the light bulb...

EDITED: 10/2/2011

My blog is named after that tiny piece of cotton that plays a crucial role in a light bulb but that's really just scratching the surface of why this name was chosen.

The light bulb, as an object, has represented more than its functional purpose for ages. It gives light. It gives heat. And it's also a powerful symbol for the word "enlightenment."

Isn't it true that a light bulb is what stands between blindness and sight. Or between darkness and, well, light? With it, one can find their way. Think of the mind as that dark, empty room. Sometimes you'll be going around in circles, never finding what you're looking for. You're close but you can't see the solution.

And then you receive a

and what you were missing becomes clear.

This is a discussion blog because "light bulbs" have often been supplied to me by other people. I merely supply the topic matter, the questions, the basis... The Filaments.

really, Hollywood?

EDITED: 10/2/2011

Why is Saw 6 being made, who's requesting it, and isn't this series tired of its own existence? The most suspenseful question in my mind is "Will the series be trapped and killed this time?"

You know, Hollywood has become quite lame. No originality. No creativity. No decency. It's such a shame considering the movie industry is not going out like its sister, the music industry. That's more or less fate; this is more like pure, shameless laziness. Is it really that hard to create more than one film a year that has an excellent budget, cast, and script, and manages to not also crush your soul and/or brain cells?

I'm going to assume this movie is going to be gore first, plot later. If that's true, what exactly is so new? God forbid everyone asked themselves that question before buying a movie ticket for sequel #6.

I get nothing but gross vibes here and that's because it sounds inherently terrible. 6 is about about 3 or 4 numbers over the limit, and it's disgusting.

I don't intend on speaking for everyone but, please, just let it marinate one more time... Saw ... 6. There's not many things on Earth that warrant that many encores. 

For those that still plan to buy tickets, I'll let Chris Rock describe what I think should happen when you step in the theater:

insomnia...

EDITED: 10/2/2011

A song to set the mood.

Sometimes I feel like I suffer from it. There are nights when I know it's best for me to get sleep but I can't help but keep myself busy. I convince myself to stay up just one more hour. 3 AM turns into 4, then 5. The time passes by and, at times, I regret what I've done.

The truth is that the night is so attractive to me. It's when I can truly have ultimate privacy; I have the freedom to be myself and do exactly what I want, two opportunities which are so important to me. I can just be up, watching TV, listening to music, and passing time in solitude. Ironically, for the time I often waste, my best work efforts manifest after dark. The same goes my best ideas. Night-for-night, the twilight hours benefit me on multiple levels.

I ignore that night is the universal signal of an approaching day and savor it instead.

Insomnia it may be but perhaps this is one problem I can use to my advantage...

"i love to sing-a...

EDITED: 10/2/2011

about the Moon-a, and the June-a and the Spring-a...I Love to Sing-a!"

I feel ya, Owl Jolson. Sing your heart out and forget about the haters.

a taco with a black shell...

EDITED: 10/3/2011

I had a craving last night and drove over to my favorite hate that I love it fast-food establishment, Taco Bell, to try out the new "Black Jack Taco."

(mine looked better)

I went in hoping that the food wouldn't be as pathetic as the name.

The gimmick is that the taco shell is black, which we all know will set the Mexican-American fast-food industry alight. When news of this creation first broke, I admit that I grabbed for the proverbial banana. I started to think about what a black shell would taste like. Spicy? Sweet? Indescribable? A secret flavor?! It was a myself I had to solve.

Yesterday, I paid my change, took it home, and opened it up to see the usual suspects: Cheese, lettuce, and a saucy concoction. I took a bite and was stunned to discover that the shell was... corn-flavored. Yellow corn to be exact. In fact, if the shell was yellow, it'd be the normal Taco Bell shell. Folks, there was no difference whatsoever and, as you'd expect, my disappointment held no end.

Come on, Taco Bell: You can't do better than that? If I can think of about 5 different ideas for what a black shell is "supposed" to taste like, why couldn't they? Creativity lapse? Profit? Stupidity?

Until I have an explanation, I won't be buying another one of these again. As customers, we deserve better!

OK, so, I lied.

so...the more random the ad, the more $$$?

EDITED: 10/3/2011

When did random advertising come into style?

