Wisdom of the Sages
Episode VIII
Summer 2009
Hello People of the World;
Heck of a summer here, right? Well, the temperature has risen and the humidity moved in next door. Actually, this has probably been one of the milder summers. We like to complain because of the humidity. Yet, we still complain when it is just the heat. There is no pleasing us when it comes to the weather.
Sorry for getting this out late. So much going on that I’d rather just get this done as quickly and in as good a shape as I can manage.
Today is the anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley. I know, I know, he stole music. Heard it all before. Actually, Jet Magazine debunked a racist comment attributed to the King. Whether or not you like the guy, he made such an impact that cannot be ignored. So, raise a glass.
Let’s get started, shall we?
:[ First item of the month: Jessica Simpson’s use of the term “Indian Giver”.
I know a lot has been made about the “singer”/”actress’s” use of this term in regards to her possibly taking back a yacht she bought Pro Quarterback Tony Romo (What, he couldn’t afford his own?) after their break-up, calling it racist and insensitive, but think about it. It some things do have some basis in truth, like when I hold my arm up to my ten-year-old and we gleam red and gold.
When Europeans began taking lands from the Natives, they did so in mainly dishonorable fashions, like misrepresentation of treaties, the breaking of treaties, the use of alcohol as a means to get what they wanted, and the tried and true method, killing men, women, and children until you could make a weak claim through conquering. So, when this happened, Indians would exclaim that they wanted their lands back, but Europeans would cite the treaties (the same treaties they never honored) as their claim of Indians giving their lands to them. Hence the term “Indian Giver”, as someone who gives up property then wants it back.
So, in regards to the origin of the term, for Simpson to properly use the term, she would have to have been screwed out of it first- oh, wait.
:[ If her claiming 1/16th Native heritage absolves her from using that term, I have to say that I am 1/16th white, where the fuck is my yacht?
:[ My stance on the whole healthcare debate is two-fold:
First, people need it, don’t make a fucking game out of it, fix it already, and;
Second, all those crying about socialism will only complain until they actual need it and find they cannot afford it.
:[ Redshade Productions UPDATE: In what could be described as a flurry of activity of late has cooled off. I cannot seem to get my Hamlet movie off the ground. The first thing everyone mentions is that I should pay people to help out by writing grants. Sure, grants are in the offering, but I am saddened at how much the film “arts” has de-evolved into paid product. This is why I never viewed movie making as art. No one is just in it to create any more.
Hard not to get frustrated but I need to keep this project on track because I have invested so much into it. Anyways, on with the update:
Hamlet: Shooting is postponed due to lack of crew and scheduling. Once more solid and reliable dates are secured I will move forward with equipment accession then on to crewing and prep, then on to casting, then on to production. I think I will roll cameras on this by September of 2010.
The Shoshoni Connection: Rewrite sits unfinished due to efforts towards Hamlet. But with the postponement maybe I can finish up the re-write.
Three Kingdoms: First draft postponed due to efforts on Hamlet. But with the postponement maybe I can get the first draft done by November 1st.
Interviews with the King: Will be shooting soon. Look for those on YouTube and other Internet venues in the coming weeks.
:[ I have seen the Best Picture of 2009.
:[ Speaking of Best Pictures, the John Woo War Epic "Red Cliff" now has a U.S. release date of November 13th! (My dad's birthday!) Finally. Still, we will get one edited 2 hour film as opposed to two, two and a half hour films. Sad.
:[ A new study by the National Resource Defense Council has shown that 25% of all bottled water manufactured by all producers is actually just water from the tap. CLICK HERE. That’s right. In a study done on all bottled waters, from Perrier to store brand, when broken down and analyzed, scientists found that all bottled water to contain 25% water from the tap. Meaning, companies are just going to the sink 1/4th of the time and know that people with buy it up anyway. Pretty soon they will be selling us the latest version of the Orange Cube.
:[ Bill Maher makes two great points on America: CLICK HERE for his comparison of our obsession with Michael Jackson’s death, and CLICK HERE for his “New Rules” on the privatization of everything.
:[ After reading “The Book of Five Rings” by venerable and undefeated samurai swordsman Miyamoto Musashi and studying it further, I can state with confidence that I could beat each of your asses down. You know, provided that we are all 17th Century samurai. If not, all bets are off.
:[ The issue of our fresh water supply in America is one of the great overlooked topics. Yeah, yeah, you know all about it. But I am talking nationwide, America, the United Stats, USAUSAUSA, will have a growing fresh water problem, if not having one already.
An article in one of those western history magazines “Western History” I believe (I am guessing) stated in an interview with both officials with the Bureau of Land Management and with top Tribal Legal experts, that the country’s Indian Reservation hold all told about 20% of the Nation’s fresh water supply and that many tribes have legal claim to it.
Now, this is not about fishing rights or water use rights, but of a nationwide dwindling of fresh water via consumption within the next 5 to 10 years. Many legal expert suspect that this will give tribes a larger political foothold when it comes to the Nation needing more and more fresh water.
Isn’t that weird? Rather than state the obvious facts that one of our Nation’s main mineral staples is vanishing and rather than worry about replenishing it and what is causing it to dwindle to begin with and maybe trying to stop it, the big scare is that it could give Indian tribes larger political clout. How fucked up is that?
:[ Speaking of books, I just recently purchased a hardcover edition to “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” and read it in about five days. Pretty damn good read, I must say. I never owned a Harry Potter book in my life and felt the final chapter of the saga was worth the purchase.
