One of the so-called rules of writing, or journalism specifically is to hit hard. Hit hard in the context of stating something bold and build your story from there. Don't take the blank sheet of paper, or the computer screen lightly. Well, here it goes. IM WILLING TO PAY MORE TAXES.

    In fact, tax me another 10%. So many of the "righties" scream horrific, bloody murder because the president is moving forward with the very agenda that he put forward during the election. Look, I love money as much as the next guy. I do. I love to buy stuff with it. I need it. All of that being said, I am 100% behind an agenda that will reinvest in what is great about America. The republican brain-trust speaks so reverently about "American's can do anything" if that pesky government keeps their hands off of them. A nice principle in theory. Seriously, so you believe that all business should go unregulated because man in business is inherently more just than man in government? The problem with any organization is people, and poor leadership. The greed and incompetence of man are the most pernicious forces known to us. A great leader can inspire men to believe in themselves, and aspire for greatness. A poor manager can demoralize the engagement of the people. Our forefathers loved this country, no doubt about it. They believed in it when there was nothing but hope. They inspired man to work together for the greater good of a people, which became a community, which became a nation. Their vision saw a world like ours, not unlike the evils of monarchies and dictatorships, but one where power consumed man. Then man consumed everything. That's why they provided us a democracy that had competitive branches of government. This very juncture, where one party rules all is a product of years of Republican degradation and greed. Years of torture is for our safety, and government incompetence is tantamount to effective government because it's less.

    The righties believe in "rewarding hard work" which again sounds greeeeeeeat! Anyone can get behind that. It is an oversimplification of what hard work actually is, and how it can be measured. Hard work can be conflated with greed, and fraud. Hard work, by some, is only reflective in the amount of zeros in their paycheck. "Hard Work" in this context can be inherited, it can be stumbled upon. It is a principle that ultimately weakens our country. In fact, I believe that it limits creativity of both the individual, and of the less fortunate. Genius and talent can be a blessing bestowed on any person. Sometimes these people can overcome their circumstances. And in some cases they take their talents, and apply it to something subversive to both themselves and the world. This is not a socialist principle. The worst of our inner demons get the best of us, and we sometimes only see the worst cases of what happens with altruism. We see the opportunists and free loaders as the representation of government funded programs. I am in absolute agreement here and find myself to be a major proponent of reform in welfare, and Medicaid. It's truly baffling to me to only look at what it says on the calculator of what percentage of income goes to the government. In some cases it can be excessive, and of course there should be breaks for the enterprises that move America forward. Energy independence and green energy, and companies that maintain a majority American workforce should be given a break. But this maniacal idea that the 90's era tax code is the end of times for America is damn right selfish. In most cases those that are trumpeting these calls for revolution were the most influential and supportive voices behind the president, and his mismanagement of the war, and the billions of dollars that were squandered so carelessly. They don't have a problem that a Bush lead government failed to recognize the expense of the war in the national budget, and spent more money than any president ever. Here we are nation building and pumping money in "no bid" contracts for the American war machine both internally and private in a country that doesn't want us there. Yet this president says he wants to be aggressive, and put money back into infrastructure. How American is that? Everyone says what's great about America is the ingenuity of its people. Why not invest in that? The abyss of debt that we are currently in is not Barack Obama's fault. He was given a starting point of debt that was insurmountable under the current course. Kind of like the usual college kid that graduates in the 21^st century. Even like a man or woman, or child that has no choice of the defects deep inside their body that they are unable to pay for the care that is required. But trillions of dollars pumped into the wars of lies, and deception, it's okay—put it on our American Express.

Friday Night Lights--Who said television can't be good?

“Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t LOSE.”
Coach Taylor

If you’re not watching Friday Night Lights on NBC, either by DVR or live, and you watch television—you are missing something extraordinary. It is a seldom and fleeting feeling to be inspired by a television show, and then to sit down and write about it. Even rare moments have to happen. So goes my last fifteen minutes immediately after turning off the television and walking up the stairs.
The show is based off of the much acclaimed book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by HG Bissinger. It was then adapted into a lackluster movie that banked off of the success of Billy Bob Thorton. Typically, I take the time to read the book before the movie but I didn’t in this case. Upon watching the movie, it seemed irrelevant and tired from the overused “ideas” of what a football movie was supposed to be. The actors didn’t quite bring the characters to life in a way that we truly sympathized for them. A large part of what draws people to sport’s movies is the nostalgia of it all, the moments that seem so far in the distance that we can vaguely capture the essence of what it felt like to be larger than life within our limited imaginations. So we leave it to the artists and writers to retell our epic stories of gridiron glory. The sad ballad of forty-something’s sitting around the bar reminiscing hyperbolized stories of greatness. Only those that have really played the game, or any game for that matter, can forget the day they last wore the jersey. Part of the sadness of football is that when you do take off the pads, you really don’t ever get to wear them again.
In the third telling of the story Peter Berg does so with an intricately measured stroke and a larger canvass. He’s been afforded this opportunity for three seasons largely due to the critical success of the show. My hope is that everyone will give it a chance, and see what this show has achieved that so many others have tried to fabricate. Berg has accomplished a triumph of the human spirit, however, he does so without prejudice of what’s been stumbled through before in pursuit of a spike in ratings. He does it with an artist’s sensibility, and the reverence of a veteran.
The show focuses on a group of primary characters closely typecast after the original players but with profound dimensions. The heart of the shows cast is the coach’s family. Coach Eric Taylor played by Kyle Chandler has some of the show best moments. He plays the part so genuinely that he captivates you with his passion for the “boys” and his family. He manages to school the Academy Award winner whose version was flawed by overwrought gravitas. We couldn’t feel what he felt. To us, he was just a coach that tried to be more. Chandlers coach is a father, and a husband who is a great coach.
The supporting cast is well placed, and has a more authentic version of themselves than their big screen counterparts. The superstar quarterback, Jason Street, from season one has some particularly touching moments. The boastful and flashy running back grows on you as he takes his journey through the show. The second-string quarterback, Matt Saracen, is a younger version of the coach whose acting chops get better as his character progresses. His struggles with his home life seem to eclipse anything that could happen in a game, but in Texas this isn’t the case. The feckless loaner played by Tyler Kitsch, Tim Riggins, is portrayed more accessibly and vulnerably than most rebel’s-without-a-cause. Connie Britton, who is also in the movie, plays Mrs. Taylor who clearly is the “good angel” on the Coaches shoulder and clearly marks her territory throughout the show with some of its most effusive moments.
The cast is large and sprawling, and I can’t give you a rundown of every character. I don’t want to cheapen the magic of the show, and the affect that each and every character has on you. I believe that if you give this show a chance, you will see that the critics aren’t wrong. It is a sad fact that this show is on the proverbial chopping block this season. It is unfortunate that we have to trade quality for lame competitions and B-List celebrity versions of a show that should have been cancelled years ago. Please give Lights a chance to entrance you with quality story telling through the eyes of a cast and creator that do so in earnest.
*I would recommend renting the DVDs first, but to save the show we would have to skip and come back.

