Utz the Difference...?

   Yeah...this is going to be one of those weird posts wherein I ponder something that just randomly came to mind as I was doing something very simple and ordinary. Actually, I’m going to do more than just ponder. Let me start from the beginning and explain what I was doing when questions formed in my head...without answers. Last week I was food shopping. Yes...I tend to do that every now and then, it helps to keep me alive...the whole eating thing. As is my bad habit that I’m trying to kick, but not nearly as hard as I should, I meandered down the chip isle...and began searching for the perfect potato chip.

   I suppose I should know by now that the selection doesn’t change from week to week, so my search for the perfect chip is pretty much going to always net the gains....none. My health is always on my mind, so yes, it weighs on me (literally) when I ponder my weakness for potato chips. That said, I look for the least artificial ones (as if) and try to get the lowest sodium count available (and surprisingly, chips are getting better with this). 

   In my most recent search, I noticed something very curious...Utz. Now to be clear, this is not a new brand to me, in fact, it’s not a new brand at all. They have several varieties of chips and popcorn on the market, but what caught my eye was the seemingly same type of chip, offered in different packaging. I thought it odd that they would put the same chip in several different bags...label it the same, but change the design of the bag. I started to think “marketing ploy” which prompted further investigation.

   Further investigation yielded the subtle differences in the chips, that a cursory glance of the packaging did not. I’ll note here that all the compared products have a sodium content of 75 mg per serving.Observe...

   Utz Mystic Potato Chips, labeled as “all natural” and “reduced fat” (40% less fat to be precise). Also billed as “New England Style Kettle Cooked.” Price: $3.29...net weight 7 oz.

   Utz Kettle Classics, labeled as “reduced fat” (40% less fat again), gluten free and priced at $3.69 (2 for $6.00 as a store special). Net weight 8 oz.

   Utz Natural (40% reduced fat) Kettle Cooked Gourmet Potato Chips. Once again “gluten free,” but priced at $3.99. Net weight 8.5 oz.

   I suppose the price reflected the actual volume of chips accurately, but again, I was fascinated at the multiple offering of reduced fat kettle cooked potato chips. There had to be some other difference besides the volume of chips...right?

   Well...it seems the process has something to do with all of this. I like to read the fine print when I shop, because that’s where all the important information is offered. I guess the manufactures figure you will not bother to read the fine print...or your eyes are simply just too defective to make out the information. In my case, neither explanation reflects the truth. The truth was laid before me in plain English...under the heading “ingredients.”

   Utz Mystic Potato Chips are also a gluten free product...according to the fine print, not the visible packaging. The primary difference between the others is “cooked in 100% cottonseed oil.”

   Utz Kettle Classics are “cooked in pure peanut oil” (with sea salt added).

   Utz Natural (40% reduced fat) Kettle Cooked Gourmet Potato Chips “cooked in 100% expeller-pressed sunflower oil” (with sea salt added).

   So, it seems I am being offered the same chip, just differentiated by each other solely by the oil it is cooked in. I don’t have a problem with that...I just think it’s very interesting. Ultimately, the true test of quality comes from a personal preference of taste. So the final judgment shall be rendered upon a proper taste test.

   The differences in taste (and there is a very slight difference) is absolutely negligible...detected only by eating way more chips than I should have. I’ll venture to say that if all these chips were offered at a social function in the same bowl...very few people would be able to tell the difference in them. Unless...you have a peanut allergy, then the Utz Kettle Classics would certainly stand out...as the packaging should, more than the gold trim at the bottom attesting to the peanut oil process (peanut allergies are serious).

   So...Utz the difference...? The oil, and little more than that. If you like potatoes like I do, it doesn’t even matter.

http://dkidiscussion.blogspot.com/2013/01/im-potato-head.html

Movie Review: “Killing Season”

   I am an ardent fan of the cinematic arts. Although I have certain genre preferences, I don’t let that stifle my curiosity and close myself to different flavors of entertainment. That said...I am a huge fan of science fiction, super hero and action movies! Please visit my other blog The Boxed Office for reviews, exclusively, on these types of movies.

The Cast:
Robert De Niro, John Travolta

   What can be said about Robert De Niro and John Travolta that has not already been said? The wealth of material both men have done is more than adequate to show that these are two of the most talented people to ever grace the silver screen. Playing opposite each other for the entire film as war weary and battle hardened soldiers from opposite sides of the Bosnian War, continuing their conflict eighteen years after the war’s end, both actors deliver performances that will capture your attention...with some scenes having you want to look away.

