Rough Week

There's a line in the movie High Fidelity that goes, "Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable or was I miserable because I listened to pop music." That's really an interesting thought. I don't think that a person can blame music for the way they are feeling but I'm positive that it sure can enhance emotions that are already present.

I've been in a funk lately. A rut so to speak. This isn't something that is completely uncommon. I have battled random bouts with depression for most of my adult life. The difference here is that normally I can pinpoint the situation that may have sent me down such a winding road. That is not the case this time around. Life has been treating me very well lately. Work is the best that it's been in a long time, my finances are in check and I even have a romantic interest that has brought new inspiration to my life. Where could the problem be?

Could it possibly be the music I've been listening to lately that has put me in such a state of melancholy? I have recently rediscovered The Weakerthans. They are an amazing band and are definitely one of my favorites. Singer, John K Samson, has a way with words that is unmatched by any other song writer. He can take the same emotions that others will write about but he injects a freshness to them that keeps them original. The song Civil Twilight focuses on someone who had their heart broken but can't seem to avoid people and places that used to mean something to his relationship thus making it impossible for him to get over her. Instead of sticking with a standard explanation he makes the man a bus driver who's route takes him by the house of his former love every other hour. The imagery in other songs like Left & Leaving and Everything Must Go, once it's figured out, can even bring an onslaught of tears.

Maybe that's it. Maybe I need to be listening to some more positive music. I can't help myself though. I'm drawn in by the ambiguity of the lyrics and I want to learn more about them, however, the further I dig, the deeper I get into the pit of despair that Samson seems to be living in. Whatever the solution may be, I hope I find it soon. A week of this is plenty and I don't need anymore.

Going the Distance Review

It's tough to make a film in the romantic comedy genre that really stands out. There is definitely a formula and, for the most part, it works well. People know what they're going to get and they still come out anyway. I love a good fluff movie from time to time. It's nice to escape from the day to day crap that brings us down and curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and have a good cry. Not that I know anything about that.

Going the Distance succeeds in a different way. It sets itself apart by showing a beautiful story without taking real life out of the mix. It's a very believable film from the situations, jobs and actor interactions. There's even a scene where Drew Barrymore and Justin Long are having dinner at a NYC restaurant that looks like it is being filmed on a flip camera. Sure it's only for a minute or two of the movie but that real life aspect is what kept me wanting more.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that Drew Barrymore and Justin Long are a perfect fit for the lead roles. They don't even appear to be acting through most of the movie. Then again, I think they were actually together during the filming. I did find it to be a little more vulgar than I was expecting but thinking more about it, that's exactly how my friends would talk to me if I had been in that situation. In fact, there was one scene that featured one of the guys on the toilet with the bathroom door open trying to talk to the others. I distinctly remember being a part of a similar situation while in college. I assure you I was not the one sitting on the commode.

The supporting cast can sometimes make or break a movie. Old School is a perfect example. The film is about Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn's characters but Will Ferrell ends up nearly stealing the show. Justin Long's buddies, played by Charlie Day (Always Sunny In Philadelphia) and Jason Sudeikis (SNL), compliment him perfectly and add just the right amount of instigation and humor. Also, Christina Applegate pulls off the role of the over protective worrying older sister of Drew Barrymore perfectly.

It's rare that both men and women will be able to equally appreciate a film in this genre but I think this one is up to the task. It's a great example of a situation where a guy can earn brownie points for suggesting a trip to the theaters to see a romantic comedy and he'll even end up enjoying himself. Will you miss out on anything if you wait to rent this one? No. That being said, I still think it's worthy of a weekend trip to the theater.

I Guess I Was Wrong

There has been an endless debate about whether love at first sight exists. For years I have argued that the feeling we associate with love at first sight is really lust at first sight. There has to be some form of attraction to make someone want to talk to a member of the opposite sex. That attraction is lust. There's not really anything a person can do about it. The feeling is overpowering but that doesn't mean that it's love.