Childish Things

What really gives me pause are the Savages, Limbaughs, Boortzs, Oreillys, and Hannitys of the world. They act as if they have a clean slate. As if they have a monopoly on perfection and integrity. I know it’s lonely on the top but this is ridiculous. I watched the press conferences, and some of the town halls. I’ve listened to the vacuous dialogue that has followed afterwards. The bravado that the Dick Cheney’s, and Karl Rove’s have shown in the aftermath of their disastrous tenure amazes me. The artificial stance that they’ve taken that government has no place in the private sector just to sound principled is amazing. Especially considering the most expansive use of government and executive power in the history of the United States the past 8 years. I believe that they fail to recognize that they are implicit in their contribution to the worst economic downturn in decades like the kids that broke the vase and ran out of the room. All of this is true. American’s voted unanimously to move away from this so-called “hands off” approach to government although it was nothing resembling “hands off”. Wake up America.
Barack Obama’s administration is barely out of it’s first two weeks and they are calling him a liar and cheat. The “Shop-Lifter in Chief” I heard the other day. Bush’s projected 3-trillion dollar war, however, is somehow more dignified an expense because if you didn’t support it you were unpatriotic. He sold us bumper sticker philosophy “They Hate us for Our Freedom” and “Your either with us or against us.” The cost of this to our international perception was decimating. All of this pales in comparison to the human cost. Obama believes in a philosophy that government is inherently as good as the people that govern. He reveres the Kennedy’s, and the FDRs. We knew that going into the election. As much as others wanted to paint him as this mysterious terrorist, yet they act surprised when he brings a pro-spending agenda. Politicians are such drama-queens. They sensationalize every blunder, and hyperbolize every action and it’s sickening (this goes for both sides).
It’s a world that we have created, exasperated by the Bush Administration and consumed by so many political hacks (like myself) like junk-food. Unfortunately, it’s not only bad for you it matters. It matters in every way because it divides us. We will not move forward. We will not progress without cooperation. The sad thing we all know this but are unable to concede anything. It’s either liberal or conservative. Sometimes Socialist or Fascist. The government panacea or almighty free-market ingenuity and nothing else.
Stop listening to the entrenched and listen to who matters. The loudest one in the room is always heard but is rarely right. He can’t remove the passion to make an objective decision. See what really amazes me is that the most staunchest of Republican’s swear by the free-market. Just this fall they claimed the economy was sound. Some consider any government interference to be an act of blasphemy. Yet they fail to recognize that any process requires the meddling of man. If I’m wrong, please enlighten me. The market supposedly self-corrects itself as this perfect organism. I recognize government as flawed, and full of corruption. But so is the private sector. I think the rub is that government, although accountable to the public, is ran by a majority that is apathetic. Government is rarely newsworthy to the middle, and useless to the extreme. Useless in the way that it only matters to the spin-masters and opinion makers. Then the parochially minded eat it up when they are in agreement. When it’s packaged as an affront on their deepest values. It plays to the worst of our prejudices.
Obama has gone out of his way to hear the other side of the argument. Even though it’s slanted by the right as conniving and dirty. They take some poor judgements by his team and frame it as typical “Chicago politics” or “Blago-tics” (after the infamous impeached Illinois governor). They fail to give credit to Obama to doing one thing that Bush never did, and in the first few weeks of his administration for that matter. He took credit for a mistake. Can any of you name one former Secretary of the Treasury? I can’t, except Paulson. I’m actually for the nominees stepping down. (For what it’s worth). I understand why Obama doesn’t denigrate them and dismiss them, and it’s not because he is a corrupt Blago-clone.
The vast majority of us have no real understanding of the economic crisis. We all have someone else’s idea, and most likely an oversimplification of the theory (myself included). Let’s give the man a chance to do what he was voted to do. I understand the microscope that is being applied. I actually applaud it but the dialogue coming out of it is disappointing in substance. It doesn’t move things forward. It’s political protectionism in the disguise of patriotism. It’s Obama’s move, let him have it. If he fails, it’ll be his and his side to take the fall. No more political grandstanding . We need leadership, and leadership comes with a great responsibility and accountability.