What is it about waking up and seeing The (so-called) King, a stalking, creepy, weirdo-of-a-man wearing a plastic mask in full costume, that's supposed to make me want to buy a breakfast sandwich from Burger King? I'm not getting hungry in any way here. The only motivation I may have is to look up a nearby therapist. And, after thinking about the reasons why The King would be in his bed, this man may want do the same. Again, not appetizing.

What about this?

The freak show nature of this commercial left me feeling strange. I certainly didn't want to look a Sprite can because I was scared of possible going insane. That's probably not the ideal message to present. "Sublymonal Advertising," while creative, is stimulating in the worst way. When placed in between commercials for OxyClean and the new episode of The Office, it's a bit much.

I charge Skittles with the starting the trend. Remember this?

 Uhhhhh... and ...

I have to say that the commercial above is actually one of my favorite commercials ever. In my opinion, this is one of the few examples of today's randomness trend working.

Does this approach to advertising increase the chance of success? I know I'm in the target audience so I should be thinking "Man...I totally want Skittles right now" after being exposed a couple times, right? The truthful answer is that, even after  enjoying the singing bunny operatic talent, I wasn't thinking about Skittles. What's gone wrong in the formula?

Maybe advertisers think they have to go overboard to get our attention nowadays and, in some ways, that's true. Our society is filled with microscopic attention spans and the younger the age, the worst it gets. My point is that there's a fine line  between being "interesting" and being "gratuitous." One is effective; the other, well, I wouldn't be devastated if I never saw it again.

i'll give you ALLLLL this for Boardwalk...

EDITED: 5/28/2012
 

Monopoly.

What is it about this game that can bring the competitive fire out of even the meekest  individual? It's a great friend detector too. When I have doubts, my rule-of-thumb is to take it out. Anyone who either

A) Destroys the board
B) Leaves the room out of anger instead of going bankrupt with dignity

loses their friend card. It's that simple. I spent my entire college Fall Break playing this game with my friends. Monopoly was our full-time job. 

While no one had their card confiscated that doesn't mean it didn't get heated. There were some backstabbing, venomous deals made - the type that made you regret the time you accidentally let that secret out in front of everyone in the cafeteria. And we were cocky too. Supremely cocky, as if our green and blue dollars were legal tender. One particularly confident person sent a mass text message to everyone saying all the players "were going to get their [butt] kicked." The girl was promptly ripped to shreds and escorted from the playing area after being first to go bankrupt. Karma.

I don't believe there's a board game more intense. Everyone starts off cordially but things quickly go downhill from there. Please, don't try me: I know how to "speak lawyer." Trades don't happen in my games, only cartels and partnerships. With all this drama, delicate friendships can clearly be snapped like a twig.

I don't need to describe the actual events of our games but I think there's a reason why we chose to commit our time together to Monopoly. My friends and I are all intelligent individuals. We admire each other for what each individual brings to the table. For three, four, even five hours, each of us was given a chance to showcase our very best performance to the people we care to impress. Our very best friends matter in that way. And when the game has finished and a winner has been declared, the time comes to end the all-for one and share in one-for-all again.

What we really have here is a complete bonding experience... over fake money.

"WACKY DELLY yeah, wacky delly YEAH..."

EDITED: 10/3/2011

 Part 1:

Part 2:

I love cartoons - nothing's impossible in them. And, out of all the cartoons I've watched, Rocko's Modern Life has got to be the best.

When I was younger, I found the show silly and that was good enough for me. As I aged (and I'm using that term relatively lightly), the parodies, pop-culture references, cultural commentary and infamous adult humor allowed the show to grow with me. Rocko's Modern Life was a VERY smart cartoon and its creator, Tom Kenny, did a great job making real-life situations as gross, obnoxious, and exaggerated as they actually are. I mean:

• Isn't going to the grocery store a horrible experience?
• Don't the rides at fairs seem like they were put together with a couple of pieces of Scotch tape, a roll of twine, and less than the required number of screws?
• Doesn't it seem like the stupider the TV show, the more successful it becomes? 
• Doesn't it suck to have to use your brainpower and creativity for stuff you hate to do just because your boss says you have to?

Absolutely, and the show made situations we've all been through into hilariously creative episodes.