I believed that up until about a month ago. I believed that until the moment I fell in love with a girl that walked into my office looking for a job. I suppose I don't know if it is actually love that I'm feeling but it certainly is a power that I'm not that familiar with. I look at lust as merely a physical attraction and this is so much more. I want to be around her. I want to talk to her and learn everything about her. I want to see her smile at every chance I get. I spend time daydreaming about things that we could do together. Honestly, I'm becoming a cliche of epic proportions but I have no problem with it at all.

Truth is, I met this girl about a year and a half ago. I met her during a lunch meeting with a co-worker and I recall having similar feelings at that time as well, however, the circumstances were different. After spending nearly 2 hours talking and becoming more and more interested in her, I found out that she was not single. This came as quite a blow and I remember feeling pretty down about it. It was a strange time for me because I barely knew her. Actually, I didn't know her at all. I had lunch with her, her boss and a co-worker yet I was still hurt when I found out she had a boyfriend. We stayed in limited contact for a couple months after that lunch but she eventually that ended and I never thought I would see her again. That was until the day I saw her in the lobby of my office.

It was like a flood with all those feelings I had left behind flowing back into me at full force nearly knocking me on my ass. I was speechless for a moment and likely looked like a bumbling fool when she said hello. I'm not positive that it is love that I'm feeling but it is definitely more than lust. Maybe all these years I've been the crazy one and not all those people I've argued with. I'm not always good at admitting when I'm wrong but I'm willing to wave the white flag on this one. All this time I thought that I had been in love before, and maybe I have, but I've never felt these feelings before. I wonder where they are planning on taking me. Wherever it is, I hope it's a long ride.

Is this even possible?

If you posed this question to me about a week ago, I would have thought you were crazy. Now I have to seriously reconsider my opinion. The question is, "Is it possible to create a controversy and then make yourself a martyr because of that contrived controversy?" Sounds insane right? It might not be as wild as you think.

Dr. Laura Schlessinger has been in all the headlines this week after her racial tirade last week when she dropped the N word 11 times in a conversation with a caller on her radio show. I don't believe that her use of the word was a direct attempt to be racist. She was trying to explain that the word is used on TV and in music by African Americans and argued why the word was taboo. I personally do not use the word because I find it offensive but she does bring up an interesting point there. If one person can't say it, why can another? That's a debate that will never have an answer and I digress.

Her rant was not void of racial comments. While supposedly being interrupted by the caller, Dr. Laura was unhappy and told the caller, "Don't NAACP me." I'm not going to assume what situation she was referencing but clearly it was a dig at the organization that, while it is not without its own troubles, has helped millions of people over the years. It's this kind of snark and sarcasm that makes her show unbearable to listen to. At least to me.

These statements are not the controversy. Yes, people were upset by her use of the word and people were calling for an apology. She issued that apology and the situation appeared to be dead. No one was calling for her to be fired and there were no fines placed on her by the FCC or any other entity. Then, earlier this week she announced that she would not be renewing her contract at the end of the year because she wants to get her First Amendment rights back. Don't scratch your head too hard here because I've already been doing it for you. I can't figure out where she lost her rights.

As mentioned before, she was not, and at this moment will not, be fired and she has not been fined. Seems to me like she made a statement that upset people but many of us in the broadcast business do that every day. I said "crap" on the air once and an irate mother called up complaining about me. She said she couldn't believe that my station would allow such foul language from its staff and asked what kind of punishment I would receive. She even called it the "C" word. I apologized, much to my dismay, and we moved on. The N word is much more incendiary and Dr. Laura had the same punishment. She had to give an apology. I don't believe that's really a violation of her First Amendment rights. That's just called being a decent human being. Remember Don Imus? He made what appeared to be racial comments about a specific group of female basketball players and he was promptly fired. He never complained about any violation of his rights and he went on to find a new job. Again I ask, where are these violations of Dr. Laura's rights coming from?

