Ringing in the New Year

Still no advances on my study of religion project I have designated for myself... been kind of busy getting ready to move out to California!

The countdown starts at 22 days today! I officially leave home in 21 days, but in 22 days officially leave to head west! Me and Sarah both have an apartment lined up and now the biggest thing is finding a job!

Starting tomorrow, my new years resolution is kind of a multi-part resolution... is that cheating? But I plan on going on a diet and exercising every day... a plan in which I have deemed "Operation Chisel" But on top of that I do have a lot of other things that I need to make sure I start making a habit, especially as I am moving into my own place with another human being that needs my help in making sure the place remains sanitary.... so I plan on really working on making sure I pull my own in terms of cleaning, cooking, laundry, and yes shopping... (ugh) But all for the cause of growing up! It may not seem like a lot, but after 22 (almost 23 years) of depending on mommy and daddy to take care of me this is a big step!

I figure I kind of like Sarah and want to keep her around, hence my grown up duties begin!

Of course none of this starts until tomorrow. So I'll enjoy being dependent one day longer!

For the next couple of months or so this will be my biggest outlet for how my new life as a Pacific Standard Time resident is going. But if you want to be following me that would be great... it's always better to know that I'm writing to people who are reading, otherwise this all seems pretty sad. So even if you know someone who is interested in my adventures, please let them know. I'll be posting photos and video of our trip out there (yes we are driving, world's biggest ball of twine, here I come!) Plus photos and video once we are out there showing off our new apartment, town, and lives!

Let the countdown begin.

My Own 'Religulous'

Bill Maher may have been on to something in his film, Religulous. I've been thinking a lot about the differences and similarities of all the religions of the world...mainly the similarities and how because they want to be the "top religion" they will claim their differences are so vast, when in most cases there aren't many differences at all. Sure they may say a world differently, or have a different name for a person who has the same history in said religion, but it doesn't change the fact that it's all the same minus the technicalities.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not completely naive... I am aware that some religions share completely different beliefs and cultures that said them apart so much that it appears there are no similarities, but I would bet anything that in some way, shape, or form there is some shared common ground hidden in all the scripture somewhere. This is precisely what I intend to learn...

I wrote yesterday about how I came up with an idea that I plan to dive into more... this is the idea. I plan on taking a very long journey to learn about all the religions of the world. I'm not doing this so I can write a book, because I know my blog is not the most bestest written blog ever. (yes I wrote that sentence that way purposely, don't think less of me) I'm not doing this so that I can sit around and tell everyone how wrong (or right) they are with their beliefs, and I'm not doing to disprove the importance or power of religion. I'm simply doing this because I'm sick of sitting around asking myself the question of "Why?". Why do they believe this, what is the point of all this, how can so many people believe it if I don't?

I'm not planning on being converted here, I'm pretty set in my opinion that there is no God, there is no heaven or hell, and that religion has lost sight of it's purpose and become a reason for people to be hypocrites, hide from their lives, and answer questions in such a vague way that people end up being content with it because they feel no drive to learn the real answers.

I'm not an atheist. But I belong to no religion either. Being an atheist to me means believing there is no higher power in the universe, things just are, will continue to be, and will always be the way they are as we come and go in this world. No, I believe that there is a power, maybe not higher, but a power nonetheless that drives the universe. I think nature is the power, because it's a balance of life/death and purpose. An animal exists to serve a purpose in it's environment to keep it in balance and functioning so life can continue. A star exists to give energy to a galaxy so that it's planets can serve their purposes. So on and so forth.

I finally decided I was going to do this as I said in Saturday mass with my girlfriend and her family last week. I was listening to the priest, whom was a special guest speaker (a missionary from Africa), as he talked about the way of the Lord and the word of God. And he went on to tell the story of how he was recruited for the missionary work... and to me it came across very uninspiring, almost as if he didn't believe his own preachings that he has gone through his whole life. He talked about how he was approached and asked to help with this country in Africa, Ghana. He said how he felt no need to go to a country and preach the world of God when there would be no one able to come to listen to his sermons, he did not really want to go when he had a church at his current location in Ohio where he was known and loved. I found this almost insulting in a sense...not because he was racist or anything, he was an african american, but what I found insulting is that religions tell you always to help your fellow man and give everything you can to help others. Yet, he had no desire to get up and do his duty as a priest and help a country that was struggling with war and violence. He wanted to be wanted not pushed aside as unimportant in a country in chaos. He only ended up going because his superior told him he had to go... and he went on to say how he ended up loving it there and loved his work and felt good about what he was doing there... all I could think to myself was, "Well, no shit!"

