life. I asked him a couple times, "Man, how do you do it? How are you this happy?" His answer was simple: he didn't focus on the bad in people. He always searched for the good. And he was still kind and courteous to people, even if they were rude back. I think this is a great lesson we all can learn.

More Innocent Lives Taken From Us

Tragedy once again hits America in the form of a school shooting; as if we didn't already have enough of those.

According to an article on xfinity.com, a middle school student opened fire on a tranquil classroom in a school in Sparks, Nevada, hitting two students; one in the shoulder and the other in the abdomen, and killing the math teacher, Afghanistan war veteran Michael Landsberry. As of currently, the police have not determined the motive behind the middle school student's sudden and deadly action; according to Reno police chief Tom Robinson, it is unclear whether it was planned or indiscriminate.

In the wake of the devastating Sandy Hook school shootings that occurred in December of 2012, this recent atrocity adds more grief to a troubled America. Now, the pro-gun control supporters will have another banner to rally under, discussions on whether teachers should arm themselves will be frequent, and the government will decide on legislation to pass in regards to gun control.

First of all, how the child shooter obtained that gun should be scrutinized in the investigation. Obviously, the kid knew where it was and was able to retrieve it. On that inference, it's given that the gun wasn't hidden properly. You know those dangerous products with the "keep out of reach of children" messages on it? Parents can do that for shampoo or a box of matches, but they can't do it for a lethal weapon? Give me a break.

Gun control should not be the issue. As a right outlined in the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution (which many in Congress should really pick up and actually look at, it's a good read), it states that American citizens have the "right to bear arms." Couldn't say that any more clearer than it is. Guns should be used for defense; defense of the family, defense of the home and, most importantly, for defense of this country. Remember the famous adage: "Guns don't kill people. People kill people." 

The gun, an inanimate contraption in and of itself, should not be regulated. People should be regulated. Criminals should be regulated. Run background checks on a customer before they are allowed to purchase a gun. Make sure citizens are properly trained to use guns only in the event that they are threatened with death or gross physical harm. And for the sake of humanity, please make freakin' sure that kids can't get to them!! If that were the case, we would have two healthy, unharmed kids and a beloved teacher and community man would still be alive today to tend to his family.

The Hipster the Internet Now Loves to Hate

I'm going to focus today's article on a very recent discovery I made; it deals with a creative young man that the Internet has now chosen to revile. What was the crime, you may ask?

Well, according to the online scumbags; to them, the young man looks like a hipster. To today's mainstream culture, the hipsters are the outsiders, the undesirables, the so-called "cork boards" upon which the problems and grudges of society are pinned. They are the rebels; those who question authority and try to find new answers for life.

Personally, for me, the hipsters are quite artsy folk and I enjoy their talents and what they have to offer for the world. Truthfully, I could use more hipster friends.

Anyway, the young man I've referenced here is Christopher "C.D." Hermelin (you can check out his web page or follow him on Twitter). He currently is involved in a project he has dubbed the "roving typist". He started out sitting in parks or public areas with a $10 typewriter and personally wrote handcrafted stories that he would sell to customers at any price they saw fit. The experiment proved to be a smashing success; so successful, in fact, that C.D. had to put people on hold because the demand for his stories were so great it was hard to keep up with. I, for one, think this idea amounts to a stroke of pure genius. Being a creative writer myself, I share in Christopher's passion of writing from the imagination.

You think to yourself; what could possibly go wrong here?

Well, this is where the trolls from the darkest nether-regions of the Internet decided to prey upon its latest star.

An unidentified person snapped a picture of C.D. at work and posted it to the forum website Reddit; the angle that the photo was taken at removed some crucial context of the scene. To many who saw the image, C.D. was just another example of a "greedy hipster" trying to draw attention to himself by using an outdated piece of technology. The trolls got to work; soon the image went viral as an internet meme, with captions such as this one:

The comments that followed were vitriolic, even with one user, named Illmatic707, replying with the following message: I have never wanted to fist fight someone so badly in my entire life.

I must say myself, I have never seen a more pathetic expression of irrational violent thought in my entire lifetime. Why do you wish to fist fight C.D., Illmatic, what has he done to you? Seems to me like you just wanna blow off steam or sound like a tough guy. Good luck with that illusion of yours.

Naturally, C.D. was and even now isn't going to let the Internet infamy slow him down. He still has quite a popular fanbase that's still growing. You can read his first hand account of reacting to the hipster hatred for yourself. Also, you can check out a secondhand account from PolicyMic.com.

