It's been a month since I last posted, and for that I apologize. I've tried several times in the past month to post my feelings. Every time I tried, I kept getting frustrated and it affected my writing. I believe in passion, but blind passion doesn't benefit anyone (as you are about to read). I took a break from reading The Republic because I realized I'll be reading it in my philosophy class, which starts tomorrow. In the meantime, I have had time to think about the current political climate.

America has become dangerously reliant on two things: broadcast media and party politics. As it has turned out, those two combined are lethal. There is a difference between a journalist and a commentator with a nightly slot on MSNBC or Fox News. The problem is that a large portion of Americans watch these shows and take them as hardcore facts. Keith Olbermann, Lou Dobbs, Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Rachel Maddow; all these people are a televised op-ed piece. All the viewer has to do is pick which piece he/she agrees with the most and turn up the volume. This leads to such things as the "Tea Parties" that popped up all around the country on Tax Day. This has also lead to the angry, and sometimes violent, town halls in recent weeks. Now, these specific instances are mainly conservative/Republican outbursts, but the impact of the liberal opinionated media is no exception. Once people are only getting their facts from bias commentators, the facts become skewed. Conspiracy theories start to develop about the true nature of politicians and their bills.

The second problem with broadcast media is that they have so overly embraced the new age of Web 2.0/user friendly outlets that they have forgotten how to censor. I don't mean silencing anyone's opinion, but I definitely mean filtering out the idiotic opinions. There are no stupid questions just extremely stupid people. And once you give those stupid people a microphone, you've got a mob. Misinformed, (sometimes) ill-educated, and stubborn people forming together to yell at their (democratically-elected) representatives leads to violence and inhibits progress. No one was benefitting from the town hall meetings except for the people who were shouting the loudest. Ron Perlstein wrote a very good article about the current issues in political media and the political world: read it here.

The town hall meetings remind me of the town halls John McCain had near the end of the campaigns when people in the audience called Obama a "terrorist"; and the one woman who said Obama was an "Arab". Misinformation perpetuated by the 24/7 broadcast media.

Americans have become so enraged with what is happening (whether they agree or disagree) that they feel that picking sides is the only way to solve this problem. Obviously, that is the solution on the Senate floor, but for everyday Americans the division of parties has broken down communication. No one can talk anymore and no one will listen anymore. The loudest voice in the room is not necessarily the correct one.

That's just a little of what I've been thinking about lately. Don't get me wrong I respect everyone for their opinions, but I will stop listening to them if those opinions are based solely on fear-mongering, one-sided media. With that said, I encourage you, if you don't already, to go beyond CNN, MSNBC or Fox News. Read a newspaper (print or online), listen to NPR, watch PBS; just do something other than take in what those few outlets have to offer. It's unhealthy to rely on just one or two sources for you information, especially in today's current media culture.

Cartoon provided by the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

"All the differences we perceive... in respect to virtue and vice, knowledge and ignorance, may be accounted for from climate, country, degrees of civilization, forms of government, or accidental cause."

Dr. Benjamin Rush | 1745-1813

I wish our country would go through another Enlightenment. I wish I had been able to study Plato and Socrates in high school. I wish I had been taught American government properly. To understand the basic foundations of our government and country is vital for both to survive, because both depend on us the most.

I think, the more we come to understand our roots and the core principles that dictate our daily life, the more we will grow as a human race. During the Enlightenment and the ensuing Revolutionary period (all over the world, not just America) mankind's intellectual level grew exponentially. We began to understand the meanings of liberty, human rights and all the other qualities that make up the world we now live in. We live our lives in the shadow of great philosophers and don't even know it.

I love the above quote because it is such a simple statement, but one most people take for granted. We are who we are because of the world around us. I wish this country would go through another Enlightenment because if only a small portion of the country fully understands our government and heritage, democracy will cease to function properly.

I'm not saying we will lose our basic human rights, but we will abuse them. We will flail around in the dark, choosing whichever politician catches our fancy most. The number one problem I found in the 2008 election was that people weren't making their decision based on information they had found. A lot of people I talked to didn't know why they were voting for their chosen candidate. Whether it was because of party precedent or influence from outside sources (media, friends, campaigns, bad information), they didn't know the core of the issues. That's a problem... A big problem. And the solution starts with understanding.

I've decided once I finish the book I am currently reading, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, I am going to begin exploring the philosophers of Greek and Roman thinking as well as the writings of our own founding fathers. Expect a lot more posts like this in the near future.

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You have no idea how embarrassed I am by this. Actually, since you read this blog, you most likely do. If being opposed to laws like this (and guns in general) makes me liberal then I will gladly take that title.

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Well... It wasn't bad? With the exception of the 5th film, I always come out of the theater feeling as if I could have seen so much more. I don't mean chapters, scenes or characters from the book that could/should have been included, but as if the writer left huge gaps in the storyline that could have easily been put in and changed the film completely. This one was missing excitement. I felt like it turned into some kind of teenage soap opera, constantly coming back to the love stories that were not the main focus in the novel. It was all very well done and these now grown-up actors have shown that they really can act, but the first hour and a half was all very slow plot development and reoccurring crying scenes.

Then finally, we get to the good part and it... Collapses. The emotion that has been flaunted throughout the entire film has suddenly left all the characters and once the beloved Dumbledore is dead, there's no reaction. I felt nothing in the last 30 minutes because the characters felt nothing. I think one problem these films have always had is they never develop the relationships enough like the book does. This one tried to do that (and successfully did), but in trying to do so they sacrificed the action and strangely enough, the emotion. I felt the most emotion in the 4th film when Cedric Diggory died... It's a heart wrenching scene, honestly. That emotion was completely absent at the end of this film.

