tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26508133090303281632024-03-12T18:41:03.092-04:00Out of the Popcorn MinesTarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-76217115493280561712011-01-06T03:04:00.005-05:002011-02-20T14:33:59.588-05:00Things Tyler taught me about CanadiaMy very good work friend, Tyler, is Canadian. He just got back from spending the holidays with his family and explained why Canada kicks America's ass:<br /><br /><ol><li>The drinking age is 19</li><li>Strip clubs feature full nudity</li><li>They have a place called Tim Horton's which suposively rivals Starbucks in coffee and Panera in sandwiches. </li><li>Socialized Healthcare</li><li>Everyone is very polite.</li><li>There are mounties.</li><li>They're, like, the ultimate hipsters, they've got all this awesome stuff and nobody knows about.</li><li>eh?<br /></li></ol>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-17043173419526107762010-12-31T00:54:00.003-05:002010-12-31T00:57:39.907-05:00Rain<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> 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inside the bus. My Dad could smell rain days ahead of time and had told me we were due soon. I never could smell rain until it was right on top of me with rumbling clouds and sheet lightning like it was on the ride home from school. When Ms. Judy let me off the bus I scrambled to my door, leaving my sister to cross the street on her own. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""> </span>When I got inside I dumped my backpack on the floor by the door before racing upstairs as my mother’s voice called after me. I ignored her and slammed the door to my room as an answer. If she realized I’d ripped a hole in another pair of jeans I’d be locked inside without my books at least for tonight if not the rest of the week. So I hid them at the bottom of my hand painted dresser under old gymnastic uniforms and riding pants from failed athletic attempts. I pulled neon bike shorts and one of my Dad’s college t-shirts out of the top drawer. All his old school clothes fit me now, I wondered if he ate anything while he was at college. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I didn’t bother putting my shoes back on. It was only April and my feet were still tender, but a storm is no fun in shoes. My room was in shambles but if I hurried, my mother probably wouldn’t notice in time to stop me from leaving. There was a huge crash of thunder as I raced down the stairs. After the skies had said their piece I yelled some sort of explanation towards the kitchen. My mother was too busy tiling the backsplash to really care anyway. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Outside the first raindrops had just begun to stain the concrete. I leapt off the porch and ran across the yard, marveling in the cold thick grass under my feet. My Dad said when he was young he wanted to grow up and have a house with a white picket fence and rich people grass. Even though our house was modest, and our fence tall and unpainted, the grass was thick and even. He’d spend hours fertilizing and weeding it on the weekends. It was rich people grass.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I reached the edge of the yard and continued my flight down the street. I could feel raindrops beginning to splatter in my hair and on my shoulders. Two houses down the hot asphalt gave way to gravel that made my feet yelp and ache. I dealt with it. The pain was worth it. In a month I’d be able to step on the broken glass and nails that littered the half built houses I explored in the summer without feeling a thing. The road dead ended at Danielle’s house. I didn’t bother going to the door, instead I went around to her tiny basement window. I lay on my belly and stuck my head in the window. The wind blew my shirt up my back and let cold, tingly raindrops fall on my spine. Surprisingly, she wasn’t there. Something touched the back of my neck and I jumped, banging my head in the process. I hoped it wasn’t a spider, with their shiny eyes and crackling legs. It was Danielle. She stood over me with the rest of the gang: the Tongeus sisters, Thomas, Katie, and my sister.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Well are you coming?” She asked</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I nodded and began to stand up as they all began to run around the side of Danielle’s house. When I rounded the corner they had all disappeared into the mist surrounding her lake. It was stiff and dense like my mother’s meringue. The rain began pounding down on me, making my hair dark and slick and my clothes stick to me. I wiggled my toes in the mud that was beginning to form and chased after my friends.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This is a highly fictionalize memory from my childhood. </span></span><br /></span></p>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-72738001465921470642010-12-28T06:11:00.004-05:002010-12-28T06:19:49.630-05:00The Three Types of Science-Fiction or Why Jon Scalzi’s Science-Fiction Novels Don’t Work for Me<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12pt;" >I was thinking about why I enjoy Science-Fiction the other day and it occurred to me that most Fiction fits into one of two categories: Character based or Story based. Science-Fiction introduces a third option, Concept based. To be truly enjoyable, a Sci-fi story must contain elements of all three but I think most stories have one as their focus. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12pt;" >My favorite Sci-Fi stories are Concept based with a very strong Character basis as well. Sci-Fi lets you ask the “What if?” questions. Some authors pose these “What if?”s to their readers, but I prefer to watch the people within the “What if?” grapple with living in that world. That’s why I prefer Asimov’s novel version of “Nightfall” over his short story, “Nightfall”. They tell the exact same story—a Concept story—but in the novel I’m able to connect with the characters and feel their complete terror. After reading the short story I couldn’t recall any character’s name. The short story was thought provoking but I couldn’t connect on an emotional level.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12pt;" >Which brings me to an author I’ve been fangirling lately, Jon Scalzi. He’s probably best known for writing “Old Man’s War” and for taping bacon to his cat and posting it to the interwebs. “Old Man’s War” is an absolutely mind blowing book that won lots of great awards that it totally deserved. I picked it out of the bargain bin and figured that after three months of cyber-stalking Scalzi’s blog, “Whatever”, I should probably try reading something he wrote. “Old Man’s War” is a concept novel. It builds a world that I felt like I could be living in, in the far off future. Jon Scalzi is amazing at world-building. It was the best part of “The Android’s Dream” and is also showcased in his short story “<a href="http://whatever.scalzi.com/2010/11/01/an-election-a-short-story-presented-by-subterranean-press/">An Election</a>”. Where Scalzi fails, at least for me, is in making characters I care about. In “Old Man’s War” the main character reads like Prince Charming from “Sleeping Beauty”. People are willing to die for him more or less because he’s the main character. He’s abnormally bright, abnormally charismatic, abnormally attractive to women, abnormally suited to alien negotiations, if it’s a positive trait, he probably has it. When I read “Old Man’s War” these things didn’t bother me. “Old Man’s War” is a straight up concept story, the main character exists to illustrate the concept—he doesn’t need to be more than a cardboard cutout. My problem arose when I picked up another of Scalzi’s novels, “The Android’s Dream”. The title is a clever nod to my favorite book, Phillip K. Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” (better known as “Blade Runner”). I was disappointed to read a book about yet another Prince Charming (this time from the FBI/CIA agent with a heart of gold mold) who gets the girl with even less character. As the book dragged on, I found myself thinking something I hadn’t thought since reading Dan Brown’s “Digital Fortress”, <i style="">Why won’t the main characters die?</i> In “Digital Fortress”, I believe they survived bombs, submarines that were sinking/out of air, and an open wound in shark-infested waters. The protagonists of “The Android’s Dream” were even less likely to make it out alive, and even less likable. However, like I said above, “The Android’s Dream” also featured some really great moments in between the plot where glimpses of this amazing future peaked in. Aliens in Washington D.C. live in neighborhoods similar to the ones immigrants set up in New York City with their own unique culture that is part alien and part human. For example, one particular race of aliens has a remarkable affinity for dogs, above and beyond what is ever seen between humans and dogs, despite dogs being an (obviously) Earth exclusive species. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12pt;" >Yesterday I downloaded “Agent to the Stars”, Scalzi’s first novel (though published after “Old Man’s War”) and read the entire thing on my shiny new kindle. And that was when I felt like I had had enough and needed to talk things out with the interwebs. Because it featured the same cookie-cutter hero with the same vaguely sassy romantic interest in a concept story that had a dull, dragging plot, and a concept that I didn’t really care for.