Saturday, August 30, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Would/Should Don Draper be a blogger?
I had an argument with a friend yesterday....it's really pretty silly, if you think about it--but aren't most arguments? To protect the identity of my friend, I will change his gender and exchange the "b" in his name with a "y." I accused my friend, Gaye, of having double standards, because when she writes a blog, she tells me about it almost instantly (which I take as my cue to read the blog as soon as possible), however, when the tables are turned and I write a blog, she might read it in several days or weeks, or may not even read it all. After some dramatic dialogue, she claimed that she doesn't care if anyone ever read her blogs. I asked her why she even wrote a blog then, and she claimed to write blogs just to fulfill her need to write. So, this got me thinking.
Why do we blog? I'm not as selfless as Gaye. I write blogs to express myself, but in all honesty, I guess I'm hoping someone will read it and be amused, or touched, or mad, or whatever. I find blogging a good way to express my thoughts, query people's opinions and interact, and also to just unload some burdens. Writing in a private or personal journal doesn't really do it for me, because sometimes I think I actually need to know that someone knows how I feel or think--be it pathetic or not. In the end, I think blogging serves as some sort of indirect way to validate existence and assigns meaning to your life, thoughts and feelings.
Carrying things is tough. Having the ability to express and expose yourself can be liberating--it can help you through many things. Thinking about this reminded me of a conversation I had with Mike recently, regarding the lead character from Mad Men, Don Draper. Mike had mentioned how difficult it must be for him to carry all of his secrets (his past, his current affairs, the stress from his job, etc). I thought about this and wondered if Don would be a blogger (had it been around in 1960). Then I started thinking about just exactly how he does carry all that weight. I think this is the reason he has various affairs and sneaks out of the office to see movies. Those are the outlets that allow him to express and expose the various sides of himself.
If you haven't started watching Mad Men, I highly recommend it. It comes on Sunday nights at 11pm on AMC. It's also on Comcast On-Demand.
Why do we blog? I'm not as selfless as Gaye. I write blogs to express myself, but in all honesty, I guess I'm hoping someone will read it and be amused, or touched, or mad, or whatever. I find blogging a good way to express my thoughts, query people's opinions and interact, and also to just unload some burdens. Writing in a private or personal journal doesn't really do it for me, because sometimes I think I actually need to know that someone knows how I feel or think--be it pathetic or not. In the end, I think blogging serves as some sort of indirect way to validate existence and assigns meaning to your life, thoughts and feelings.
Carrying things is tough. Having the ability to express and expose yourself can be liberating--it can help you through many things. Thinking about this reminded me of a conversation I had with Mike recently, regarding the lead character from Mad Men, Don Draper. Mike had mentioned how difficult it must be for him to carry all of his secrets (his past, his current affairs, the stress from his job, etc). I thought about this and wondered if Don would be a blogger (had it been around in 1960). Then I started thinking about just exactly how he does carry all that weight. I think this is the reason he has various affairs and sneaks out of the office to see movies. Those are the outlets that allow him to express and expose the various sides of himself.
If you haven't started watching Mad Men, I highly recommend it. It comes on Sunday nights at 11pm on AMC. It's also on Comcast On-Demand.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
The Letting Go
I don't really know where to begin this blog, so I'll just start in the middle. As I was walking this morning, I was thinking about my life and all of the changes that have happened over the past year or two. There really have been a lot--my mother-in-law passed away, my daughter left home, my son had a daughter (then moved in and just recently moved out), I finished my MBA, started a new career, moved away from my home and husband into Atlanta (closer to my job), met a lot of new people and developed new friendships. That's just a rough synopsis - but still quite a bit of stuff.
My natural inclination is to want to be in control, Type A personality I guess. I get depressed time and again because things don't work out the way I think they should or want them to--even when I know it's probably for the best. I try to turn to the great thinkers like Nietzsche, Camus and other Existentialists I fell in love with in college. Reading them helped me through many a tough times and lonely nights. Melissa Etheridge also came through for me with her great lyrics. I'm still going through some pretty major changes in my life.....which I might mention in a future blog, but I'm at that very difficult stage where the letting go needs to happen....and it's just so damn hard.
In college, I studied some eastern religions and was really attracted to Hinduism--not so much its religious tenets (ie: reincarnation, Brahman, pantheism), but the path to enlightenment was very attractive. Besides the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita was by far my favorite Hindu text. It read like a story (even though one must read it many times to decipher all of the meanings--and maybe also have a supplemental reader nearby). To be overly simplistic, the main piece of advice to reach enlightenment was through detachment--from the material world. Basically, it's the letting go--of everything--that will allow one to transcend into the higher realm of existence. But, the letting go is the hardest part. That's where I am right now (not on my way to enlightenment, just along my life path).