The ending was too much of a set up for the next two films, as well. The 6th book at least provides some closure but still leaves you wanting the next book. The film just lacked that closure, I didn't have time to accept that one of the most important characters died; I didn't have time to watch the other characters accept it. I think the burning of the Weasley house was completely unnecessary and that time could have been used at the end of the film. So much is cut out of the books for the film because it does not progress the main story, but they throw in this random scene that serves pretty much no purpose. I was a bit confused. That was the one scene I looked back on after the film and asked myself why it was in there.

Visually beautiful, as David Yates does so well. I did enjoy this one because of all the dialogue. The hour and a half of teenage emotional distraught was very well written. I felt as if I was watching a theater performance because there was simply so much dialogue. The scenes were much longer than in the past and I think that was a good thing. As always, the stacked cast of British actors did not disappoint, although I desperately missed Ray Fiennes. And like I said, Daniel Radcliffe and the younger actors have finally proven that they are good actors and that these films shouldn't be treated as children's movies.

These are movies that should not be written by one person. Steve Kloves has written all of them except for the 5th. That's not fair to other fantastic, British screenwriters. George Lucas changed writers for every original Star Wars film and it did him a world of good. Change is not bad.

Nowadays, I'm starting to think in terms of how I would have gone about making a film after I watch it. With the 6th film, I would have done what the book did, and scare the shit out of everyone. The book has this aura about it the entire time, they are living in the shadow of evil throughout the entire school year. They get on with their lives just fine, but they're still aware of this storm that's about to hit. I didn't get that feeling in the film, and I would have conveyed that as much as possible. The audience needs to be afraid of Voldemort, just like our main characters are. You can have the laughs and happy moments just the same, but it still needs to come back to this darkness dwelling among them. It sounds dark and disturbing because it should be. The books take a very nasty turn after the 4th and the films should do the same. The 4th and 5th film did that, this one did not.

In the end, I still enjoyed it for the film it was; it could have been so much more, but I've grown accustomed to saying that with the Harry Potter film series.

-That was a good answer our friend made to the canon. What? said Mr. Dedalus.
-I didn't think he had that much in him, said Mr. Casey.
-I'll pay you your dues, father, when you cease turning the house of God into a pollingbooth.
-A nice answer, said Dante, for any man calling himself a catholic to give to his priest.
-They have only themselves to blame, said Mr. Dedalus suavely. If they took a fool's advice they would confine their attention to religion.
-It is religion, Dante said. They are doing their duty in warning the people.
-We go to the house of God, Mr. Casey said, in all humility to pray to our Maker and not to hear election addresses.
-It is religion, Dante said again. They are right. They must direct their flocks.
-And preach politics from the altar, is it? asked Mr. Dedalus.
-Certainly, said Dante. It is a question of public morality. A priest would not be a priest if he did not tell his flock what is right and what is wrong.

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man | James Joyce

I read this excerpt last week and earmarked it because I knew I would eventually want to post it. It seems now is the appropriate time. We've been discussing Puritanism and the birth our nation in my history class and I've actually learned a bit about the theology behind the Puritans and Quakers. I've got a lot of studying to do before I can elaborate anymore or form an opinion. For now, just enjoy the beautiful language of Joyce.

I had an inspiring conversation with a good friend tonight and I wish I could share all that we discussed. That would simply be too much writing and it is already very late in the evening. I walked away content from the conversation because I felt as if I was reaffirmed in some of my "radical" ideas that I've developed over the past year. I now know that there are other Christians out there that feel the same way I do.

Since this is my 4th of July post (published technically on the 5th), I will say that this conversation has brought that spirit of patriotism that I always seek every 4th. This year was a bit dreary, with the passing of Steve McNair and the horrible weather leading to a dismal fireworks display. But through this conversation, I was reminded of the simple beauties of this blessed country. I was able to have such an invigorating and expansive conversation with my friend because I live in a free country; a country where I am allowed to express my ideas and opinions, whether they are in disagreement with the established government or not. I am grateful for everything that has been provided in my life (and thru said affirmations in the conversation) am grateful to my God that has blessed me and my friends (whether they believe in my god or not).

Yesterday was a big day for American (and world) pop culture. Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson died. Though both their careers dwindled later in their lives, the impact they had on pop culture in the 20th Century was absolutely amazing. Fawcett was a sex icon in the '70s, she defined what was sexy back then. I still think she was one of the sexiest women of the 20th Century. If you look at photos of her she just has that certain quality that all models seek. The look of knowing something you don't, something sexual, something beautiful.

As for Michael Jackson, I think no words are necessary to describe the impact he had on American and world culture. People all around the world are mourning his death today. One of my friends said he was surprised that people were crying because of his death. I'm not surprised at all. Jackson's most loyal fans have always been that devoted. I promise you this, when Bob Dylan dies, I will cry like a little girl. There are some musicians or actors or pop stars who have such an important role in our lives and we don't even realize it. Someone like Michael Jackson is one of a kind. He's on the level of the Beatles, Dylan, Elvis. He transcended the typical pop star bullshit and continued to make beautiful music and wow the world with his performances. Musicians such as Jackson have changed the course of music. He not only made hit music, he made lasting music, he made music that changed the way people thought about it.

The death of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett is the turning of a very big and very important page in the history of pop culture. It will be a long time before another musician and another actress will be able to accomplish what they did and reach that celestial level of fame.