WISDOM
OF THE SAGES
EPISODE V: SPRING 2016
EPISODE V: SPRING 2016
Hello People of the World!
Here we are at the end of the merry old month of May. Spring has
sprung, in the wakes of cooler 50-degree weather and the occasional spring-like
raining you would think that Ragnarok is amongst us GodBeings! How dare the
weather be spring-like in SPRING!! My endless complaining will subvert the will
of atmospheric pressure and humidity. Would it dare not be exactly the way I
want it? It is the weather! I control it!
Wouldn’t you guess; now we are beset upon with 80-degree weather and
now we are too hot and icky. Geez, when are people going to realize that the
weather is the weather and not anything really magical that we can predict.
Time to grow up folks.
On that note, let’s begin. Shall we?
1 :[ I have successfully avoided seeing “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of
Justice” in the theater. I did enjoy “Man of Steel” in all its imperfections. I
even wrote a short article in defense of the film. I was even behind bringing
in Batman into the series so soon after “Man of Steel”. Then, I lost interest
all together the instant they announce Ben Affleck as Batman.
Now, the many people who defended it ardently have now mostly forgot
they saw it, are now looking forward to the next big, loud, shallow cool movie
that will tickle their balls for a couple of hours. Such is the impact of this “game
changing” tent pole movie. Here is a video on “intertextuality” and how it
shapes how we view modern movies. To me, “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice”
just did not interest me enough to see it. You know all those idiots that
state, “if you don’t like it, don’t see it”?
Well, I did not see it. I ended that misery with a simple choice. I
knew it was going to be bad based on all the trailers, the tone, the inclusion of
so many characters, and most of all, Ben Affleck as Batman. That guy is such a
shitty actor. He simply is Ben Affleck in all of his movies. He makes no effort
to even try to be a character. When Nolan was directing Batman in his “Dark
Knight” Trilogy, all the fans would call Bale’s Batman, Batman, or Bruce. With
this new incarnation, all the fans, moviegoers, even the media started calling
him “Batfleck” because they cannot separate that shitty actor Ben Affleck from
the role he is supposed to be playing. I agree with one online reviewer that
stated in this movie, Bruce Wayne could have been played by anyone.
I know what you are saying right now: “That’s like, your opinion, man.”
Mostly because fanboys can be an unimaginative lot and quoting the Dude from “The
Big Lebowski” makes their opinion of my opinion somehow a fact. But mine is not
just an opinion stated. I have looked at all the trailer and decided not to see
it based on those. It is an informed opinion and not an automatic supporting
mechanism because Batman happens to be my favorite comic book character. It is
precisely because Batman is my favorite that I took the time to create what we
call an “Informed Opinion” and having that helped in deciding not to watch the
movie.
Now I hear you saying “Why judge it without seeing it?” Because I have
every right to, it is called making a researched choice. I know we are not
supposed to judge Affleck from his shitty “Daredevil” performance, as if that
were off-limits for some reason. Okay, I have all the rest of his movies to
make an informed prediction with. Do not give me that “He was really good in ‘The
Town’ or ‘Gone Girl’” nonsense. In the former he was playing a Bostonian
meathead, (not a stretch for him) and in the latter, David Fincher was
directing (that guy got a good performance out of Meat Loaf… Meat Loaf!). I
will grant he is a very good director but that does not necessarily make one an
automatically great actor. He is terrible. He plays the same persona in
everything he does. His performance in his “Argo” was the one thing, other than
that terrible, clichéd ending that pulled me out of the movie. He was just
being Ben Affleck with a shitty wig and bro-beard.