Then I was reminded of a concert a few weeks back that I was working. It was an Indian Culture night, with a very famous Indian play from the Hindu faith called the "Mupperum Vizha" The play has nothing to do with my story, but instead has to do with the gentleman I was working with, Sridhar, who talked to me about the Hindu faith and the ways in which it works. He told me that it is basically about bettering yourself. Their religion believes in being good to one another, but the ultimate goal is to be okay with yourself and keep your soul/body pure. I thought this was very interesting, because it conflicts with so many other religions. Hinduism is about inner spirituality, whereas most others are about exterior spirituality. He literally said to me "We don't go around trying to convert anyone, we simply accept others choices and make sure we worry about ourselves first. It's a culture, a way of life... not a chore."

So my mission begins soon.... my first step is figuring out which religion to start with. You'd like simple Christianity would be a good place to start... but because it's so similar with many other religions, Catholicism/Baptism/etc., I think I might wait for those last and learn about some older religions first. I'll get back to you all with what I choose... but for now I still want to finish the Grand Design, because I feel like that is a good starting point for me. It's the complete opposite view of religion, and one that I most closely associate with. Meaning, I feel most convinced by science over religion... so finishing my current book first will help me keep my feet on the ground as I go into this endeavor.

As I said, I don't plan on being converted or my thoughts altered... I just want to understand and learn. I hope to be surprised and maybe catch a glimpse of the feeling many church goers feel (or pretend to feel) but we will see.

I obviously will be blogging a lot about everything I'm learning, almost to use as my journal for my discoveries.

Side note, I battled a huge spider today in my basement. I hate spiders.... I hope heaven doesn't have any. Of course by joking about it, I will be sent to hell, where as of this moment there is a swimming pool full of them waiting for me! Hope I don't forget my goggles!

As Tobias Funke from the show 'Arrested Development' said once "LET THE GREAT EXPERIMENT BEGIN!"

A Field Report

I sit here in Barnes and Noble, sipping on coffee and enjoying a delicious toasted spicy southwest style chicken flatbread sandwich, enjoying the relaxing atmosphere surrounded by books of fiction, fantasy, mystery and music from my iPod making everything feel very safe. Yet I my mind can't help but wander to the sear terror I know that is happening right across the street at the PetSmart...more specifically one of the grooming rooms where right now as I type, my 9 1/2 year old golden retriever is going through what in her mind I'm sure is the most horrifying experience of her life.
So I sit here and chuckle to myself because I know in 3 hours or so she will be reunited with me and soon to be safely at home with everything that makes her feel safe surrounding her, but the current reality at this exact moment in time is that to her, this will never come to be. in fact, if she can remember who I am at this moment, and by remember me I don't mean recognize me when she sees me again but I mean that she can literally conjure up an image of me in her mind, i'm sure her feelings go from love to anger and the persistent thought of "WHY!?". Because, lets face it, the moment I handed her leash handle over to the groomers, in her mind I was abandoning her to be left with hose monsters who will try to strip her of all her fur while they trim her hair, drown her in chemical water (soapy water) and try to cut her paws off as they cut her nails. It doesn't matter what anyone there says to her to try and calm her or no matter how many times they will pet her (her favorite sign of affection) she will still see these people as the monsters that haunt her in her darkest nightmares. Yes, my dog has nightmares....many of which shr has woken up from howling in the middle of the night...much like most of us have nightmares we wake up from screaming after a traumatic event as taken place. People lose sleep after someone they know dies or have witnessed a dea, soldiers have nightmares for years or life after being on the front lines of a war, and my dig has horrible remembrances after veing groomed.