One other point to be made is that the N word is not an illegal word. The FCC does not consider that to be a banned word like the F, S and C words for example. There is no fine for using the N word even though most outlets do shy away from it. If I were to say F**k on the radio one morning I would be fined $250k and would more than likely be fired as well. That sounds more like a violation of my First Amendment rights than her situation.

We live in a day where the more controversy and problems you cause, the more popular and rich you become. People in the media understand this just as much as a dirtbag from the Jersey Shore does. Why would a prominent female broadcaster let an opportunity for free press go to waste? That's what Dr. Laura is really going for. It's an attempt to create a controversy that is not actually there, and become the martyr of it. It's a brilliant idea really. Her popularity will soar as millions of sympathizers will rush to comfort her in clearly what is a blatant attempt of the big government to silence her. It's a shame that none of these people will realize she is bringing all of it upon herself just for a little extra attention.

I'm going to end this post with an interview between Dr. Laura and CNN's John Roberts. Roberts doesn't simply bow down to her like most interviewers do and it basically proves that this whole bit is a complete publicity stunt.

Why is this important?

The nation has a nearly 10% unemployment rate, China is breathing down our necks as it became the #2 economy in the world and people are having to auction off their worldly belongings just to get some simple medical care. Somehow, with all these issues going on, the biggest topic today is the proposed "Mosque" at ground zero. Why is this a major topic of conversation right now? It seems rather absurd and also seems to be a way for politicians to bury the lead and get constituents to focus on something other than the real issues that we face as a nation.

It's definitely a sensitive subject. There's no doubt about that. Had I lost family members or loved ones in the World Trade Center attacks, I'd probably have to think pretty hard about this before forming an opinion. There would absolutely be some emotions that I wouldn't be able to get over. Maybe my opinion would even be different than it is right now.

All of those emotions aside, the fact remains that what the people in New York City are trying to do is in no way shape or form illegal. The purchased the land legally and they have the fundamental right given to them by the Constitution to practice their religion wherever, and whenever they want to. These people are American citizens, many of whom were born in the United States. The project was even approved by a New York City board. The main reason for the project is not to put up a giant middle finger to the people who lost loved ones but rather to give those in the Muslim community a place to get together as there is a large Muslim population in, and around, that area of the city. And let's be honest. There isn't a ton of open space in the city for developers to build on. There is no difference between this and something like a Jewish community center. They are places where those of a certain religion can come to spend time with friends, play basketball, eat food and also worship their God. Is there uproar over this because of it's proposed location or because these people worship a different God than what is considered to be the norm here in the United States? I believe it is probably the later.

I heard a great comment earlier. The interviewee said, "Last time I checked, we were attacked by al Qaeda, not Islam." I couldn't sum it up any better. Do we still allow Christians to worship despite the heinous crimes of the Ku Klux Klan? Yes. Do we still allow Germans to enter this country despite the Nazis? Of course. The few people behind the 9/11 bombings were part of an extremist group. They were not the norm or the majority by any means. Why should we punish those who want to practice peacefully? There are nearly 7 billion people in the world with nearly 2 billion practicing Muslims. So few of those people are extremists that trying to calculate a percentage is ridiculous.

Emotions run heavy with anything that involves the September 11th attacks but that doesn't give anyone the right to deny American citizens their basic constitutional rights. We're told over and over again by politicians that they are fighting for our freedoms and to defend the Constitution. That means they're fighting for all of our freedoms. Not just those of white straight Christian Americans. A citizen's religious background should not come into play just as the color of their skin or sexual preference should not as well. Sadly, there is still a lot of bigotry that leads to fear in the world but hopefully in time that will go away.

What do you bring to the table?

That's a picture of country music star Trace Adkins. I've had the chance to meet him on a couple occasions and he's always been very pleasant and nice to me. He also has some very catchy songs like Honky Tonk Badonkadonk and Hot Mama, just to name a couple. I have no personal issue with the man (especially because he's a giant human being) but something he said recently made my ears perk up.

