Who Killed the Electric Car?

A rather interesting documentary for anyone who is interested, "Who Killed the Electric Car?" explores the inner workings of this society's government, as well as the influence major oil companies have over consumers. It takes an in depth look at the GM company, focusing on the incident in which GM attempted to demonstrate to the state of California that there was no demand for electric, thus crushing many of the electric automobiles on the road. It also looks at the influence the government had in this issue, drawing many intersting conclusions about consumerism in America. An interesting watch for anyone so inclined.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsJAlrYjGz8

Rock the Vote

I didn't vote today. I voted days ago, making sure my mail in ballot was received on time. There wasn't too much to say about the experience, since I didn't partake in the whole waiting in line to get to a booth thing, but that doesn't mean it still doesn't feel good to get my opinion counted. And the facts that this will no doubt be an election for the history books, as well as being my first time of age to vote, certainly made the whole process more interesting.t the whole experience is that I am sick of people asking who I voted for. It's MY vote, MY right as an American. And I probably wouldn't feel this way if people didn't try so hard to push their candidate on you. I could easily sit down and have a respectable conversation with you as to the pros and cons of each candidate, however please don't make it seem as though every time someone votes for Obama a puppy dies or a McCain victory would lead to cyborgs taking over the Earth.

OK, so it's not that extreme, but sometimes it does get a little ridiculous.

Faith?

As many of you may have seen, this week the Christian Fellowship group is doing a project in which they are encouraging all students to share their beliefs on Christians and Christianity as a whole. I for one thought it was a very interesting project, but there was one thing I felt slightly uncomfortable with. After participating in the project, a member handed me an apology card that pardoned for the actions of Christians throughout the years. While it was very sincere, and arguably necessary, I couldn't help bu think that these people aren't the ones that need to be apologizing. They have open minds, and shouldn't have to take responsibility for the actions of those who are unwilling to see the world from different points of view.
At times I question what I truly believe in this world, but there is one thing that never changes, and that is the philosophy of acceptance. I could never imagine looking down on someone, just because their religion is something different than mine. This world is filled with people who are truly, simply bad for reasons far outside faith, and to me, it's those sorts of people who should be apologizing. Too bad they may never do so.

Another Crucible

During the 1950's era of McCarthyism, it was very difficult for any members of society to stand up against gross injustices without being persecuted. However, playwright Arthur Miller was one person who felt truly opposed to the young Senator, and his beliefs led him to compose one of the most subtle, yet cunningly derogatory oppositions to Senator McCarthy. He simply wrote a play. A harmless, innocent play about the Salem with trials of the 15th Century, rich with history and drama. However, upon seeing this play, most anyone in America was able to agree that it seemed oddly familiar.
Arthur Miller wrote the Cruicle with one objective in mind; create an alegory of McCarthyism using another real life event in order to demonsrate that this sort of riddiculous mentality could be observed at any point in time. The play tells the sort of foolish, Purtian girls who accuse people of witchery for their own personal gain. The accused are deprived of their constutional rights, and sentanced to death with no proof and not even the knowledge of who accused them and why. It was unfair and biased system, that placed all the power in the hands of a select and reliable few, not unlike what was seen in McCarthy hearings.
A few years later Arthur Miller was placed on trial and, suprise, suprise, he had no idea what exactly he was being tried for, only that it was a baseless accuastion from someone with far too much power then they could handle.

Almost Famous

For me, there are a few aspects that can make me truly appreciate a movie. One, a multifaceted plot that carries a powerful message and maybe even some metaphorical undertones. Two, compelling and believable actors. Three, an amazing score. And Four, well planned, meaningful cuts and editing.
I'm not sure how many of these aspects are included in Almost Famous. About ten minutes into the movie, I quite simply stop watching it through any sort of critical lens. It's not one of those movies that is right in your face, demanding some sort of acknowledgement or appreciation, and that alone makes me appreciate it. Of course, after the credits are rolling it's easy to think of the amazing acting performances by Kate Hudson and Billy Crudup and Jason Lee, or the witty, well written script and perfect soundtrack that truly encompasses a time when rock and roll ruled, or even how the long, lengthy cuts play to the mood of the film as whole, but in the moment, when the movie is playing, I am thinking of nothing else. And that is the highest compliment I can give any film, and it is only reserved for a few.

Unsettled

The concept of censorship is certainly nothing new in our society, and the banning of books is no different. For decades books have been banned from libraries or schools or even entire countries, because whatever the author has decided to write about has been deemed unsavory in some way or another. And while, I feel the banning of books, quite frankly is absolutely ridiculous, there is one banning instance that just takes the cake.
Anne Frank: the Diary of a Young Girl chronicles the true events of one Jewish girl and her experiences in Nazi Holland. It is, verbatim, what she wrote in her diary while her family was in hiding during the Holocaust, and has been translated into dozens of different languages and read the world over. However, some people have decided over the years that this book does not deserve to be on the shelf. A county in Virginia banned it for "sexually explicit material," and other communities have removed it from their library shelves because it is "too unsettling and inappropriate for classrooms or leisure reading."
Really? It was "unsettling?" Why on earth would it be "unsettling?" Maybe you were disturbed because it's about the Holocaust. In case you fell asleep in history, the Holocaust was one of the biggest genocides this world has ever seen. It ravaged families and communities, killing people in the most gruesome of ways because of religion or race or perceived sexual orientation. Wake up. Maybe Anne Frank's diary was "unsettling" because it recounts one of the most unsettling events in human history.
So what's really "unsettling" here? The fact that a young girl recorded her real experience in the Holocaust, or the fact that a few people want to keep it from everyone; pushed into a foggy corner to try and forget the things of which humans are truly capable?

Virginity Sale

Recent Sacramento Graduate student Natalie Dylan has come up with a new, controversial way to pay off her college debts. She is auctioning off her virginity to the highest bidder. She's hoping that the bidding will reach a mi lion dollars, and has undergone several medical examinations to prove that she is indeed pure. The auction will take place in Nevada at the Moonlight Bunny Ranch; appropriate seeing as how it is a modern day brothel. It will be interesting to see the price someone is willing to pay for the degradation of the morals she has upheld for over 21 years. Or, more importantly to some, whether or not she makes enough to pay off her debts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSYzuU5fy68