What I can say is this: the Internet is a dangerous place, and no matter where you go, there will always be hungry trolls standing by waiting to screw with the most naïve of Internet users. It all stems back to the age-old problem of bullying. Sadly, there are terrible people in this world who derive their pleasure from the suffering of others. I know; I was the brunt of bullying during my elementary school years. I felt shunned in my high school years.

But I rose up from it all and moved on. Now, I've never been happier in my life, and I've learned to not let the haters damper your dreams. If you can face bullies in person, why shy away from a faceless nobody over the Internet? Why should their pitiful, empty words mean anything?

I would say the same to C.D., although it looks like he has it covered: don't listen to the trolls and the haters. If they call you a hipster, wear that label with pride. Keep using the typewriter, keep writing stories for people, keep standing out. Brave and creative men and women like you add some needed variety to this world.

What are your comments about the situation? Please respond in the comments below at your leisure.

Day 1 of the Government Shutdown; Obama's Address Blames the Republicans

I woke up this morning to find my Twitter abuzz with news about the shutdown of the federal government. I thought, "They're kidding, right?" I had read an article on CNN.com last Monday [now it's been updated] about a supposed shutdown, but didn't seriously think it would get this far.

Well, dear readers, today, October 1, 2013, the government has shut down.

A majority of the American people are up in arms about the "pathetic" action of closing the government, with the average approval ratings showing that 10% of the people approve of the shutdown, while 87% disapprove.

I've been keeping up with the coverage today in the news, and President Obama has made his response to the crisis, which was broadcast live on CNN.

"At midnight last night, for the first time in seventeen years, the Republicans chose to shut down the federal government. Let me be more specific: one faction in one House of Congress in one branch of government shut down major parts of the government, all because they didn't like one law. This Republican shutdown did not have to happen, but I want every American to understand why it did happen."

Alright, please tell us.

"Republicans in the House of Representatives refuse to fund the government unless we defunded, or dismantled, the Affordable Care Act. They've shut down the government over an ideological crusade to deny affordable heath insurance to millions of Americans. In other words, they demanded ransom just for doing their jobs."

I can't put my finger on it, but something tells me the Prez isn't happy with the GOP. Do you agree? (sarcasm)

"Many representatives, including an increasing number of Republicans, have made it clear that had they been allowed by speaker Boehner to take a simple up-or-down vote on keeping the government open, with no partisan strings attached, enough votes from both parties would've kept the American people's government open and operating."

The American people's government? According to the sentiments of "the people" in today's day and age, many might disagree with you on who actually has power and a voice in the government, Mr. President. Take that into account, why don't you.

"We may not know the full impact of this Republican shutdown for some time, it will depend on how long it lasts, but we do know a couple things. We know that the last time Republicans shut down the government in 1996, it hurt our economy. And unlike 1996, our economy is still recovering from the worst recession in generations. We know that certain services and benefits that America's seniors and veterans and business owners depend on must be put on hold. Certain offices, along with every national park and monument must be closed. And while last night I signed legislation to make sure our 1.4 million active duty military are paid through the shutdown, hundreds of thousands of civilian workers, many still on the job, many forced to stay home, aren't being paid, even if they have families to support and local businesses that rely on them. And we know that the longer this shutdown continues the worse the effects will be. More families will be hurt, more businesses will be harmed."

So, what do you suggest, Mr. President?

"So once again I urge House Republicans to re-open the government!" 

And basically he goes on to say the Republicans should not "hold the economy hostage" over "ideologies". He also went on to say how the shutdown will not stop the unstoppable juggernaut of Obamacare; in fact, it's "here to stay." He finished up his address by listing the benefits the healthcare plan will have on certain unfortunate Americans, evidenced by a few stories he told to the press crowd. Health insurance is now available to register for on the national healthcare.gov website or people can register through a given telephone hotline.

So, from the major gist of Obama's address, at least what I interpreted, is that the fault of the hurtful government shutdown and the tiring opposition to Obamacare lies squarely on the ridiculous "ideological battles" of the Republican party. Yet there are still a great majority of Americans, regardless of party, who are still against this legislature which is being considered "socialist."

Personally, I still have yet to develop a strong political base to accurately voice my opinion on this matter, but what I can say is this: to the members of Congress and in both parties: quit the bickering and get back to work! Put aside all these petty differences and figure out a compromise or a solution to overcome this problem and think of the American people! You're getting paid to work and do your job, so do your job!

