Wisdom of the Sages
Episode I
January - Winter 2010
Hello People of the World;
Is this a good winter or not? Not in the sense of mild and warm, but in the sense that this is what a fcking Chicago winter should be like. Right? Since I’ve been here it’s only dumped snow heavily only once. The rest have been these wimpy, mild, rainy-instead-of snowy winters. But this, this is what I thought a Chicago winter should be like. Hell, it’s what I think a MILD Chicago winter should be like to hear people tell it.
But now, the snow is sticking for more than a day, the temp is dropping to the point I have been relegated to buying a scarf. Yeah, I bought a scarf. Now, it’s winter.
Let’s get started, shall we?
:[ First item of the month: I asked you to weigh in and you spoke volumes! Sorry folks, “Wisdom of the Sages” will remain “Wisdom of the Sages”.
:[ So, I have been relegated to getting a scarf. It’s not that I hate scarves, but it adds an extra step in my winter layering process. I used to wear a black swatch of fabric rather than a scarf a few years ago. In fact, I think I started the whole Israeli scarf trend because of it. So, you can blame me for that one.
I had to get a cheapie scarf from Walgreen’s is what I’m saying…
:[ I got an email update from the website Falls Apart-dot-Com, which is Sherman Alexie’s official website. He’s got some new poems published, so my buddy’s doing great, but at the bottom of the update was a link to an article about how his book “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian” inspired some high schoolers into taking action…
For dogs.
Yeah, forget trying in anyway to assist Indians, or even fellow students. We’ll help the dogs because a dog dies in the story. (Oops, SPOILER.) Yeah, high schoolers.
:[ According to Science, a slug has gained the plant-like ability to photosynthesize. Just when we think we have it all figured out and that we are masters of this island Earth, God throws us a big F-U!
:[ I feel bad for Haiti and I hope they get their support soonest, but really, why wait until some, epic natural disaster strikes to help the poorest counties? If that is what it takes for us to be generous, then we are the most selfish people on the planet. It is as if all we need is the excuse to make ourselves feel good about it.
Because that is what it is all really about; how it affects us…
:[ My thoughts on the titanic movie about terminating aliens in an abyss of piranha 2’s, “Avatar”. I’ve changed my mind, it’s the Comedy of the Year. COMING SOON.
:[ Redshade Productions Update:
HAMLET: The pre-production meeting went well. Talked with a possible producer whom wanted to see whom else we could count on to the project. Unfortunately, it was not much that day. But this person asked some of the questions I’ve been asking myself in the context of a practical shoot; finances, schedules, commitment for Native actors and the like.
So, we are moving forward with it. I real funding search begins as I have two or three prospects. But Lawrence Jahn and myself with schedule a small shoot of one our shared scenes. Stay Tuned.
:[ So, here we are with the first month of the second decade of the 21st century. Man, I am sooo disappointed with the 21st century. Where are the flying Jetsons cars and the robot maids and non-use of money and the space explorations and the moon bases and the ragtag criminals being humanities only hope for survival against alien invasions? Instead, we got desolate wastelands and gangs of marauders roaming the landscape willing to kill for oil… wait, hey, I guess we got our Road Warrior future, right?
:[ I saw this proto-punk-hipster-wannabe on the train. God, he looked stupid. You know the type. Why try to dress like you don’t care what others think about how you dress or like you don’t care how you look? It’s so obvious that you do care. You hand-picked your look from the white, torn skinny jeans, the plaid dress coat, the stupid golf cap and nerd glasses to the punk band t-shirt and the piercings, and Israeli scarf (Come on. Dude.). You obviously care enough about it to project his insouciant image.
Have you ever seen how a person dresses like they don’t care what they look like or care what other people think? Yeah, I have. Baggy sweats and dirty t-shirts, usually with Crocs or flip-flops. I see them all over. Really.
:[ With his stand-out role as Rorschach in “Watchmen” and now genre casting in the reboot of “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and as possibly Sinestro in the upcoming “Green Lartern” flick, I am suddenly kind of sick of Jackie Earle Haley. Can’t he get some, you know, acting roles?
:[ Why is it when you have a splitting headache that the train rides seem to take forever, while tedious, mundane things like watching the Anti-virus Program scan all files on your PC seem like the most soothing thing ever?
:[ CLICK HERE for the Masterpiece known as My Review of “Inglorious Basterds”. COMING SOON
:[ So, on February 7, the CTA will cut back services, meaning express busses will no longer run and the wait for busses and trains will be longer. My question is: How is this any different than now?
You would think that they are saving money they way things are run right now, hey? Why not make the transfer periods on my transit card longer to accommodate the longer wait periods? That would help.
