In response to a post over a year ago, I wanted to at least offer up another source of criticism in response to what I said especially since my article was an Obvious Jab to Bill Nye (I used to like his old show and now the new one just disgusted me greatly. Now he truly is Bill Nye the SJW Guy. :( Once again, another reason why your heroes only disappoint.)
But Let's get away from the fantasies and crazy science fiction to another time. Let's talk about Political Correctness. We all don't like it but we all do it. And in my last Article Scientism: A "New" Religion, I pretty much implied, in the second paragraph, that environmentalists used "climate change," Originally, they used global warming but when global warming was just too broad and no one took it seriously enough except die hard fanatics, they resorted to another phrase "Climate Change." This time, they took an alliterative phrase that could attract people quite easily and sadly dupe them easily too. But then you think the Conservatives are the heroes of political incorrectness. This is flat out lie. Everybody uses political correctness whether they know it or not. Whether we say we don't like something or just try to make something sound less serious than ever, Political Incorrectness has been used in our minds for a long time.
Let's look at the liberals. We have seen in Canada and the United Kingdom with a very lazy and uninspiring Conservative movement, (They desperately need some Ayn Rand, von Mises, anyone of great merit to announce and promote the freedoms of Capitalism and the essence of invidiualism badly for being in the West) that has regulated what you can say to people on the street. This is the absolute crime of saying anything of hate speech is intolerable. That just misgendering someone who claims they are trans or "generfluid" is the most reprehensible thing when i would say shouting death threats to someone is absolutely reprehensible. That online should be promoting even more big brother surveillance to stop bullying even though that doesn't stop people from bullying others in anyway or teaching people to accept responsibility for their actions on bullying or teaching our kids if they keep on bullying them, they have every right to defend themselves and slug the fucker down. Oh and before I forget, even though I don't like Steven Crowder and find him unfunny due to trying to hard to be funny with insulting liberals, (Or maybe because I find them seriously too scary to be funny. It's a very odd and ominous parallel.), YouTube and Twitter have personally decided to be authoritarian to delete the video of sending one of his interns to South by Southwest, a film festival, to make his intern claim he is a gay robot. And they even censored cursing and peoples faces but now have shown the video elsewhere because of claims that it goes against so called insulting and shaming others but even though Crowder has claimed to Twitter on how many false accounts have used Libel and Slander against him, it falls on deaf ears.
But Conservatives use of political correctness is also on the boarder of such ideas with what we can and can't say about religion and which religion. It's acceptable for Lauren Southern to call Allah gay but not funny when Life of Brian is on and we joke that it's a documentary of the early Christian movement. (Also the UK has banned her from coming though the papers look fake from mispellings and other things but if true then the Tory Party needs to reevaluate about their positions.) Teresa May (and I thought David Cameron was bad) is ok with censoring porn sites on the supposed idea that parents are too stupid to put parental blocks on their computers or making sure they monitor what their children can access.
And then it goes from Disney to make adjustments to The Pirates of the Carribean ride which obviously looks like political correctness because of the Wife Slave trade wishing to not think people would think Disney supports wife-inferiority and slavery.
BUT JESUS FUCK PEOPLE, STOP BEING FUCKING OVERSENSTIVE CUNT PUSSIES!!!
Look, I'm sorry about the cursing but this is ridiculous how we are manipulating ourselves and others into censorship. The madness will never end until people realize we are taking their freedoms of speech away. China has recently done that with no calling Xi Jinping, Pooh Bear. (I prefer New Emperor Xi because the governmnent once again goes back to Empirical states with Life Tenures.) Also people expect that from China because they're a communist state. But when a Western Nation does it, radicals cry that this is for the betterment of all, a.k.a. Egalitarianist Communist state. Everyone, calm your tits down and listen. Allowing yourselves to be censored will fuck you all in the end. You can't call someone evil because the word would be so meaningless to actual crimes done whether be corruption of any kind or actual physical violence to be overlooked to useless crimes like slips of the tounge or dirty jokes.
I remember watching a scene from George Carlin's stand-up called Euphemisms where he discusses the problems of euphemistic language which shelters, hides, and disintegrates the problems and ideas associated with language. He uses the best example with explaining how being "shellshocked" for many of our brave men and women has been desanitized to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, emphasizing each war that happens gives off a different name and more syllables and the most prevailing being, loss of meaning. Then he explains it all with how phrases we use now have changed overtime with giving me thoughts of what I did or did not say from the examples used. Sad part is, he noted how if people still used shell shocked, many of our vets would get the treatment they need and that is something I feel very true to this day because we just fleetingly mention having PTSD or being shell shocked but sometimes I wonder if anyone is looking out for them because I know VA sure ain't if this is true.
Trust me, this political correctness is getting out of hand and it's detrimental to free societies and free speech. And the only way to stop the destruction of free speech is to fight back with FREE SPEECH!
Links to the following news posts I mentioned
Steven Crowder Video: https://www.bitchute.com/video/6Hti-rkGR-M/
Lauren Southern: Allah is Gay: http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/why-we-must-have-the-right-to-call-allah-gay/21225#.Wqq8sqjwZPY
Pirates of the Carribean: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/fans-furious-disneys-pc-pirates-caribbean-ride-makeover-174417307.html
http://ktla.com/2018/03/14/disneyland-to-remove-bride-auction-scene-from-pirates-of-the-caribbean-ride-in-april/
Jordan Peterson and Language Debate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiijS_9hPkM
George Carlin and Euphamisms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKJ69_cWDBQ
Theresa May and Porn: https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/2017/06/uk-prime-minister-theresa-may-war-on-terror-requires-porn-censorship-internet/
Thursday, March 15, 2018
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
Shin Megami Tensei Part 1: The Origins of a Gothic RPG
So the game in mind I wanted to review was Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne. But before I do, I want to go over a light history of the franchise from its early origins to what we are experiencing now.
