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You might be interested to know that there's two different kind of posts on this blog: "Thought of the Day" and "Normal". The "Thought of the Day" category is a once-a-day random tidbit, usually a funny video or picture, and the "Normal" is just what you'd expect from a blog like this:
Unicorn-Butterfly Soup.
--Kyle
p.s. the subscription options to the left (psst! <---- that way) reflect the same content options
Today is one of the most patriotic and remembrance-filled days in modern America’s life. It might be seen as cliche to many people, and annoying to large amounts of jaded foreigners, but I like to think it changed America.
Some things for the better, some things for the worse.
But either way, it needs to be remembered exactly for what it was, what happened, and what it means to most Americans.
“V For Vendetta” had the concept right, but the wrong date and for the wrong reasons.
/b/ is turning out to be awesome- I’ve added a “Best of 4chan and /b/” tag, and I’m going to feature stuff from there until I either get bored (unlikely) or don’t have time to poke around there anymore (likely).
This is “America vs. Europe”… and I think it’s true too. Don’t most people describe Europe as “Old World”…?
“Good morning, USA!”
How can Obama not become President? Never in the history of modern America have we had a candidate that was so “of the people”, and such a perfect example of a “normal person” who has a very high chance of being elected.
Let’s review:
Oh, and did I mention he’d be the first Black President? And that I’m about as Republican as you can get?
Thank you. *bows*
Again, this is a topic I’ve avoided recently, not to better understand it, but because I thought it was stupid and would never happen. Oh how I was wrong.
Unless you live in a deep dark hole full of demons, you know there’s a Writers’ Guild strike going on. And that it’s deeply affecting shows that some people probably are more addicted to than a backwater hic to meth.
Why?
From what I understand, and I’m not claiming to either, there are two issues:
Each is actually dependent on the other, so let’s take a look…
Just as stupid.
Money
I read somewhere (not cited) that the average TV writer makes $200k/yr. Oh wow, that’s completely surprising! I thought everyone in Hollywood / LA was poor, and just pretended to be rich and successful, when in reality they are more poor than the average American and totally without any fame. I guess I was mistaken.
Seriously? $200k/yr for writing a season’s worth of TV shows, that ranges from 12-24 episodes, with maybe another show or two? And you’re COMPLAINING? [Edit/Note: my reference of "$200k/yr" was based upon something I read, and meant to link to. I've since lost that link, but I mention it because the number is being questioned by a few people.]
If you’re a writer (also called “authors” in the real world of books), you don’t expect to make alot of money, or be immensely successful. Yes, there is one author out of many who becomes wildly successful (and occasionally very rich) like J.K. Rowlings or Michael Crighton, but you don’t get into “the business” because you want to be rich. The fact that these writers make an absurd amount of money for what equates to a small portion of a book, and is often times just juvenile humor or slightly complex drama, is amazing.
But even more amazing that they feel underpaid.
Hey, guys, guess what? This is J.K Rowling.
You are not her, and never will be.
Distribution
The guys who write NBC’s “The Office” have a video floating around the Internet (Google it) of them complaining about not receiving money for distribution of their media. They mention “webisodes” and “online viewing of episodes”, and not being properly compensated for them.
This is hilarious to me.
Let me get this straight: you’re complaining that not only are you not getting enough money for doing very little amounts of work, but you’re also complaining that you aren’t getting paid for your content being shown in what is a largely ad-free environment?
If you view an episode of “The Office” online (legally), you are shown maybe three 30-second advertisements during the showing, and it’s usually for the same company/product/service. If you view one of their “webisodes” for the show, you get even less advertisement. So, you want to be paid for everytime someone views your work, especially online? How does that even make any sense?
You People Are Stupid
Correct me if I’m wrong, but you (writers) don’t get paid per viewer of your TV show through the normal delivery method (aka TV), do you? I’m pretty sure you don’t because the number of viewers for any given show is one of the most highly argued issues in modern media. So that means you get a lump sum for a certain productivity level.
I will then assume that that amount of money scales based upon both your work output and the overall popularity of the show (from season to season). By the same logic, one would assume that if you write a “series of 10 webisodes” (as the same video references), you get paid more than you would for just a normal season.
Right? That’s what I thought. You guys just can’t accept that, God forbid, your show is viewed any other way than on TV or DVD. May Zeus strike me down if I were to miss an episode, and want to watch it on the network’s website, so I can continue watching your show that I may or may not love so dearly.