My question is, what do you, as the public with a voice, believe about the fiasco of this day; this day that will surely go down in current history? Please, share your thoughts on this matter; remember, you as an American citizen have a voice and are allowed and encouraged to be heard.

Movies Adapted from Books...Always the Best?

Today, I'm going to talk about something that I think about when I talk movies: those movies that are based on best-selling books...is it always such a good idea? Overall, adapting a novel, short story or any form of literature to the silver screen is perfect and okay...the dilemma is who chooses to bring a story to the screen.

Let's start off with some good examples. New Zealand director Peter Jackson did a phenomenal job adapting J.R.R. Tolkein's beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy, a trilogy of novels that Tolkien himself considered, perhaps ironically, that these books were "unfilmable." But with hard work and strict adherence to the source material, they were able to create a trilogy of cinematic masterpieces.

Another good example would be director Ang Lee's surrealistically beautiful take on Yann Martel's 2001 novel Life of Pi. I had the good fortune to see the entire film recently, and I was blown away by it. I believe it really took the source material very well and managed to make it a living masterpiece along the way.

Another noteworthy example was 2003's Holes, based on the 1998 novel by Louis Sachar. Sachar himself was actually hired onto the team by writing the screenplay for the movie; plus, he has a little cameo part in the movie, see if you can spot him.

But alas, there are some projects that had great potential and then fell flat on their faces because the director and crew went about interpreting the story wrong.

For starters in this category, let's follow the career path of our old twist-obsessed pal M. Night Shyamalan. I'd consider 1999's The Sixth Sense to be the high point of his career. The Village was alright, as well; but after that things began to take a spiral down. But nothing was more tragic than seeing the beloved Nickelodeon cartoon series Avatar: The Last Airbender, which meant so much to a lot of kids my age, transformed from its anime awesomeness into a reprehensible disaster-trip that almost made me walk out the theater mid-showing. I stayed only to see if this film would redeem itself; I found no such redemption.

I realize that I'm talking about a television show now and not a book, but nonetheless, it needs to be noted on my list of horrible adaptations. This is the one exception.

Another example I'm going to cite is the screen adaptation of the first book in Rick Riordian's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, The Lightning Thief. I'm very well fond of the book; it basically follows the story of the demigod, half-son of Zeus Percy Jackson as he tries to recover his "father's" all-powerful lightning bolt that's been stolen. I loved reading it; a lot of imagery stuck in my mind as I read. But the movie didn't cut it for me.

As an aspiring screenwriter myself, there are a ton of books that I love that I'd love to adapt to the screen. In adapting a book, I'd like to pattern myself after the legendary Stanley Kubrick; whose major body of films are based on books. Kubrick himself has stated various times that he found it better to adapt a book than to write an original screenplay. He very well adhered to the original source material while also added different surprises that divulged from the original story.

Now when it comes to me personally, adapting books are okay, but I'm a creator. I like to try and come up with original stories, with original characters that I can call my own. It's harder and it takes a lot longer than using an already-written book, but I find that it's much more special when you work with something that's your own. Don't get me wrong, adapting books are great and if I found one, I'd do it; but mostly I like to keep it original.

So overall, adapting a written story for the screen is great and it's turned out some great movies, but it depends on the vision of the director and how he or she interprets the material that makes the final product either good or bad.

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Innocence?

My next topic to talk about is something that's been on my mind since it's happened. If any of you remember back in July of 2012, it was the major uproar in the Middle East due to the blasphemous nature of an obscure "film" titled Innocence of Muslims. The "film" in question was a simple 14-minute clip posted to YouTube that portrayed one of the holiest figurehead of the Islamic faith, the prophet Muhammad, as "a womanizer, child molester and killer." The widespread protests that exploded soon after resulted in the deaths of numerous people around the world.

Ever since viewing it on YouTube when the controversy first began, I was always trying to figure out how to say my feelings on it. I refrained from talking on Facebook or with anyone about it because of the huge sensitivity towards it at the time. But since it's been over a year and things have significantly died down, it entered into my mind again. I re-watched the clip (which has the YouTube "flagged content" warning before watching it), and still it continues to shock me. There is no overt violence or sexual content in the clip, but it is nonetheless heinous and censor-worthy.

As far as I'm concerned, this film has committed two major crimes: insulting the culture of an entire people and region, and insulting the fine art of film-making.