In the 1970's and 80's, Japan was growing into a technological conglomerate and had recently been introduced to Computer technology with the aspirations to use and even improve the system already made by the Americans. Inspired by their desire to change as a world power after heated tensions of the Second World War, Japan marketed itself as a technology company giant and being part of a global Westernized Market especially in the entertainment industry with an example being Toshiba making TVs and VCRs, as well as home computers later. But one man looked onto the new marketplace with inspiration, excitement, and fear. His name was Aya Nishitani.
Nishitani was working for an electronics manufacturer when he noticed the possibilities of this technology and was inspired to write a short serialized story for Oh PC magazine which would later become a new basis for a short pulp novel called Digital Devil Saga: Megami Tensei.
To be honest, I know very little to nothing about this novel's plot other than from bootleg translations, very poorly done though. The novel focuses on two teenagers (male and female) and the female love interest is said to be the reincarnation of the Death Goddess Izanami-no-Okami. Also, the main villain was the trickster God Loki. And that a bunch of demons were unleashed because of accessing computer programing into devil summoning (Nishitani was interested in astrology and black magic and used technology as a basis for summoning demons which are featured quite predominantly in SMT games) which sets the main story in motion. The only ideas we have of the story is the anime adaptation which is a one hour OVA you can find on YouTube if interested. I wasn't too interested in it personally. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgk4BFIp6G8)
But from what we do know, is very telling with the themes of the story. The story, in essence, deals with the techno-skepticism philosophy of thought with the advancements in the electronic technology of TV and Home Computers. It gives off an aura of being difficult to specifically genre explain since it deals with different levels of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Drama, Horror, Dystopia, Cyberpunk, and Mythology as the main genre vocal points. But this is also odd because it's in such a weird way that this is but the foundational shell of what would later be the Shin Megami Tensei Franchise because it departs so far from the original resource material that it's hard to say that it is a true adaptation and would be more of an inspired game with its own original story.
And a little after the success of this novel, describing the cyberpunk storyline being a fresh take on the Fantasy Hero storyline with bleak tones added to the popularity and the anime also helped too. But where the story made success was when it came to the adaption of the story, not be made as a movie, but instead ... a video game.
In my next article, I'll be talking about The Namco Gaming Company and the small Company that would later be an Underdog Titan in the RPG Gaming Market and how a cult novel became a cult video game.
In the 1970's and 80's, Japan was growing into a technological conglomerate and had recently been introduced to Computer technology with the aspirations to use and even improve the system already made by the Americans. Inspired by their desire to change as a world power after heated tensions of the Second World War, Japan marketed itself as a technology company giant and being part of a global Westernized Market especially in the entertainment industry with an example being Toshiba making TVs and VCRs, as well as home computers later. But one man looked onto the new marketplace with inspiration, excitement, and fear. His name was Aya Nishitani.
Nishitani was working for an electronics manufacturer when he noticed the possibilities of this technology and was inspired to write a short serialized story for Oh PC magazine which would later become a new basis for a short pulp novel called Digital Devil Saga: Megami Tensei.
To be honest, I know very little to nothing about this novel's plot other than from bootleg translations, very poorly done though. The novel focuses on two teenagers (male and female) and the female love interest is said to be the reincarnation of the Death Goddess Izanami-no-Okami. Also, the main villain was the trickster God Loki. And that a bunch of demons were unleashed because of accessing computer programing into devil summoning (Nishitani was interested in astrology and black magic and used technology as a basis for summoning demons which are featured quite predominantly in SMT games) which sets the main story in motion. The only ideas we have of the story is the anime adaptation which is a one hour OVA you can find on YouTube if interested. I wasn't too interested in it personally. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgk4BFIp6G8)
But from what we do know, is very telling with the themes of the story. The story, in essence, deals with the techno-skepticism philosophy of thought with the advancements in the electronic technology of TV and Home Computers. It gives off an aura of being difficult to specifically genre explain since it deals with different levels of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Drama, Horror, Dystopia, Cyberpunk, and Mythology as the main genre vocal points. But this is also odd because it's in such a weird way that this is but the foundational shell of what would later be the Shin Megami Tensei Franchise because it departs so far from the original resource material that it's hard to say that it is a true adaptation and would be more of an inspired game with its own original story.
And a little after the success of this novel, describing the cyberpunk storyline being a fresh take on the Fantasy Hero storyline with bleak tones added to the popularity and the anime also helped too. But where the story made success was when it came to the adaption of the story, not be made as a movie, but instead ... a video game.
In my next article, I'll be talking about The Namco Gaming Company and the small Company that would later be an Underdog Titan in the RPG Gaming Market and how a cult novel became a cult video game.
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
Tariffs are Taxes too
I originally began this as part of what tariffs Donald Trump was suggesting earlier this year back in January. Now we see him at his element showing his true colors about Free-Market Capitalism and his ideas about it.
With the new 25% tariffs, the economy is going crazy, our allies are turning into our enemies by increasing tariffs on American goods, we're instigating a trade war, Gary Cohn leaves frustrated at Trump's economics and it seems as if we don't have any good news on this end. It seems there's only negative news but why? Well, it's because of how tariffs effect us regular Americans.
Well, judging from Trump's economic plans, which sadly have no concrete foundation other than, add one regulation and remove two and the tax decrease on the federal level, (and not controlling the rampant federal spending but then again, which president ever since FDR ever did that) he's around the ideas of Protectionism and Merchantilism. He's trying to bring back a 15th-century economic system which was ousted because of a guy might have heard of called Adam Smith who wrote the Groundbreaking On the Wealth of the Nations. (The first call to the Capitalist System.)