The Plot: 

   Benjamin Ford (De Niro) is an American war veteran of the Bosnian War that has retired himself to the serene calm and quiet of the Appalachian Mountain wilderness. Leaving the war behind, but never really escaping it’s lasting effects, Ford lives a life of seclusion from his estranged wife and avoids the efforts of his son to connect, via a new grandchild, for fear of interacting with his ex’s new beau...the best man at his wedding.

   Emil Kovac (Travolta) is a Serbian war veteran of the same war, that has been motivated by his lust for revenge on the man that shot him in the back and left him for dead (Ford), and haunted by the atrocities he committed during the war...as well as those he witnessed on his family as a child. Reconciliation comes at a price as he seeks to find closure by confronting Ford.

   Traveling to America, Kovac encounters Ford, who doesn’t remember him, and befriends him to learn more about the man that will become his prey. After inviting Ford out on a hunting trip, Kovac springs his trap...and both men engage in a personal war that will see both men endure horrible physical brutalities and physiological calamity.

   

The Verdict: 

   The beginning of the film is very interesting as it gives some interesting and disturbing facts about the Bosnian War that I had not previously known. The battle scene hooks you immediately and contrasts the solitary mano-y-mano conflict that will transpire throughout the rest of the film. 

   I have no issues with the acting, it was what I was expecting from both actors given the content of the film and the characters they were portraying. Travolta’s fake Serbian accent was very entertaining to me...but I find foreign accents interesting anyway. His mannerisms also seemed to fit as it looks as though he took great care to move, gesture and nuance as one would expect someone from that region of the world to do. Kudos to that.

   The gore in the film was detailed and magnified with close camera shots to make sure the full effect was experienced. These were the things that kept the film interesting because in all honesty, after a while of each man getting the upper hand on the other, it became more redundant than the original plot of the film itself. One man going after the other for revenge is certainly not a new endeavor in films...but the constant chance situation that each man benefits from to get the upper hand on the other just became ridiculous.

   Although there are some great scenes in the movie, and the fact that both actors, while not delivering Oscar performances, deliver some good acting, the script weakens the overall film. This is especially evident in the ending, where both men seem to come to terms with what they have been through in the past...at the unlikely cost of simply brushing aside what they just went through during the movie. I guess sometimes an apology really does make it all go away. When considering all of this, this film probably could have had a higher rating in it’s sights, but when it unleashed the final shot...it could only hit 2.5 cinnamon sticks, out of 5, in my cup of tea.

Rating: 2.5/5

Are You Misunderstood...?

   Chances are that at some point you have been, and will be again. It’s just a part of the human interaction and since everyone isn’t always on the same page, sometimes not even in the same book, misunderstandings happen. Sometimes it’s easy to identify the issue, but at other times whole conversations can happen and it go unnoticed, that the subject was never agreed upon.

   “Wait...are we talking about the same thing?”

   Perhaps you’ve heard someone say this or experienced it yourself? You’re having a conversation and everything is going well when a word or expressed idea triggers a heightened sense of awareness and you realize that something doesn’t fit...like a piece of a puzzle, that upon further examination, doesn’t quite match, but matched well enough to blend with a bit if applied force.

   With so many words sounding the same, but having various meanings...mixed with the interpretations and intentions of the various personalities that emerge in conversation, it’s a miracle we can communicate at all. Blessed is the person that can effectively realize that the conversation they are in, isn’t the conversation they are having. It’s happened to me on more than one occasion, but I haven’t always been fortunate enough to realize it before the tone and mood of the moment has shifted in a decidedly negative direction.

   As bad as that is...it gets worse.

   It’s bad enough that misunderstandings happen just by sheer bad luck and the butchering...and proper use, of the English language, but the issue is compounded when you come across someone that understands you, but is willfully ignorant of that fact. Instead of an acknowledgment and moving the conversation forward, they would rather feign ignorance and stagnate the dialogue...usually for their own nefarious purposes.

   “Let me be clear”

   Indeed, I find myself saying that much these days. I’m sure most take it as an intended precursor to my explaining something in the simplest terms with clear emphasis on the intended points. Little do they know I’m really asking them to let my words slip through the thickness of their skulls. See what I mean? I’m misunderstood (clearly) but choose not to correct the point for the sake of moving the conversation forward.

