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What the Hell?

Ok so I’m all for technology and moving forward and advancing the cause of man and all that shit. However, does anyone else ever wonder if we’re actually better off today as opposed to say the way we were in the 1950s? Sure, we on average live longer and more people enjoy more expansive rights (African Americans and women immediately pop into mind here) but has the advancement and enlightenment of man been all for the good?

I tend to hold a mixed opinion on this. I love the simplicity of some things modern technology has provided. I mean who doesn’t love the fact that you can have a piping bowl of popcorn in a couple of minutes instead of shaking your arm numb over a hot stove and a Jiffy Pop? However, with this advancement has come disturbing information and an increase in, or at least the perception of and increase in, serious violence. Now, I’m not some censorship guy who thinks violent movies and video games are the root of all evil. But, the simple fact remains that in modern American life, the idea of deadly violence is accepted and not given a second thought.

When I was a kid growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, we never metal detectors at school. Now they have them in private parochial school. Back in the 1950s you didn’t have street gangs of kids running around with automatic weapons. You had gangs sure, but they weren’t basically organized crime families.

The advent of modern technology and communication has made the idea of terrorism and terror in general much easier. 24 hour cable news outlets need constant “news.” The internet (or as our esteemed President calls it, the Internets) provides for instant recognition and discovery of information. Cell phones, email, and the like provide for easy and instant coordination. As life becomes easier for the mass population, so does spreading terror and death for those that would keep us in fear.

I mention all this because of a website I literally accidentally stumbled across. It informs but, at the same time, feeds into the constant state of fear that many people feel. The site is www.globalincidentmap.com and it bills itself as “A Global Display of Terrorism and Other Suspicious Activity”

Everyone is so concerned about terrorism and what other people are doing that you see a breakdown of the things that have held American families and towns together since 1787. Personal communication is gone. It is possible to go days without ever speaking with or interacting with another person. You can order everything online (including dinner and your groceries) and have it all delivered. People work at home offices sending emails. News is gathered from websites and the TV. How many people can honestly say that they know all their neighbors in their neighborhood? How many people can honestly say that they have even *seen* all their neighbors? I know I can’t. I’ve lived in the same neighborhood since 2003 and I’ve actually met maybe four of my neighbors. We’re all too busy rushing around.

All this does is help to transform the greater society into one that is suspicious of each other and encourages people to see “other suspicious activity” in every day events. It encourages us to snitch and tattle and to basically not “Love Thy Neighbor.” It is one thing to be vigilant and aware of what is going on around you. It is quite another to be paranoid and constantly looking for suspicious activity. It’s a self fulfilling prophecy. If you spend all your time worried that people are out to get you; eventually you’ll just end up alone locked in a room. I think people need to take a step back; learn to trust again and learn to watch each other’s backs instead of finding ways to stab each other in the back.

On the other hand, is it paranoia if someone is really out to get you?

Ok, I'm a political junikie but.....

Don't get me wrong, I love politics and I am always very into the political scene and the election cycle. However, I can no longer sit here and listen to talking heads on the TV and radio saying the same things over and over again about this primary season. It is driving me nuts because they same the same thing over and over about how every primary election state is the most important and how Clinton needs to win by 12 points or she is screwed. They said basically the same thing about the race in Pennsylvania (that she needed to win by more than 15%) or she was done. Funny thing, she won by 9 and is still around. Now, I'm not saying she should or shouldn't be around, I just wish I could get some intelligent commentary and news rather than the same sound bites all the time. This whole 24 hour news cycle and never ending news channels has made it impossible to get decent news and commentary.

Of course leads to the biggest, IMHO, dork in all of the talking heads and "reporters." Wolf Blitzer. The more I see of him, the less I understand how he got a job as a copy boy at CNN let alone the host of a insanely long and boring show. The man can't put sentences together coherently and can't ask an intelligent question on the fly to save his life. He constantly sounds like he is merely trying to repeat what others have said to him (and usually gets it wrong) to make his questions. I mean seriously, the man is embarrassing. He is no Keith Olbermann thats for sure.