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:12pt;" >So that seemed a little bit like a huge rant. It kind of was. But honestly, Scalzi is a really good writer. He just doesn’t write the kind of novels I find enjoyable. I want a healthy dose of character with my concepts while he prefers to give you plot (which I can take or leave). I’ve found all of his short stories<span style=""> </span>extremely enjoyable (especially the one where <a href="http://whatever.scalzi.com/2010/10/02/when-the-yogurt-took-over-a-short-story/">yogurt rules Earth</a>) because in the short story you only get to pick one of the three elements and when push comes to shove I’ll take concept stories any day. I would strongly advise anyone who hasn’t, to read one of his short stories—several are floating around the ‘net. <span style=""> </span>And if you find them enjoyable then read “Old Man’s War” because it really is a good, solid, concept novel that won a Hugo. I’d also encourage you to check out his blog, “Whatever”. It covers everything from the velvet painting of Wesley Crusher that he sent to Wil Wheaton to some remarkably sensible views on politics and budgeting. 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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]-->Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-89330519796682275212010-08-10T02:02:00.000-04:002010-08-10T02:03:10.138-04:00Movie ReviewsI've seen a lot of movies lately and they all probably merit pages of discussion but I'm kinda busy these days.<div><br /></div><div>Cyrus: Your typical indie romance/comdey. It's a very sparse movie. Five actors and a hand full of extras in the whole thing. The most moving moments are without dialog. The ending is a tad too perfect for a movie like this.</div><div><br /></div><div>Inception: What? You haven't seen this yet? Well it's mind boggling to understand but delightful to follow. My favorite bit involves Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a vest wearing action hero in variable gravity. I think between this and Avatar, we've learned that when a good director has a pet project, it pays to go along with it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Twilight: Eclipse: I can't stop watching these train wrecks. The first one was straight up awful. The second one seemed to be making fun of how awful it was. The third one was passable if you could ignore how horrible the casting for anyone but Jacob was.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Kids Are Alright: Everyone else in the theater was 35+ and (almost certainly) straight. Which doesn't really make sense until you see the movie. This isn't really a movie about lesbian mothers. It's a movie about a family, the kids deal with kid stuff like shitty friends and unrequited crushes while their parents deal with varying ambitions and adultery. This movie could've just as easily featured a straight couple. The thing that most struck me was how much this movie felt like real life. When Jules was gardening, her hair was slightly frizzy and she was (apparently) makeup-less. All the little touches reminded me that this movie was the pet project of someone who actually understood what she was writing about.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Other Guys: Will Ferrel was awesome in this movie. He just knocked it out of the park. Mark Walburg was pretty meh in my humble opinion but other people in our group disagreed. It was certainly better than the last buddy cop movie I saw, Cop Out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Salt: Through no fault of this movie I fell asleep several times. As far as I can tell, this is like if Tomb Raider wasn't sexualized and was McGyver.</div><div><br /></div><div>Scott Pilgrim VS. The World: Totally awesome. I have yet to read the last volume, so I dunno if the slightly lame bit at the end about Ramona going back to her ex is to blame on the movie or the comic. But if you liked the comics you'll love the movie. It was a subvertly nerdy movie. No Star Wars jokes, but the non-nerds in the audience where rather put off.</div>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-53291951974923287792010-07-14T00:12:00.003-04:002010-07-14T01:52:20.006-04:00How Do We Judge Statements Based on the SpeakerLately I've been thinking about perceptions a lot. The way we see people obviously changes how we view their words and actions. For example, I have believed that religious beliefs should have no bearing on politics. When I identified myself as someone who was extremely religious, this view was taken with a lot of weight. My opinion counted. Now I still have the same view, but people say "Well of course you think that. You don't understand what it means to have the law challenge your morals". And even more often they don't say that, they just think it. <div><br /></div><div>If you were previously in a position of privilege and move to one without it do your thoughts and opinions become worth less? What about your actions, previous and present, do they count differently? In some ways it seems like they shouldn't, but it is much easier for an atheist to say that religion is irrelevant to the way we govern ourselves than a theist. It doesn't feel right to give more weight to one than the other. Yet it does make sense in some ways.</div>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-68866046636499473582010-05-27T00:04:00.004-04:002010-05-27T00:53:51.225-04:00How To: Look Like a Douchebag, Starbucks EditionAfter 2 months, I've decided there are three reasons people go to Starbucks:<br /><ol><li>They like our coffee/beverages/food</li><li>They like wifi and couches but hate the imposed quiet of libraries<br /></li><li>They like to feel cool</li></ol>Those are all fine reasons, but a lot of times that third one gets annoying to baristas. So if you feel like looking like a douchebag, order this:<br /><ul><li>Upside Down Caramel Macchiato: This is a vanilla latte with caramel drizzle. If you want to look like an idiot who doesn't know what they're ordering, this is your drink</li><li>No Foam Caramel Macchiato: THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE<br /></li><li>No Espresso Mocha: If you order this, I'll ring you up for a Mocha not a Hot Chocolate. It's only a 15 cent difference but it makes me feel better about you being a dumbass</li><li>Double Shot: Here's the problem with the double shot, it's not on the menu and it's not in the recipe cards. And this goes for anything not on the menu, you shouldn't expect me to just know how to make it. If you wanna tell me how to make the drink, I'll do it. I'll even pretend to be happy about it if you're polite. But if you don't know how to make it then I can't really help you.</li><li>Venti Iced Triple Latte: An iced venti comes with three shots. How many extra would you like me to ring up?</li><li>Skinny Americano: What is this? I don't even...</li><li>Lite Non-Fat Sugar-Free Frappuccino: A lite Frappuccino is all of those things by default.<br /></li><li>Ordering something then changing your order while I'm making it: Seriously guys. No matter what you do, I'll smile and act like it's no big deal but if you ask for your drink iced as I'm slipping the sleeve on your extra hot Skinny Vanilla Latte, I'm gonna be pissed. I just spent 2-3 minutes of my life making your $5 coffee so that you can simper about it not being what you wanted. I'm sorry that you thought a Dark Cherry Mocha didn't have espresso in it, but it would've taken about 15 seconds to ask me and find out that it does. </li></ul>Um, so now that I've bitched about people who don't know what they're ordering I have something else to say: I love when people ask me questions. I spent a week and a half learning about every single drink on the menu. If you wanna know what goes into a drink, what "skinny" means, or want a suggestion, I'd love to help. When I get to help people have a happier day, it brightens my life too. So don't order blindly, "ask and ye shall receive".Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-60300001585496288032010-05-08T03:55:00.002-04:002010-05-08T05:45:46.107-04:00The Wonders of ChinaI'm still on my parent's health insurance. Which unfortunately has the worst optical coverage ever. Basically if you buy super expensive glasses they might knock off $20. If you buy glasses at Walmart like I do, you pay full price. I have a normal prescription, nothing special but my glasses ran about $160 at Walmart. That's a lot of money for a college student. So when my roommate was looking at $8 prescription glasses, I was all over that. Well sort of. Because I was a lazy, broke college student, I lost the link and forgot about it til almost a year later when another friend mentioned that he used the site to get his snazzy new glasses. So I got on the interwebs and ordered two pairs of glasses (cause for $8 why not get a little crazy?) I didn't bother getting any of the upgrades, which was a mistake. The anti-glare stuff would've been worth the like $4 they wanted. I was also surprised by how cheap shipping was. As best I can tell, the glasses are made in China, but the shipping was less than the $8 I was paying for my prescription glasses. Here's the two I picked:<div><br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zennioptical.com/images/frames/1295/images/more_detail.jpg"></a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zennioptical.com/images/frames/1295/images/more_detail.