The fact that the "film-makers" had the gall to call this a "film" is beyond me; this was a defecating stain on the art of making a film, almost blasphemous itself, in that right. I could go into a lengthily list of every single little nit-pick I could find about the reprehensible editing, the feebly-constructed sets, the miscast actors and their horrible performances (although to their credit, we must forgive them for not knowing the true intentions behind what they were doing) and the atrociously-handled audio overdubs; I know the filmmakers were attempting to be subversive with the dialogue, but they didn't even bother to make it convincing? Go back to Propaganda 101, guys! (Complete sarcasm, don't actually do it...)

As far as my review goes in terms of the "film-making" and the story, this "film" is an absolute disaster in every sense of the word. But even that wasn't what shocked me. What shocked me was how the Islamic diaspora in the Middle East reacted to something, that I think, is so trivial it was unnecessary to arouse the reaction that it did. Is it really necessary to kill and vandalize just because they've been offended? However, I understand that in the Islamic religion and culture, blasphemy of the Prophet Muhammad or Allah is akin to the most serious treason imaginable and results in serious consequences (just take a look at the Rushdie Affair and that whole debacle). Also, any sort of depiction of the Prophet Muhammad, whether good or ill, is also strictly forbidden.

To most people on the earth, religion and culture are just as valuable as life itself, and some are willing to die in the name of religion. While such zeal can be admired, too much of it is ridiculous. And frankly, this is what I see amongst the extremist reactions in the Islamic diaspora to anything considered heinous. I believe that in today's modern times, it's important to show serious restraint. For example, I'm a Christian; I believe the Bible is 100% true, I believe God exists and has always existed with no beginning and no end, and that He is my Lord and Savior. It's granted that some people are not going to believe what I believe, or not even like me for what I believe. However, I'm not surprised, the Bible teaches that such reactions will occur. The Bible also instructs Christians to "live like Christ," that includes living out the instructions of Jesus, including peace and brotherhood. I can't tell you how many times I've seen and heard so many things I consider blasphemous to Christianity, Jesus and God the Father. And sure, I'm offended, I don't like it and I don't partake in it. But does that give me the right to smash stuff and take someone's life all because I've been offended? No, that's mob mentality and a ridiculous action; a complete, 180-degree opposite to what the Bible teaches. Yes, it's okay to be offended if someone or something takes a crack at your beliefs or morals, there's no crime against that...but if you (and I use "you" in the general sense) start committing irrational acts because of your offense, that's taking it too far.

Overall, this was a terrible "movie" and in no way, shape or form do I support it or its content. I hope you found my thoughts interesting; please comment if you wish. I only ask that you don't start attacking me or anyone who might say anything with vitriolic comments; if you want to have a discussion, do it in a civil and mature manner, please.

My Thoughts on Education Today

[Beginning note: My good friend Seth Byle gave me the kind permission to reference him by name; you can visit his Facebook page here or his YouTube channel here]

I had a rather interesting discussion with a friend of mine named Seth over Facebook. His original post stated about how he realized that the eighteen years he spent in school were much of a complete waste; most of the things he learned he'd never use in real life. He went on to say how ridiculous it was that people put so much emphasis on a high school diploma, a simple "slip of paper" that only holds importance because "idiots in society" imagine it to be so.

It was after a few comments that I decided to jump in; I have a very strong view of education and it was a subject I'm rather passionate of speaking about. A friend of Seth's made an interesting comment at the beginning of the discussion that caught my eye; it concerned the role of government in regulating an education curriculum. To quote him directly:

“...public schools are propaganda re-education camps. You graduate, then only to find yourself buried under student loans for college and then have a hard time finding a job. Welcome to 2013 my friend. What ever happened to plain, honest, hard work and getting a chance to prove yourself...paper is just that…paper...with dozens lined up right with you. I know how it all goes…times are rough...but keep your head up man...you have time to get where you want to be. Just remember…persistence alone is omnipotent.”

As far as the government's role in regulating education, I believe this should fall under the old "laissez-faire" interpretation; even though the term is generally associated with economics and describing how a capitalist society should function, the main principle of the "hands-off, let it be" government role should apply directly to educating future generations of Americans. I made my thoughts clear in my first post:

“I do agree that education should not in any way, shape or form be government-regulated. The government does not decide what society learns through institutions; it's the people who decide what should be taught and learned. That's the great thing about America; there's the freedom to learn whatever you like, to build your own philosophy and learn about what's important to the individual. That freedom is taken away only when the government decides to have its way with teaching generation of young people...”