   It’s even worse when communicating through social media...ala Facebook. I’ve become the type to cut and paste things already said, to emphasize the relevance of my retort. Not only that...but you’d be surprised how many people have no clue what they are saying and are oblivious to the fact that their thoughts have not made it to the screen...despite typing a flurry of words intended for that purpose. Somehow...seeing it again (through cut and paste) gives some clarity.

   Effective communication is the key to unlocking more meaningful and rewarding human interactions...miscommunication is the deadbolt that keeps us separated from our true meanings, and the rewards that often accompany clarity.

   Are you misunderstood? A question you should often ask yourself. Are you understanding? An equally important question that also needs to be asked

   

   The old adage “Say what you mean and mean what you say” could use a bit of updating. Added to that should be “...and make sure you understand, and are being understood.”

History By Design

   I have always thought that history was a matter of fact. Past events that happened, retold in the present or documented for future reference. Of course, I was aware of the old saying...proven true through investigation, that history is written by the victors. Simply put, if you have two groups at violent odds with each other, and one wipes the other out...the surviving group can write or say anything about the other side, and there would be nobody to say differently. History, as designated by the whims of a particular group. I had never seen this actually happen...until now.

   Let me be clear, I’m not talking about a surviving group from conflict, just the fact that history has been rewritten. History has been designated by people wishing it to be presented differently than it really happened. I know this to be true, since the event I’m speaking of was witnessed by my own eyes.

   When I was a child, somewhere in the range of five to seven years old, I saw a documentary on television. I want to say it came on PBS, which would be Channel 2 in my area, but my memory, as good as it is, isn’t that good. The documentary was on Elvis Presley. As a child, he was a hero of mine. I liked his songs, I liked his moves, I liked doing impressions of him. My mother wasn’t too thrilled with my choice, but let me experience my slice of the world anyway. 

   As I watched this documentary, my slice of the world would forever have a different taste to it. The year was somewhere in the range of 1976 to 1978 (but probably 1977 since that was the year he died). I remember the dark green rug in our living room with light green patches. I remember the grey Zenith television with rabbit ears on it. I remember thinking I really saw colors...while watching a black and white television. The most profound thing I remember, is hearing and seeing Elvis say “the only thing a negro can do for me is shine my shoes and buy my records.”

   As a child, I was confused. I was hurt and deflated. My hero wasn’t all I thought he was, and the world was filled with controversy. My world, in the seventies, was filled with constant reminders that as a black child, I was different. The civil rights movement was still fresh and being bused to a predominately white school came with dealing with the ignorance of some children while being integrated by the school institution. Interesting times, to say the least.

   I remember after seeing Elvis say that, the emotions I felt and the need to have help to process them. I looked at my mother, in shock...only to see her mixture of pain and vindication. Her pain for me having to experience this utter deflation as reality replaced my fantasy...and her vindication that her disapproval of my choice of hero was justified. That day resonated with me forever and as I grew older, I integrated it in the reality that people are constantly changing their political and personal beliefs...and despite all that, a talent or gift manifests with no regard for those beliefs.

   Now...for some reason, I decided to look in on that old footage, only to find that not only can it not be found, but history has changed! Now, Elvis never said that according to nearly every source on the internet. It was a myth, an event that showed up in print, but proved as false soon after. What?? Wait...really, what??

   This is, without a doubt, one of the most profound things that has ever happened in my life. Again, I’m having trouble processing, but my late mother isn’t around to offer any guidance or voice an opinion. Therein lies the problem...without historical evidence (the footage) or a majority of people still around that witnessed the event, history is being designed...not remembered.

   The VCR made it’s way into homes in 1975, but you had to be affluent to afford one...so we didn’t have one. Not that it would make a huge difference since there can always be the claim of “photoshop” or fake footage by those that simply refuse to acknowledge the truth. I have never read that Elvis said those words, that was never my introduction to all this. I was sitting in front of the television, watching it some twenty years after it was said to have been written...and summarily, disproved.

   I’m not excessively concerned with how Elvis is remembered, it is what it is...and I saw what I saw. However, experiencing the remaking of “history” has me questioning how much other history is really history...and how much is designed and/or forgotten, with something not accurate taking it’s place. How many elderly people can recount certain events and say that the way it’s being presented is not the way it really happened? How much footage of the past has been destroyed or lost leaving us no evidence of the footprints where time has already stepped? This is the most disturbing aspect of history, now becoming a myth.