People share the same fears my golden has, but you'd probably never think of it too often. What do you think people's biggest fears are in life, and no I'm not talking phobias, because phobias are really just extensions of everyone's greatest fear, death. Scared of heights, because the fear of falling to your death. Fire, the fear of burning to death. Water, drowning. Spiders, eaten. Same things for snakes, etc. But the biggest fear after death, in my opinion is being alone. This could literally be alone as in only person left in the world, or more figuratively as in no one to love and be loved by, no one to trust and confide in, no one to listen to you and talk with. This fear starts off even before e fear of death is instilled in the human mind I think. My reasoning for this is simply...babies. Babies, because they don't understand the world, can't grasp their own mortality, hence do not realize there is a line between life and death. Their lives are only preserved from death bynthose you take care of them, the parents. Babies don't know what will kill them... Like chemicals in bottles, knives, cars on streets, dangerous animals, etc...but they do know what they recognize, such as a loving, friendly face that has cleaned them when they "make an uhoh" or feed them when they are hungry. So there is nothing scarier to a child than the fimilar faces disappearing. The questions arise in their heads, "Where did they go?" "Will they ever come back?" "Do they not love me?" because let's face it, we are reminded every day until the day we die that the world is a scary place....so imagine the fear in a child who knows nothing about anything.

I witnessed this fear here today, when the table right near had a mother with her two children. The oldest child, maybe 8 years old was very polite to his mother, a rare site these days, but he was very active and wanted to explore the store, while the other child was was no older than 1, depended on his mother much more than his brother did. Yes, the older child still needs his mother for the portion of his life, but he was not dependent the same way this baby was. The mother sat there and answered every question the oldest child threw at her, and fed her youngest child at the same time. So when the oldest wanted to get a drink, she walked up to the counter her son to pay for his drink which he was very excited to place the order by himself, but to the youngest child, who was "trapped" in a high chair, this was the scariest moment ever. The mother was no more than 20 feet away, but this baby instantly began crying as his mother walked away from him, because this baby though "My god, this is the end." (granted the child as no concept of god, but you get the point)

Yes, you could argue that the fear is linked to the ultimate fear of death....but again with no real concept of death, the child is scared of what he does understand, which is his mother there to care for him.

With all that said, I can say that anyone who claims they aren't scared of being alone is a liar. We are a social species, we thrive and grow off of interaction with others.


I always find it funny how I think for a while about what I am going to write for my newest blog, but when I actually sit down and write it it ends up being something completely different. I have a bit of an adventure I plan on going on here soon, something I have cooked up in my constantly running mind while I was sitting at my girlfriend's church. So yes, it has to deal with religion....and subject I constantly come back to, maybe because I find it interesting or maybe because I find it too easy to debate and contradict.....or maybe both. But I'll go into it more on my next blog.

Until then....keep it real!

Been a bit too long!

Hello Again World!

Funny how time seems to work, somedays there seems to be too much of it and then there are times that it's gone in the blink of an eye!

Been in the crazy process of preparing for a big move across the country to Los Angeles! I'll be making said trek with my beautiful girlfriend... so let's hope she doesn't get sick of me too quickly. Though between now and my move, my blogging will continue to be sporadic, I promise to have constant updates once I move. This is mainly for those people interested what life on the West Coast is like... and those people I refer to are my friends and family, but hopefully my readers (because I know there are so many of them) will take interest too!

Enough with my excuses and rambling.... let's get to some thoughts of mine.

I believe in my last blog or one of them, I was talking about my excitement to read Stephen Hawking's new book, The Grand Design. Well I am still working on it... it's very intense in terms of theories and even scientific talk... but no so much that it doesn't make sense, I just need to take it slow. Which is a big change for me, because I tend to be a speed reader... I plow through books like they are lines of cocaine. (No, I do not do coke.) It's nice to read this a little slower too, because I get to reflect on the thoughts and theories.

The most recent chapter I read had to do with the idea of God his power over man, freewill, and the relationship between the two. It talked about how God has all these laws that man follows, which Hawking goes on to say are essentially the laws of nature. The reasons why things are, continue to be, and forever will be. He goes on to talk about the fact that nature follows these laws 100% of the time... everything that happens and that event's reaction are all consistent with these laws. Then he goes on to say how the one thing everyone has agreed upon throughout time, which is the exception to all the rules both nature and religion alike, is man's freewill. Man's decisions, urges, and choices are not confined to the parameters of the universe or God. Religion has an easy answer for this, simply God wanted man to have freewill to find his own way.

But if really if you think about it, how is that possible? If God has a plan for everyone, how can they deviate off that plan? Hence no freewill, correct? Many will still argue no, God does have a plan for us all, but the choices that lead us to that point are up to the person. Basically, there are many roads to one outcome, hence people choose how they reach God's plan.... but in order for his plan to play out fully, there can only be so many paths. So there is no real freewill that is truly free...just freewill that is controlled. Doesn't seem to really make sense.... If God's plan for someone is they will become a doctor, but at the age of 17 they become a heroine addict... well, you get the point.