“We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things.” Barack Obama

Frustration

Okay so I’ve had enough. I sit in my car and listen to the inflected bloviation on talk radio. I’ve read opinion after opinion on Obama, and the economy. It’s not like I can wax impartiality, but I’ll try.
The real problem I have of the criticism from the for-profit opinion makers Neil Boortz, Michael Savage, and other incarnations (and I’m aware that there are plenty on the left too. . .) Is their myopic perspective on the administrations agenda. They perpetuate ideas that strike fear in the American people not out of principal but on cliche’s. Boortz claimed that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan is nothing but a valentine from Obama to the special interests group. That his first major act of his presidency is a payoff to those that got him elected. (He forgets that Obama’s record breaking haul was primarily funded by $200.00 or less individual donations) Michael Savage is throwing out fears to his hysteric audience that the wool has been pulled over our eyes and that Obama’s first major television interview taking place on an Arabic news channel should be a “red flag” of sorts. Rush Limbaugh had an Ann Coulter moment this week when he claimed that he hopes that “Obama fails”. (Probably good for his ratings) I don’t see how this criticism is in anyway constructive. How does an impetuous comment by these blowhards equate to honest dissent. This is nothing but a spill over of the sour milk sentiment since the election. These criticisms don’t discuss the merit of the decision, the content of the measure, or the intentions of the man. This is the very thing that has expanded the schism in America during the Bush Administration. The “Great Decider” was not a president that believed in a unified country. It was his way or the highway. This is not the behavior of a leader, and I never once heard the blowhards condemn his divisive management style. Progress is made through dialogue, not entrenched opinions manifested in yelling louder to validate the view.
Another problem I have with the post-election America is the belief that Obama only won the election because he was black. That the electorate that voted for him made the uninformed decision because of an “identity politics”. People forget the 2004 election where Bush was put over the top by the “gay marriage” ballot box. People play dumb when they suggest that Bush didn’t play religious politics to put him over in both elections. People forget that racism is still a force in this country and that some voted against Obama because of this bigotry. People forget that black is still the minority. So the truth of the matter is that Obama’s skin color was a factor, but not the lopsided one that is suggested. There’s this video being circulated of an African American woman claiming that she was voting for Obama because she didn’t want to pay her mortgage. Like this video doesn’t have a multiplicity of counterparts against Obama arguing some other absurdity.
I think that Obama hasn’t surprised any of us with the closing of Guantanamo, his funding of hospitals that perform abortions, his focus on changing emission and fuel-standards for cars (shoot, we’ll own them before long), and his push to get the stimulus package in place. The Bush Administration gave $350 billion dollars to the crooks in Wall Street. Some of these companies in dire straits have spent money on corporate retreats, executive bonuses, and the most recent a $50 billion dollar luxury jet by Citigroup. All of this kind of makes me feel dirty.
So far, the oath of office redux notwithstanding, I think he’s led with a cool head and a focus on bipartisanship. His commitment to transparency, and communication has been well received by both the left and the right. I don’t claim to know the future of the economy with or without stimulus. I’d rather leave that in the hands of the man that holds the full accountability on how it is spent and ultimately the effect. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that patriotism isn’t who’s the better Republican or Democrat. We are all in this together, and our diversity of views is what makes us great. Let’s put democracy to work, be open-minded, and remember that progress is only made when we further the dialogue.

"A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half-slave and half-free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved - I do not expect the house to fall - but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other."

Abraham Lincoln

Let the "Change" Begin

The very things that we hate about politics, and the same very things that they deny complicity-they do again. This whole Illinois Senate seat debacle has went from joke, to impasse, to political theater, to “small hurdle” (Sen. Harry Reid). Is it a need to keep the ratings up on the political news shows? It certainly amps up the talk radio hosts, and that’s always great for the ride to work. The sad thing is that it’s much more devious than that customarily.
Personally I am at odds with the lack of moral rectitude (that was dubious from day one) and the ability to stop playing to the audience for what they call in the sports entertainment industry a “cheap pop” or playing to the crowd. Then, without disappointment, they reposition themselves as if there isn’t a record of their previous stance. Harry Reid has the constitution of a paper mache’ and the political shrewdness of a court jester. I am at my wit’s end with that hack, and we need to start holding these people accountable for these public displays of incompetence and the impropriety of duty.
This could be my naivete, and the “political” equivalent of getting your hands dirty-but it doesn’t purify the deed. It is in my hopes that the “change” will come, and assuage these loathsome acts of self assent.

“The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.”