I'm still trying to figure out exactly what form I'd like this blog to take; journal, ramblings, random thoughts, or something more concrete. For now, I think it will just be my thoughts and I will branch out with specific different blogs on specific topic areas if I get the urge.

So, I was feeling very old yesterday as I was flipping through the channels and ran across Top Gun on one of the movie channels. I can't believe that move is over 20 years old. I hadn't seen the movie in so many years that I forgot how utterly unrealistic it was. And I'm not just talking about Val Kilmer as a hot shot cool pilot, that was just he icing. All that hair on Anthony Edwards just reminded me how bald I am getting.

In any event, in my depressed state about how old I am given the release date of movies that I remember so well that it seems impossible they are over 20 years old, I cam up with list.

1. The Karate Kid-1984: Are you kidding me? I still get chills watching Ralph put the ole Crane Technique on William Zapka's face; not to mention this movie started my love affair with Elisabeth Shue.

2. A Christmas Story-1983: You'll poke your eye out kid!

3. Red Dawn-1984: A little known crappy movie about the massive Cuban Army invading the USA. Notable only because it had early performances by Patrick Swazye and Jennifer Grey (pre-nosejob) and Charlie Sheen (and lets not forget C. Thomas Howell, the master thespian of the group). This movie is also a trivia answer as I think it was one of the first movies with a PG-13 rating. Of course we all know that Swayze went on to the bigger and better Roadhouse in 1989.

4. Police Academy-1984: A "classic." I mean really, who doesn't love a good Steve Guttenberg flick?

5. Footloose-1984: Look how well little Sarah Jessica Parker grew up. Shame Kevin Bacon and Chris Penn couldn't dance.

6. Ricky Business-1983: Made the El ride in Chicago more exciting.

7. Airplane!-1980: "I am serious, and don't call me Shirley." This is one of the funniest movies ever, bar none.

8. E.T.-1982: Seriously, 1982.

9. Ferris Bueller's Day Off-1986: I used to live right by the place they used for the fancy restaurant where Ferris became Abe Froman, the Sausage King of Chicago.

10. Fast Times at Ridgemont High-1982: Aloha! Mr. Hand. I always wanted to live in a town with a mall like that

There are tons others but these reminded me of my Junior High and High School days....Man am I glad those are over!

So there are a few things that people need to know about me:

1. I'm not the most patient person in world (just ask my wife how well I do waiting to open presents or with surprises...the whole waiting nine months for the kids to be born was hell)

2. I am kinda opinionated and have been known to be rather blunt at times telling someone when they are being an ass.

3. I am a horrible typer and am lazy so there will be typos. Deal with it :)

4. I babble.

5. I have two daughters who are both of course the cutest and smartest girls in the world. One is 7 going on 16 and the other is 4 going on 16....basically, I'm screwed.

6. I am a very political person and love to talk politics with anyone who will listen and quite often people who won't.

7. Being an attorney, I tend to over-analyze things and sometimes need someone to bring me back to reality.

8. Don't mess with my favorite sports teams.

9. I love to play on my XBOX 360 but suck at every game I play much to the amusement of those who are kicking my ass online.

10. My favorite number is 10 and color is hunter green.

11. August 2 will be the 8th anniversary of my 29th birthday (cash and gift cards welcome)

Where to Start?

I figure I should start somewhere and the beginning is as good as anywhere.

Various people know me in various incarnations. I'm a lawyer, sports fan, Second Life wanderer, podcasting fan, dad, husband, and smartass.

I usually have opinions on stuff but am not always great at getting them down on paper to express them. Hopefully, this will help that.

Growing up in Ohio and living in Chicago and Las Vegas has given me some different perspectives on life and what I see around. Of course all of that is colored by my wife and daughters (I have two which I'm convinced God gave me to punish me for all the shit I did in College).

I started this blog to try and provide some information for people who might give a damn and to try and pass along some stuff that I find interesting, funny, disturbing, or just plain odd.

So hang in there and hopefully, I won't drive anyone to suicide from boredom.