That sums up my opposition directly. The responsibilities of educational institutions should fall not just on the individual States, but the people; the American people as a whole should have a say in what should be taught in the classrooms of pre-schools, kindergartens, elementary, middle, high schools and universities. We should push forth the freedom of choice, to decide individually what you want to learn for yourself.

Seth responded with a very interesting thought:

“It's not just public [school] vs. private [school], it's the whole form of education in general. The whole idea of kids spending hours a day locked in a prison, forced to do mind-numbing work is just a bad idea to me. I believe that the entire format/concept of school should be changed, and it shouldn't start so early in life, nor should it take up so much of your life. This is just inefficient. School should be just a spoke on the wheel, and not the whole bike.”

I agreed with his claims and clarified my thoughts on my view of how education should work in the post following the response:

"I believe the best school environment is this: it's very important to teach the core values of reading, writing and arithmetic; those come in handy throughout life, even if you don't realize it at the time. Once the children have that under control, then allow them to freely pursue any other interests they're passionate about. It makes learning more fun and hands-on. You're right; I think school is now reduced to a strict, by-the-book routine of 'sit in a classroom, take long notes, listen to a boring lecture, then go home and do five hours of homework.'"

I still hold truth to this belief. It's common knowledge to see that nobody wants to do what doesn't interest them. And from what I've seen, even in my private education upbringing, students are generally detached to learning because certain subjects don't interest them; yet, they still have to learn it. Many a time have I heard "Ugh, I hate this class!" or "Why is this important, I'm not gonna need to learn any of this!" This matter has two guilty parties: the instructors and the students. Yes, instructors can do a better job at making the material engaging and interesting, but it also takes motivation on the students' part to actually engage themselves. I addressed my sentiments at what I perceive as the lazy entitlement attitude amongst kids in the classroom:

“And I feel like there's no incentive to work in school anymore; teachers just keep giving out the answers, and it makes the students feel like they're entitled to get the answers easily and not have to work to find them. [Actually having students do the work themselves]; That instills the mindset to work to find and receive what you need, which is very important in everyday life. I think schools today are the breeding grounds for entitled kids.”

I've always worked hard for my grades in school. While I saw other kids copying and cheating off one another, I took the extra time to really look through and read the information and gain a comprehension of the information. Some kids thought I was crazy or stupid to do such a thing; to them, looking for the information was a waste of time when they could just get the answers from a friend or get the teacher to "tell" them. These very recent reports on student motivation from the Center on Education Policy really shed a light on how students are perceived as unmotivated.

Also as a great reference, another friend of mine (a very well-educated young man, might I say) posted a video on YouTube detailing problems he experiences in education and the inheriting and learning of information as it pertains to the current generation. In his own words, "my generation doesn't know a damn thing." Seeing those type of attitudes in action, I too feel a little bit entitled to bash the lazy attitudes persistent in the kids of my generation.

Now I refer back to my post about my views of education, just so I can clarify further. I believe in teaching the core principles of reading, writing and arithmetic; they're absolute necessities for having citizens in society function. All three core courses teach comprehension, logic, problem-solving and the training of motor skills. But once students have those core values instated, they should then be free to adapt their three R's of learning and pursue their interests and prepare for whatever career they desire. That freedom is part of the democratic republic that has made America what is has been since 1776.

This is why I am a big proponent of "hands-on" education; it efficiently trains you better for a career than a classroom environment does. The film school that I'm currently attending for college focuses their curriculum on this; there are hardly any classroom sessions where you sit and listen to a lesson for hours at a time. They teach you what you should know, but the rest of the learning is in your hands as the student, in this example, learning how to make a movie and setting out to make one. It's also teaching me about cooperating with other people of the same profession and working as a team in order to achieve a common end. This is where incentive, motivation and commitment come in on the students' part; teachers should not have to "baby" students and "hold their hands" (as one of my former high school teachers so eloquently put it). Students themselves should have the passion and the drive to take care of their own affairs and continue their education; they chose that path, now they have to walk it themselves. While the "hands-on" teaching/learning technique may differ by career or degree program, it is nonetheless vital to instilling important lessons into passionate students.

All in all, it was an interesting discussion and it's inspired me to share my thoughts on the education process in America, since it's still a current issue in debate around the nation. Please, leave any thoughtful comments; we can start a discussion in the comments section, if you'd like.

Have a blessed day.