But even beyond religion, the question of freewill and the human mind is still a puzzle that no one seems to fully see the answer to. Hawking goes on to talk about something I truly found astonishing, and as really had be wondering a lot....

Each person has their own personality, which is part of their soul and their spirit and mind. A person's brain, is literally what we are. A mush of cells and flesh that has immense power to create electricity and have thoughts. It works in collaboration with the rest of our bodies, our eyes just tunnel information to our brain which digests it and tells us what we are seeing. In a way, the world around us that we see is our mind's projection of the world. Yes, it is really there, I'm not saying the world is a film being projected to us as an illusion. But think about how some people see colors different, it's just how their mind projects the world... or people that have dyslexia, their minds project words the wrong way... you catch my drift? So if our bodies work within the laws of nature, does freewill really exist? What is freewill? The choice to do this or that? Say that instead of this? Punch someone or high five them? Scream or Laugh? Jump or sit?

Here is what Hawking basically said....

There was a test done on voluntary subjects, where they underwent brain surgery. They were awake during the whole process, and what the scientists did was cut into a certain part of the brain and then would send waves of electricity into certain areas at different voltages and see what the patients said. The came to learn that by doing this, simply zapping the brain they could create urges to move the arm, the leg, to laugh, to say something, etc. So suddenly these "urges" are no longer of our freewill, but of electricity in our brains causing them to happen... so do these electric charges occur as part of the laws of nature or do we really control them? He does not give an answer for this, but is simply stating the question.

Sit on that for awhile and see what you decide. I still can't quite grasp it... because it seems very odd and even terrifying (not having the control) that right now me typing this and saying this and thinking this is not my choice but a reaction in my brain that causes it to happen.

(This is usually the part in the cartoon where my head literally explodes because of the paradox just presented)

With that all said, it's a really great book and there is so much more to talk about, and I promise I will try to write more often. I suggest you read it if you can. I know people say it's trying to prove God doesn't exist, that isn't the case. It's simply trying to get an alternate thought process to the universe and life... something religion has done for others it's entire existence! Don't be a hypocrite!

Also, side note.... the Washington Redskins are now at 4-3 for the season, which means they only need one more win to beat their wins from last season! As long as that happens (which it will) I will consider this season a success, now that we are on the right track with coaches and players to playing like a true champion team! They need to work a lot of their offense, but thank the stars for their defense! GO SKINS!

Alright, enough for tonight....until next time, enjoy!

The Inevitability of Life

Diving right in... look at the world today and where it stands with science and religion.

The whole world has numerous different faiths that it believes in... some more commonly voiced in society, others not as well known. And for some people of the world, there is no faith... this does not mean they don't have faith in the human race, but instead choose to believe that there is no higher power... and for some of us, we find ourselves in a middle ground of seeing all sides, but not choosing to follow one over the other.

Yes, I am ousting myself into this category of nonbeliever believers. Here's how I see it... the ultimate purpose of religion is to grant some form of purpose to our existence and explain why our existence is the way it is. Whereas science is just to explain how things came to be and how they make balance out the natural law of the universe. They are both the same thing basically, but with completely different approaches.

Here's my theory.... you can never get rid of religion, but religion needs to evolve... as do all things. You may say, "but that's not how religion works!" and I say to you, nay. Look at how far religion has already evolved from it's inception.... and yes, believe it or not people, religions are born, they were not there at the beginning. But look at the journey churches have followed, doesn't matter the religion... there are things today that are tolerated by religion that hundreds of years ago you would have had your head taken off for! Sure some of these changes have to do with society... but for a long time society was highly influenced by religion, so in a way religion prompted the changes! That aside though, if religion has been able to follow society thus far through it's existence, then it should be able to do it for the remainder of it's course, be it 20 years or 50,000 or more! What do I speak of? I'm talking about a true integration with science... I'm not saying science should just up and agree with men splitting oceans with the wave of a staff, or storms of frogs and lotus, etc... I'm saying science should take an approach by looking at the questions that religions strive to answer... and allow science to find out how and why something is the way it is.... now I know, of all questions, there is one that will stand above all else, and this is the one question I would prefer stay in religion's ball park... that question is, the Meaning of Life. Science can never truly answer this, and I can only speculate... so I think leaving that to the faith and belief of each individual person is most important for our species to survive and continue on.