But let's focus on Protectionism and Merchantilism first. Protectionism is pretty much one of Trump's campaign promises, America First. American jobs, American manufacturing, and American citizens working. Which is great but when you ostracize the rest of the world, it makes things difficult. Numerous American companies work with foreign steel and even the military as noted by John Stossel on his video noting the failures of President Bush's trade tariffs as well as looking at how tariffs hurt us in the end. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5wwKf0-DME)
As for Merchantilism, the economic system is made to promote exporting of goods but never importing and allows government intervention in the market to manipulate costs and goods, being the antithesis of Capitalism. In fact, Merchantilism is being practiced as Neo-Merchantilism in developing countries in the world in hopes to upholster their economies but are hurting themselves by not getting the luxuries first world countries get like I-Phones, Computers, Better Cars, Base Foods, Steel, and Oil, etc.
But Trump's main idea is to make sure that we still have jobs. But Trump is unaware of the fact that Robots are making sure that manufacture cars faster and safer for us. So we're harmed less. And yes the jobs are dying but in an ever-changing economy, we always need new jobs. We need technicians and architects to build the robots, designers for blueprints, mechanics to make them, programmers to make the robots function properly. If you want another example, let's look at leisure.
Sadly, humans are a lazy lot and we love our leisure. And thanks to that and innovations in technology, we have robots to work in warehouses but we have more time to ourselves and people have used that to increase enjoyment of passions. We have more novels written and read than ever before thanks to Nook and Ipads (I prefer a good paperback myself), video games have turned into an economic conglomerate with people who know little of programming honing their skills to make independent games like Cuphead, Undertale, and Minecraft, also thanks to a little board game called Catan, people have taken a new interest in board games and a board game revolution came of it with Cards Against Humanity, Betrayal at House on the Hill, Apples to Apples, Dixit, Tokaido, and others. Theme parks have increased sales and to compete have hired people to program and create new ideas for rides like with the Disney company making Star Wars Lands all over the parks in the world and the upcoming Toy Story Land in Disney's Hollywood Studios. Ironically leisure has become a market all on its own.
But there's an aspect I've ignored. The title of this piece. Tariffs are taxes too. Albeit an indirect tax but a tax nonetheless. If steel prices are higher, Disney cant get steel for new rides, the military can't make the guns and ships and aircraft, car sales will decrease to lack of ready steel, no new buildings and homes and restaurants and offices. Ok, it's not that dramatic but it makes it a lot harder for the main large businesses to do business. Also, we have to deal with no avocados too. So Millenials are going to be pissed. And the average consumers too. Imagine the Chinese raise tariffs to 25%. That means we pay 25% more money out of our pockets and we have to budget more so than we already are due to the recession. All plastic containers, clothes, and other materials Chinese made are going to hurt our wallets more and with tariffs, it's going to make the poverty line bigger because of the horror of rising prices.
Basically, Trump thinks we're losing because of all this Trade. We're winning. But we all. In a free-market society, free trade is promoted and encouraged to raise the standards of living for all in the world, promotes peace and prosperity to all, and ensures we get the best of all over and even we can encourage business too. And President Trump ... If I may suggest a way to make America Great Again with the Steel Mills, why not cut the red tape regulations so we can make more steel mills and regulations on all other parts of the economy to keep it booming. You did a great job with the Tax Cuts and DeRegulations. Don't fuck it up.
With the new 25% tariffs, the economy is going crazy, our allies are turning into our enemies by increasing tariffs on American goods, we're instigating a trade war, Gary Cohn leaves frustrated at Trump's economics and it seems as if we don't have any good news on this end. It seems there's only negative news but why? Well, it's because of how tariffs effect us regular Americans.
Well, judging from Trump's economic plans, which sadly have no concrete foundation other than, add one regulation and remove two and the tax decrease on the federal level, (and not controlling the rampant federal spending but then again, which president ever since FDR ever did that) he's around the ideas of Protectionism and Merchantilism. He's trying to bring back a 15th-century economic system which was ousted because of a guy might have heard of called Adam Smith who wrote the Groundbreaking On the Wealth of the Nations. (The first call to the Capitalist System.)
But let's focus on Protectionism and Merchantilism first. Protectionism is pretty much one of Trump's campaign promises, America First. American jobs, American manufacturing, and American citizens working. Which is great but when you ostracize the rest of the world, it makes things difficult. Numerous American companies work with foreign steel and even the military as noted by John Stossel on his video noting the failures of President Bush's trade tariffs as well as looking at how tariffs hurt us in the end. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5wwKf0-DME)
As for Merchantilism, the economic system is made to promote exporting of goods but never importing and allows government intervention in the market to manipulate costs and goods, being the antithesis of Capitalism. In fact, Merchantilism is being practiced as Neo-Merchantilism in developing countries in the world in hopes to upholster their economies but are hurting themselves by not getting the luxuries first world countries get like I-Phones, Computers, Better Cars, Base Foods, Steel, and Oil, etc.
But Trump's main idea is to make sure that we still have jobs. But Trump is unaware of the fact that Robots are making sure that manufacture cars faster and safer for us. So we're harmed less. And yes the jobs are dying but in an ever-changing economy, we always need new jobs. We need technicians and architects to build the robots, designers for blueprints, mechanics to make them, programmers to make the robots function properly. If you want another example, let's look at leisure.
Sadly, humans are a lazy lot and we love our leisure. And thanks to that and innovations in technology, we have robots to work in warehouses but we have more time to ourselves and people have used that to increase enjoyment of passions. We have more novels written and read than ever before thanks to Nook and Ipads (I prefer a good paperback myself), video games have turned into an economic conglomerate with people who know little of programming honing their skills to make independent games like Cuphead, Undertale, and Minecraft, also thanks to a little board game called Catan, people have taken a new interest in board games and a board game revolution came of it with Cards Against Humanity, Betrayal at House on the Hill, Apples to Apples, Dixit, Tokaido, and others. Theme parks have increased sales and to compete have hired people to program and create new ideas for rides like with the Disney company making Star Wars Lands all over the parks in the world and the upcoming Toy Story Land in Disney's Hollywood Studios. Ironically leisure has become a market all on its own.