I'm able to see many things and have managed to push myself far enough away to draw somewhat objective opinions of things and situations--certain outcomes with various people in my life. Now I'm just stuck at that letting go phase. I need to let go but it's the hardest part. I know it'll come, but until then, I'm just kind of stuck--right in the middle, and it's not any fun. Anyway, to wrap this little story, I'll close with some Melissa Etheridge. She (and Krishna) have helped me through times like this before, so I'm counting on them again. (BTW, my philosophy professor would probably have a shit fit for me assigning equal therapeutic weight to Melissa Etheridge and the Gita--so it's our little secret.)
Weakness In Me
Stronger Than Me
The Letting Go (I don't like the video, but there weren't very many choices)
My natural inclination is to want to be in control, Type A personality I guess. I get depressed time and again because things don't work out the way I think they should or want them to--even when I know it's probably for the best. I try to turn to the great thinkers like Nietzsche, Camus and other Existentialists I fell in love with in college. Reading them helped me through many a tough times and lonely nights. Melissa Etheridge also came through for me with her great lyrics. I'm still going through some pretty major changes in my life.....which I might mention in a future blog, but I'm at that very difficult stage where the letting go needs to happen....and it's just so damn hard.
In college, I studied some eastern religions and was really attracted to Hinduism--not so much its religious tenets (ie: reincarnation, Brahman, pantheism), but the path to enlightenment was very attractive. Besides the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita was by far my favorite Hindu text. It read like a story (even though one must read it many times to decipher all of the meanings--and maybe also have a supplemental reader nearby). To be overly simplistic, the main piece of advice to reach enlightenment was through detachment--from the material world. Basically, it's the letting go--of everything--that will allow one to transcend into the higher realm of existence. But, the letting go is the hardest part. That's where I am right now (not on my way to enlightenment, just along my life path).
I'm able to see many things and have managed to push myself far enough away to draw somewhat objective opinions of things and situations--certain outcomes with various people in my life. Now I'm just stuck at that letting go phase. I need to let go but it's the hardest part. I know it'll come, but until then, I'm just kind of stuck--right in the middle, and it's not any fun. Anyway, to wrap this little story, I'll close with some Melissa Etheridge. She (and Krishna) have helped me through times like this before, so I'm counting on them again. (BTW, my philosophy professor would probably have a shit fit for me assigning equal therapeutic weight to Melissa Etheridge and the Gita--so it's our little secret.)
Weakness In Me
Stronger Than Me
The Letting Go (I don't like the video, but there weren't very many choices)
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Swing Vote
I saw Swing Vote last night. It wasn't a horrible movie, but it wasn't anything wonderful either. It was a good little "throw-away movie." The movie centers around the importance of a single. Kevin Costner's character, Bud, is set to determine the next president due to a voting machine error. The outcome of the election (and future of the free world) is placed in his hands. Problem is, Bud is an uneducated wastrel and father to a child who acts as his parent. The child, Molly, is played by Madeline Carroll who does a great job. (I'm sure we will see her in a lot more movies.)
Since there was a voting machine error, the law requires that the voter be given a chance to recast his ballot. However, doing so holds up the election, causing the candidates to move their base of operations to Bud's front yard. A lot of wining and dining is done by each candidate in an effort to persuade Bud to vote for the respective candidates. As Bud voices his impulsive thoughts on "the issues," the candidates respond with campaign commercials and grandstanding, trying to show Bud how the candidate agrees with his point of view. The candidates' positions end up flipping, where the Republican candidate starts looking more like a Democrat and vice versa. However, the political ads end up being the best part of this movie (besides Madeline's acting job).
This campaign ad is by the Democratic nominee, Donald Greenleaf (Dennis Hopper), in response to Bud's stating that he likes life, after being asked if he was "pro life or pro choice." It's clear in the movie that Bud has no opinion because he doesn't understand the difference between the two choices. The commercial is Greenleaf's reply to Bud's "like's life" response.
In a similar vein, Bud is concerned with "In Sourcing," the bringing in of Mexicans to work in the plants and take the jobs of the home-town boys. Below is Greenleaf's immigration response to "in sourcing."
On the flip side, the Republican incumbent, Preside Boone (Kelsey Grammer), demonstrates his campaign's stance on equality for Gay America.
Again, I don't think this movie is a total waste of time and money, but I'd put it on the rental list.