I think this because essentially I feel knowing would upset people... I don't think there is any big plan to life other than to survive... keep a species alive... darwin's theory, the food chain, etc... the meaning of life is to remain alive. Now if we are to look at the common grounds between life and science on this topic, we will find only one similarity... death. Both agree that death is a part of life... and since the two opposing sides can thus far only agree on one thing, that we all die... than one could conclude that technically, the meaning of life is to die. And I'll go one step further, what do I think the meaning of life is? I think the meaning of life is what you do in your life before you die... which fits in perfectly with what I was saying about survival of the species. What people do in their lives, reflects their desires to continue something and leave a legacy of sorts, for some this is a direct legacy tied to their names... for others this is the legacy of keeping life going for future generations.

I leave you with a quote that my boss's son once said when he was 3 years old...

"Everything is important... nobody know's this but me, but everything is important."

Has nothing to do with what I was talking about, but thought it was very mature and insightful for a 3 year old. For as my boss pointed out, he's right...everything is important in it's own way, because something is always important to someone, just cause it isn't to you doesn't mean it isn't to the person next to you.

The World In A Nutshell

Time seems to be passing me by so fast lately, I keep realizing how much time has passed between my recent posts. There's just so much going on!

Lately I've found myself with a bit of cold reality setting in with the fact that I am done school and am now on the hunt for a job... which isn't as bad as most people make it out to be, but I might also be saying that because I'm not crushed with utter rejection and defeat yet.

Been helping my parents with a lot of the house work they've been doing, this past weekend's project was cabinets! Taking out the old and putting in the new. Fun!

Actually, I've been learning a lot about home remodeling and such, so it's been pretty educational.

But with all that aside, let's talk about the things that have been on my mind lately... let's just look at the world today versus the world of yesterday and see how far we've come.

Today is all about speed... the faster the better, and as Brooke's from the film Shawshank Redemption puts it "the world went and got itself in a real hurry." Think about what is here today that wasn't even thought of 20 years ago! 20 years ago was only the 80s, but the amount that has changed since then is so much more than has changed in the world in any other period of time in history! We went from Vinyl records and 8 tracks...to cassette tapes....to cds... to mp3s. That's 5 different formats of listening to audio in just 20 years! Granted many will argue that the quality has gotten worse with each new format, and I'll grant them that... but the fact still remains that it was an easier, more affordable way to do something.

Which is something that seems to be the trend in all aspects of life! The easier and cheaper it can be done, the better. Now I'll be the first to tell you that I love technology... the doors it opens for the future are endless and the power beyond it is almost too much for us to handle, but it's been the driving factor in our lives since we first invented the wheel! (bless you Neanderthals!)

Technology, however, is not just computers... though many things today are made with computers of some sort built in. Computers, may be the single greatest but also most hazardous creation of our species. Today, computers can do just about anything you program it to do... everything from adding numbers, to bouncing a ball back and forth, to fighting the deadly covenant forces, to flying and operating a space craft send far beyond the reaches of man. Though these satellites are controlled by man, the reaction time between sending a command and receiving it and then relaying back can take a lot of time... so technically speaking, there are moments when the ship controls itself through auto pilot. But just the idea that we have created a sophisticated entity is almost terrifying. It will take whatever command we give it and execute it to the exact specifications we give it.

I know the idea of "the machines are rising" is a big joke amongst Terminator fans, and I myself am a Terminator fan. But let's look at the logic behind the films... I don't think so much that the machines will literally turn against us and destroy the human race (unless we program them to do this... which who knows, we tend to like destructive forces... hydrogen bomb? nuclear radiation?... hmmm) but if we sit back and just allow computers to do everything for us, which sadly seems to be where the world is headed, then we might as well be dead! I mean, I'm all for having these machines and technologies there to assist us... I understand the elderly need motorized wheelchairs, and that escalators help both the elderly and those that have physical disabilties... and for those same people I will grant them immunity from my laughing at them for using the moving sidewalks. But for everyone else, I say this to you... really? Airports have them to help people with luggage move faster so they don't miss their planes... and to those people I say... pack less and get there earlier. If you're late to your plane you need to think about how you ended up being late... i.e. plan ahead and get there on time.

That aside, segways.... I'm sure they are fun to play on, but would it kill you to just use your feet? Not like people haven't been using their feet for...oh I don't know, OUR ENTIRE EXISTENCE!