But there's an aspect I've ignored. The title of this piece. Tariffs are taxes too. Albeit an indirect tax but a tax nonetheless. If steel prices are higher, Disney cant get steel for new rides, the military can't make the guns and ships and aircraft, car sales will decrease to lack of ready steel, no new buildings and homes and restaurants and offices. Ok, it's not that dramatic but it makes it a lot harder for the main large businesses to do business. Also, we have to deal with no avocados too. So Millenials are going to be pissed. And the average consumers too. Imagine the Chinese raise tariffs to 25%. That means we pay 25% more money out of our pockets and we have to budget more so than we already are due to the recession. All plastic containers, clothes, and other materials Chinese made are going to hurt our wallets more and with tariffs, it's going to make the poverty line bigger because of the horror of rising prices.
Basically, Trump thinks we're losing because of all this Trade. We're winning. But we all. In a free-market society, free trade is promoted and encouraged to raise the standards of living for all in the world, promotes peace and prosperity to all, and ensures we get the best of all over and even we can encourage business too. And President Trump ... If I may suggest a way to make America Great Again with the Steel Mills, why not cut the red tape regulations so we can make more steel mills and regulations on all other parts of the economy to keep it booming. You did a great job with the Tax Cuts and DeRegulations. Don't fuck it up.
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Review: The Vampire Lestat
Hello, Darlings! Boy, I have a review for you. It's The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice. Also before I begin this review, I want to thank Derek Magill for his suggestion for the 25 pages a day suggestion which not only sped me up to finish it but I could find reading enjoyable again and less of a chore and with the same wonder I remember having when I was a kid reading Dr. Seuss and a teenager reading Agatha Christie.
Ok. Let's get on with the show!
Plot: (Light Spoilers) In this story, Anne Rice decides to let us see the Character we want to know more about, Lestat. The hedonistic yet surprisingly moral vampire is quite a departure from what we were told by Louis in Interview with the Vampire. Instead of going at random poor victim Louis hunts only the menaces of society though he does love the passions and ecstasies of life and thus he is shown to respect human life and use his gift in a more positive and enthralling way. And along with his journeys, he meets Armand, from the previous story, and we see more of his backstory but also learn of a secret Armand knows with the mysterious Marius. Primarily the story builds on Lestat's fall, rise, fall again and rising from the ashes and the ground.
Pacing and Setting: The pacing in the beginning but builds up momentum the moment after Lestat gets turned into a Vampire though it slows down enough for Lestat to mourn his mother Gabrielle, another vital character to the story. But Rice still doesn't shy away from showing and breathing so much life into the world with getting us into Paris and the French Countryside, Cairo, and the Mediterranean.
Characters: Lestat and Armand are the two main focuses from Interview to return but also we have newcomers to be introduced to. (Spoilers for two characters.)
Gabrielle de Lioncourt: Lestat's Mother and the main person he cares for most in the family who has primarily ostracized him. He loves her dearly and she inspired him to live his life to it's fullest.
Nicholas de Lenfent: Lestat's friend and first love interest. An expert violinist.
Magnus: The vampire who turned Lestat into a Vampire.
Marius: A vampire who created Armand and is a keeper of Knowledge and Wisdom.
Pluses: The Backstory is so much more fascinating to hear. Lestat is truly made and fleshed into a character. He strives for greatness and potential yet we see even with great supernatural and fantasy stories how species different from us make us all more too human. Also, the attention to details with expensive luxury and excess is still there. I'd say the characterization is a major improvement, especially in Lestat's life in focus.
Minuses: I have very little to say excluding I guess I wish to know more about The Theatre d' Vampires but I know the story focuses on Lestat and why he decided to never return again. And also how the parts where Lestat describes his love life with Louis and daughter Claudia is rushed but then again it's important as Lestat stresses to the reader how we heard most of the story from one side and how it'd be difficult and a bit tedious to mention the whole plot again. Similar to how certain authors (I'm looking at you E.L. James and Stephanie Meyer) write the story from the other main love interests' perspective. Also, Lestat's infatuation seemed pretty creepily Oedipal to me so it made me uncomfortable at times.
Overview: The Vampire Lestat is a great novel in keeping the tradition of the stories but also the adding of new ideas to the overall Vampire Mythos. (If you're a mythologist, there are some inconsistencies with some myth stories but minor nevertheless) Lestat's backstory focuses on his lust for life. LONG LIVE LESTAT!
4.75/5
Ok. Let's get on with the show!
Plot: (Light Spoilers) In this story, Anne Rice decides to let us see the Character we want to know more about, Lestat. The hedonistic yet surprisingly moral vampire is quite a departure from what we were told by Louis in Interview with the Vampire. Instead of going at random poor victim Louis hunts only the menaces of society though he does love the passions and ecstasies of life and thus he is shown to respect human life and use his gift in a more positive and enthralling way. And along with his journeys, he meets Armand, from the previous story, and we see more of his backstory but also learn of a secret Armand knows with the mysterious Marius. Primarily the story builds on Lestat's fall, rise, fall again and rising from the ashes and the ground.
Pacing and Setting: The pacing in the beginning but builds up momentum the moment after Lestat gets turned into a Vampire though it slows down enough for Lestat to mourn his mother Gabrielle, another vital character to the story. But Rice still doesn't shy away from showing and breathing so much life into the world with getting us into Paris and the French Countryside, Cairo, and the Mediterranean.
