Why Occupy Wall Street?

This cartoon reminds me that the protests against the greed embodied by Wall Street executives is all about the rampant unemployment on Main Street. Despite the nefarious motives of some I think that these protests are a cry for help from hurting people.

Even so I do not think that anyone really has a handle on why people are protesting. Even if the marches and sit-ins originated from left-wing factions they seem to have morphed into something different all together. Why do you think people are protesting?

Just Like Heaven | ★★★★★★★★

This 2005 Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo romantic comedy really surprised me. The characters were interesting and story line engaging. There were a few messages in the movie that appealed to me:

    1) Don't let your job be your life.
    2) One must let go of the past to live.
    3) Love transcends our humanity.

I thought that the chemistry between the main characters along with some nice plots twists were good. I suggest that you rent it if you have not seen it. On a scale of ten I give this movie ★★★★★★★★.

Romney gets Two Endorsements

Last week New Jersey Governor Chris Christie declined to run for the president of the United States. Yesterday this much sought after governor endorsed one of the candidates. Here is the text of his endorsement:

“This is the most important election in generations. Whether we are able to fix our economy and get our country on the right track will have ramifications for decades. We cannot afford to continue on our current path. Mitt Romney has a life history of coming into struggling organizations and turning them around. Right now, we need someone like him in the White House to fundamentally change our economy and reverse three years of failed policies. Unlike our current president, Mitt Romney understands the economy from the inside out. Fixing the economy will not be easy, but Mitt has shown throughout his life that he has the leadership ability and expertise to lead our country toward a recovery. Republicans should recognize the importance of this election and realize that if they are serious about regaining the White House, Mitt Romney is the only candidate to back.”

I concur with the Governor Christie's take on Romney and endorse Mitt too!

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Déjà Vu and You

Ever experienced déjà vu? I have. It is an eerie feeling when something happens that seems familiar or someone says something that you recall but have no memory of.

To me it speaks to the mysteries of life and the nature of human existence. What do you think of when you hear the words déjà vu?

Religious Litmus Tests for Candidates

Sometimes I get so tired of the religious litmus tests that we have for political candidates. I was reading the text of a candidate's speech today and this section from it popped out at me:

I love the profound ceremony of the Catholic Mass, the approachability of God in the prayers of the Evangelicals, the tenderness of spirit among the Pentecostals, the confident independence of the Lutherans, the ancient traditions of the Jews, unchanged through the ages, and the commitment to frequent prayer of the Muslims.

Perhaps in this political season it would be wise to remember these words when we consider the faith traditions of the different candidates? Maybe these words could cause us to value each other and our differences? Reality check: do we really want a theocratic government?

Kung Fu Musketeer Films

The promo for the new Musketeer movie reminds me of how old stories are sometimes
re-imagined through the lens of Martial Arts screen writers. Seeing the swordsmen twirling in the air with Jackie Chan types of moves brings a smile to my face. Here are a few other movies that used Martial Arts acrobatics as a vehicle:

• The Matrix: In some ways the exploits of Neo were subservient to his mission. Interesting how this SciFi flick gets physical. Probably would be too geeky without the high flying and spinning acrobatics.
• James Bond Flicks: Over the years the finesse of Judo gave way to Karate brawling and the once suave super spy became a buffed out street fighter.
• Shanghai Noon: Blatant and ludicrous exploitation of Martial Arts in an Old West setting. Reminiscent of the campy old "Kung Fu" television series.
• V for Vendetta: Another super hero with special Martial Arts skills used to achieve idealistic goals. Have to wonder where "V" got his training.

Guys like action movies and sometimes these sorts "Arts" are used to attract them. Yet I wonder if sometimes this kind of stuff is added just to mask a poor story and so-so acting?

Utopianism is Nowhere to be Found

This week David Brooks bemoans the state of our country and the world in a New York Times oped piece titled
Where Are the Jobs? (i.e. Steve Jobs). Here are a few clips from it:

Let’s imagine that someone from the year 1970 miraculously traveled forward in time to today. You could show her one of the iPhones that Steve Jobs helped create, and she’d be thunderstruck. People back then imagined wireless communication (Dick Tracy, Star Trek), but they never imagined you could funnel an entire world’s worth of information through a pocket-sized device.

The time traveler would be vibrating with excitement. She’d want to know what other technological marvels had been invented in the past 41 years. She’d ask about space colonies on Mars, flying cars, superfast nuclear-powered airplanes, artificial organs. She’d want to know how doctors ended up curing cancer and senility.

You’d have to bring her down gently. We don’t have any of those things. Airplanes are pretty much the same now as they were then; so are cars, energy sources, appliances, houses and neighborhoods. A person born in 1900 began with horse-drawn buggies and died with men walking on the Moon, but the last few decades have seen nothing like that sort of technological advance.
...
If you go back and think about America’s big World’s Fairs or if you read about Bell Labs in its heyday or Silicon Valley in the 1980s or 1990s, you see people in the grip of utopian visions. They imagine absurdly perfect worlds. They feel as though they have the power to begin the world anew. These were delusions, but inspiring delusions.

This utopianism is almost nowhere to be found today.