Swing Vote Trailer:
Since there was a voting machine error, the law requires that the voter be given a chance to recast his ballot. However, doing so holds up the election, causing the candidates to move their base of operations to Bud's front yard. A lot of wining and dining is done by each candidate in an effort to persuade Bud to vote for the respective candidates. As Bud voices his impulsive thoughts on "the issues," the candidates respond with campaign commercials and grandstanding, trying to show Bud how the candidate agrees with his point of view. The candidates' positions end up flipping, where the Republican candidate starts looking more like a Democrat and vice versa. However, the political ads end up being the best part of this movie (besides Madeline's acting job).
This campaign ad is by the Democratic nominee, Donald Greenleaf (Dennis Hopper), in response to Bud's stating that he likes life, after being asked if he was "pro life or pro choice." It's clear in the movie that Bud has no opinion because he doesn't understand the difference between the two choices. The commercial is Greenleaf's reply to Bud's "like's life" response.
In a similar vein, Bud is concerned with "In Sourcing," the bringing in of Mexicans to work in the plants and take the jobs of the home-town boys. Below is Greenleaf's immigration response to "in sourcing."
On the flip side, the Republican incumbent, Preside Boone (Kelsey Grammer), demonstrates his campaign's stance on equality for Gay America.
Again, I don't think this movie is a total waste of time and money, but I'd put it on the rental list.
Swing Vote Trailer:
Political Campaign Parodies from SWING VOTE
I saw Swing Vote last night. It wasn't a horrible movie, but it wasn't anything wonderful either. It was a good little "throw-away movie." The movie centers around the importance of a single. Kevin Costner's character, Bud, is set to determine the next president due to a voting machine error. The outcome of the election (and future of the free world) is placed in his hands. Problem is, Bud is an uneducated wastrel and father to a child who acts as his parent. The child, Molly, is played by Madeline Carroll who does a great job. (I'm sure we will see her in a lot more movies.)
Since there was a voting machine error, the law requires that the voter be given a chance to recast his ballot. However, doing so holds up the election, causing the candidates to move their base of operations to Bud's front yard. A lot of wining and dining is done by each candidate in an effort to persuade Bud to vote for the respective candidates. As Bud voices his impulsive thoughts on "the issues," the candidates respond with campaign commercials and grandstanding, trying to show Bud how the candidate agrees with his point of view. The candidates' positions end up flipping, where the Republican candidate starts looking more like a Democrat and vice versa. However, the political ads end up being the best part of this movie (besides Madeline's acting job).
This campaign ad is by the Democratic nominee, Donald Greenleaf (Dennis Hopper), in response to Bud's stating that he likes life, after being asked if he was "pro life or pro choice." It's clear in the movie that Bud has no opinion because he doesn't understand the difference between the two choices. The commercial is Greenleaf's reply to Bud's "like's life" response.
In a similar vein, Bud is concerned with "In Sourcing," the bringing in of Mexicans to work in the plants and take the jobs of the home-town boys. Below is Greenleaf's immigration response to "in sourcing."
On the flip side, the Republican incumbent, Preside Boone (Kelsey Grammer), demonstrates his campaign's stance on equality for Gay America.
Again, I don't think this movie is a total waste of time and money, but I'd put it on the rental list.
Swing Vote Trailer:
Since there was a voting machine error, the law requires that the voter be given a chance to recast his ballot. However, doing so holds up the election, causing the candidates to move their base of operations to Bud's front yard. A lot of wining and dining is done by each candidate in an effort to persuade Bud to vote for the respective candidates. As Bud voices his impulsive thoughts on "the issues," the candidates respond with campaign commercials and grandstanding, trying to show Bud how the candidate agrees with his point of view. The candidates' positions end up flipping, where the Republican candidate starts looking more like a Democrat and vice versa. However, the political ads end up being the best part of this movie (besides Madeline's acting job).
This campaign ad is by the Democratic nominee, Donald Greenleaf (Dennis Hopper), in response to Bud's stating that he likes life, after being asked if he was "pro life or pro choice." It's clear in the movie that Bud has no opinion because he doesn't understand the difference between the two choices. The commercial is Greenleaf's reply to Bud's "like's life" response.
In a similar vein, Bud is concerned with "In Sourcing," the bringing in of Mexicans to work in the plants and take the jobs of the home-town boys. Below is Greenleaf's immigration response to "in sourcing."
On the flip side, the Republican incumbent, Preside Boone (Kelsey Grammer), demonstrates his campaign's stance on equality for Gay America.
Again, I don't think this movie is a total waste of time and money, but I'd put it on the rental list.
Swing Vote Trailer:
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