Characters: Lestat and Armand are the two main focuses from Interview to return but also we have newcomers to be introduced to. (Spoilers for two characters.)
Gabrielle de Lioncourt: Lestat's Mother and the main person he cares for most in the family who has primarily ostracized him. He loves her dearly and she inspired him to live his life to it's fullest.
Nicholas de Lenfent: Lestat's friend and first love interest. An expert violinist.
Magnus: The vampire who turned Lestat into a Vampire.
Marius: A vampire who created Armand and is a keeper of Knowledge and Wisdom.
Pluses: The Backstory is so much more fascinating to hear. Lestat is truly made and fleshed into a character. He strives for greatness and potential yet we see even with great supernatural and fantasy stories how species different from us make us all more too human. Also, the attention to details with expensive luxury and excess is still there. I'd say the characterization is a major improvement, especially in Lestat's life in focus.
Minuses: I have very little to say excluding I guess I wish to know more about The Theatre d' Vampires but I know the story focuses on Lestat and why he decided to never return again. And also how the parts where Lestat describes his love life with Louis and daughter Claudia is rushed but then again it's important as Lestat stresses to the reader how we heard most of the story from one side and how it'd be difficult and a bit tedious to mention the whole plot again. Similar to how certain authors (I'm looking at you E.L. James and Stephanie Meyer) write the story from the other main love interests' perspective. Also, Lestat's infatuation seemed pretty creepily Oedipal to me so it made me uncomfortable at times.
Overview: The Vampire Lestat is a great novel in keeping the tradition of the stories but also the adding of new ideas to the overall Vampire Mythos. (If you're a mythologist, there are some inconsistencies with some myth stories but minor nevertheless) Lestat's backstory focuses on his lust for life. LONG LIVE LESTAT!
4.75/5
Monday, January 29, 2018
Going to the theatre: What a shock!
So, I didn’t mention this and I was deciding how to explain this but I recently went to the theatre. Since my last time I went, I saw the comedy musical, Young Frankenstein performed at my old community college. Personally, I enjoyed the performance greatly especially since I did love Mel Brooks’ parody films and original content. But let’s talk about Bled for the Household Truth, an independent play by Ruth Fowler.
But before I do, I want to say the first part of this article will be review and the second, a cultural analysis into with the play reminds me of.
Bled for the Household Truth focuses on the lives of an American businessman, possibly stockbroker, and the girl he decides to let rent his apartment together. Seems pretty good right? Well, there’s a catch. The rent is cheap but she has to be comfortable in wearing her underwear. So that’s how our girl Penelope (Pen for short [played by Alexandra Hellquist]) and Keith the stockbroker, (played by Ben Burdick), come together and make such an odd couple.
Now the play itself focuses on their relationship with Pen, wild and excited trying to make a name for herself, and Ben, a socially conscious guy who wants to connect with women but goes about entirely the wrong way and can't stand women even touching him. Around the end of Act 1 and the beginning of Act 2 (This is a 2 Act play), both characters reveal their pasts as Pen's difficulty with her drug-abusing father and having to keep her family up and Ben's issue with seeing himself as inferior due to his mother's treatment of him at a young age, pulls a heart string for the two of them but sadly, their actions lead them down to their downfalls.
Also, two other characters are seen in this play. Billy, performed by Nathaniel Meek and Monica, done by Rachel Brunner, are both present with Billy being seen throughout as Pen's on and off again boyfriend and Monica as Pen's friend and close confidant. However, Monica is the only one who isn't seen until the near end of the play. But with Billy, he usually wants Pen to get laid with him throughout the play uncaring for her personal self-being. Monica appears near the end to help become ... well, more or less a stock character of a supporting friend and a poor underdeveloped foil character.
In the end, Pen suffers a drug overdose and unfortunately her fate is left ambiguous to the audience with Keith finally able to shatter his consciousness of touching women only too late.
Ok. Sounds like a simple modern tragedy in the vein of Death of a Salesman and other modern tragedies? Well yes, but the play has a great flaw. It uses shock material to either A) Keep the audience in suspense of what happens next or B) Disgusts the audience to demand a refund. I went with A because I saw the whole thing. That and I had to give Alexandra back her headphones because she was the one who got me into watching the play. But yes, you will see shocking scenes that are including a rape scene, suggestive blow jobs, some nakedness (not full but still there), masturbation, voyeurism and other things that make the play overall uncomfortable, which no doubt that's where they're going with this play. Unfortunately, it overbears the plots rather than actually helps the plot go along since there are multiple scenes like this and every scene break the audience can see Pen undress and sometimes Keith too adding more to the lessening comfort factor of this play. It's over-daunting and I'm sure that most of you reading this might not give it a chance.
For the actors, they have done their job well. They worked and acted the best from their script given and doing much to make the characters believable but sadly the blocking and play refuse to make us sympathetic due to actions these characters do, with Pen keeping Billy around though it's obvious he's a bad influence, Keith for his perverted sexual tensions with trying to be with a woman though saying his intentions are pure, Billy for his egotistical personality and refusal to treat Pen more than just a sex object, and Monica, ... well, she's another problem altogether. Monica is just a stock character that doesn't get any development time and feels more rushed. If Act 1 allows Monica to have a scene with a girls night with Monica while Keith is gone on a trip, this would give more time for us to sympathize and develop a relationship with her.
And I know I spoiled the play but that has a good reason because, I ask you guys not to see this due to the subject material and to well, your personal taste in wanting to experience live theatre for the first time. It's not good for a first experience.