Technology aside... because I could go on all day just drilling in the same point with millions of different examples.... let's just look at the mentality of people and their attitudes. Somehow along our evolutionary path I wonder if it somehow got embedded in our minds, that it I am referring to is this thought "I NEED TO BE FIRST."

You see it everywhere... some it comes to there being a line, people will think argue and complain about the line and many will attempt to try and find a way to get in front of the other people who also thought the same thing but decided to wait their turn.

You see it when you are driving, the people that cut you off in traffic, go down the shoulder in traffic (that one really pisses me off), or the ones that speed up at a traffic light to get through it or to pass you when it turns green. Granted I try to make a light sometimes or get mad when I'm at them, but it's not because I feel some entitlement to be ahead of the other guy next to me... it's because I know which lights are poorly timed and hence I would prefer not to deal with the hassle of stopping and going. I don't break the law or be a jerk to do this though, if I can't make the light or need to stop, I will.

Just sit and think about how incapable we are as a people to really do this in an organized fashion... some of this may be due to the fact we are so over populated and so self involved in our own lives that we don't care to look to the person next to us and ask if they need help with anything... because we feel that only three people matter most in this world... me, myself, and I.

I read a quote today that really struck home to me..."every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them"

Just watch the news one day and look at how poorly we would be judged if we stood trial right now.

Think about it.

Boxed In

The other day as I was helping my parents move furniture out of one of our rooms in the house to have new carpet put in, I came across a revelation about something... or at least just became truly aware of it.

My mother has a collection of boxes that were pasted down to her from her grandfather and will one day be pasted down to me. Now you're probably thinking why would anyone collect boxes?

Well they aren't cardboard boxes... if that enlightens anyone. They are actually a collection of boxes from all over the world... each having it's own story behind it being collect and how it was made. Some are handmade, some are not your usual box shape, some are even trap door boxes. They've been brought into place over life times of adventure and history with immense amounts of culture... but that aside, I think they all are really cool, especially after I came to my realization.

As we were moving all these boxes, (also note they are all small, almost all are no bigger than a person's hand), I was looking and thinking about why box making could be a trade anyone would wish to pursue. Some people really make art out of such a simple idea and everyday item.

My realization...well, I'll try and help you realize it with me... I'll give you a push.

Think of all the things you use a box for in everyday life. (Remember, a box is not always a square or rectangle)

I'll list off some practical uses of a box....

Packing Things, Giving Gifts, Storing Items, Organization, Presentation.

What do I mean by Presentation? Think about any holiday or birthday... the bigger, more elaborate the box, the better it seems. A humidor can be more fancy... it doesn't make it work any better than a cheaper/plain humidor... the cigars still won't dry out...but people still like the decorated ones. Even a house is technically a box... a much more complex box with many different compartments.. but people like to present their houses, and even Trophy cases!

Then I started thinking more and more about the importance of boxes in our society.

We use boxes to entertain ourselves (Television/Computer/Video Game Consoles)

We use boxes to get from point a to point b (Cars/Buses/Trains)

We use boxes to store our most valuable possessions (Treasure Chests/Jewelry Boxes)

We bury our dead in boxes (Coffins/Tombs/Urns)

Boxes are in legend and mythology that hold great power (Pandora's Box)

We use boxes to store memories (Time Capsules/Even a showboxe under someone's bed!)

And as I said before...just the overall use of storage. (Moving Boxes/Boxes of Fruit/Cabinets/Cardboard/Glad Containers, etc.)

It's just weird to think the immense importance of a box.

You think life would be tough without a cell phone or laptop? Think about life without boxes for one moment.... hmmm.

I know this isn't the most insightful thing.... but I thought the concept and idea of it was really cool.

Super Vs. Hero

Sorry it's been so long... been a crazy past two weeks! Dad turned 50... so we had a big party with lots of surprises for him and then attempted a 50 mile hike of a section on the Appalachian Trail, which ended early after tough terrain and medical issues, but ended up going to Atlantic City afterwards and lost some money... so it's all good!

I have a lot I want to talk about, but I figured this is a good topic to get my blogged started with again.