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 800px; height: 274px; " src="http://www.zennioptical.com/images/frames/1295/images/more_detail.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://www.zennioptical.com/images/frames/1450/images/more_detail.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 800px; height: 245px;" src="https://www.zennioptical.com/images/frames/1450/images/more_detail.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Well today they finally came in. And they are fabulous. I could not be happier. With the exception of a slight increase in glare, they wear just as well as my Walmart glasses. I've been wearing them all day and haven't had a headache yet. Which means they probably got my prescription right. I've certainly been able to see fine. They actually fit better than my Walmart glasses too. Would definitely buy again.<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.zennioptical.com/home.php">https://www.zennioptical.com/home.php</a></div>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-7935258753465454852010-05-07T17:39:00.003-04:002010-05-08T03:52:19.217-04:00Feeling Like a Dork in Comic Book ShopsYesterday I got into a conversation about comic book stores with my co-worker and he suggested a shop just up the road from where I work. Since I haven't made it to a store in over a month so I was pretty muddled about what had/would be out when I went in. So when I went in I had no clue where to start looking. Going into new comic book stores is always slightly intimidating to me. They're all laid out mostly the same but every store has its quirks. Most stores have a wall with the new comics from this week or month and then bins for older comics. But some stores will keep a few previous issues behind the new ones or will have separate bins based on qualifiers I can't identify. To top it off, I'm a chick in a comic book store. On top of my crazy paranoia about personally looking like an idiot who reads shitty comics is the added paranoia that I'm making all women look like idiots who read shitty comics. <div><br /><div>My paranoia is kept at manageable levels when I'm in stores like A+ Comics and Collectables in Lexington or The Great Escape in Louisville. The people behind the counter say hi and then go back to what they were doing. The stores feel crowded and slightly intimate like a used book store, only brighter. And you're never the only customer in the store. When I walked into the store my coworker recommended, there were two middle age men behind the counter who mumbled some sort of greeting and then watched me walk across a huge empty room the racks on the side wall. I couldn't help but wonder if they were watching me, trying to guess what girly comics I'd be buying. I couldn't find the issues I was looking for on the wall. I turned around and considered trying to look in the bins for what I wanted but even when I'm at ease I can rarely find what I'm looking for in those. I decided the easiest course of action would be to just ask. Again I wonder if it's my paranoia, but I'm pretty sure they both gave me the dumbass look as I asked them questions. I did ask one genuinely dumb question. I'll be honest. But I also asked to very legit ones. And they did give me polite answers. But the paranoia sits in the back of my head, telling me they wrote me off the moment the saw my boobs come through the door. I wonder if they would've been more verbose if I was a guy. Actually tell me when more of American Vampire was coming in or make a weak attempt to actually help me find something I wanted to buy. Flustered, I turned to leave. With one foot out the door I do a double take and remember my final question, "Do you know when Batwoman's getting her ongoing?" A very visible change came over them. Because I was asking about a lesbian character, I must be a lesbian! Thereby explaining why me and my boobs could actually enjoy comics. They still gave me a terse and useless answer. </div><div><br /></div><div>Like I said, I've got crazy paranoia. These guys could just be deadbeats who were kinda bummed anyone walked into their store. They could've actually been being nice and my paranoia was twisting it. I have this sort of paranoia for many things (calling delivery people, going into clothing stores for the first time, etc) but it's not nearly as strong as my comic book store paranoia. I think that unlike most of my worries, this one has some basis in fact. Comic book nerds do judge you by what you read/look at/buy. And though I have had no overt references made to my womanliness being a barrier to reading comics, it has been implied. Like many male dominated hobbies, women who attempt to join are ostracized and have to jump through many hoops before they can even consider being involved. No wonder girls don't read comics.</div></div>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-40333756185817202942010-05-05T00:11:00.004-04:002010-05-05T00:37:42.523-04:00Justified RevisitedI wasn't happy last time I blogged about Justified. I felt empty and let down. However, I've adjusted my expectations of the show and I must say I've been enjoying it. This might not be the Kentucky I know and love but I've come to enjoy it. I think it's a bit like someone gave Captain Kirk a southern accent and let him loose with a gun. Sounds a bit silly but roll with me. He has a chick <b>begging</b> to have sex with him (not that he tried to resist too hard). He would rather follow his own personal morals than the rules of the government. While he is under investigation for one of the people he shot in the past 8 episodes, he's shot a lot of other people too. I feel like there were more similarities but they're not really springing to mind. My only lingering issue with Justified is I'm still not sure what US Marshalls do.Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-66993445506351640972010-05-04T03:38:00.003-04:002010-05-04T04:14:31.689-04:00How to Treat People in the Service IndustriesI have worked in a few different occupations commonly know as "the service industry". I've buttered popcorn, served burgers, and made $5 coffee. And as a result, most of my days include being treated like shit by at least one person. Sunday was an especially bad day at Starbucks as it was a Sunday and rainy on top of that. Customers were being abnormally bitchy and it made me think of the things I didn't realize before I got a shitty job serving food to jackasses. So here's my guide to how to treat people who work in the service industry, i.e. preforming a service for you, just in case that wasn't clear. <div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>1. Assume the Best of People</div><div><br /><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Sometimes I have bad days. Which means I still get your drink to you as fast as ever but I <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>might not be feeling chatty, or might forget that I'm supposed to thank <b>you</b> for letting me <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>serve <b>you. </b>It might not have occurred to you but today might've been the day my <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>childhood pet died, my boyfriend broke up with me, or my best friend cut me out of their <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>life. Shit happens to you. Shit happens to me. Unless I go out of my way to be mean, it's <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>probably nothing personal against you,.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>2. Don't Blame Me, Blame the Man</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I am the person who delivers the product to you. I'm sure you are just trying to make <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>conversation, but it sounds a lot like you're trying to get me to lower a price that I don't set<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>and can't alter. I have rules I have to follow. I can only make one pot of coffee at a time, if it <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>runs out in the middle of your cup, it's not cause I'm trying to fuck you over, it's cause that's <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>the way I'm supposed to do it. You can either accept that or take your anger out on me. I'd <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>really rather the former over the later.</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>3</span>. When Tipping is Appropriate, Tip At Least 15%</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>T</span>he service was shitty. Then again, there was an unexpected rush at 2 am and your<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>waitress was dealing with 7 or 8 tables instead of the usual 3 or 4. You're thinking about <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>skimping on the tip. I mean, she only took your order, fixed the order when the bus boy <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>brought you the wrong food, and refilled your drink once. 5% or 10% is totally cool, right? <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Nope. Waiters and waitresses make around $4 an hour because they get to accept your tips. <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>And like I said before, shit happens. And sometimes they might fuck up your order. You <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>should remember rule #1 when you consider under-tipping. Did the waiter/ress go out of <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>their way to be a jackass? Were they actively avoiding you? Then assume the best of them <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>and tip 15%. Cause that job is not fun, it is not easy, and pretending they couldn't be happier <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>to serve you isn't what they want to be doing on a Friday night.