As evidence, I presented you with the episode "Wacky Delly." If you haven't heard of/seen it before, I would be happy to remove the albatross from your neck if you would just watch. They rarely make 'em like this anymore. The breed of cartoons that actually talk about something life AND make you holler with laughter seem to have gone out with the cassette tape. 

Enjoy.

if i could describe you in one word, it'd be...

EDITED: 10/3/2011 

Hold on a minute. Do I really want an answer to this question? Is it truly a good thing if my personality can be summed up in one word?

My friend and I jumped on this topic and toyed with it a bit. We came to the conclusion that if one is able to be dubbed with a single adjective, it means one of three potential options:

A) The dubbed isn't letting people see more than a single side of themselves
B) The dubber probably doesn't know very much about the person they're dubbing

C) The dubbed lack a dynamic personality, which is the saddest (and rarest) option

Neither case looks very good.

I'm crossing my fingers hoping that if someone was asked to think of a buzzword for me, they'd be short-circuiting synapses trying to come up with one. And then they'd fail. I'd want to know that I can offer many dimensions and people recognize it.

What I personally appreciate is a person who can be all things: Funny AND serious, confident AND humble, nice WITH an edge. These are the people who are highly sought after. These are the people who attract attention without even trying. They are complex and one word is simply not enough. If you're trying to come across a person like this, remember that old rhyme about "birds of a feather flocking together" - dynamic people will look for other dynamic people. 

Don't ever be afraid to show your layers. Be like this:

Not like this:

intertextuality. compliments of Geico.

Regardless of whether this is my favorite Geico ad (I mean, come on, they've been hitting them out of the park for years now), I have to say that the intertextuality found here is amusing. Parodying 'Reality TV' to sell your car insurance? Hmmm...

If this ad actually was a reality show, the pitch would be:

Two newlyweds begin with "the perfect marriage." However, when they discover that their new home a "Tiny House," and for one year they will have to live in it, things erupt into chaos...and all the drama is taped for your viewing pleasure.

In this commercial, everything is drawing horizontal-intertextuality connections for pretty much every reality show *ever* created.

• The tiny logo in the bottom-left corner that never goes away
• The overly-dramatic announcer and background music
• The cheesy dialogue ("You are SO AWESOME" ???) which exposes that...
• The "contestants" are not necessarily the brightest light bulbs in the box
• Quick-cut shots of crying and general embarrassment

The list of these shows seems never ending: "The Real World"..."The Bachelor"..."Joe Millionaire"...need I go on? The interesting thing about them all is that they all follow the same general formula, in almost every sense of the phrase.

Geico has created an ad that parallels the formula of Reality TV advertising (and of Reality TV itself). Those familiar with this genre of television (myself, for example) can tell you that the plot point of a "Tiny House" isn't really THAT absurd for the category. Of course, if you weren't familiar with Reality TV and this ad's play on it, you'd miss the joke completely. That's because it is a cultural text whose connections can only be interpreted if one is familiar with its existence in the first place.

Also, this ad is an example of a tertiary text because it provides commentary on Reality TV and its place in our cultural text through poking fun at it. Instead of actually advertising for the newest and soon-to-be most popular Reality TV show to hit the airwaves, Geico's purpose for the commercial is to say watching this show (if it actually existed) "...won't help you save on your car insurance." Clever.

If you didn't know any better (and you wouldn't until the end of the ad), you'd think "Tiny House" would be coming on NBC at 8:00 on Wednesdays...

hellooooo...Sun...are you there?

So around these parts it has been consistently gloomy, dark, and overall, awful outside for a couple weeks now. Whatever weather-related phenomena you might include as part of that description, we've probably had...and, to be honest, it's really starting to get me down...

It's like I've been missing my morning coffee for the past two weeks (figuratively speaking - i'm not coffee addicted, yet). The sunshine gives me energy to start my day right. When I first see those rays coming through my window, it's evidence that another day has begun and need to greet it. It's a hopeful symbol that says "Hey...GET UP...and do amazing things today!" I'm like a swing on a playground; I need a little push to get me started. Just seeing the Sun when I wake up can do that for me.

