How much longer must we tolerate mass culture?

Egads, I'm tired

nobody@vox.com(Maxvan) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:12:47 -0800

So tired. Much work. Talking like a sportscaster.

But, I am grateful for my life, even so. Just wish I could have a cup of coffee.

December 2007 031

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The latest geegaws and whoosits

nobody@vox.com(Maxvan) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:59:24 -0800

I always like to be informed, and there's something neat about new gadgets, and whatnot,but I must admit i don't understad some of the latest and greatest on the web, these days. Like Twitter...Does anybody do Twitter so that they could explain to me how it's any better than chat? it just seems like some AIM channel, with permanent recording of whatever drivel you drooled out. Or Facebook, which seems like Myspace with more invasive programming. I don't get it.....

I understand RSS feeds, podcasts, and blogs. I understand Flickr and Vlogs on youtube. All this makes a kind of sense to me. Bt some of the latest and greatest, I just don't understand. Can somebody explain it to me? What's the allure? What's the function? What's the deal?

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Max's old Movies

nobody@vox.com(Maxvan) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 06:14:15 -0800

Love & a .45

I titled this like it's an ongoing column. Maybe it will be, but I doubt it.

Anyway, I was just thinking about this movie, which is one of my favorites. Love & a .45 is a crime caper/romantic comedy/ exploitation movie done with an Indie set of aesthetics, and a strong Texas undercurrent. You've got a then-unknown Gil Bellows (later a fixture on Ally McBeal, which I think was "Sex and the City" pre-millenial) and a then-unknown Renee Zellweger ( Oh, come on. Bridget Jones? Tom Cruise co-star? married briefly to a country westetrn singer? Sheesh) as Watty-Watts, and Starlene Cheatham, a pair of starry-eyed star-crossed lovers. See, Watty supports them through petty crime, and gets involved in a bad bit of debt with a loanshark to buy Starlene an engagement ring. So, he agrees to a caper with Billy Mack( Rory Cochrane, the most criminally-underused character actor of all time! even if he is on a CSI franchise), a psychotic meth addict that Watty tried to protect in prison. Unfortunately things get bloody, and our lovers are on the run. Along the way, they meet a rogue's gallery of Texas crazies played by a delicious cast of B movie regulars, like Jeffry Combs, Ann Wedgeworth, Peter Fonda, Jack Nance, and Wiley Wiggins with a great indie-rock soundtrack.

Stylistically, and thematically, it's very similar to the Big-Budget Hollywood gloss of Natural Born Killers, and there's been a debate on which movie ripped off the other (My time in Hollywood has me firmly convinced that it was Oliver Stone ripping off Talkington, and not the other way around) but, unlike most crime capers, and so on, thisone has a soul. in the end the characters choose love over violence, and still grieve for those gone. In other words, they recognize that death is real, and a tragedy, and yet, they choose to live, whereas, in the end, Natural Born Killers destroys everyone's humanity, making death not real, and, therefore, by comparison, love is unreal, as well. What i'm saying is that, while this is still edgy, daring, and independant movie-making, with some shocks and thrills, at the end of it, you don't feel wrong for having watched it. It's a celebration, not a wallowing. Anyway, I like it.

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Musharraf's brick wall

nobody@vox.com(Maxvan) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 05:39:15 -0800