   Worse still...is trying to figure out how to stop it from happening again. It seems technology has outstripped our good sense in using it, and now we can make a video show us anything we want. Reality no longer withstands the recording of itself and the greatest sufferer of this is the truth. In a world where there is no truth, there is no history.

   Welcome to the Matrix.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley

   

http://dkidiscussion.blogspot.com/2012/09/stuck-in-matrixthe-illusion-is-real.html

The Butterfly Effect

   The Butterfly Effect. Perhaps you’ve heard of it? Edward Lorenz coined the term from a theoretical example of a hurricane being caused by the flapping of a butterfly’s wings weeks earlier. Now without going all chaos theory on you...let that idea sink in and tell me you haven’t been a victim, or observed another become a victim of this.

   Let me say, I’ve done some things...minor at the time and with little thought given beyond the moment, that later developed into something for which “hurricane” would be an appropriate analogy. To put it simply, every action has consequences...and sometimes even inaction facilitates a consequence. Of course actions produce results, that’s the nature of life...always being in a state of constant change. No, what I’m talking about specifically are small, seemingly inconsequential actions, that manifest into world-ending situations. Well, I’m exaggerating a bit (or am I), but you get the idea.

   If you’re thinking that you’ve never seen an example of what I’m talking about in real life, think back no further than the last time you saw a California forest fire on the news...raging across vast woodlands, displacing people and destroying homes...caused by the flick of a lit cigarette. A small action probably deemed inconsequential by the careless smoker, touching off a raging inferno that leaves massive destruction and ruined lives in it’s wake.

   Bring the scale down a bit, and we have a word or two said in jest...that leads to an altercation that ultimately ends the lives of innocent people. Oh yes, stuff like this really happens. The Butterfly Effect happens more often in everyday life than we probably give thought to it.

   I find that interesting since we seem to give thought to it in our visual entertainment. There was a film called “The Butterfly Effect” (also “The Butterfly Effect 2” and “The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations”), a science-fiction take on the life pattern of change and consequence. Recently “Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox” hit store shelves and gives another example of a change  that alters reality. A classic story really when you consider what happened in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  Yes, extreme and impossible situations are presented in all these films, but the underlying truth of them remains: a small change can have large and lasting effects.

   This is not a new idea or some awesome revelation that has come to me in a dream. All this is to simply be a reminder that our decisions can cascade like a Domino Effect...and even worse, into a Butterfly Effect. Sure, when on the cusp of a big decision or faced with unique situations, we probably give more thought to  the consequences of our actions. However it’s the small decisions, the actions we barely take notice of that we probably should also give some thought to their future ramifications.

   Nobody can predict the future with any accuracy worth noting (and I mean far ahead, mapping the consequence of each action and reaction). Few people will read this and put into practice trying to think through the multiple possibilities of the effect of their simple action. Indeed, such a task might seem to be more of a problem than actual problem solving...but imagine if the effect of this simple (relatively speaking) action was to avoid the Butterfly Effect. Would it be worth the effort?

   Only time and your own personal experience can answer that question.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaos_theory

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Butterfly_Effect

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Butterfly_Effect_2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Butterfly_Effect_3:_Revelations

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice_League:_The_Flashpoint_Paradox

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It's_a_Wonderful_Life

http://dkidiscussion.blogspot.com/2011/09/domino-effect.html

Movie Review: “Bullet to the Head”

   I am an ardent fan of the cinematic arts. Although I have certain genre preferences, I don’t let that stifle my curiosity and close myself to different flavors of entertainment. That said...I am a huge fan of science fiction, super hero and action movies! Please visit my other blog The Boxed Office for reviews, exclusively, on these types of movies.

The Cast: 

Sylvester Stallone, Sung Kang

   Sylvester Stallone is a movie icon. One of the most recognizable names in film, he often delivers exactly what you expect him to after all the years of watching him. As he gets older, he does a little less physically (not too much less though) and seems to put a bit more into his characterizations. In this film, it was easy. All he had to do was lay back, be cool...and deliver a cold line every now and then. Sung Kang surprised me...I thought he would be better after seeing him in the Fast and Furious films. I was annoyed by what looked to be a half-hearted effort to the role, which just ended up making Sly look even better.

The Plot: 

   James Bonomo (Stallone) is a gun for hire in the city of New Orleans. He and his partner have done many jobs together and have never had a problem...until now. After their last job, instead of collecting their fee, they are targeted for extermination. While his partner is sent on his way into the afterlife, Bonomo survives the attempt, and is bent on revenge on the ones that have crossed him. The problem is he doesn’t know who hired them...and has no way to find them.