But now it's time for a culture shock. But basically, you already know. This is the state of modern theater. Shock value with no respect anymore to characterization, plot, and other important elements. Also, the play doesn't really tell it's message. (I wasn't even sure other than the issue about we aren't communicating yet the play has communication along all four characters.) The message is gone and is replaced with shock value. It's a depressing regurgitation of the Postmodern Ideal of Subjective art. In fact, last night I asked this question as part of an icebreaker game and so I mentioned that narrative is important to art, even so in the stationary arts (painting (all types), and sculpture) but a cacophony of "Art is anything you want" generally pervaded the area. It's not surprising anymore but we all know that most people don't want to go to a postmodern art gallery. Even at the theater, many seats were empty and yet the theater itself still stands for the donations.
So to any person who loves the arts or just wants to appreciate a good art experience, whether learned or new, young or old, from all experiences, (excluding criminal of course) and let's look at art with a common sense lens. Call out bad art because that's what it is. And also, may I suggest instead if you are in LA right now, to see Disney's Aladdin at the Pantages. It'll be a much more fulfilling time for you.
But before I do, I want to say the first part of this article will be review and the second, a cultural analysis into with the play reminds me of.
Bled for the Household Truth focuses on the lives of an American businessman, possibly stockbroker, and the girl he decides to let rent his apartment together. Seems pretty good right? Well, there’s a catch. The rent is cheap but she has to be comfortable in wearing her underwear. So that’s how our girl Penelope (Pen for short [played by Alexandra Hellquist]) and Keith the stockbroker, (played by Ben Burdick), come together and make such an odd couple.
Now the play itself focuses on their relationship with Pen, wild and excited trying to make a name for herself, and Ben, a socially conscious guy who wants to connect with women but goes about entirely the wrong way and can't stand women even touching him. Around the end of Act 1 and the beginning of Act 2 (This is a 2 Act play), both characters reveal their pasts as Pen's difficulty with her drug-abusing father and having to keep her family up and Ben's issue with seeing himself as inferior due to his mother's treatment of him at a young age, pulls a heart string for the two of them but sadly, their actions lead them down to their downfalls.
Also, two other characters are seen in this play. Billy, performed by Nathaniel Meek and Monica, done by Rachel Brunner, are both present with Billy being seen throughout as Pen's on and off again boyfriend and Monica as Pen's friend and close confidant. However, Monica is the only one who isn't seen until the near end of the play. But with Billy, he usually wants Pen to get laid with him throughout the play uncaring for her personal self-being. Monica appears near the end to help become ... well, more or less a stock character of a supporting friend and a poor underdeveloped foil character.
In the end, Pen suffers a drug overdose and unfortunately her fate is left ambiguous to the audience with Keith finally able to shatter his consciousness of touching women only too late.
Ok. Sounds like a simple modern tragedy in the vein of Death of a Salesman and other modern tragedies? Well yes, but the play has a great flaw. It uses shock material to either A) Keep the audience in suspense of what happens next or B) Disgusts the audience to demand a refund. I went with A because I saw the whole thing. That and I had to give Alexandra back her headphones because she was the one who got me into watching the play. But yes, you will see shocking scenes that are including a rape scene, suggestive blow jobs, some nakedness (not full but still there), masturbation, voyeurism and other things that make the play overall uncomfortable, which no doubt that's where they're going with this play. Unfortunately, it overbears the plots rather than actually helps the plot go along since there are multiple scenes like this and every scene break the audience can see Pen undress and sometimes Keith too adding more to the lessening comfort factor of this play. It's over-daunting and I'm sure that most of you reading this might not give it a chance.
For the actors, they have done their job well. They worked and acted the best from their script given and doing much to make the characters believable but sadly the blocking and play refuse to make us sympathetic due to actions these characters do, with Pen keeping Billy around though it's obvious he's a bad influence, Keith for his perverted sexual tensions with trying to be with a woman though saying his intentions are pure, Billy for his egotistical personality and refusal to treat Pen more than just a sex object, and Monica, ... well, she's another problem altogether. Monica is just a stock character that doesn't get any development time and feels more rushed. If Act 1 allows Monica to have a scene with a girls night with Monica while Keith is gone on a trip, this would give more time for us to sympathize and develop a relationship with her.
And I know I spoiled the play but that has a good reason because, I ask you guys not to see this due to the subject material and to well, your personal taste in wanting to experience live theatre for the first time. It's not good for a first experience.
But now it's time for a culture shock. But basically, you already know. This is the state of modern theater. Shock value with no respect anymore to characterization, plot, and other important elements. Also, the play doesn't really tell it's message. (I wasn't even sure other than the issue about we aren't communicating yet the play has communication along all four characters.) The message is gone and is replaced with shock value. It's a depressing regurgitation of the Postmodern Ideal of Subjective art. In fact, last night I asked this question as part of an icebreaker game and so I mentioned that narrative is important to art, even so in the stationary arts (painting (all types), and sculpture) but a cacophony of "Art is anything you want" generally pervaded the area. It's not surprising anymore but we all know that most people don't want to go to a postmodern art gallery. Even at the theater, many seats were empty and yet the theater itself still stands for the donations.
So to any person who loves the arts or just wants to appreciate a good art experience, whether learned or new, young or old, from all experiences, (excluding criminal of course) and let's look at art with a common sense lens. Call out bad art because that's what it is. And also, may I suggest instead if you are in LA right now, to see Disney's Aladdin at the Pantages. It'll be a much more fulfilling time for you.
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Can You be "Great?"
Is “Greatness” possible today? One of my acquaintances had asked this hypothetical question in response to his recent review of Freidrich Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil. On focusing on the greatness of human ability, Nietzsche focuses his opinions and examinations on humanity in an aphoristic style with wit, nerve, and often shocking result. I know many might think Nietszche was supporting the path to Nazism but that was farther from the truth due to his works being entirely bastardized and manipulated by his own family (one sister and her husband both wrote their own such drivel of collectivism while Nietzsche himself) but apart from that, Nietzsche does himself delve into the idea of Greatness with his concept of the Ubermensch.