:[ I noted a comment from Facebook from another high school student about the date of December 12, 2012. She said, and I quote:
“the world isn't gonna end in 2012. and anyone who thinks the mayans predicted this obviously hasn't read up on the facts. the end of the calendar was not the end of the world, it was the end of their calendar year. And why would you believe something from a society that has not managed to last that long... just saying.”
You can almost hear her snapping her gum and phrasing every line like a question? Yeah, bugs me too.
Well. First of all, many experts agree that the height of the Mayan civilization lasted from 2000bc to around 950ad. So, Mayan culture is a society that has not managed to last that long? That’s nearly three thousand years and over ten times longer than the United States itself. And that was at its height!
Also, anthropologists note that over 6 million “Modern” Mayans still live today. So, I’m thinking that yeah, they’ve managed to stick around despite being thought of as extinct. Obviously, someone hasn’t read up on the facts. Obviously, someone is not as smart and clever as she thinks. Just saying.
I know, I’m being rude and mean, being a Kanye, but I really dislike it when people are suddenly the “Experts” but they are the “Experts” with all the wrong information. Sheesh.
:[ US Census: How’s this for a oxymoron? “Indigenous Immigrants?” It looks like the US Census Bureau found another way to ignore the Native Americans of THIS country. Weird.
:[ An article in today’s Red Eye paper states that Obama spent little time in Chicago last year. Hmm, I guess it is because… HE’S THE F*CKING PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES! Come on!
:[ COMING SOON: Review of Rob Marshall’s “NINE”.
:[ For the first time in sixty-odd years, the mysterious visitor to Edgar Allen Poe’s grave, whom left three roses and a half a bottle of cognac, failed to appear. Instead of worrying about why this person did not do so this year, people are whining that it didn’t happen. Great.
:[ In case you missed it and I know you have: The WoS Review Annual Best of 2009! CLICK HERE for that. CLICK HERE for the EW3 2000 Decade Movie Festival.
:[ I like walking around downtown. I love looking at the buildings. It also brings out the gentleman in me for some reason. I stop for cars coming from alleys and parking lots, I let the ladies go first, I offer assistance to people struggle with stuff in the streets. Yep, I’m quite the gentleman when I’m in the city proper. I even find myself pushing the revolving door for folk ahead of me. Not that it makes a difference but I find myself making the extra effort, especially for older people.
But still, have ever notice that when people walk through the revolving doors that don’t push? Yeah, once they get in behind you the just walk through like you can’t see them in the reflection. I stop pushing once I’m clear and 7 out of 10 times the jerk will bang into the door. I love it. Then, I hear them swearing at me under their breath because they really cannot say anything because they know they were caught. Try it. It’s fun!
:[ From the “This Just In” File: For the first time in nearly 50 years, a Republican will take the senate seat once occupied by the late Ted Kennedy. Democrats are soooo worried that this will lead to the loss of their filibuster-proof, 60-seat majority in the senate. Which begs the question; what did they get done when they had the filibuster-proof senate? F*ck-all NOTHING!!!
So we have a bunch of wimps on one side and on the other a bunch of crybabies. Really, when Scott Brown won Massachusetts you saw pictures of Republican folk cheering and holding signs “Our Turn For CHANGE!” I mean really, what a bunch of crybabies. They were in power for eight years and then they cannot even handle less than a year of Obama before they are teabagging for change and crying for “their country back”? Give me a break. How are these two parties ever supposed to represent the American citizenry? Really.
:[ Last Item of the Month: So, all American Indian Nations get a $3 Billion settlement for the Department of the Interior and the BIA losing more than $300 Billion over the entire history of their dealings with Indian tribes. On top of that, tribes need to file grant papers to get a portion to use for tribal programs. Competing with other tribes for this settlement. That’s only 1% of the total funds lost.
So, if I was given $100,000 to give to you so you can make it through the year, but instead I take it and lose it or steal it and years later, after you’ve sued the government for it, they tell you that you will now get $1,000 to live on the rest of your life. But now, you have to compete with the rest of your family to get a portion of that $1,000. What would you say to that?
I know what you will say:
“Deal!”
Because, that is what happened to tribes all across the country and if they have to accept that, so do you.
That will do it for this month. Yes, “Wisdom of the Sages” will remain “Wisdom of the Sages” due to the overwhelming reaction to the vote of changing the name to “Damn Kids, Get Off my ‘Blog!”
So, at the time of this posting, the temperature has risen and the snow melted away a bit, so this winter is looking to be a rather short one. In fact, it was raining only yesterday!
Everybody, thank Global Warming; Thanks Global Warming!
Sorry for the lateness of this post. Things just keep coming at me. I hope this finds you well. As always, feel free to comment, contest, or disagree with anything you read hear. I look forward to hearing from you.
Until Next Time, “I try to show the schemers how pathetic their attempts to control everything really are.”
© 2010 Ernest M. Whiteman III