   Taylor Kwon (Kang) is a Washington DC detective investigating the murder of his ex-partner as part of an ongoing case of corruption in his own department. As it happens, his ex-partner was the latest assignment of Bonomo. Putting all the pieces together he approaches Bonomo with an offer of cooperation to find those ultimately responsible for his ex-partners death...the same people that are responsible for crossing Bonomo.

   A partnership made in hell is formed, and with Kang’s technology and connections, and Bonomo’s brutality and area knowledge, what follows is a blood soaked manhunt through New Orleans that can only end with...a bullet to the head.

The Verdict: 

   The beginning of the film is reminiscent of Pulp Fiction as Stallone and his partner look like they come from the same pool of hitmen as Jackson and Travolta. It is established very quickly that there is a point to the title as their mark recovers (go figure) from two to the chest...and must ultimately be put down by one to the head.

   Stallone establishes his character early as being a hitman doesn’t take much range, especially if you’ve been desensitized to the life. Speaking of which, it was kinda cool to be treated to a version of “Stallone through the years” in the opening in the form of mug shots from when he was a teen...until present day. Kang, on the other hand, never once came off as convincing and always seemed as though he was an actor, pretending to be an actor, that was pretending to be a cop, instead of selling me at really being a cop. I mean...it’s really bad when you look like an actor pretending to be an actor.

   There was no over-the-top action, which was good, and instead was more gritty realistic action that helped sell the film. Keegan (Jason Momoa), the enforcer for the bad guy, was better in his small part here than all of Conan! The entire film sets up for a showdown between him and Stallone (as if that was a surprise), and it’s actually a pretty good match.

   This film had some great parts to it, but didn’t have me emotionally vested in any way that was good. I wasn’t glued to my seat waiting to see what happens next...indeed, I spent most of the time annoyed at the terrible performance of Kang. The saving grace of the film were the gratuitous number of head shots, and a well deserved gut shot delivered by Stallone that I took as meant for Kang’s character...as much as Kang himself. When I weighed all of this, the film could only lock and load 2.5 cinnamon sticks, out of 5, in my cup of tea.

Rating: 2.5/5

It’s Not Rocket Science

   Politics. It’s very simple. It’s a bunch of people seeking to manipulate another bunch of people, by attacking, yet, another bunch of people. Sound confusing? It’s not really. It’s stupid, underhanded, and disingenuous, but it certainly isn’t rocket science.

   I was reading the July 5th edition of the Boston Herald when I came across an article about Secretary of State, John Kerry. Now let me caveat this entire post by saying that I’m neither a Republican or Democrat. Instead I’m an independent thinker that refuses to be manipulated by the snakes on either side. Anyway, the article was about the Republicans calling for Kerry to be put on a plane bound for Washington, instead of having a vacation while unrest and turmoil plague Egypt.

   I’m no expert on foreign affairs or world events, but I’ve lived long enough to know that there is always some sort of unrest and turmoil somewhere in the world, particularly the Middle East. I’ve also lived long enough to know that everyone needs a vacation every now and then. Dare I say that in the position and capacity of the job of Secretary of State, there really is no ideal time to take time for yourself and your family.

   Now as I read all this, I thought to myself that perhaps they (Republican critics) expect me to be stupid. Perhaps they expect me to be unfamiliar with the technology of today and think that Kerry is truly out of contact with anyone in the administration regarding current events. Heck, I’m a low level city official and can’t escape the problems of work when I’m not on the clock...so I’m reasonably sure the scenario is a bit worse on such a higher level.

   Sadly, this garbage passes for news, and some actually consider it a talking point. I’d like to offer everyone agreeing with the attack on Kerry to bypass taking a vacation...forever. I mean, if it’s the work that stops him from taking a vacation, kindly explain how you deserve one when your job continues to produce work, even when you’re not around. No...we all take vacations from work because the work never stops...and somehow I don’t think Kerry or any high level politician or diplomat really has that option, despite being out of the office.

   Fast forward to the July 10th edition of the Boston Herald, and I’m reading an article about Kerry again. This time he is returning to Washington to talk to the Chinese, while his wife is laid up in the hospital after having a seizure. Umm...where are those Republican critics that balked about the man having time to himself? They were very quiet as I suspect they approve of the idea of work coming before family. I don’t subscribe to that philosophy. Family is all we have, and they always come first.