You know the will of the people is always the final say in politics. I don't care how despotic the dictator, in the end, the will of the citizens wins out. Take a look at the fall of the Tsars in Russia: you'd be hard pressed to find a more despotic set of rulers than the Tsars,and yet, the Russian people wanted a duma, and they got it. They were still repressed, but it was a repression they had chosen, a fact that has confounded non-russians ever since. Likewise, I think the recent elections that put in PPP and PML-N in power over parliment will confound westerners. Because the will of the Pakistani people is not the same as the will of western leaders. I don't think they are looking to isolate or depose Musharraf, I think they simply want a rule of law. Pakistan simply wants to go back in business. So, efforts to see this as a referendum or a mandate will fail. I think it was primarily because they want to live in a country where opposition leadrs are not assassinated, and where judges rule courts, politicians run the government, and generals conduct the military. This will for normalcy is Musharraf's brick wall. I think he was counting on his people being able to overcome the will of the people. I think he believes he can break the will of the people, so he can run a Junta that controls over all, because people are too fearful for anything else. I think people are scared in Pakistan, but more than scared, they have a will to be something other than a football between America and Wahabbists. If the PPP fail to recognize that, it will be their doom. If Sharif doesn't recognize that it's not about him, Bhutto, or Musharraf, he'll be in exile, soon. His call to restore the Supreme court is a good idea, but any attempts to depose Musharraf would be bad. Instead, this new not-quite coalition government should do everything they can to restore things to the way their people want it: a secular society where business can flourish.

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About Castro

nobody@vox.com(Maxvan) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:11:48 -0800

49 years. Think about everything that's happened in the world over the past 49 years.During all that, Fidel Castro has been El Presidente. I wouldn't say he's a decent man, and it's impossible to say whether Cuba would be a better or worse place without him, but he did do some good things, and some bad things. I think, in the final analysis, he did help Cuba. Maybe not as much as others could have, but I think Cuba is better off than if there had never been a revolution. Heck, I think much of Central America has benefitted from the fact of a Castro government. But, at what cost? like his sponsers in Russia, Castro wasn't a true Communist. What he practiced was more of a totalitarian state capitalism: that is a market economy wherein the state is the primary buyer and seller of goods. The difference is huge. It's a difference between a "dictatorship OF the proletariat" versus a "Dictatorship OVER the proletariat". It's not such a hard concept to grasp; Had Cuba truly been a Communist state, there would be no President, only a committee of civil servants chosen to represent various factions within society, and hired on by voters, and thus, able to be fired by the voters at any time.

In the end, I think the History books will mostly talk of how he outfoxed Washington, over and over again. For a quick and dirty example: remember when he opened all the prisons, and mental hospitals onto miami? Brilliant, in its way, don't you think? We'd been saying for him to free prisoners, and we'd been saying that they were repressing people, so, he said "Sure, take all of our rapists, and murderers, and show them your freedom".Wow, you know?

But, equally, he'll be remembered as the guy who kept Cuba isolated, and who did engage in a cold war wherein his people suffered for his ego. Can't say i'll laud that.

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No time but I gotta say

nobody@vox.com(Maxvan) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:47:13 -0800

Important stuff going on,between what's unfolding in Pakistan (Long story short: the miltary, et al no longer support musharraf to stuff ballot boxes for him) and Cuba (Fidel is stepping down) and I'll want to comment, something fierce, but I've had a lot of of work today (around 16 hours worth). So, I hope tomorrow....

Regardless, I'll tell you now: I bet you'll be surprised at what I've gotta say (hint: I'm not necessarily as pro- or anti- anything as what you might think)

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So, a random thought

nobody@vox.com(Maxvan) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 20:53:08 -0800

Ever notice how they don't have too many male subjects on "What not to wear"? Ever wonder why?

I think it's for several reasons.

The number one is logistics.There already has been "Queer eye for the Straight guy' and the budget on this show would preclude name brand designer suits (a decent Ralph Lauren number will set you back about a grand, so what can they do? Have the guy buy two suits and a pair of shoes?) so sponsers wouldn't be too keen on it.

But the other reason would be all the social pressures against men taking an interest in fashion. It's seen as 'effeminate' in some circles, and most workplaces demand fairly rigid conformity for male dress. Guys are also conditioned to think that they are rugged individuals, free from social influence, as well. Both my son, and I,almost reflexisively, whenever we have seen that show will robotically intone how we'd defy their "rules' and would subvert the show, if we were on. Again, i'm not saying that guys are more self-guided, merely that we're conditioned to think that we are.

Yeah, i know. It's a dumb thought about a dumb show. But, give me a break, here: I'm pretty bored. My son's off to see a friend, and my wife has been asleep most of the past 24 hours, and I'm too broke to do anything but laundry, and housework.