Yep, guys, this is you!
Guilds? Is This 1943?
Not only does this whole strike situation piss me off, but it also brings to light one of the worst permutations of a great idea in the history of mankind: a guild/union. A long long time ago, in an America perhaps 60 years ago, they were a great idea. They helped to standardize wages, work conditions, and other critical elements of any job.
But today, they are nothing but a sorry excuse for a group of money-grubbing attention whores. The only time I can remember a strike actually having purpose and legitimacy, during my time of sentience, is the UPS strike (Google it). This writers’ strike is not an example of good intentions or purpose, just like when labor unions band together to increase how much the standard plumber charges you to show off his ass.
New Media
The world of “new media” is here, so get over it. Blogs, videoblogs, webcams, webisodes, TV on the Internet, and others are not going anywhere, no matter how much you want them to “go gently into this good night”. The “old media” companies are having a hard enough time adjusting as it is (online episodes, Internet-distribution of media, etc.), without you causing them any more problems.
If you like making everyone’s future absolute Hell, keep it up. Maybe we can make a revision to the DMCA where no-one is allowed to distribute anything on the Internet, ever, without paying someone royalties.
Yeah, because that has worked out so freaking well to the music industry, hasn’t it?
[I'm not the only one who thinks this way... see what Micheal Eisner and Jon Stewart think]
The BBC seems to think that America is experiencing a “phase” of Atheism, and that we are supposedly the “most religious country in the world.” There’s a few things wrong here…
The BBC
Does it seem weird to anyone else that the BBC, a most-definitely non-American news source, is reporting on one of the hardest things to track… inside America? Something tells me their Canadian/British point of view might have skewed things a little bit, especially considering we kicked the Union Jack to the ground a long time ago…
Religion
American Duality
I’m not going to assume that the rest of the world knows this, but within America people are more than aware of the dual nature of things, and the ability to create smoke-and-mirrors like no other culture, country, or organization. Why is this important? All children are brought up in America knowing the Pledge of Allegiance, which includes the phrase “One Nation, Under God”, and seeing the phrase “In God We Trust” on our currency. And yet, these same children are also taught of the innate separation of Church and State, and the importance of that dynamic.
Many Americans pride themselves on being able to say one thing, and do another… this is a perfect example. While we claim that America is not affiliated with any religion, think about the religious preferences and other characteristics of our current and past Presidents. One phrase comes to mind: “WASP” (or a slight permutation of it).
Religion
There are more religions inside the boundaries of America than I can even count; some of them aren’t even real (*cough* Scientology *cough*). With so many choices, it would be hard to pin a certain religion to any group of people, especially when you consider that many Americans “believe in God” but don’t associate themselves with a specific church or religion, and may not attend any services/gatherings.
Difference of Generation
It’s widely known that today’s younger generations (15 - late 20’s), across the world, have been radically changing behaviors and ideas that were previously accepted the de facto standard. Asia is a good example of this, with the lessening importance on their past culture and a greater focus on Americanization.
Now, consider statistics you may find on atheism/agnosticism. What you should discover is that there exists the typical pockets of “non-believers” in the science/engineering/academic sectors, but that there is an interesting correlation … today’s teenagers and young adults believe in God (or some equivalent) substantially less than previous generations.
Why?
(There are no real reasons you can define for this, so I’ll just provide my own personal speculations, which may or may not be valid.)
With the advent of technology and a greater awareness of science, those involved statistically don’t believe in a higher being. Considering the rate of adoption for technology in the younger age groups, this is a valid point to consider. Does an understanding of how a computer works lead to a disbelief in God? Or does the understanding of DNA, and the science behind evolution?
Not only does science/technology seem to play a great role in this, but perhaps a mere factor of “time” as well. Between video games, school, the Internet, friends, sports, etc. an American’s time is very much divided… and sitting with a group of people in a room or building being, for all intents and purposes, silent may be seen as a waste of time, or not an efficient use. Church is no longer just “boring” but it “doesn’t fit” into their schedules.
Evolution has long since outpaced Creation.
Future
I’m not arguing that religion has disappeared from America’s horizons, but instead suggesting that it may do so in the near future. Analysts have suggested that when my generation matures in 20 years there may be significant changes in things currently taken for granted… can religion be one of these? We all expect to have computers implanted in our heads, cellphones in our ears, and other such technological advancements.