Oscar Wilde

The Ballad of Woodrow Wimbley

I walked forward through the aisle at the book store. Many hours of previous days have passed me unknowingly and often while I perused the catchy titles, and today’s no different. Each one appears to say the same thing differently, and nothing of import. “Next in line,” the sale person says at the cash register. The one customer addressed constituted the “line”. A lot of political books, and novelty types lined the shelves after failing to catch the needed attention during the election and holiday season. I turned the corner looking at the display on the end cap. No banner or guidance necessary, these books were all about turning your life around. The bright, not so illustrious titles were printed across the foreheads of some celebrity or guru with a knowing smile on his or her face. Some of the books were about the body, and the others about the mind. Don’t forget the soul I thought, or have you already cashed that in? There they are, a whole section on how to save your soul. Through various forms of spiritualism. Staving off despondency, I followed my feet to the in-store café for a coffee.
I collected my coffee, and myself and took a seat to maneuver through the thick haze that had encumbered my thoughts. The conversations varied from idle chatter, to the economy. I have trouble wrapping my head around it myself. If I was like my father, I would’ve burdened the two ladies behind me with my opinion on when the economy would turn around. But I’m not my father. For the good of both of us. . .
The coffee did little to raise my spirits, or my alertness yet I persisted. I considered a pastry, although not usually my thing. I was looking for some catalyst of inspiration. For this, I’m indiscriminate and adventurous which works well together. The old standbys were not available. A movie that I hadn’t seen already, or a friendly face from the past. A girl talking into her earpiece and her maddening laughter shook me from my discontent, and propelled me away from the seating area, and out of the store.
I walked the sidewalks covered by the breeze-way, still sipping my coffee in earnest. The parking lot was largely vacant securing me my nearby parking place, even though I usually don’t mind the walk. Even in the cold rain, I like to take in the atmosphere. My form of spiritualism in the morning I guess. I wandered ahead, considering the perfect context to put my present state of mind within and despite my general understanding of it–I was ineffective.
My thoughts wove everywhere from the woebegone economy, the insipidity of the grind, and the general degradation of the very idealism that defined myself a decade ago. No matter how many rungs I ascend on the ladder, will it be enough? I’ve asked myself that question time and time again.
If you hazard the arduous task of turning over enough stones, one can find inspiration in the human condition. Some days they present themselves more abundantly, and others they are scarce. In times when the world is suffering, and times get tough, during wars and depression, and bouts with overwhelming doubt people reflect those sentiments back on others. Then there are those that repel those ideas, and forge ahead. Heroes of the good fight. Torchbearers for progress. Battle weary believers of the kindness in humanity that never say no. Some have sold their experiences in hopes of turning a profit, or furthering an agenda. I passed a few of these charlatans walking the crowded corridors in the book store. It’s hard, even for the discerning to sift through these exertions on credulity. These byproducts of hope.
My phone rang, jerking me back into reality (I must find a less officious ring-tone). “Hello, I said.” Later, I now consider the familiar yet new trails I blazed in my mind. Then I qualified them against the metrics of reality. I always hated math, yet the answer for this one doesn’t seem so complex nor encouraging.

“Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.”
Ernest Hemingway

“Why so Serious?”
The Joker

"In life you have to do a lot of things you don’t fucking want to do. Many times, that’s what the fuck life is… one vile fucking task after another."
Al Swearengen