There is something saddening about these thoughts. I remember the days when I believed that cancer and other diseases would be cured in my life time. I recall watching video clips (in my youth) of cars that would not need wheels but would ride on air and I dreamed of a magical 21st century. Mostly I thought of space travel and how we would see people walking on far off planets. Realistically some of these were pretty naive, yet it saddens me that these dreams of a Utopian existence are not talked about at all these days.

Secretariat | ★★★★★

I had high hopes for this one. A Netflix reviewer echoes my thoughts about the movie:

I guess I had higher expectations when I started to watch this. I was expecting something at least somewhat as engrossing as Seabiscuit. But -to put it bluntly- it wasn't. It was oddly self-indulgent. The movie is a series of scenes: Diane Lane striking poses with the horse, some other character striking a pose with the horse, Diane Lane making some overly-sappy passionate statement about the need to take risks, some other character making an overly-sappy passionate statement about horses and racing.

The movie was too long and needed a lot of editing.
On a scale of ten I give it ★★★★★.

Steve Jobs, 1955-2011

Any way you slice it 56 just seems too young to die. As a geek I have always been inspired by the genius, innovation and imagination of people like Steve Jobs. He, and his company Apple, is to personal computing what Microsoft is to corporate computing.

I mourn the passing of Steve and pray that his family and friends will be comforted during this difficult time. In memory I share a few things Steve Jobs has said ...

Simple can be harder than complex.

You can't con people in this business. The products speak for themselves.

The most compelling reason for most people to buy a computer for the home will be to link it into a nationwide communications network. [from a 1985 interview]

A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them.

Great things in business are never done by one person, they're done by a team of people.

You have to trust in something -- your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. ... Stay hungry. Stay foolish.

Tesla Model S Sedan

This is my third post about Tesla's electric cars. I posted about their roadster here and here. The Model S (pictured left) will feature a minimum 160 mile range with a more expensive version boasting 300 miles. The base is much less than the $100k+ tag on the rodaster but is still high at $57k.
Not sure that I am ready for a total electric car. How about you?

Castles made of Sand

“And so castles made of sand fall in the sea, eventually.” -Jimi Hendrix

“Real friends are very special, but you have to be careful because sometimes you have a friend and you think they are made of rock, then suddenly you realise they're only made of sand.” -Maria Callas

“He who, having lost one ideal, refuses to give his heart and soul to another and nobler, is like a man who declines to build a house on rock because the wind and rain ruined his house on the sand.” -Constance Naden


“Laws are sand, customs are rock. Laws can be evaded and punishment escaped, but an openly transgressed custom brings sure punishment.” -Mark Twain

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” -Jesus of Nazareth

They Raise Me Up

Had lunch with a great friend this week and found myself talking about Pat Robertson's advice to a caller about what a spouse of an Alzheimer's patient should do. I told him that I thought that his advice was pragmatic but did not call me up to a higher level of living. I wondered what people would have said if Robertson had said something that inspired them to rise above their fleshly passions and embrace a higher calling to love in a sacrificial way.

It got me thinking today about the inspirational refrain from that song made famous by Josh Groban titled You Raise Me Up:

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up... To more than I can be.

When I think about this I remember people who have raised us all up by their examples. Here are a few modern day people who have inspired me and raised me up:

• My Dad taught me by example about kindness. His legacy to me was the call to being a kind and gentle man. When I think of him I am called higher to lead a life of dignity and quiet service to my family and my friends.
• Eustacia Cutler who said no to the professionals who advised her to institutionalize her young autistic daughter. When I think of the success of her daughter, Dr Temple Grandin, I am called to a higher level of parenting and commitment.
• Martin Luther King, Jr who preached a different kind of reform than others who had a more violent ilk. When I think about the courageous actions of Dr King I am called to a higher level of dialog with those who disagree with me.
• Eric Liddel who said no to powerful British officials who compelled him to violate his conscience and run in the Olympic Games on a Sunday. When I am tempted I am called higher to a higher level of conscience and conviction when I remember Eric.
• My wife Ann who demonstrates each day to me what it means to be an overcomer. When I get weary and want to throw in the towel Ann's tenacity and discipline calls me higher and inspires me to greater love and greater faith.

These are just a few. I could name many more who inspire me to be a better human being. Who are the people that call you higher? Who are the ones that raise you up?

Saturday Evening Blog Post

If you blog then you might be interested in being a part of the Saturday Evening Blog Post that is featuring favorite posts from September. Just click here and join in.

This month I am featuring the my controversial post titled "Are all humans immortal?" Greeks say yes. I say no.

October, Cancer, Violence, Popcorn and Dogs

Did you know that October has been celebrated as National Popcorn Poppin’ Month since Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman proclaimed it in 1999. October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month and National Adopt a Dog Month. What is the purpose of awareness months?

Do you think that months such as these really raise the awareness of breast cancer and domestic violence? Two members of my family are currently fighting cancer so I hope it does. Yet is it possible that people really eat more popcorn and adopt more dogs because of months like this? Color me perplexed? Maybe I am simply immune to stuff like this?

What do you think? Does awareness months educate you or motivate you to action?