The other night after a nice relaxing day I found my brother, my dad, and myself sitting outside in the evening drinking and smoking cigars. (A usual tradition for us.) Now I'm not a scotch drinker, I prefer a gin and tonic or a beer... but my dad and brother enjoy their scotch. Well after a couple of drinks and a while of sitting and shooting the breeze and solving the worlds problems, as dad says, I found myself in a disagreement with my brother about what distinguishes a Superhero from a Hero. This argument stemmed from a long debate over which Indiana Jones film was the worse of the two, Temple of Doom or Crystal Skull. (I feel Crystal Skull is the worst, but he claims Temple of Doom. This is a debate to settle another day.)

But this new debate over what defines a Superhero sprung up around the time my brother decided to declare Indiana Jones a superhero... where I quickly disputed he was only a hero, not a super one.

Now hear my out... because my argument goes well beyond just the literary definition of what a hero and superhero is. (but for clarity sake I'll post the definition of them.)

(These according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

A Hero:

1 a : a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability b : an illustrious warrior c : a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities d : one that shows great courage
2 a : the principal male character in a literary or dramatic work b : the central figure in an event, period, or movement

A Superhero:

: a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers; also : an exceptionally skillful or successful person

So there that is... but that's not a real good determination of which is which when it comes to specific character in a film/book/show/comic/etc. That's because these definitions leave room for personal interpretation.

The argument went beyond just Indiana Jones though... and he went on to declare John Wayne a superhero. (Not him specifically, but the characters he played.) It was at this moment that I finally saw the extent of the effects scotch has on my big brother. Because I could not believe what I was hearing... he was essentially saying that there is NO difference between a superhero and a hero at all! I'm not a comic book nerd, but even I thought this idea crazy. I think I understand the angle he was trying to approach with, but it doesn't change the fact that I think him wrong.

To me a superhero is a person that may or may not have powers beyond that of any run of the mill person, but it's not just the physical (or mental) capability of this person that defines them as a superhero, it's the environment and the villains they face.

Example:

(Obvious) Superman. Invincible to everything but Kryptonite. Which is his one weakness, known by only a few... most of whom are his enemies. Lex Luther being one of the biggest recurring villains (or at least most known)

My point is this here, Lex Luther is an obstacle that only Superman can over come, no one else is able to stop him without Superman's help. But Lex Luther almost always poses a danger to Superman, because he is always prepared with kryptonite. Plus the fact that there are multiple villains that only Superman can defeat, adds to his superhero status... what does Indiana Jones have to battle... Nazis? (and yes... the Soviets in Crystal Skull....but let's face it, they were the same exact thing as the Nazi's, just different language and uniforms.) My point in saying that is the fact that the opponents for Indiana Jones doesn't change... same people, same problems, different time period. This makes him a HERO, because he is constantly battling the same evils... he's a kick ass hero too, don't get me wrong... I'm not trying to downplay Indiana, but what I'm trying to prove is he is not a SUPERHERO. He's had 4 movies... so 4 adventures (I'm not counting the Young Indiana Jones TV series) A Superhero has many many adventures, where they encounter many different obstacles.

Example 2:

Batman. I use Bruce Wayne here because he's a super hero that doesn't have powers, just the resources to have crime fighting material. But he's still a SUPER HERO, because he has numerous villains to fight over many different adventures. Many of these villains have different problems, many of them being slightly irregular human abilities, others are just crazy... but Batman has to overcome great obstacles constantly to defeat the evil before him. Known examples of them... The Joker, Killer Croc, Two-Face, Penguin, Mr. Ice, Scarecrow, Catwoman, Riddler... the list goes on and on. My point here? He can't do the same thing to defeat each one... he has to adapt.

Indiana Jones has the same route to defeat his enemies... find what they are looking for first.

Example 3:

Let's look at the Incredible Hulk. Because he's different then most superheroes... his biggest enemy is himself, he can't control his power sometimes which usually ends in mass destruction and danger those he loves. But he has to overcome himself in order to control it and defeat whatever evil is attacking. So he had to fight two battles... an internal and external. This puts him in the superhero arena because this is something almost anyone would normally not be able to do... he overcomes both, whereas the regular joe smoe might win one, but lose the other.

Indiana Jones kind of just kills Nazis.... which I already said.

This is what a hero is to me...

A normal person, who against the odds, rises up to protect and defend. Nothing more... Nothing less.

There are all different types of heroes (and note that almost any story has a hero... that doesn't mean they are a superhero.)