Faustian Bargain

It’s not as if I just crawled out of the rabbit hole, but seriously. . . I am beginning to believe that the world doesn’t really want the truth, or even something flimsily representing the truth. Everyone wants to feel better. Everyone wants to be corroborated and have their ignorance, I mean egos massaged. We have become lazy, and friendly with political subterfuge. All in the name of shiftless comfort.
John McCain was a good Presidential candidate in 2000. He truly was a maverick, and a man of the people. I probably would’ve voted for McCain in 2000 if he was the alternative to W or even John Kerry. Then this happened. “John McCain took the New Hampshire primary and was favored to win in South Carolina. Had he succeeded, he would likely have thwarted the presidential aspirations of George W. Bush and become the Republican nominee. But Bush strategist Karl Rove came to the rescue with a vicious smear tactic. Bush would deny any wrong doing in the attacks, but never denounced them as a tactic of his supporters. Rove invented a uniquely injurious fiction for his operatives to circulate via a phony poll. Voters were asked, ‘Would you be more or less likely to vote for John McCain...if you knew he had fathered an illegitimate black child?’ This was no random slur. McCain was at the time campaigning with his dark-skinned daughter, Bridget, adopted from Bangladesh.” (Anna Banks, The Nation) Bush never accepted fault, apologized, nor denounced these tactics. Additional “Whisper Campaigns” pushed by Rove and Charlie Condon (Condon now works for McCain) were that Cindy McCain was a drug addict and that McCain was psychologically unstable. These tactics have now been employed against Barack Obama and his relationships, positions, and record. These tactics that are the equivalent of noise, and red herring.
McCain’s political stance in 2000 is diametrically opposed to the man that presents himself today in 2008. He could actually run against himself. The maverick, the bane of the neo-conservative movement has been for alternative fuels, against off-shore drilling and still against drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), believed in man generated Climate Change, believed that the Bush tax cuts were immoral, against Guantanomo torture, and for immigration reform. By the way, he’s changed his mind on all of these. He is half the man that he used to be. It’s not just a talking point, he is no different than the man in the office. You line up their positions, and when juxtaposed they are in agreement. (Actually 90% agreement)
So we see a changed game since Sarah Palin, and it can be similar to a rabbit hole experience. The message is still the same, but now theirs someone prettier to deliver it. The very criticism of Obama and his lack of experience and celebrity-like draw is the very genesis of the Sarah Palin experiment. An inexperienced governor with puffed up credentials, who was selected not because of her achievement but her gender. Her experience pales in comparison to the usual suspects that have been on the republican stage over the past few months. No one wants to give Obama credit for running a successful campaign against the biggest brand name in democratic politics who actually won more democratic votes. They forget that he has been subject to endless scrutiny, character assassinations, and a grueling campaign. He’s not just joined the fight like Palin. Palin doesn’t deserve the credit that she’s getting as if she’s achieved what Hilary Clinton did in her 18 million votes. All she has is a speech.
Now McCain, who has sold his soul to neo-conservative politics of war profiteering and rogue nationalism laced with a religious agenda to bring in the republicans that won’t benefit from their tax code. His selfless sacrifice to his country, that many upon many of better men than me have also endured has been exploited by the darkest-Karl-Rove-segment of his party. The wool over our eyes is that McCain has failed to tell us what he will do differently than his Republican party brother George W. Bush. What he has focused on is to tell us that Obama is a “tax and spend liberal” and misrepresenting his policies. I just received a letter from some family members stating the differences between Barack and McCain. The content was ridiculous, and factually wrong. The problem is that this is the information that is being disseminated out to the electorate. The very kind of politics that defeated McCain in 2000. A “Whisper Campaign” in which the candidate quietly endorses that goes deep into the gutter to create a negative buzz. The internet has enabled this viral type of libel by reaching an infinite number of people through YouTube, and blogs. In 2000 smears such as McCain was for gays and secretly gay, that he had lost his mind due to his stay in the now infamous Hanoi Hilton, that he had a black child, and his wife was a drug addict. When these type of adds were first used against Obama McCain announced his indignation and said that he would run a respectable campaign on the issues. The problem is, the electorate obviously doesn’t want one. It’s not sexy enough for cable television. The tragedy of it all is that the boring issues are what’s killing us a death of 1000 cuts.
I leave you with this information about the change in the economy from 2001 to today. And some info on another commonly misrepresented
• Gas prices from $1.60- to over $4.00
• +200 billion budget surplus -to 350 billion dollar budget deficit
• 10-12 billion dollars a month in Iraq

And this about Obama’s Economic Plan:
• “Although Republican John McCain claims that Obama would raise taxes, the independent Tax Policy Center and other groups conclude that four out of five U.S. households would receive tax cuts under Obama's proposals.” (Douglass K Daniel, AP)
Obama’s stance on gay marriage:
• “Although Barack Obama has said that he supports civil unions, he is against gay marriage. In an interview with the Chicago Daily Tribune, Obama said, "I'm a Christian. And so, although I try not to have my religious beliefs dominate or determine my political views on this issue, I do believe that tradition, and my religious beliefs say that marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman." (From Lesbianlife.com)
Obama’s stance on abortion:
• Clearly on the side of choice of the individual but voted “present” in the Chicago legislature because a vote of “yes” is required to pass legislation. He voted present instead of yes or no during a partial birth ban because it didn’t have a provision to protect the mother’s health as the first priority and defined the fetus as “life”. Albeit, controversial but not for partial birth abortion.

“If y'all don't shut up, I'm gonna go out of my mind.”. Doyle Hargraves

http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/im46?source=sem-lb-59

In the end we are all Americans

In the end we are all Americans, disparate neighbors in the greatest country in the world. Is there really so much about us that is different? Are the intrinsic values that are the very fibers of our being so water and oil? These are questions that I find myself staring at the ceiling so often contemplating.

In my studies in leadership, whether during my Eagle Scout trials as a youth or in high school athletics the message was clear---lead by example. Own your words, and be the personification of your values. Not too far behind that philosophy was the message of unification. The terribly tragic thing is that these too fundamental laws of leadership have been abandoned by our political leaders. But I believe this problem is so systemic, that without some concession and acquiescence one can not become the president. The very standards that we hold our heroes to are the very things that we the electorate have allowed to be forgotten by our politicians.

The newsworthy accomplishments and the very crux of the reason to vote for a candidate are suddenly subordinate to something they said in passing. Someone that they met once in their life is what defines a person. Then there’s the off key joke or political “gaffe” that we’ve all heard on repeat, received in some chain email, or inundated on Youtube that is suddenly the measure of man.