   I’m not easily manipulated. I’d like to think that I’m not manipulated at all, but that would be foolhardy of me to believe my own hype. I don’t think less of the man for taking time for himself and his family...nor do I think more of him for making the job a priority over family. I just think it’s all silly and the time invested in trying to paint a picture of Kerry, other than the one everyone paints for themselves, is absolutely wasted.

   This is not a Republican slamming post, although the story centered on their idiocy, let me be clear that the Democrats do the same thing. Shame on politicians for their simple-mindedness and insulting opinion of our intelligence...and shame on the media for transporting their garbage from their lips to our eyes and ears.

   One day, we the people, will decide that we have had enough...and perhaps on that day will emerge true statesmen, and journalists with integrity...after all, none of this is rocket science.

Everyone’s a Critic

   With the onslaught of summer blockbusters (and a few duds) it seems like everyone has become a movie critic these days. I don’t exempt myself from all of this, since I actually review movies here on this blog...and do so to the exclusion of all else over at The Boxed Office. Not being a professional (meaning nobody pays me to do these reviews), take everything I say with a grain of salt. However, don’t take that to mean that I think a person getting paid to do reviews should be looked at as speaking silver screen gospel. Some of the worst reviews I’ve ever seen have come from “professional” critics...which has me wondering why anyone is paying them at all!

   I’ve always wondered who the critics are reviewing these films for? It seems the more accolades they heap on some film about some person with emotional problems struggling with a love interest, the less the masses seem to care. People are going in droves to movies the critics see as a waste of film...mainly because they have no deeper life meaning than to just entertain the audience. I find this disturbing and odd...I mean, isn’t that the whole point of movies? Aren’t they supposed to entertain us? Perhaps I’m a part of the wrong “us” as I still haven’t figured out who these critics are catering to.

   Don’t misunderstand me. I have seen some great films that do not involve large explosions, wild stunts, or gratuitous amounts of blood. In fact, I’m an advocate for watching IFC (Independent Film Channel) as there are some excellent films to be seen from very talented people with unique vision. My point is that although these films are as profound as they are entertaining, they take nothing away from those films that are made, intentionally, to bedazzle the eyes and numb the senses.

   I think much of the problem is these professional critics enter every film, regardless of what type it is, with the same mindset they use to evaluate the more cerebral genre. I mean, if you’re watching “Schindler’s List” with the same mindset and expectations that you’re watching “Fast and Furious 6” with, then it’s no wonder your critique of the latter is unfavorable, in direct opposition to the majority opinion. It’s my belief that every film should be viewed through open eyes...meaning, judge it against what it intended to do, not against something it was never meant to be.

   Perhaps I need a degree in film watching to really know what I’m talking about? After all, the masses of moviegoers must be wrong in liking popular films because a critic, with a degree in film watching, knows better than the rest about what we should like, and what entertains us. Maybe that’s the mentality of some I have observed that read a review and decide, instantly, about the merits of the film being reviewed. I’m the type that must see a film in order for me to form an opinion about it. What someone else writes about it might be interesting, but I need to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to making up my own mind.

   I suppose that’s why I still read the movie section of the Boston Herald. I’m interested in how wrong their critic is when it comes to films. Now, of course there are some people that agree with his opinions, but when I see him give the “Lone Ranger” a B+ while giving “World War Z” a C+, I know he’s not playing from the same deck as me. Heck, he’s not even sitting at the same table. More disturbing than that is getting facts about occurrences in films totally wrong (I’ve seen this on more than one occasion).

   I’m no expert on films. I like what I like, and talk about the films I watch with a very simple criteria. I think the best films are those that draw everyone in, by providing something for everyone...in the perfect ratio. A balanced mix of humor, drama, and action have proven successful with audiences. In the end, you must be your own critic and evaluate based on your own personal preference. Hopefully, we read from the same script and you find my reviews useful.

http://theboxedoffice.blogspot.com

http://www.ifc.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schindler's_List

http://dkidiscussion.blogspot.com/2013/05/movie-review-fast-and-furious-6.html

http://theboxedoffice.blogspot.com/2013/07/undead-on-arrival.html

Three Edged Sword: Trayvon & George

   I’ve read and heard a lot about the Trayvon Martin tragedy and thought long about my personal position on the matter. I understand that emotions are running high on both sides of the equation, but if reason doesn’t rule the day, then we learn nothing from all of this...and are doomed to repeat the cycle. At the end of it all, there is a 17 year old young man dead. We must ask why...and assign some culpability once we have the answer.