Where is the room for a belief in a controlling supernatural force?
I heard earlier today that Stephen Colbert has announced his candidacy for President in at least his favorite state. And it confused me.
What?
Don’t get me wrong, I like Colbert. He’s a funny guy, and his over-the-top TV persona allows him to do and say things that wouldn’t be allowed otherwise (even on ComedyCentral). The problem with this entire situation is that Jon Stuart used to joke about running for President, and Colbert has been using that as a running joke for a long time… until now.
Sound familiar?
I’m not sure if this announcement was real, or a continuation of the same joke, albeit to a very big extension. It’s hard to determine, because his chosen state confirmed they would allow him to run on the ballot, and yet…
Personality
Let’s pretend for a minute that Colbert is actually going to run for President. Does he run as his TV persona, or the actual Stephen “T.” Colbert? This presents a very large and real problem to the voting public, because unless it’s clarified he could be perceived as a staunch Republican (TV persona), or a staunch Democrat (reality).
18 to Late Twenty-something Voting Demographic
Remember how you always hear about only a small percentage of the able voters actually voting? One of the largest complaints is that “18 to Late Twenty-somethings” don’t typically vote. Consider that generally accepted statistic, and then think about who watches “The Colbert Report”. Notice anything?
If Colbert were to actually run across the country, and the said demographic votes similar to how they watch TV, he would have a large chance at winning (I believe). With as many candidates as there are (and the subsequent voter division), along with the votes he could get, he would make it past the primaries. The question then becomes: would whoever his opponent would be have enough voting power behind them to win?
“We’d vote for him!”
Reform
Regardless of which persona platform Colbert were to run on, something tells me he would present welcome change and reform to modern politics. He’s young and well liked. He doesn’t have a history of political involvement. He was never a Senator. He hasn’t campaigned and wasted alot of money, meaning he has no ties to corporations when elected. The result is a type of President that hasn’t been seen since (dare I say it?) Lincoln, hopefully without the assassination.
My Vote
I would vote for Colbert. Most of the people I know within 10 yrs. of my age would as well. I’m a Republican, but would vote for him even were he to run as “real him” Democrat.
Future President!
I hope he runs, I really do. As much as I’d like to see a strong Republican in the office, for many reasons I won’t get into, it’s not realistic because of the current economic, political, and military climate. Which is why I will be most likely voting for…
Obama. He’s the Democrat that even Republicans like, and definitely a
better alternative than Ms. Blowjob. Unless Colbert runs, of course.
Yeah, I’m just kidding.
The concept of mass transit is one that has been shown to be mildly successful within a certain demographic, but not what it’s really intended to be. And the future, as many people see it, is supposed to be path free for travel (aka no roads or rails), since we’re going to be using some sort of flying car / teleporting / personal transport device. So why would these people bother?
No Customers
Europe is fond of their railway system. Disney is fond of their monorail system. Certain cities are fond of their electric railway system. But a country-wide method of transportation via suspended rail will never be popular… just look at Amtrak. As soon as planes became a valid way of transport, railroads went into a steep decline. Nowadays, Amtrak is used for certain commuter travel (like from Baltimore, MD to Washington D.C.), but most people avoid long trips on it, and for good reason. Why would you spend 3 days traveling between American coasts, when you can easily do it in 6hrs. by plane?
Cool in Europe. Us cowboys are too cool for trains.
Yeah, Too Much Money
Despite the problem of attracting customers, there’s another major problem: structure. Yes, it’s great that the idea for this new system involves using the body of unused planes as the train cars… but how about building and maintaining a huge network for these to run on? Modern rail systems are relatively easy to maintain… you just nail a new rail in when it’s required. Now, imagine that, but upside down. Yeah, not so easy or inexpensive, is it? Especially when the trains will be going considerably faster than they do when in a normal ground-based configuration…
The skies are definitely too open to be probable for travel in the future.
Replacing Cars? I Think Not.
Here’s another one to tickle your thought process… they claim it’s the “solution” to the problem of highway congestion and pollution by cars. Right. Will there be a stop at every street corner? Will there be a stop at every place that people will want to go? That’s what I thought, Ms. Einstein, there won’t be. And until there is a stop/boarding location for any form of mass transit, it will never become immensely popular for the pure reason that people still have to get to and from that location, and it’s not worth the effort if you can bypass going there and waiting for another vehicle to take you to somewhere else.