If it'll make you think any better of me, I did also make a few compilation CDs for my commute to work....

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Every once in awhile it sucks.

nobody@vox.com(Maxvan) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 20:54:30 -0800

So, yeah, today kinda blew chunks. See, first, I got up up to bring my kitty to the vet. I've just paid some bills so I'm on a limited budget, but I had to get the kitty in: her meds are running out, and quite honestly, i don't know if she'll live without them. So, I bring her in. But, even though I told the Vet about my limited budget, the bill comes back more than double what I had said I could afford. In the past they had offered various methods of payment. Not now. Now it's cash, right now, pay up sucker! And a sucker I am, because it was 3 times the amount it had cost for the same service as 6 months ago.

This set a few things in motion. See, I've pretty much been living for the chance to escape. To go on a vacation, however brief. That chance is evaporating before me. I no longer can afford to leave my soul-crushing job for even a day.

Then came the next hammer blow. My company recently relocated. Trying to be a good co-worker, I had been taking up the slack for everyone else, and even delivered everyone's time sheets off to the place where they're processed, after hours, without asking for compensation. I did deliver everyone's time sheet, except mine. I forgot it, and , today, found it in my coat pocket. Why? Because I've had too much on my plate, I guess, but maybe because I'm an idiot. This means my pay that I desperately need, will be at the very least delayed.

This leaves me a bit screwed. I've got some kinda important bills due, this week. Stuff I cannot defer. Yeah, I'm probably gonna have to ask some folks for a loan. They'll make me grovel for it, too. i know. They'll also feel that it gives them the right to point out every mistake I ever made.

Then, just when I had resigned myself to staying in for the next....month, my internet and cable TV just died. The best part: they died when I sat at the family computer. They'd worked all day for other members of my family. Nope, it dies right when I get my turn.

Now, obviously, it's working now. Here's hoping that's a sign of things to come.

I ain't asking for anyone's pity. I wouldn't accept it, if it was given. I'm a very tough cookie, and i know I'll be OK. Seriously, people hate me for how stone faced and unyielding I can be. But, I know that's what it takes for me to survive my own stupidity, and my own bad luck. I've got to draw upon the stoicism of my forefathers just to keep breathing. It's going to take a lot of that, if I'm going to make it back to daylight. Just you watch, though. I'll do it. Even if every once in awhile it sucks...

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Foam Whale!

nobody@vox.com(Maxvan) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 20:27:38 -0800

DSCN3329

Folks, allow me to introduce you to the latest addition here at Chez Max: The FOAM WHALE! He's very small, and he's made of foam, but he has big ambitions! He might be some kind of worm, we don't know, but he also might be a non-edible cheeto. So, I have decided that he's a very small, non-carbon-based land whale. He has taken up residence near the computer monitor, and he's a fun loving, happy go lucky little addition to our somewhat eccentric home.

DSCN3332

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Who are you gonna vote for?

nobody@vox.com(Maxvan) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:42:35 -0800

I honestly don't know. I'm looking at the three basic possibilities: Barack, Hilary, McCain, and I can't quite make it.

Barack has a great way with words, and it would be good to finally silence those who think a Black man cannot be president, but he's so very, very green. Not in the Al gore way, in the short pants kind of way.Hilary is tough, and has a really slick campaign, but I can't get over the notion that hers is a cynical kind of entitlement. She still radiates that Bob Dole kind of vibe; the one that says "Coronate me, now, i have the divine right of kings behind me". On top of that, she's so obviously one of those washington insider types who have no connection to the outside world.

Then, there's McCain.I'd vote for him, I really would, except three things: 1. The guy sold his soul for George W Bush. George W freakin' Bush. No way. 2. I've got a memory. I can remember the name Keating. I can remember savings and loans. 3. The man is very, very old. I don't know that he'll make it.

So, the way I see it, right now, I'm least Screwed with Obama. But, I'm open to suggestions. Anybody got any? I still think Al gore is a better option.

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