   To determine this, we should let our power of reason uncover the exact moment, the very beginning of wrongdoing, that set in motion the chain of events leading to death. So where do we begin to decipher this? 

1.) Trayvon is walking through the neighborhood. There is no wrongdoing here.

2.) George is following him because he perceives Trayvon to be suspicious. There is no wrongdoing here.

3.) George confronts Trayvon. This is the beginning of where things go wrong. As a neighborhood watch, the job is to observe and report...which George was doing when he was following (observing) and talking to dispatch (reporting). This should have been the end of his duties, with any further action being continued observation. Instead, “observe and report” was abandoned in favor of “approach and confront,” and this is the beginning of an action that was contrary to the duties of his position.

   From this action stemmed further actions, most notably the altercation between the two...and if we are to believe the testimony, Trayvon attacking George. Assuming this is true, this action is also wrong, but is not the catalyst of the event. For an attack by Trayvon to be the full catalyst of the events leading to his death, he would have had to approach George while he was still in the car, observing and reporting...and doing absolutely nothing wrong in doing that, and attacked him without any provocation at all. That is not what happened...but had that been the case, then Trayvon alone would be responsible for his death.

   I believe that both Trayvon and George are responsible...if events unfolded as described (and we will never truly know). So if culpability is indeed shared, then where is the punishment? Trayvon has already paid, with his life. George has rendered no payment for his role in this tragedy. I believe he is guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

“Involuntary manslaughter is the unlawful killing of another human being without intent. The absence of the intent element is the essential difference between voluntary and involuntary manslaughter. Also in most states, involuntary manslaughter does not result from a heat of passion but from an improper use of reasonable care or skill while in the commission of a lawful act or while in the commission of an unlawful act not amounting to a felony.”

   Nobody can say for certain that George intended to kill Trayvon, but a death has happened, and there is a cause. That cause is the “improper use of reasonable care or skill” displayed by George when he went outside the confines of his duties. 

   It is my belief that in order for George to be completely free of all culpability in the death of Trayvon, for the “stand your ground” law to apply and render him innocent, he would have had to be in his car performing his duties correctly, when he was accosted by Trayvon. All other facts in this case, in my opinion, are moot. Life is cause and effect. We already know the effect, and I think the jury dropped the ball when determining the cause.

   For all those saying that George is guilty of second degree murder, and all that it implies...there is just no way to determine this through the burden of proof. Being negligent in your duties does not automatically equate to malice.

   For all those saying George is innocent, I think I’ve already addressed the question of culpability as seen through the equation of cause and effect. Innocence would mean he had no part, whatsoever, in the cause.

   For those that go the extra step and affirm that Trayvon “deserved” to die...I caution you on the heavy hand by which you judge. There are very few people, when compared to the total human population, that are, or have been, deserving of death. Being an impressionable 17 year old that obviously didn’t have all of life’s answers does not qualify as being deserving of death. Who among us didn’t make mistakes at that age?

   Perhaps I myself was deserving of death when I was 17...and doing a lot worse than Trayvon ever did? Perhaps my life was a waste because of the bad decisions I made at that age? I think history will prove that position wrong since today I serve my fellow citizens in a capacity that offers my life in the performance of that service. Trayvon will never have the opportunity to make a similar contribution.

   As we all struggle to understand this tragedy, we should remember that understanding is a three edged sword consisting of your side, their side...and the truth. There are extreme opinions and feelings in all of this, and somewhere in the middle is reason, and the truth. The jury got it right the first time...but didn’t understand the model of which I’m speaking of, and therefore didn’t recognize the truth.

   In their first vote they were three for not guilty (one extreme), one for second degree murder (the other extreme)...and two for manslaughter (the middle where reason was...and ultimately, the truth as far as culpability for cause and effect). 

   So the system doesn’t always get it right, everyone already knows this. What needs to be addressed now is how to fix this, so we don’t have more of the same regarding the actual incident...and the lack of understanding that followed. Blind fury and bitter rebuttal as an answer to that fury, are not the answer. Reason must be the rule of the day...or we will forever be in the endless darkness of that tragic night.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/05/us/trayvon-martin-shooting-fast-facts

http://occupydemocrats.com/watch-martin-bashir-sum-up-the-trayvon-martin-travesty-in-under-4-minutes/