:[ The news story of a Native American Dog attacking a baby, as compared to another story of a white family’s dog attack their baby.
Yep, you guessed it: they are the same story. Both mention the evil Native American Dog breed. First and foremost, there is no such breed as Native American Dog. And if you bought or own a dog with that breed, you’ve been fucking scammed! Also, people need to watch their babies, man, all the time. That is why you are the parent.
ADDENDUM: Brfore all you parents bite my head off. The dog didn't go crazy, the dog WENT DOG! Easier to blame a "Native American Dog" than parents that "slip out to look over the list." Come on.
:[ Don’t you hate it when you cannot get enough sleep? I haven’t been getting enough and it does have an affect on everything. You become irritable, you feel sick all day, and then, the lethargy sets in. Man, do not let that happen when you cannot get enough sleep. Unfortunately for me, I am stuck in a small studio all night. Anyways.
:[ Here, this columnist is all for replacing the UI Board of Trustees, not because they screw hundreds of students out of the right to getting a higher education, no. He is behind the replacement so he can see Chief Illiniwek back. Wow! That’s more important than rectifying the fucking over of UI applicants, a mascot to show how “In Power” you are!
:[ Thanks to my Boo, I’ve seen a ton of flick of late. CLICK HERE for a batch of reviews.
:[ The company Inner Four admitted that their top-selling iPhone application really does nothing at all. Yet, we all bought it. Soon, they’ll be selling us the latest version of the Orange Cube.
I think Chris Rock is right. Pretty soon, the phone companies will start selling us phones without ringers, then we will have to buy ringtones. Not, that we need ringtones, but we fucking buy them anyway. I bought maybe three in my life: one U2 song for me, and, a couple for my little girl. But we never use them. Instead I keep my phone on silent mostly. Man, how did we come pon this mode of thinking that to prove how wealthy we are we buy useless nonsense?
:[ I think more and more, we use less and less common sense, right?
:[ My latest review of Sherman Alexie’s latest book of poetry titled “Latest”, just kidding, its called “Face”. CLICK HERE if you are so inclined to read it.
:[ God, you know how much I hate covering celebrity stuff, but this irked me. From the Yahoo article headlined: “Kardashians’ Big Change”. I see that big changes are coming for these two sisters, Kourtney and Kim via the former is going to have a baby and the latter dyed her hair. Yep, big changes. Which begs several questions:
1) Why would anyone think that dying hair is as important as having a baby?
2) Why is having a baby and dying hair newsworthy to begin with? I can see it being more personal family news, but worldwide Yahoo News? Come on!
3) Who gives a sh*t?
(And yes, you can say, “Apparently, you do, since you’re ranting about it”, go ahead, I’ll let you.)
:[ After years of study and hard work, I have finally realized I will never be truly famous until I am YouTube famous. Alas…
:[ Today, at the coffee shop, while I was having a cup to pass the time, I saw this couple walk in. Now, they were not much different from the middle class, Anglo yuppy couple that pervades these streets of North Rogers Park. No. As watched them as they returned to their care after getting cups of coffee and as expected, they walked back to the large, black, overly shiny, new pick-up truck, that seems too neat and clean here in the city.
What struck me though was the guy jumped in on the passenger’s side and his lady got in the driver’s side. Usually, in this world, it is the other way around. Now, this was a loving trusting relationship, and I wish them the best. It is rare for the Guy to trust the driving, let alone the driving of his big, manly truck to his Lady. (I’ve never been too proud to let my Bonnie do the driving.) My hat is off to them.
:[ From the “This Just In” File: News reports cite that the White House is considering pulling the public option from their Healthcare Bill. Which proves again, that no matter whom we elected to office, it is still a politician. Also, as we always known, that those Dems are Pussies. And people have lost all common sense: the system is broken because hundreds of thousands of people cannot afford to even visit the emergency rooms, why not make sure American citizens get healthcare. It is just common sense right? America is supposed to take care of its own, right?
Besides, proving once again we are a profoundly stupid country, we all seem to have forgotten the fucking definition of the word “OPTION”!!! It means if you do not want government-sponsored health insurance coverage, you DO NOT HAVE TO CHOOSE THAT FUCKING OPTION! Shesh.
Are we so down beaten a country that we have forgotten what it is like to have the simple freedom of choice. Man. These politico fucks can’t seem to get anything right. Never trust them.
:[ The last Item for the Month: Former President Bill Clinton negotiated the pardon of the two journalists imprisoned in North Korea for the last two months. In spite of the strain of the relationship between North Korea and the US, despite the hardship the two women journalists went through in trial, sentencing and imprisonment, despite the terrible worry and despair their families suffered through, and despite the miraculous intervention of the former President, we all made crude three-way jokes despite ourselves, right? ‘Cause Bill Clinton is a horndog.
That will do it for this month.
First of all, let me apologize for getting a little political here with this month's edition. For those of you who know me, a little is a lot. I dislike politics. Whether it is national, state, city, community or office politics, I hate the way it causes people to disrupt their principles. I have had the experience of too many good people whom told me, "I'll never do that", "I'll never work there", or "They can't pay me enough to do that" and then see them go right ahead and do it anyway when politics and taking sides and beating the oppositiion are involved. Makes me sad.
Again, also sorry for getting this out so late. Been busy, which is a good thing. I hope the THX-1138 references were not too obvious. Enjoy your sleep, whenever you get it. I will try to do better in getting WoS out on time. Let me know how you are out there.
Until Next Time; “I try to show the schemers how pathetic their attempts to control everything really are.”
© 2009 Ernest M. Whiteman III