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>4. Not Sure if You Should Tip? Do It Anyway</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>S</span>ometimes it's hard to know if tipping is appropriate. The easiest way to tell? Credit card <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>receipts will have a space to write in a tip. However, there are some places tips are not put <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>on receipts. For example, if you are a regular at a coffee shop, tips will go a long way in <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>getting your coffee ready ASAP, exactly how you like it. Generally if someone is providing a <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>personal service, tipping is expected and should be at least $2. When you aren't sure, offer <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>the tip. If they aren't allowed or generally don't get tips, 90% of the time they'll say as <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>much. Also: We remember when you don't tip.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>5. Remember Fight Club</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>It never occurred to me that waiters could fuck with my food until I read Fight Club,<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"></span>wherein a waiter sticks his dick in someone's soup. I'm making your popcorn, your soda, <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>your latte. Who knows if I buttered in the middle or gave you caffeine free, or made it extra <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>hot? Not you until long after you can complain. People in the service industries quickly <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>become bitter and if you're a jackass to us, we'll be more than willing to fuck up whatever <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>service we're supposed to be giving to you.</div><div><br /></div><div>In conclusion, remember that everyone is a person just like you who just wants to make a living even if it's not as noble or well paying of a pursuit as your own career. </div></div>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-35591307226315369322010-05-04T03:25:00.005-04:002010-05-04T04:15:36.768-04:00Things I Would've Tweeted During My Little Brother's Confirmation<ul><li>The Bishop just fell asleep. What a douche.</li><li>Apparently this is a bilingual mass. All the singing bits have different tunes. coincidence? #probably</li><li>Mom just made fun of Catholics</li><li>The kid from my sister's math class just knocked the Bishop's hat off with the incense swinger.</li><li>Mom made fun of Catholics. Again.</li><li>The choir director just gestured wildly with her arms and knocked over three microphones.</li><li>Mom refused to kneel during the kneeling parts of mass. And then made fun of Catholics.</li><li>My sister was making faces at the toddler in front of her but the Bishop thought she was sticking her tongue out at him.</li><li>Bishop gave a 30 minute homily. And then read it again in Spanish off a piece of paper.</li><li>My mother is complaining about the bilingual parts of the service. Oh, and also making fun of Catholics.</li><li>At a reception where 90% of people are over 45.</li><li>My brother just lent me his iPhone. TTYL, bitches.</li></ul>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-23196998882931363572010-04-25T22:44:00.002-04:002010-04-25T22:46:02.316-04:00Twitter: Why Trending Topics Are No Longer Relevant<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vTJa9j1O2n8/S9T-ZGIuYbI/AAAAAAAAACQ/DuVljL1eWGM/s1600/trending+topics.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_vTJa9j1O2n8/S9T-ZGIuYbI/AAAAAAAAACQ/DuVljL1eWGM/s400/trending+topics.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464271955004645810" /></a>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-11041049485605636672010-04-25T21:05:00.004-04:002010-04-26T01:15:49.614-04:00Movie Review: Kick-AssI wasn't crazy about Kick-Ass the comic. In my mind it had all the right pieces to be totally amazing but they didn't work together for me. I imagine if I read it a few more times I might have a different opinion but the comic had more violence than I care to see again.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vTJa9j1O2n8/S9Tp3WKzZTI/AAAAAAAAACI/ziQOzwYi6Zo/s1600/Kick+Ass-+023.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 257px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vTJa9j1O2n8/S9Tp3WKzZTI/AAAAAAAAACI/ziQOzwYi6Zo/s400/Kick+Ass-+023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464249384960222514" border="0" /></a><br />Still, I'd heard nothing but good things about it so I went in pretty optimistic. And it was pretty epic. Mark Millar always pitches Kick-Ass as "What if real people were super heroes?" and that's kinda what the comic is about but it's really what the movie was about. Maybe it was Aaron Johnson's jew-fro, maybe it was the writing, but I could connect with movie!Dave (the main character) when I couldn't with comic!Dave. I think the humor came across much better in the movie than the comic. Comics are weird in that they're somewhere in between books and movies. You still supply the emotion and much of the delivery but you're still given a visual starting point. In the movie you can just feel the crazy rolling off Nicholas Cage (Big Daddy) and the joy Hit Girl has in what she sees as the best game ever. I just couldn't project that onto the characters in the comic.<br /><br />I mostly know Nicholas Cage from roles like the horribly over the top treasure hunter in National Treasure.<br /><br /><object width="512" height="296"><param name="movie" value="http://www.hulu.com/embed/xbQ5vF1nixXBOUb25w1qRw"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.hulu.com/embed/xbQ5vF1nixXBOUb25w1qRw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="512" height="296"></embed></object><br /><br />However, Cage was absolutely stunning as in Kick-Ass. When I got out of the movie, I told my friend how shocked I was at his preformance she turned and said "Nicolas Cage was in that?". If super heroes were real, this is who Batman would be. He is completely batshit insane.<br /><br />The other star here is Chloe Moretz (Hit Girl). She's a fucking bad ass. And she's 11. There's something kind of awesome about that. In my mind she seems like a more lovable Damien. Born and raised to kill. It's also nice to see a female super hero who isn't sexualized. Obviously at 11 it'd be super creepy but I think it bears mentioning. I cannot think of any other female super (or even action) heroine who has avoided that. It was also nice that Kick-Ass didn't feature any "kidnap the girlfriend" bullshit.<br /><br />The Bottom Line: A funny movie that just happens to have absurd amounts of comic book violence.Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-78925256106348204222010-04-23T10:53:00.000-04:002010-04-23T10:54:45.668-04:00Voluntary Censorship in the Comic Book Industry<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CTara%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CTara%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" 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mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""> </span>Like most industries, the comic book industry has a form of voluntary censorship</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Unlike organizations such as the MPAA film rating system or ESRB, the regulating body in comics does not rate content</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> The Comics Code Authority has guidelines about what is and is not appropriate, if something doesn’t meet those guidelines it can’t be published with the Comics Code Authority’s approval</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> For a period of almost thirty years the Comics Code Authority had carte blanche over what was and was not published in mainstream comics</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""> </span>Dr</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Fredric Wertham was a psychologist who specialized in the causes for violence</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">(seal of approval 88)/ He is best known for his book “Seduction of the Innocent” which triggered a series of events leading to the formation of the Comics Code Authority and beginning of the Silver Age of comics</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> In “Seduction of the Innocent” Wertham argued that comics were corrupting children, driving them to drugs, violence, homosexuality, and other “sexual pervasions”</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> He argued that the violence in crime comics and the neutral or positive depiction of criminals was leading to increased juvenile delinquency</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> The implied homosexual relationship between Batman and Robin was creating homosexual tendencies in what would otherwise be heterosexual children</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Wonder