I can’t wait until there’s one of these right outside my door…
Shadows of Light
Something tells me that the average homeowner that lives in the suburbs is not going to want a giant shadow cast over their house from a suspended monorail system, let alone all the noise and other things associated with it. If Average Joe and Average Veronica don’t like having a bus stop on their street corner, what makes you think that a GIANT SUSPENDED TRAIN is going to be any better?
Stupid
Thanks, I’m glad I took the time to read about your great idea. Maybe someday I’ll ride on this visionary suspended monorail system, sell my car, and never take a plane anywhere again.
More likely than trains, you Communist wannabe.
Just kidding, because this will never happen. Way to go, minds of America! Instead of solving current problems, you try to replace them with idealistic solutions that only a small child and a homeless man could love!
As you may have noticed, the music industry has been shaking up lately thanks to Radiohead, Madonna, Jamiroqai, and Oasis… along with The Pirate Bay and TorrentSpy, of course.
When will this end? When will the RIAA realize it’s performing an exercise in futility, cut losses, turn tail, and go home (metaphorically speaking… or am I being serious…)? There’s a couple answers in this “perplexalation” (I just made that word up, and I’m going to use it daily).
Seriously. That’s their company slogan.
Big Names
For the recording industry to truly fall apart, there needs to be bigger artists to sign on to this. I don’t have a link to it, but Nine Inch Nails did all of this months ago. Now Radiohead and Madonna, two artists who are in very different genres and speak to different people, have jumped on the bandwagon. Who’s next? It’s hard to say. Many up-and-coming bands already do the online album “thing” from their MySpace pages, and (as I wrote about a few days ago) Prince gave away his latest album as well.
So let’s do the tallying of the artists’ categories:
Notice anything? Two of the most popular genres in the country are missing: Rap/Hip-Hop and Country.
One of the reasons the RIAA hates the Internet.
Rap
I honestly believe that for the recording industry to fall, it will have to be a fight across all fronts. That being said, I have a hard time believing that artists within this specific circle will give away their albums for free, or resort to some other non-label methods. Why? Maybe I’m wrong, but when the songs you make are typically about how much money you have, how you spend it, how hardcore you are, and how you are “legit” now that you’re on a label… that doesn’t exactly scream “I’m progressive”.
Artists that are respected by those outside the rap community have a large sway in both directions, and so there is a chance this can happen. Jay-Z, Kanye West, 50Cent, and Eminem are the few handful of names known in households around the country… they are the ones who will have to innovate (Jay-Z is notorious for being creative and innovative, so I fully expect his participation soon).
Country
I don’t know much about country, but something tells me if one artist starts on the RIAA destructowagon, they all will. Perhaps that’s just my predjudice against music that sounds the same no matter who it comes from, and a lack of change or innovation in the genre for the last 25 years, but who knows. Maybe they’re all secretly geniuses waiting to spring their supreme intelligence on the world.
Why The RIAA Is Retarded
Seriously? Suing your clientbase for being interested in your products? Didn’t the MPAA give that up years ago, and let the movie pirating market over in Asia take it’s course? And I seem to recall reading somewhere that movies like Spider-Man and Harry Potter have had the greatest box office sales in history?
Yes, Mr. 1982. Yes, it is.
The RIAA needs to give up. I haven’t bought a hand-on-plastic CD in at least 6 years. This all started with Napster, and will not be ending any time soon, no matter how many people have an illegal lawsuit brought against them via spying and something akin to wiretapping. Apple realized that the market for digital music sales was huge, waiting to be discovered… look at where iTunes has gone. Amazon just got in the game. Smaller bands/artists now sell their songs individually through their websites.
Do you really need any more evidence?
Goodbye, Cruel World
I’m hoping that the lawsuits The Pirate Bay has filed in Sweden against the major labels gets traction. When companies are illegally mining for your personal data through networks, and then suing you based on it… yeah, that needs to be stopped. Just because you have alot of money doesn’t mean you can stomp on the face of a 9 year old girl who may not know exactly what’s going on.
How the RIAA finds you. Bad person!
Metallica has a new album coming out in the Spring (supposedly). Wouldn’t it be the greatest irony of all time if it were released through the internet, and not a label… repenting for their past sins of attacking their fans? I hope so.
Apparently, President Bush (America…duh) and President Fox (Mexico) read my blog. Why? Read this.
Does that remind you of a little post over… here?
