Where going to Hollywood

Hollywood has been tantalizing America for decades.  The allure, glitz, and glamour has captivated us for generations.  The classics are American as apple pie and are called the classics for a reason.  They were well written, beautifully acted, and genuinely entertaining.  That cannot be said of Hollywood today.  In my humble opinion most of everything released lately is junk.  Of course this statement has its acceptations.  But in general, movies and television shows have become so, irritating.  When I was a sophomore a TV show came out called C.S.I.  This was one of the first shows I remember actually following on a regular basis.   In its early years they showed real techniques, and low budget effects.  It was gritty and realistic.  The key word here is "was".  This show now is absolutely ridiculous.  According to their producers, there are “magic” ways to solve crime, huge international databases with everyone’s D.N.A, fingerprints, and who knows what else, and the C.S.I techs carry on with regular police business.   This to me is fascinating.  The once "after the crime" crew, now carries on with not only that, but preventing, interviewing, and protecting.  When exactly are these people going to sleep?  This is the perfect example of what annoys me with modern films and television.  There is no way any of it is believable.  Now don't get me wrong, a few of my favorite movies of all time are the Indian Jones trilogy (and some of the “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”).  Now they are hardly believable or realistic.  But they are not meant to be.  They are supposed to pay homage to the action and adventure films of the past.  Now there are some scenes in each movie that are just plain stupid.  In the “Temple of Doom” when they use a life raft as a parachute, or in the “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, when Indy survives a nuclear explosion in a lead lined refrigerator.  Yeah, ok, that’s a little farfetched even for Indian Jones, but I guess if Tsutomu Yamaguchi could have survived both atomic blasts of WWII this could be "Hollywood realistic".  Tsutomu Yamaguchi, by the way just passed away this past year...too bad we didn't hear more about him.  He was an outspoken critic of nuclear armament and rightfully so.  Instead of hearing about him we heard all about Leslie Nielson.  Sorry, I'm off on a tangent again.  I am sick of shows that are supposed to be realistic dramas that are just plain garbage.  They portray real life to be far more exciting than it really is.  When I was in high school, everyone wanted to be a forensic scientist.  But they were forgetting that there is science involved, half of those students that wanted to be a C.S.I.’s were flunking chemistry.  Way to portray that one.  I understand that these movies and TV. Shows are for entertainment, but let’s have a little basis of reality in them.  I have yet to see the remake of "True Grit" but I have high hopes.  I just want to see a little more of the past in our current movies and TV shows.  Because, if you forget where you’re from you're from, you'll never get to where you're going. 

Are we listening?

So, this week I have been busy.  First the continuous job search.  This is becoming quite the hassle.  I know, I know, I am being very picky.  But, I have the opportunity to be picky.  Opportunity is what in my opinion is lacking.  I feel too many people easily write off the younger generations.  Now, this is easy to understand.  Generation "Y" or the Millennials, my generation, have mostly been depicted as lazy, spoiled, and egotistical.  According to some we have been given everything and produced nothing in return.  This is a very broad generalization.  I've had a job since I was seventeen, now for the first time since then I've hit a cold streak.  I've worked hard; 4 years in a grocery store, 4 years of hard warehouse labor, and may jobs in between.  I work hard.  Now, because of my age and especially since I do not look much older than 17, I feel that I am typecast as a spoiled teen.  This just isn't by potential employers; it’s by nearly everybody, everyday.  I was 17 in the year 2002.  Remember way back then, Enron was being investigated, the Dow Jones was around 7200, The Department of Homeland Security was newly created, and Kelly Clarkson wins the first American Idol.  It’s not that I want be older or have people think I am in my mid thirties.  If you ask anyone that really knows me they say I'm already and old man.  And that’s true; I enjoy my coffee black, my cigars, and complaining. (I call it ranting and raving)  I just want people to remember those words they learned in school and to not judge a book by its cover.  I think that's what everyone really wants.  I think it is easier to walk on by, never say hello, and to never listen.  That's why my generation has been stereotyped.  And the stereotype is pretty believable.  But, please when you meet someone new, just listen you may be pleasantly surprised. 

“If you don’t like what I have to say then don’t read”

The Final Frontier?

Yesterday, I read about the wikileaks founder and how the Federal Government has issued a subpoena to twitter for his records.  Now, I'm not going to get into the politics or legality of the matter.  However, I will say this; the internet is the last frontier for the people.  It’s been many generations since this country has had an expansion to the west, or any growth at all.  So, the internet is our wild west.  How many of us will be able to explore space?  So, the internet is our final frontier.   It shouldn't be interfered with by the government.  The same thing happened to the western territories. The internet has changed; it has become incredibly commercialized from its humble beginning.  And this I can attest to that, being around in the mid-nineties when it was still young.  I remember going into chat rooms, and hearing "you've got mail", and of course dial up.  Wasn't that great?  I have no problem with advertisement in general, it has become a way of life and will only get worse.  I do have a problem with interference from the government.  It is very easy to blame wikileaks. But, perhaps our government should be more concerned with protecting it secrets. 

"If you don’t like what I have to say, then don’t read it." 

In creating this blog I have no doubt that I opened myself up to the infinite and immeasurable Internet (nice).  I am currently job searching and every company wants a background check.  So, this means prospective companies will probably see this and that’s fine with me.  If I show pictures of myself with family or friends drinking a beer, having a good time, or anything that offends a potential employer because my actions don't reflect the ideals of  their company, then I don't want to work for them.  Because a company like that wants you to forget about your values and your life in order to only care about work.  And let's all be honest the only reason we work is to retire.  How many people in this country will never be able to do that?   Now we are just working until we die.  To get back to my point, if a company is all about work, then I want nothing to do with them.  Don't get me wrong, I take pride in my work and I work hard.  But, it boils down to this "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

A New Year

It’s a new year; I'm in a new location, with new experiences.  However, still no job.  Whoever said "follow your dreams" never elaborated on what happens next.  Maybe that phrase was meant for when America was still a "kid".  Let’s be honest, we don't live in a simpler time, and not many of us even remember it anymore (in my case not at all). But, it is still a new year, we'll all be a little older and hopefully wiser.  Hopeful is the best way to describe my outlook on the New Year.  Have a happy New Year.