I have not read much Nietzsche other than the beginning parable of Thus Spake Zarathustra where The Prophet Zarathustra goes to announce the beginning of the Superman, the Ubermensch. But from the article itself, and my own reasoning. I came to conclude a sad but yet fortunate fact that, not everyone can be great. In fact, when we think of greatness, we often give very subjective ideas of what this is so we’ll stick with the ideas of Nietzsche for the time being.
Greatness for him is the Ubermensch’s style of life. He is a passionate man who loves life for beauty and misery. A culture hero who charges history in a new direction and carves his own path separate from the ethical norms of religious thought. He envies others for their talents but also relishes them seeing them as a mirror of what he can be but also pride himself in his talents and abilities. He can be selfish to achieve ends. In other words, the Ubermensch is highly individualistic. Creating their own story from beginning to end. But in order to achieve such, one must suffer according to Nietzsche. And that is the most difficult thing for many, many people to understand.
In an age of Social Justice Warriors, Postmodernism, and Religious Fundamentalism countering any individualistic ideas, merit, or thought, this brings about the age of Ressentiment. Such resentment comes from those who can’t accept they aren’t as valuable as they thought of, are insignificant in the world, or seeing others better off than them in a multitude of ways. It’s then they wish to strengthen their nihilistic tendencies for destruction, primacy, and (to be on the extreme side) death. There is no love of life or accepting reality as it is. They don't enjoy their freedom or wish to make something of it to triumph. They are just driven by destruction of others before themselves.
The Social Justice Warrior claims they are pushers for equality and diversity but diversity of opinions other than left or left-center are always criticized. No Libertarians, Conservatives, Republicans, Left-Right, Objectivists, Liberalists, ... the list goes on and on. The Postmodernist wishes destruction on all the foundations of a civilization's intellectual and cultural achievements, all lying under a guise of oppression of thought and the so called "illusion of truth." They claim because the truth is all forsakeable, anything can go. But this is simply untrue. They hate civilization and culture because it's elevated man to higher potential and that they themselves can't comprehend it so they must make their own values to justify their hatred. They use such claims like "Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder" to claim all art is equally good when art that follows and respects form, style, substance, matter, symmetry, story, and most importantly BEAUTY is respectable. Because there is no truth, emotion is now truth because any reason, fact, or evidence is seen as counterproductive to a postmodernists' ideals. Religious fundamentalists claim the world is to be left to hell and pray in vain to a God that still leaves a silent answer. Instead of seeing beauty in our natural world, a Platonic paradise is seen as they grasp for it. But yet allowing that shows apathy to us who really see the world as it is. But the worse of their lot is the Islamic Fundementalists who demand all must convert or die in the name of their God. Religious sacrifice and killing infidels is seen as the highest form of flattery to God. I know what I'm saying is cold but it's true. No prayers have been answers, our enemies still exist, these whackaloons I just mentioned still wander around making everyone's life hell.
But it goes psychologically, they can never be great so they make others just as un-great as they are. So yes, no one can be great and those who just can't except it or at least try to put up a good fight to try to be great wish only to destroy us. I ask of this of all of you, and I say this honestly, Even if you can't be great, that's no excuse to stop people from being great. Strive to be great, live dangerously "Build your homes on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius!" In other words, the difficulty of being great is to go through the suffering of what makes a man great! No one is willing to suffer to strive for that greatness, but I say I will. Even if it be a long road and I don't get my recognition til I die or 2000 years after, I will strive for greatness! I may suffer but I will get stronger! Life may be suffering at many points but I can understand it is difficult and I must pursue on.
It's a difficult thing but people need to make "greatness" great again. And the first step is to stop vilifying greatness.
I have not read much Nietzsche other than the beginning parable of Thus Spake Zarathustra where The Prophet Zarathustra goes to announce the beginning of the Superman, the Ubermensch. But from the article itself, and my own reasoning. I came to conclude a sad but yet fortunate fact that, not everyone can be great. In fact, when we think of greatness, we often give very subjective ideas of what this is so we’ll stick with the ideas of Nietzsche for the time being.
Greatness for him is the Ubermensch’s style of life. He is a passionate man who loves life for beauty and misery. A culture hero who charges history in a new direction and carves his own path separate from the ethical norms of religious thought. He envies others for their talents but also relishes them seeing them as a mirror of what he can be but also pride himself in his talents and abilities. He can be selfish to achieve ends. In other words, the Ubermensch is highly individualistic. Creating their own story from beginning to end. But in order to achieve such, one must suffer according to Nietzsche. And that is the most difficult thing for many, many people to understand.
In an age of Social Justice Warriors, Postmodernism, and Religious Fundamentalism countering any individualistic ideas, merit, or thought, this brings about the age of Ressentiment. Such resentment comes from those who can’t accept they aren’t as valuable as they thought of, are insignificant in the world, or seeing others better off than them in a multitude of ways. It’s then they wish to strengthen their nihilistic tendencies for destruction, primacy, and (to be on the extreme side) death. There is no love of life or accepting reality as it is. They don't enjoy their freedom or wish to make something of it to triumph. They are just driven by destruction of others before themselves.