Woman’s, intentional according to her creator, bondage subtext was creating a generation of “sexual deviants”</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> All the scientific research done on these topics has failed to show a link between comics and any of Wertham’s claims (Comic Books)</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""> </span>Despite being a pop science book, “Seduction of the Innocent” created uproar among concerned parents</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> The controversy quickly grew and gave way to calls for comics to be regulated in some way</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> In response, Congress formed The United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency which was technically formed to look into juvenile delinquency, however in reality it was disproportionately focused on comic books</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> The committee was chaired by a senator who was a seeking presidential nomination and hoped to use the uncontroversial committee to gain support</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <span style=""> </span>The hearings were purposely held in a manner that placed proponents of crime and horror comics at a disadvantage</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Main witnesses in defense of the comic industry where often shuffled and questioned in a far more aggressive manner</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> (79) The evidence and witnesses themselves were carefully selected and edited to put comics in the worst light possible</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> In one case, a story about racial violence had the narrator’s captions removed so that it appeared to be condoning the violence instead of the original intent, condemning racism and violence</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""> </span>The comics industry’s blunders resulted in a lot of bad publicity</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <i style="">The New York Times</i> covered the hearings and even gave an article where in a publisher stated that a cover featuring a severed head was in good taste space on the front page</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> At the end of the hearing, the chairman said “[a] competent job of self-policing within the industry will achieve much”</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> The report published by the committee came to the same conclusion</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> It stated that it is the publisher’s responsibility to make sure what was being published was appropriate for its audiences</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> After all the poor publicity, the comics publishers knew they had to take some sort of action</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> So they took the advice of the committee and the majority of comic publishers began adhering to something known as the Comics Code</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> The Comics Code is a set of guidelines that has changed over the years as American values have shifted</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Publishers can submit comics for approval to the Comics Code Authority</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> If the Comics Code Authority found anything that violated the Comics Code, they would mark what changes needed to be made to bring it into compliance</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Among other things, the code banned any mention of words associated with horror stories to the extent that for a long time writer, Marv Wolfman, could not be credited</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Not all publishers choose to submit their comics to the Comics Code Authority, however, most distributors wouldn’t sell comics that lacked the Comics Code Authority’s stamp of approval</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""> </span>Prior to the Comics Code Authority, comic books had a wider variety of genres than are currently common in mainstream comics</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> After the formation of the Comics Code Authority, most horror or supernaturally themed books were cancelled as well as many crime, science fiction, and romance books</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Several publishers went out of business because they choose not to comply with the Comics Code</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> More publishers were pushed out by decreased demand due to the negative connotations the senate hearings had tacked onto comics</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> The result was the beginning of what is known as the Silver Age of Comics</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Silver Age comics are known for their nonsensical plots, harmless villains, and the reemergence of the superhero genre, all of which developed because of Wertham’s accusations and the Comics Code Authority</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Many artists disliked the restrictions of the Comics Code Authority and choose to write “underground comix” that had not be approved by the Comics Code Authority</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Some comic book historians are of the opinion that underground comix are the only thing worth studying from the Silver Age</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> These comics were usually self published and only sold in specialty shops</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> As a result, the comics were almost exclusively aimed at adults</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Not much changed legally or stylistically in the comic book industry after the Comics Code Authority was created until 1971</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> In 1971 Stan Lee, one of the most influential people in the comic book industry, was asked by the United States government to write a story about the horrors of drug use</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Lee wrote a relatively mild story about how Spider-Man’s friend’s drug addiction</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> The drug use was portrayed as dehabilitating</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> However, the three issue arc was turned down by the Comics Code Authority because it featured drugs</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Instead of altering the story, Lee took a risk and asked Marvel to publish it sans Comics Code Authority approval</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Marvel published the Spider-Man story unchanged and it sold well despite not having the Comics Code Authority seal on its cover</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In response to all the public support for the Spider-Man, the Comics Code Authority loosened many of its rules to allow monsters in the “classic literary tradition” and the negative portrayal of drugs, more violent crime, and racism as well as hint at sexual acts</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Despite this, the Spider-Man arc caused the publishers who were still in business to begin questioning their committal to the Comics Code Authority</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> In the late seventies and early eighties, the sale of comic books began shifting from drug stores and newsstands to comic book stores</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> This trend moved underground comix from head shops into comic book stores where they reached a larger, more interested audience</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> As a result, independent comics flourished at the expense of becoming more mainstream and sanitized</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Unlike the underground comix of the 60’s and 70’s, the independent comics that began popping up at comic book stores competed for audiences with comic books from the mainstream publishers</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Mainstream comics were facing dual pressures to become edgier like the independent comics while still adhering to the Comics Code Authority’s puritan regulations</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Under increasing pressure from changing social norms, the Comics Code Authority once again began revising its guidelines in 1989</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> The result was a radically different document than the two previous editions</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> The first two comic codes were lists of things that could not be depicted, the new code was actually a description of things that could not be shown or mentioned so that it would be adaptable to new social conventions that would undoubtedly develop</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> However, during the nineties some mainstream comics began publishing regardless of whether or not they gained approval from the Comics Code Authority</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Many comic books were no longer aimed at children</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Comics made for adults audiences had more adult elements by nature and sold well despite lacking the Comics Code Authority’s seal</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> In 