This dumbing down of politics is so pervasive that careers have been made of it. The importance of government is lost in the cesspool of primetime politics. I admit that sometimes tax-code and international relations can bore the youth off of our faces. But it’s gone too far. We spent more time discussing “bible and guns” and the idiocy of Reverend Wright’s bigotry and warped national view then the fact that oil barrel prices exploded and our homes lost a quarter of their value. A salacious distraction from what was seriously devaluing the dollar, and the economic stability of America. We surpassed grim benchmarks in Iraq and watched Afghanistan become the most violent place in the world. This is morally reprehensible, and irresponsible. But so is Flavor of Love, Big Brother and so many of the other shows that captivate us.

Then we defer our rationality to paid editorialists who mold the status quo into their opinion or motivation. American’s as a whole, don’t really care about political minutiae. Most only care about what our favorite pundit’s interpretation of the news is, and that’s it. The decision of who we select as our proxy for such an important decision isn’t based on anything other than looks, or who our fathers told us were the bearers of truth.

When you really boil down American’s we all stand for mostly the same values. We all want everyone to have a shot at the American dream if they work hard for it. We all believe in a well funded and robust military that can stare down evil in the world and dispense wrath on those who dare do us harm. We all want our veterans to be assimilated back into civilian life honorably and sensitively. We all want to pay less taxes. We all want a government that doesn’t control the very essence of our freedom like who we can love, and where we can go. We want a government that we can trust. We want leaders we can be proud of and revere. We want the ability to worship without interference. We want safety and prosperity for our children.

I feel that we have given up on possibility and hope, in exchange for paranoia. We need to take back America. Our future, and our children’s future are too important to focus on what the “Primetime Media” tells us we should think. Consider that cable media is a business, and a business is reliant on bottom line growth. They are not in the business of perpetuating truth. There’s not much money in it.

“Right now, there is a whole, an entire generation that never knew anything that didn't come out of this tube. This tube is the gospel, the ultimate revelation; this tube can make or break presidents, popes, prime ministers; this tube is the most awesome goddamn propaganda force in the whole godless world, and woe is us if it ever falls into the hands of the wrong people. . “ Howard Beale from Network.

“This is the story of America. Everybody’s doing what they think they’re supposed to do.” Jack Kerouac

Big Day in the Life Of Ryan

I don’t usually exploit this venue to speak about personal accomplishments. When I write it’s usually a bitter diatribe. Sometimes I will celebrate the accomplishments, both dubious and laudable of others, but usually not mine. Today, however, I feel the urge to share a little with my wonderful readership. Although that’s probably just my mom, and she’s required to support me in all my ventures. And she already knows. . .
I got a pretty big promotion today. Actually, it’s the largest to date. It was pretty unexpected. Not so much the destination but the complete satisfaction of my demands. That is rare in the business world? It’s mostly unheard of. I’ve rediscovered my belief that there is integrity in the world, and that people do have the capacity for good.
In my life I’ve had a litany of regrets. Mistakes made arbitrarily, and others just not well thought out. A lot would argue I’ve lived a comparatively unexciting and risk-free life. And I would be hard pressed to disagree. But I used to operate under the assumption that hard work will eventually pay off, and talent plus effort---will be subsequently rewarded. This conversely has seldom been the case.
So here’s my nod to the big guy, and a sworn statement to be a little more “glass half-full” around here. And to those of you that are having doubts (mom, just kidding) persistence and determination does have a place in the order of the world.

The Dark Knight

I recently watch the Batman sequel, the Dark Knight. Then I went and watched it again. The film is pitch perfect. Flawless is another word that comes to mind. It’s a lot like the daydreaming that precedes a big trip, and when it finally arrives you are more than wholly satisfied.

It’s the Last Supper of genius. The Nolan brothers, Christopher and Jonathan have collaborated on their magnum opus. The have previously collaborated on numerous projects like Memento, Insomnia, Prestige and Batman Begins. If Begins was a great genre film, Dark Knight transcends the rigid convention that hero films are restrained to. When you consider the collection of acting talent, and the dark vision of the Nolan’s, whose particular lens is the soulmate to Bob Kane and Frank Miller’s dark muse, it’s a perfect storm of artistry. Combine that with the tour-de-force performance by Heath Ledger who truly brought the Joker alive. All of this united with a great script, kinetic confrontations, and the solid performances of the Best Batman Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine. This film is truly one for the ages. It’s not your daddy’s Batman.