Call me sentimental, but it's true. I would rather have the warmth, blue skies and light that sunshine brings than the cold, windy (AKA - EVEN colder), and rainy conditions the other side brings. It's not even a fair fight to me; It's a landslide victory, actually.

I'm ready for the sunshine again and I guess I'll just be singing "Rain, Rain, Go, Away" until things change.

conquerer

Here's a poorly kept secret of mine: I love roller coasters & amusement parks. I couldn't get enough of them when I was younger and I still get urges as an adult to visit one every so often.

Somewhere around the ballpark of 80 coasters-conquered, I lost count but I've been on everything from this:

-to-

Roller coasters like those in the first picture are...well...out of the question at this point but that's OK. There's something about dropping 400 ft. nearly straight down at 100 MPH that just gets me going (i.e. - The second picture).

I always knew why I was drawn to them: I was short. Roller coasters would be my way of being larger than life. I wanted to be able to tolerate something that others couldn't, and I'd be breaking the expectations of what people thought I could handle by riding them. When I found out that actually was the case, and that roller coasters were a complete blast, I never looked back.

Call it a less destructive Napoleon Complex, if you want...but don't say anything if you're not going to stand in line with me...

my take on comedy

I love to laugh and I people who can bring that out of me (which isn't all that hard to do) I love too. I don't think my sense-of-humor is necessarily unique but not everything appeals to me.

For example, NEITHER of these people do it for me:

Something about them is too obvious. Too calculated. I don't like to know you intend to be funny, and that's what I get out these two.

You don't have to be stupid to be funny to me either. If you make a face and it's supposed to get me to laugh but what you actually did or said didn't strike my fancy, then I need more than your face to get me to that place where I'm in stitches.

Instead, I think the best humor is the kind where you have to pay attention. Where it's more about the inflection or the play-on-words than what's on the surface. It's smart, and there's a great payoff if you happen to get it. I like having to think a tiny bit. If you're challenging me, as a listeners, there's a good chance you challenged yourself in coming up with the joke. I respect that!

I seem to be attracted to black humor and satire...the latter especially. There's nothing more funny to me than you being able take something that's oh so true and blow it up so that people can't help but laugh at themselves for being duped into even dealing with it in the first place.

That's just me, though. If you're able to laugh at something, then that's good for you. We can communicate.

If I had my pick of the litter, though, I'd take Dave Chappelle this over those other guys anyday of the week.

wearing individuality

It's no secret to those who know me that I love clothes. I'll dress up in a heartbeat, just for myself and no one else (though I like the compliments that sometimes comes with it).

A lot of people may wonder where the will to shop and stuff like that came from and, to be honest, it started when I needed to find a way to stand out from the crowd in order to remain sane.

I wasn't always this way, but high school has a tendency to promote a sink-or-swim mentality.

I started paying attention to the things I wore and how I presented myself because I wanted to kill the misconceptions and let people see what I wanted them to see. I'm the only person who had input on what I chose to wear every morning. No one could take that power away from me. When I started to invest time in how I looked, everything switched around: My confidence, my creativity, my social life...everything. It was as if I stepped out of the darkness. I'm not saying I was "ruling the school" but it was better. Much better.

In college, I've continued that trend. It's a different environment but some of the same ideals still hold true. I care about what I wear because it's a reflection of me. Of all the things my clothes say I am to you, I'm probably a good percentage of them.

"what's wrong?"

I feel like so many people confide in me, and that's both a good and a bad thing.

The good: At least I know you trust and appreciate me enough to value my point-of-view and therapy.

The bad: I'm a Cancer. If you don't believe in signs (I can't help it; my family lives by them - that's for another topic, though), that's to say that 9 times out of 10 I will take in everything you say and internalize it. Your problems become mine. Unless you're talking about something that is just totally...totally...not of interest to me, it's nearly guaranteed.

I don't attempt to be the psychiatrist anymore than a friend should attempt to help their other friends but I'm good at it. I just want what's best for everyone. People like it when you can get on their level emotionally and they can just open up. It's probably one of my best traits.

Oh, and I love to talk. And listen, so I can talk more.

The thing that I must fess up to is that I can't save the world. I've gotten burned out from hearing so many emotional-wreck stories. I've tried to talk to those people who are in an endless cycle of self-doubt and negativity and, while I can relate because I rescued myself from that years ago, they really have to discover the truth for themselves.