Well, now that all of this is well past us, we can hopefully focus
more on films that do not tickle our nostalgia nodal. Shoot, even some of the
actor that WERE IN THE FILm state it deserves the bad reviews it got. If I ever
do end up watching it, I will probably not pay for that privilege…
2 :[ There are times when I have these long inner monologues about a
myriad of topics and I think that I would remember them. I find myself giving
very long monologues to no one on a myriad of topics, typically set off by an
online video or comment or the news of the day. I usually have a great speech
with all angles and perspective looked at and how my view or conclusions suit
me. But I can never remember them. I have taken to the habit of keeping writing
tablet with me both in my backpack and at my desk, simply to help me jot down
some ideas when I get them. It seems to have proven partially successful, as
many of this month’s items have stemmed from those notes…
3 :[ In the last few years I have come to understand the whole “Friendly
Does Not Mean Flirting” concept. It means that if a lady is friendly in speaking
with you, they are not flirting with you. Therefore, they are not interested in
dating you. I get that very clear and respect the concept very much. However,
it also goes the other way around when talking with me. On more than one
occasion, I have had the “I don’t like you in that way” speech given me out of
the blue. I get it. You are not interested in me. But, I was not doing anything
besides talking with you. It is weird that for some reason, when a guy is
friendly, they are automatically deemed to be flirting. Can some one explain?
4 :[ The instant Jon Snow opened his eyes, “Game of Thrones” became a Soap
Opera. This most recent Game of Thrones episode has convinced me that this is
the most sloppily written of all. The episode titled “The Door” cemented my
suspicion that the series has become increasingly sloppy in its writing. The
biggest reveal should have been the origin of the Others, (which should have
been a bigger EP9 reveal) not that stupidly manipulative ending that had
nothing to do with the plot. Also, if you know the big enemy is coming to kill
you, why stick around and keep sleeping? It was just to set up that stupid door
reveal. Nothing else. Sorry, once Jon Snow opened his eyes, the whole show
became a soap opera with popular characters coming back from the dead,
non-consequential SHOCKING DEATHS, stupid political plotting that means nothing
in the end, and are all stitched together by BIG REVEALS that mask the fact
that the stories no longer make logical sense.
Poor Jamie Lannister's redemption has been thrown out just so he can
do nothing but stand beside Cersie and go "yeah" to all the stuff she
says. Arya has simply become a murderer who is the right kind of monster to us
because she only kills people who are overly-exaggeratingly shown to be worse
than her. Her duties in “The Door” should have had more weight but it didn't
because: Arya is sad watching the play. All D&D are doing are revealing all
of Martin's carefully constructed plots in favor of "Which Favorite
Character will win the Iron Throne" and "R+L=J" nonsense and
will only leave them with the two truncated seasons to wrap up all the stupid
stuff they introduced. From now on, they should replace the awesome opening
music with the theme from "Dallas".
5 :[ We cannot teach “leadership” to kids: I can hear you now – “How dare
you say that! Our children are the future and delicate snowflakes with vast
potential!” But I am not saying that. I am it is placing too great a burden on
them that when they fail they will be affected aversely.
We need to teach children responsibility.
Many of our greatest leaders were never taught leadership. They simply
assumed a responsibility to make things better. Look at Martin Luther King,
Jr., Malala Yousafzai, and Harriet Tubman, as well as, many others, all whom
had leadership role put upon them; they were not elected to their positions of
leadership. My best example is the Lakota leader Crazy Horse. Though he had
positions granted to him, that he then lost, he became the leader of his own
band of the Lakota. He was not elected to the role, he felt the responsibility to provide and care for those whom followed
him. Much like King, Yousafzai, and Tubman.
No, teaching our children “leadership” sets them up for failure.
Because when we do, they will feel that they are entitled to be the leader when
they have not developed any empathic skills towards the people or communities
that they will lead. Which is what separates a great leader from a good leader.
They will want leadership roles because we will have taught then that cannot be
anything other. Then, they will feel resentment towards those that have taken
up leadership roles. Or worse, they will do whatever they can to push out the
leadership to take the role, disrupting the community. But, when they know that
they have to be responsible for themselves, and their actions, they can easily
take on being responsible for others. Look at our politicians in office, or
seeking office, how many do you think were taught responsibility as children?
That will do it for this month.
I am happy that you have stuck with me on this silly little weblog all
these years. Sorry that it seems that these have been very short of late.
Actually, I have been busy doing other kinds of writing; I have been working on
a new script, wrote a prologue to a sci fi story, and started two other
treatments for films. So, this is working the way I thought it would.
As always, feel free to comment, contradict, or correct anything you
read here. I am impervious to your criticisms because I am … I don’t know where
I was going with that but you get the point.
Until next time, remember “I try to show the
schemers how pathetic their attempts to control everything really are.”
2016 Ernest M Whiteman III