The cast approached this film, like the previous one, with the earnestness of a serious drama or thriller. Oldman’s Gordon is the real deal. He’s the cop that you hope exists. He is the paragon of integrity and honor that Gotham truly needs. Caine and Freeman keep Bruce Wayne’s head clear and ground him when he loses his way. They both bring their distinct brand of humor to their respective roles that help balance the explosion of drama and violence on the screen. Maggie Gyllenhall delivers a strong performance that is occluded by the others but brings a range of emotion that I have trouble seeing her former, Katie Holmes, achieving.

In Dark Knight Bale becomes the brooding Bruce Wayne and tortured action hero that his predecessors couldn’t. His range of emotion vacillates between the love lorn and sincere, to cocky, to a visceral rage that jumps off the screen and brings depth to our hero. In Begin, the genesis of the Dark Knight is realized through the violent murder of his father and mother. Then he goes on a soul searching expedition and exhile to channel his anger and guilt. This time he has confronted the anger that drove him to come within moments of killing his parent’s murderer to the righteous caped crusader. This is a distinction that truly separates the hero from the vigilante, the right and the wayward. The evolution of character of the Batman is juxtaposed with the other characters in the world of Gotham to create the morality tale that Nolan so expertly pulls off at the end. “You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become a villain.”

Then there was Heath Ledger’s Joker. He was the definitive joker. I was floored, and I know that a lot of people want to throw genius and iconic around since his unfortunate death but it all fits in the blank. It’s as if he never watched Jack Nicholson’s rendition. This was an original, and legendary take on the canon’s most infamous villain. When Nolan cast Ledger to take on the role, some people questioned it. Nicholson denounced it. I wasn’t sold, but curious. I sat through the movie glued to the front of my seat in awe of his talent. His nuanced take and realistic characterizations of a truly maniacal character were masterful, and believable. The Joker has a line in Dark Knight that stuck with me, and although I tried not to over sentimentalize his performance, I was overcome with admiration. “In their last moments people show you who they really are,” the Joker said, when describing his preference for knives as opposed to guns. Ledger gave the performance of his life, and one that most who lived a longer one couldn’t touch. Nicholson was great as the Joker in the 80’s Batman, but Ledger was legendary. It’s as brilliant and layered as Anthony Hopkin’s Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs. Just as sadistic as last years Oscar winning performance by Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh. And every bit as deserving of the Oscar.

Finally, the artist responsible for this beautifully complex thriller, which happens to be a part of one of the most prolific franchises of all time. He confronts such epic themes as love and loss, revenge, faith, justice, trust, and evil. In The Prestige Nolan posed science versus religion. With Memento he challenged the very nature of truth and judgment. He took a bold idea of what he thought we wanted from this genre, popcorn action or believability and cutting narrative that doesn’t sacrifice an ounce of action.

“His talent was as natural as the pattern that was made by the dust on a butterfly's wings. At one time he understood it no more than the butterfly did and he did not know when it was brushed or marred,” Ernest Hemingway once said about F. Scott Fitzgerald. After watching the hauntingly fantastic Dark Knight this quote kept running through my mind. Nolan has truly directed a masterpiece that transcends the hyperbolic boundaries that confine the hero genre. A continuation of the trilogy leaves me feeling ambivalent after watching this one. “You Complete Me,” the Joker sarcastically chides Batman. His iconic performance should be left as the definitive end to the character. Even though the Joker is Batman’s arch nemesis, the next one can stand alone on Nolan’s and his cast’s immense talent. Ledger was destined for this role, and sadly it will be his final “full” performance. He had so much to offer the world with his charisma, his ardent diligence to the craft, and his try anything mentality. I hope that Nolan will continue with his best work’s source material, but consider the legacy that he is a part of. Ledger’s light shined so bright that it truly stands the test of time, and deservedly has a shot at the best supporting actor legitimately. Even an announcement of the end of the trilogy would be better news to me then to hear that the Joker has been recast. Here’s to you Heath, I hope you Rest In Peace. . . Well done.