Trace is not a fan of American Idol(CLICK HERE to read the article). To be honest, neither am I. I've never seen an episode because I, like Trace, think that getting a recording contract and becoming a star needs to involve more than just being able to sing. There are a lot of people out there with beautiful voices that struggle in the business by playing seedy bars and coffee shops. Is American Idol an incredible opportunity for people? Absolutely, however, I've always enjoyed hearing stories about how an artist got their start and listening to how they stood in line for 6 hours and then won a million dollars just isn't that exciting.

Where Trace and I disagree is when he says, "You've got a great voice. OK, you can sing all the licks. What else you got? That other part, what else you have, is really what makes stars." Well, I'm not exactly sure what Trace brings to the table besides his voice. I've seen him perform, and while he sounds great, he has no energy and no stage presence at all. He strolls from side to side without showing any emotion and sings his songs. From time to time, he'll thrust his pelvis out to give the ladies a thrill but that's about the most excitement you can get from a Trace Adkins performance. I also happened to notice that he hasn't written a single song on any of his last 5 albums (that is according to allmusic.com). There was one song on his record "Chrome" that he co-wrote but that's it.

Final summation: Trace Adkins can sing very well but has no stage presence and doesn't write his own music. I can't help but ask the question, What else you got Trace? Seems to me that besides his life story, Trace is on the same level as an American Idol contestant.

2 + 2 = 4

There's so much pressure when trying to choose a college. You're not just trying to pick an institution with high academic standards but you're also looking for a place to be your home for at least the next four years. Seven if you're my brother.

Some people go to college to find themselves and figure out what life path they will be taking. Some also go for their MRS degree. That term is reserved for females that go to school for the sole purpose of finding a husband (Get it? Mrs.). This is often found at Christian or extremely religious schools. There are other reasons people decide to go to college but the majority are going in order to get a good job and make money.

From the moment we enter high school we are bombarded with information about why one school is better than another. Parents play a big part in the decision process too. It's natural for parents to want to relive their college days through their children. That might mean some school sweatshirts for Christmas or even a random singing of the alma mater at dinner. I stumbled across an article that found the schools with graduates that make the most money. Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California took first place with an average of $126,000 a year. Sounds promising to incoming students that are looking to buy their first Beemer and McMansion after graduation. Too bad it has an average enrollment of 738 undergrads. I graduated from high school with almost that many kids. That does not sound like an exciting college experience to me, but that's me. We rank schools based on things like graduate salaries and sports programs instead of how they will best fit the personalities of the students.

My boss' daughter is a junior in high school and she is starting the college process. This girl is under an outrageous amount of pressure from her school but thankfully not from her parents. They're very level headed and are letting her take it day by day. Naturally, she wants to go to a "good" school so she's looking at NYU, Vanderbilt and other schools with big names and big reputations. These schools look good on paper, except for that nasty bill that comes along with them, but what if they're not the right fit for her? There's something to be said about a comfortable environment, local entertainment and a diverse student body.

There was one moment that decided it all for me. I was taking a tour of Villanova University with my dad in my senior year of high school. I wasn't overly impressed with the school during the tour. Yeah it has a beautiful campus and a friendly atmosphere but that wasn't doing it for me. The moment I knew that it was the school for me was at the very end as our tour guide was saying goodbye. Two of his friends happened to be walking by and they decided to drop their pants and walk by the group of prospective students, and parents, in just their boxers. The fact that two 20 year old guys walked buy in their underwear did nothing for me but the act itself made me realize that it was the place I needed to be. They felt so comfortable in their environment that they had no problem just being themselves and having fun. That's the kind of place I needed to be.

There's an old joke that goes...What do you call people who got C's in med school? Doctors. When it comes down to picking the right school, there are so many more important things to look at besides education rankings. 2 + 2 = 4 at every single school you look at. Nietzsche is still nearly impossible to read no matter where you go. College is about more than the promise of a good salary upon graduation. It's about experiencing life and discovering who you're going to be.