2001, Marvel choose to stop submitting their comics to the Comics Code Authority all together, opting for an in-house rating system</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> DC, the other of the “Big Two” publishers, still submits comics to the Comics Code Authority</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style=""> </span>However, the seal is often displayed in a very subtle way and can easily be overlooked</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The efforts of one man in the right place at the right time completely changed an entire industry</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> If Wertham had not pushed for the creation of the Comics Code Authority the Silver Age of Comics would have been completely different</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> The superhero genre would not have dominated the medium, instead a wide variety of comics would probably still be in existence</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> MAD Magazine wouldn’t have been forced to become a magazine, it was driven out of its comic book format by the Comics Code Authority</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> We could have seen household names like Batman struggle with the themes found in the more radical underground comix</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Even fewer creator-owned projects, like Kick-Ass or Spawn, would exist without the pressure exerted by the Comics Code Authority</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Wertham placed fear into people’s hearts and that fear made the public demand some sort of regulation</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> It forced the comic industry to put together a regulatory system in less than a month and then live by that for several decades</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Today most of the Comics Code Authority’s power is gone, but publishers still submit comics to be approved</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> As long as children exist there will be parents worried about what their child is being exposed to</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> And as long as worried parents exist, the comic industry will continue to censor itself regardless of the power of a little stamp</span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bibliography<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Haugen, David M. <i>Comic Books: Examining Pop Culture</i>. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2005. Print.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Kahan, Jeffrey, and Stanley Stewart. "The Comic Book Code and American F-agg." <i>Caped Crusaders 101: Composition through Comic Books</i>. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland &, 2006. Print.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Nyberg, Amy Kiste. <i>Seal of Approval: the History of the Comics Code</i>. Jackson [Miss.: University of Mississippi, 1998. Print.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Jacobs, Will, and Gerard Jones. <i>The Comic Book Heroes: from the Silver Age to the Present</i>. New York: Crown, 1985. Print.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Wertham, Fredric. <i>Seduction of the Innocent</i>. New York: Rinehart, 1954. Print.<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></p> Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-32731258100068679012010-04-18T00:49:00.003-04:002010-04-20T01:39:46.853-04:00Fashion: Nerd EditionI meant to write something about nerd fashion but instead got distracted and off topic so have a diagram of "alternative style" I drew after playing two rounds of kings:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vTJa9j1O2n8/S8qVrXDJkuI/AAAAAAAAACA/bX3KxX_sV4s/s1600/Snapshot_20100418.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vTJa9j1O2n8/S8qVrXDJkuI/AAAAAAAAACA/bX3KxX_sV4s/s400/Snapshot_20100418.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461342070294287074" border="0" /></a>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-47861413977827514372010-04-17T21:52:00.008-04:002010-04-18T00:24:29.404-04:00Comics Review: Scott PilgrimDue to an unfortunate misunderstand at work, I had an extra hour to kill before clocking in. So I ran over to Books-a-Million and zeroed in on the graphic novel section. Unlike many stores, Books-a-Million has pretty much given up on wrapping graphic novels in plastic to keep people from reading them. So I grabbed the first volume of Fables and headed toward the cafe. One my way I went through the manga section and out of the corner of my eye caught this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vTJa9j1O2n8/S8pnNgyQAiI/AAAAAAAAABg/TP1EZBiZlXg/s1600/ScottPilgrim.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vTJa9j1O2n8/S8pnNgyQAiI/AAAAAAAAABg/TP1EZBiZlXg/s320/ScottPilgrim.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461290979976806946" border="0" /></a><br />I'd been meaning to read it ever since I saw <span style="font-weight: bold;">this</span> totally rad movie poster (featuring Michael Cera):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vTJa9j1O2n8/S8pn-RSd2bI/AAAAAAAAABo/K6KGSGTNe10/s1600/Scott_Pilgrim_vs._the_World_teaser.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vTJa9j1O2n8/S8pn-RSd2bI/AAAAAAAAABo/K6KGSGTNe10/s320/Scott_Pilgrim_vs._the_World_teaser.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461291817630554546" border="0" /></a>So I sit down and try to decide, Fables or Scott Pilgrim? I had less faith in Scott Pilgrim, so I started there figuring that if it sucked I could just set it aside. It took me less than one issue or chapter or whatever they're called to decide I loved this comic. Most comics are propelled forward by the plot. Bruce Wayne meets a woman but then he finds out she is evil! So Batman is forced to fight and accidentally kill/purposely arrest her. This is what Batman does. He doesn't do it cause he's the goddamn Batman, he does it because that's the plot. Scott Pilgrim occasionally does things for the plot, but usually he does things because he's Scott Pilgrim and that's what he does. He dates a high schooler mostly cause he enjoys gossiping with her. He forgets when his birthday is. The story follows Scott Pilgrim as he stumbles through life as a dirty, unemployed hipster. The plot mostly centers on Scott's relationship with his brand new girlfriend (not the high school one), Ramona Flowers, and his attempts at defeating her seven evil exes. O'Malley's wit is spot on. He panders to hipsters while ridiculing them. Sort of like if Questionable Content had continued to make mocking hipsters it's theme but actually had clever writing. And, like most of my favorite things, the characters have conversations that remind me of my own life:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vTJa9j1O2n8/S8qAUEOTIlI/AAAAAAAAABw/tk5TRPLML3E/s1600/013.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vTJa9j1O2n8/S8qAUEOTIlI/AAAAAAAAABw/tk5TRPLML3E/s400/013.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461318580359602770" border="0" /></a>I also greatly enjoyed the random detours in story telling and style. In a later book, O'Malley includes a recipe for vegan shepard's pie (after explaining that none of them are vegan, they "just like being inclusive"). Many times, meters reminiscent of hp bars in older video games are displayed to show things like the need to pee. Here's how he represented our first view of the band's practice sessions (if blogger makes it big enough):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vTJa9j1O2n8/S8qC7wWnJ6I/AAAAAAAAAB4/gryTk1ipH1o/s1600/018-019.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 297px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vTJa9j1O2n8/S8qC7wWnJ6I/AAAAAAAAAB4/gryTk1ipH1o/s400/018-019.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461321461243783074" border="0" /></a><br />Bottom line: If you like hipsters, mocking hipsters, love stories, video games, relationship drama, or slice of life stories you'll like Scott Pilgrim.<br /><br />Similar works: Questionable Content (for hipster relationshit), xkcd (for witty ways of looking at daily life)Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-3265424921152285042010-04-17T01:06:00.002-04:002010-04-18T00:37:02.243-04:00Why the iPad isn't a Kindle killer and we won't see the death of tvMy family now owns a Kindle and an iPad. I got the chance to play around with both this week. The Kindle looked and felt dull and outdated in comparison to the iPad. There's not doubt about that. (The iPad was so shiny. I think it stole my soul.) But my Dad loves his Kindle. I asked if he wished he'd waited for an iPad and with out a pause, my Dad replied in a negative fashion. My Dad thought the iPad was too shiny. Metaphorically blinding. Nope, he'd rather stick with his Kindle. According to him it feels and looks just like a paperback. It's easy to use and he can make the font bigger very simply. The iPad feels weird in his hands, too big and too small at the same time. And the touch screen weirds him out. He accidentally hits things he doesn't mean to and he can't quite get the hang of a touch screen that doesn't rely on pressure. And as far as ebooks go, like many people from older generations, he can't read anything longer than an email on a computer screen. My father isn't a luddite by any means. He was the first internet pirate I ever knew. But I asked him straight up "Do you like the Kindle because it's simple to use and is set up similar to 'older' tech?" and he said yes.