The Social Justice Warrior claims they are pushers for equality and diversity but diversity of opinions other than left or left-center are always criticized. No Libertarians, Conservatives, Republicans, Left-Right, Objectivists, Liberalists, ... the list goes on and on. The Postmodernist wishes destruction on all the foundations of a civilization's intellectual and cultural achievements, all lying under a guise of oppression of thought and the so called "illusion of truth." They claim because the truth is all forsakeable, anything can go. But this is simply untrue. They hate civilization and culture because it's elevated man to higher potential and that they themselves can't comprehend it so they must make their own values to justify their hatred. They use such claims like "Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder" to claim all art is equally good when art that follows and respects form, style, substance, matter, symmetry, story, and most importantly BEAUTY is respectable. Because there is no truth, emotion is now truth because any reason, fact, or evidence is seen as counterproductive to a postmodernists' ideals. Religious fundamentalists claim the world is to be left to hell and pray in vain to a God that still leaves a silent answer. Instead of seeing beauty in our natural world, a Platonic paradise is seen as they grasp for it. But yet allowing that shows apathy to us who really see the world as it is. But the worse of their lot is the Islamic Fundementalists who demand all must convert or die in the name of their God. Religious sacrifice and killing infidels is seen as the highest form of flattery to God. I know what I'm saying is cold but it's true. No prayers have been answers, our enemies still exist, these whackaloons I just mentioned still wander around making everyone's life hell.
But it goes psychologically, they can never be great so they make others just as un-great as they are. So yes, no one can be great and those who just can't except it or at least try to put up a good fight to try to be great wish only to destroy us. I ask of this of all of you, and I say this honestly, Even if you can't be great, that's no excuse to stop people from being great. Strive to be great, live dangerously "Build your homes on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius!" In other words, the difficulty of being great is to go through the suffering of what makes a man great! No one is willing to suffer to strive for that greatness, but I say I will. Even if it be a long road and I don't get my recognition til I die or 2000 years after, I will strive for greatness! I may suffer but I will get stronger! Life may be suffering at many points but I can understand it is difficult and I must pursue on.
It's a difficult thing but people need to make "greatness" great again. And the first step is to stop vilifying greatness.
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
Happy Late New Year and New Year's Resolutions
So I'd like to thank all of my readers who still follow me despite my very unorthodox and changing and lazy schedule for following me into 2018. And hopefully many surprises will happen and I promise that next time, I'll post my Airing of the Grievances on my Blog to personally shame anyone and everything on Festivus. But lets get to the good news.
Happy New Years to us all and the best for each of us, this, for all time, and throughout this year. It's also important because this is the Year of the Dog for me as this will be the complete cycle of another Chinese New Year for I'll be 24 as of this year. And boy I do have some New Years Resolutions. Mostly plans and goals for myself.
Specifically I have 4 main ones. To some simplistic small goals to fulfill overall big goals/resolutions.
1) Lose some Weight. I have no real or clear goal but I do want to lose some body fat due to last years munchies and feasting due to some emotional and economic hardships and reanalyzing. So I'm hoping to lose 10 pounds overall in general if possible as I'd like to enjoy the upcoming 2018 Anime Expo again as I loved last years but I have to save up and really pay off some debts.
2) Pay off Debts. I got a lot to add onto but I know that I will fully pay of one I owe personally to someone else. I can't go into specifics in order to protect peoples Identities and for personal reasons. Also I plan to pay off more of my Credit card despite usual payments on to pay for car repairs.
3) Write More Often. I've been very lazy on completing my works and so I hope to finish 3 short stories, 1 play and a full draft of one novel. I'll be planning to write the 3 short stories soon with possible revisions later and I will be announcing my debut hopefully if I decide to though my original plan is to publish independently and then grow mainstream.
4) Read More Books. I have a lot to do with reading but I'm planning to read at least 6 books this year and work on 12 next year with a book a month unless I finish reading a book. So far on my list are The Vampire Lestat, We The Living, Nichomachean Ethics, Wuthering Heights, Rebecca, and The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty. All of various genres seen from Philosophy to Gothic Romance and Horror to Erotica.
So that's it. I hope you all can keep to your resolutions or decide not to have ones and you shouldn't feel pressured. For those who do, congratulations. I know there are characteristics that you want to improve on. Good luck and you can do it. And those who chose not to, good for you. It's for you to decide alone and no one's damn business.
Anyway, Eat Drink and Be Merry Darlings!
Happy New Years to us all and the best for each of us, this, for all time, and throughout this year. It's also important because this is the Year of the Dog for me as this will be the complete cycle of another Chinese New Year for I'll be 24 as of this year. And boy I do have some New Years Resolutions. Mostly plans and goals for myself.
Specifically I have 4 main ones. To some simplistic small goals to fulfill overall big goals/resolutions.
1) Lose some Weight. I have no real or clear goal but I do want to lose some body fat due to last years munchies and feasting due to some emotional and economic hardships and reanalyzing. So I'm hoping to lose 10 pounds overall in general if possible as I'd like to enjoy the upcoming 2018 Anime Expo again as I loved last years but I have to save up and really pay off some debts.
2) Pay off Debts. I got a lot to add onto but I know that I will fully pay of one I owe personally to someone else. I can't go into specifics in order to protect peoples Identities and for personal reasons. Also I plan to pay off more of my Credit card despite usual payments on to pay for car repairs.
3) Write More Often. I've been very lazy on completing my works and so I hope to finish 3 short stories, 1 play and a full draft of one novel. I'll be planning to write the 3 short stories soon with possible revisions later and I will be announcing my debut hopefully if I decide to though my original plan is to publish independently and then grow mainstream.
4) Read More Books. I have a lot to do with reading but I'm planning to read at least 6 books this year and work on 12 next year with a book a month unless I finish reading a book. So far on my list are The Vampire Lestat, We The Living, Nichomachean Ethics, Wuthering Heights, Rebecca, and The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty. All of various genres seen from Philosophy to Gothic Romance and Horror to Erotica.
So that's it. I hope you all can keep to your resolutions or decide not to have ones and you shouldn't feel pressured. For those who do, congratulations. I know there are characteristics that you want to improve on. Good luck and you can do it. And those who chose not to, good for you. It's for you to decide alone and no one's damn business.
Anyway, Eat Drink and Be Merry Darlings!
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