You have to cut someone loose to save them? Now if that isn't the biggest oxymoron...

Maybe I should think about it this way then: I have to cut someone loose to save me.

the ultimate driving machine...

No, I don't have a BMW, but I did just get my first car: A beautiful, black Pontiac Grand Prix. I love it dearly, and I stare at it every time I pass it by.

I've went two long years at SMU without a car, and it was doable...but I'd never do it again. Having a vehicle signifies freedom, and I like that way more. It's not the fact that there are so many places I have to go. I'm 20, careerless, and my "job" is to keep my grades on-track and not waste my parent's money. Point.Accepted. It's that I can if I want to. A car, to me, makes dreams come true. All those places that were previously out-of-reach when you were sitting in your room, bored to tears, are now available with a fill-up at a gas station. Hungry? Go eat. Need to buy something? Go get it. Emergency? Go take care of it.

A car's really something. I almost don't know how to handle it...the freedom, I mean...

It's funny that everyone seems to forget to acknowledge "Their First Car." You hear your parents talk about "firsts" but the car doesn't come up until last, if at all.

(Disclaimer: This could just be my family)

Maybe everyone should log the feeling because it's amazing. I consider this a milestone: There's the days before you had a car and the days after.

The car was the last piece of the puzzle that I was missing, and I won't take it for granted. The days when I was car-less and begging aren't that far behind me, and my folks will be sure to remind me of that...

a human jukebox

For those that didn't believe me when I said that music basically keeps me going in life, here's an example of what I mean:

In the last post, I mentioned the phrase "bad habit" and, like clockwork, a song of the same title began to play in my head. It's as if my mind made an instant connection, rummaged through my musical knowledge, and hit the "Play" button on it's own. I'm a human jukebox...

(Side note: I LOVE this song)

This happens all the time to me. You say "What are you...a vegetable?" Guess what comes next:

(^ True story)

I guess the ultimate point of this is to say that there aren't many things in life which have such a strong connection to you that its existence permeates everything you do, whether it's necessary or not. For that matter, these things differ for everyone. Something that many of us actually do share are morals. In the case of some individuals, they choose to always take the higher route and do what's right regardless of whether that choice is asked of -or- expected from them. That is simply who they are; It is at their core. Obviously music is one of the things that makes up this important part of my being. As I said before, some people don't get it but I want to know why should I be ashamed? Everybody's got their something...

Oops.

(^ So I wasn't spot on with the title...big deal...)

Find yours and embrace it.

yes, music is my inspiration...

If the 7,164 songs in my iTunes music collection isn't evidence enough, I don't know what is...

There is rarely a time when I'm doing "nothing" because listening to music is certainly "something," and I will gladly take my headphones and block out the world if I do not deem Tasks A, B, C to be more important than one of those 7,164 songs at a given time. This process continues until it would be either detrimental or inhumane to partake anymore. I'm being candid here but I'm also being quite honest. I can't think of an expletive strong enough to think about how much I don't care about the problems others have with my relationship with music, and people have learned that the best thing to do is to just expect that.

The reason why I embrace music is because it has had it's place during every point of my life and I can connect each memory on the timeline with a song. It's been my escapism and my muse. I'm well on my way to being deaf before 75% of my peers and it still doesn't matter.

I hope you, reader, feel just as passionately about your "something."

to be completely honest...(part 1)

I haven't been feeling very inspired lately.

In fact, I was feeling about one Pontiac Aztec away from "Inspiration Hell"...

(isn't it just the ugliest non-Carbon-based thing you've ever seen?)

Out of all of the reasons I could make up for making this very post the first after being Open For Business for nearly a month and having a freakin' lightbulb (cliche, but still fine-by-me...don't judge...) be the icon and source of the title for the site, you'd think my mind would instantly burst with insight. Isn't that the reason for having a blog in the first place? I think so.

But that "insight" didn't come. Not with intensity, at least.

Yes it's sad...and yes, I have pondered over the reasons why the well of insight has been dryer than Ben Stein's sense-of-humor. All I could think of were a bunch of possibilities (read: excuses) and no solution.

When I decide on an answer, I'll get back to you...