<br /><br />My Mother watches the TV show "Bones" religiously. Yet, somehow she managed to miss recording the first episode of this season. Oh, no problem, I told her, you can just watch it on Hulu! This really confused her. I explained that Hulu allows you watch television over the internet. My Mother was shocked and confused so I tried to show her how it worked. But she refused to watch it online. Something about it deeply disturbed her. Maybe the idea of spending an hour in our computer chair, maybe she wasn't ok with NuvaRing commercials, I'm not sure. She didn't want to talk about it. She'd rather miss one of the most important episodes of "Bones" than watch it online.<br /><br />My parents both remember when their families switched from black and white television to color. It was a very different experience that came from a very similar source. The difference in operating a B&W TV vs a color one was minimal. When we switched from cable to satellite (and eventually a dvr service) there was a learning curve. It's a very different experience from a kind of different source. I wasn't used to anything else so I picked it up quick, but my mom still fumbles occasionally. It was once suggested to me (I forget by who/what) that in the near future people will watch things from their television via the internet exclusively. Some people do use the internet to watch television, like netflicks on the xbox. However, your average adult would rather go to Blockbuster than stream something. The experience is essentially the same, but the operation has a completely different mindset.<br /><br />I loved my little brother's iPad. I use Hulu on a daily basis. But no matter how shiny these things are, most people over 40 don't want to have anything to do with them. I expect that by the time I am middle-aged and stuck in my ways, I'll have Multivac in my brain and the intertubes playing on every wall of my house but I'll so not be ok with finally switching to the metric system--I have no idea how far a meter is.Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-44095237901306907172010-04-15T02:18:00.002-04:002010-04-15T02:50:35.394-04:00Mormonism: Media Portrayal<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CTara%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CTara%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" 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Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">The people behind South Park and Avenue Q are writing a musical about Mormons. No doubt we'll be hearing an official statement form the Church about how sinful it is any day now. They have a habit of decrying any depiction of Mormons that doesn't come from within. Often their denouncements show that they have not read or watched the media in question. <a href="http://scriptures.lds.org/a_of_f/1/13#13">The 13th Article of Faith</a> says "If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things." The problem is that my own standards the South Park episode about Mormons was praiseworthy (particularly the end monologue by the Mormon) but if I was a good Mormon I wouldn't have watched it because it was "a gross portrayal" according to the Church. By calling foul on every portrayal of Mormonism they injure themselves more than if they let it go every once in a while. The Catholic Church doesn't shit bricks every time people bring up the Spanish Inquisition, the Mormon Church looses it over History Channel documentaries. The Church needs to stop issuing statements about how they have nothing to do with fundamentalists (i.e. polygamists). The only people who read those press releases are Mormons who know the difference and reporters who might mention how appalled the Church is if news is slow. I don't know anyone under the age of 40 who's been seriously mistaken for a polygamist. And that's the thing, almost every negative depiction of the church in recent days has actually been a negative depiction of a fundamentalist offshoot that practices polygamy (there are exceptions, off the top of my head: Latter Days critiques the Church's stance on LGBTQ matters and the South Park episode mostly made fun of the Church's origins.)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Why does the Church get in such a tizzy about these movies and TV shows? Well there's three reasons that spring to mind. First, an attitude of us verses them encourages solidarity among members. Second, The Church did face serious, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extermination_Order">life threatening persecution</a> from its inception all the way through the 1800's . Third, up until sixty years ago most depictions of Mormons were extremely negative.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">The most negative reaction I ever had to my former religion was from someone who only knew Mormons from Arthur Connon Doyle's "A Study in Scarlet" in which Mormons murder, kidnap, and threaten to marry someone against their will. And this was the way Mormons were represented in pop culture up until about 60 years ago. However, in the time since then we've had many strong, realistic characters. Anyone who follows House remembers Cole, the Black, Mormon, single father, who was the next to last candidate to get eliminated in House's search for new fellows. He was presented as someone who was extremely intelligent, funny, friendly, and willing to momentarily set aside his religious vow not to drink in order to potentially save someone's life. We never doubt that he is extremely devoted to his religion, he attacks House when House enters a prolonged diatribe on how vile Joseph Smith was. Cole was a real, relatable character. For a less positive, yet still very realistic character look at Latter Days, a movie about a closeted missionary who falls for his gay neighbor. The missionary is so ashamed after kissing his neighbor "You found me out, all right? My worst secret. Now I'm humiliated..." When he is sent home, his family will have nothing to do with him and he eventually attempts suicide because of the guilt and pressure being put on him by his church and family. Watching his family reject him made my heart break, I've seen families do this in real life. Latter Days is not nice to the Church, however, unlike its predecessors it is a fairly accurate depiction. Of course, instead of watching this "abomination" of a film, the Church read a synopsis--you can tell because they didn't mention anything that happened in the second half of the movie, the half that shows how badly the Church treats LGBTQ people.
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">It's because of things like the South Park episode that Mormons are no longer showing up as kidnappers in Sherlock Holmes stories. Instead they're pegged as close-minded, conservative, naive, model citizens. Is that such a bad thing? These days people seem to be more interested in mormon's underwear and abstinence from alcohol than their belief that the devil has special power over water, why not keep it that way? So if I were the Mormon Church, I'd say "Bring on 'The Book of Mormon'! We'll be there with pamphlets and smiles! Those motherfuckers'll never know what hit them!"
<br /></span></p><span style="font-size:100%;">For more info on "The Book of Mormon" hit up <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2010/04/14/south-park-creators.html">Boing Boing</a>
<br /></span>Thanks to <a href="http://geojohn.com/">George</a> for the link
<br />Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-50586079713743664352010-04-14T20:54:00.004-04:002010-04-14T21:06:15.107-04:00Facebook: Fan Pages<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vTJa9j1O2n8/S8ZmVqNdZqI/AAAAAAAAABY/KcL31_C4ww0/s1600/Hallie%27s+Pages.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 121px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vTJa9j1O2n8/S8ZmVqNdZqI/AAAAAAAAABY/KcL31_C4ww0/s320/Hallie%27s+Pages.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460164120527333026" border="0" /></a><br />For whatever reason this picture isn't showing up as clear here as it does anywhere else on my computer. If you can't see, this is a screenshot of my dumbass sister's Facebook showing that she is a fan of 1,683 pages. It's kinda ridiculous. You can ignore Farmville but you can't ignore people fanning things. This is the cancer killing Facebook.Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-73223384611404079022010-04-13T01:58:00.003-04:002010-04-13T02:41:26.280-04:00Music Review: Goldfrapp - Head FirstI've listened to Goldfrapp's new album three times. I don't like it.<br /><br />My favorite thing about Goldfrapp is that she doesn't sound like that shit on the radio. Nothing about her says "Pop". Her new album feels like it's straight from a "Best of the 80's" compilation. None of the strong beats or ethereal vocals I associate with Goldfrapp. When Madonna went back to this sort of 80's pop with light, electronic beats in "Confessions on a Dance Floor" it was a step forward. Cause that was when Madonna was at the height of her popularity and making her best music. Madonna also gave the music a modern twist. If "Head First" came on an 80's radio station I don't think you'd be able to tell it apart from all the other power pop love anthems. And unlike Madonna, Goldfrapp's best work came about in the past decade.<br /><br />I often find if I listen to something enough it'll become stuck in my head (see "Tik Tok" by Ke$ha) and often in a good way. However, I doubt that I will be able to listen to "Head First" again of my own free will.Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-83342133355118535582010-04-13T00:37:00.009-04:002010-04-13T01:50:14.894-04:00Politics: Gun Control"People shouldn't be afraid of their government, governments should be afraid of their people."<br />--Alan Moore's V for Vendetta<br /><br />Tonight's Daily Show rubbed me the wrong way. The middle segment was a parody of the prejudice gay couples face when they have PDA, using gun control as a stand in. As always it was very lighthearted and actually much more respectful to the people who were open carriers than The Daily Show usually is to the subjects of their "mockumentaries". It still bothered me. And it bothered me that I was bothered. I had a thought towards the end of the segment along the lines of "When people aren't allowed to open carry in America, well that'll be the day that we really embrace Socialism." Which is so absolutely ridiculous of me. I know that. I just can't help but feel that many laws restricting gun ownership or possession are not quite constitutional.<br /><br />I'll be completely honest: I know nothing about constitutional law and next to nothing about gun laws. I'm one of those obnoxious people who has opinions about things that they know nothing about and probably won't ever affect them. I have no desire to own a gun. However, I have a strong belief that it is important for our Constitutional rights to be upheld and the balance of power to remain on the side of the people. The second amendment gives us the right to bear arms. Some restrictions are understandable. It would be unreasonable to be expected to be allowed to bring a gun into a prison for example. However, it's easy to see a slippery slope argument.<br /><br />The crux of the debate is whether legal access to guns causes or prevents crime. My beliefs here mirror my thoughts on abortion and drugs: if it cannot be legally obtained, it will be obtained by illegal methods that will cause as much if not more harm. Criminals will still be able to get guns. A decade of cop dramas has taught me that if someone intends to use a gun for criminal purposes, they're not going to walk into Wal-Mart and register it anyway.<br />"If we outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns" --Unknown (according to wikiquote)<br /><br />Um, so yeah. Limiting my rights is not cool. And I guess now I know how conservatives feel when they watch The Daily Show.Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-49040743409493304562010-04-11T20:19:00.004-04:002010-04-11T21:23:29.358-04:00TV Review: Justified - Ep 1 through 4Several of my friends started tweeting about something called Justified a few weeks ago. By some sort of osmosis, I learned that it was a show set in Kentucky. And then I had a few spare hours and a DVR with two episodes of Justified on it today. So I grabbed some pizza and sat down on the couch. At the end of two episodes I wasn't sold but was interested enough to hunt down the other two episodes on <a href="http://www.hulu.com/justified">Hulu</a>.<br /><br />My verdict? While it failed to capture the Kentucky I know and grew up in, Justified isn't half bad. It can't seem to decide whether or not it's going for full on southern camp or a cop drama that just happens to be set in rural Kentucky. My main nitpick is that despite being set in the lovely suburban paradise of Lexington, 90% of the show has been in Harlan, a town three hours away. Harlan has more in common with the coal fields of Virginia than most of Kentucky. Even then, the only thing setting this in Kentucky is the assumption that we're all redneck white-trash or obsessed with getting out of Kentucky.<br /><br />Bottom Line: Even though it paints Kentucky in a negative light, Justified is an intriguing cop <span style="font-weight: bold;">drama </span><span>(the laughs are few and far between) with great characters and a lot of potential. Also, I like that hat.<br /><br /><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2010/03/picresized1269337265justified-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 181px;" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2010/03/picresized1269337265justified-2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-11538961317259761182010-04-11T04:29:00.001-04:002010-04-11T04:46:37.905-04:00Book Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://nicolepoliti.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/city_of_bones.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 347px; height: 524px;" src="http://nicolepoliti.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/city_of_bones.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The only reason I read this book was because of Sarah Rees Brennan, author of The Demon's Lexicon. Brennan is better know as "That chick who wrote all that awesome Harry Potter slash fic and is kind of crazy". She is always cavorting about with her YA author friends, one of whom is Cassandra Clare. Since Brennan is constantly comparing the male lead in City of Bones to the male lead in The Demon's Lexicon, I figured I'd give City of Bones a try. The first several chapters feel dull and uninspired, I won't lie. However, as the story progressed I found that I cared deeply about how the book would end, I really wanted to know how all the romantic subplots played out (they're kind of central and not nearly as trite as they first appear), and Clare successfully built an urban fantasy world that felt like it was an actual society, not just magic shit thrown on the page for magic's sake.<br /><br />The basic plot is: Girl's mother is kidnapped by dark lord who is kind of racist against other magical (and non-magical) creatures. Only she can save her mother! (With the help of a group of lovable, moral, teenage warriors of course!)<br /><br />Morals include: Racism is bad, incest is creepy, some people are naturally good at things, don't trust adults, girls should always be aware that their male bff may be madly in love with them and get kinda pissed when she doesn't notice.<br /><br />Bottom Line: A more adult take on the Harry Potter story formula but with much better writing and a more political world. Due to strong language, several makeout sessions, and teenage angst, probably not appropriate for those under 12.Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-60687633119436316352010-04-11T01:46:00.003-04:002010-04-12T20:15:48.400-04:00Mini-Movie Review: The RunawaysIf the sexual tension between Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart wasn't enough reason to see The Runaways, consider this:<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/b1flS8NHkVY&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/b1flS8NHkVY&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Other reasons to see The Runaways?<br /><ul><li>Get to see the crazy shit people wore in public during the 70's</li><li>At one point Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) fills a squirt gun with liquor and uses it as a pool toy.</li><li>Successfully gives lots of "slice of life" clips</li><li>We get to watch Joan teach one of the other girls (not quite sure which) how to masturbate</li><li>Oh and while we're on the subject, that overhyped kiss? Not overhyped in the least. It was seriously awesome, even if they did pussy out and skip them actually having sex.</li><li>Their manager is batshit insane. For realsies.<br /></li></ul>Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2650813309030328163.post-8182738609700625322010-04-09T22:22:00.000-04:002010-04-09T23:08:26.858-04:00Movie Review: Date Night<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.allmoviephoto.com/2010_Date_Night/tn/2010_date_night_007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 100px;" src="http://images.allmoviephoto.com/2010_Date_Night/tn/2010_date_night_007.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I've been looking forward to this movie for quite a while. I figured that with Tina Fey and Steve Carell in the lead, even a worn romcom would be a treat. And to a certain extent I was right. I spent the entire movie thinking "Omigod, omigod, Tina Fey and Steve Carell are the best couple ever!". Seriously. Forget Bella/Edward, Fey and Carell were truly destined to be together. The cameo by James Franco and Mila Kunis (Jackie from That 70's Show) as the trashiest couple ever was absolutely amazing. As was Kristen Wiig's conversation with Tina Fey about her sexual asperations.<br /><br />Unfortunately I found the rest of the movie rather dull. It was mildly amusing all the way through (which makes it better than Cop Out) but rarely made me 'lol'. I think that part of my problem may have been that I old know Tina Fey as Liz Lemon on 30 Rock. So I often found myself thinking "What? Liz would never do that! Oh wait it's not Liz it's...well I'm not sure who she is but she's not the woman I know and love." I doubt that <span style="font-weight: bold;">not</span> watching 30 Rock would've drastically changed my opinion but it certainly wouldn't have hurt.<br /><br />Bottom Line: A mildly to moderately funny movie where Tina Fey and Steve Carrel play two people with no personality who have a night that is inappropriate for kids who aren't in middle or high school.Tarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08546991327699184384noreply@blogger.com0