Bruce Willis in the Die Hard films... a hero, not a superhero. He's a guy that was just always in the wrong place at the wrong time. He didn't go out and find evil and fight it, even at the risk of his own life. Though by the end of each film, he was willing to sacrifice himself...but this was his character arch... not a trait that he began with. (Most Superheroes will fight and won't stop until evil is defeated, even if the know they may die fighting.) John McClain (Willis's character in Die Hard) fought to save himself and someone he loved or left in his protection.... he took extreme lengths sometimes to make sure this happened. He didn't wanna die... I don't blame him, who does?

My brother tried to say that in Die Hard 4, when McClain "killed a helicopter with a car" that he proved he was a super hero in that moment... and I said nay. He proved he was still a badass hero, that could still kick ass and take names... not different than Indiana Jones surviving a nuclear explosion by hiding in a refrigerator (wait... what?) or Rocky Balboa having to withstand the worst beating of his life but staying on his feet to not lose by knockout... or Admiral Adama having to send one of his last two remaining battleships into an enemy ship to save the fleet.... or Aragon charging with the king onto the main gate to hold the orcs off just a little bit longer to give Gandolf a few more moments to reach them with help.

My point is.... Heroes will do amazing feets that the other man in the room would never attempt... but it doesn't compare to Superman turning back time... or Spiderman saving the falling Mary Jane and a falling tow car full of people both at the same time, while still fighting off the Green Goblin... or Batman fighting the Mob and proving to Joker that people aren't as scared of as he thinks they are (which is really awesome, because when you think about it.. most people in Gotham end up making the right choice to save themselves with nothing but Batman's trust and belief in their good natured souls... because Batman can't save EVERYONE, he relies on them to help themselves. Which is how he defeats Joker in the Dark Knight! Amazing [I love you Chris Nolan])

So I hope I've made my point there.

One other thing my brother tried to make a point of that I felt should be discussed is the idea of alter egos. He said Indiana Jones was an artifact saving/nazi fighting person with an alter ego as a school professor... but he doesn't use his professor status to hide his true nature... so it's not an alter ego. He's a professor that does this big missions... that's it. Batman has Bruce Wayne... Superman has Clark Kent.... Spiderman has Peter Parker. In Batman and Spiderman's cases, Bruce and Peter are their real identities and they dress up to be the superheroes, whereas Superman is his real self and Clark is just his disguise that he dresses up into. But they do this because they don't want to be discovered so they can continue to save and protect while also holding a real life....which is the plus to being a superhero, who do get hints of a real life.

Indiana Jones is just a professor.... nothing more. That's probably what would suck most about being a hero... people know who you are and begin to expect more of you. They always came looking for Indiana Jones' help in the other films... John McClain talked about what it was like being a known hero in Die Hard 4, and he said it sucked and he hated it, it ruined his life.... Nicholas Cage's character in National Treasure... just a hero that people come to for help.... Angelina Jolie's character as Laura Croft in the Tomb Raider films... hero and sought out for help... not a superhero. He's basically the sexy/female version of Indiana Jones when you think about it... except it sucks, because Indiana should only be one in a million, not a dime a dozen.... but it happens I suppose.

My last thought is about how he said John Wayne is a superhero. FALSE. He plays a stereotyped character, which means he is type casted... (that means he is cast for a role because he plays that type of character so well). His characters all face the same dangers and stand for the same morals in every film... but the characters are different, so you can use the argument that he faces different evils in different environments, because he is never the same character... that's like saying well Charlton Heston is a superhero because he plays the same type of characters in most of his films... bad bad bad.

I will say the one similarity to beware of for heroes and superheroes is that they all go above and beyond the call of duty to protect (be it themselves, someone else, a group of people, a town, a city, a state, a nation or country, the world, the universe.)

I leave myself ponding one question still though... is a Jedi a Superhero? They have a nature gift of powers, they risk their own lives to save and protect, they can do a lot of cool things, they have lots of adventures with many different types of foes, and they fight one of the greatest evils of all... the Sith....

hmmm.... let's think about this one for a little.

Until next time!

So I'm Kind Of A Big Deal

Before I dive into whatever I might be talking about in this post...

My brother is back in town today and whilst we were out doing manly things like shopping, we mentioned to me that he had come across a blog that was talking about one of our favorite shows of all time, Arrested Development. He said he had seen someone talking about a fake trailer made for the show that made it look like an action film... and then he said it hit him about two days later that he had seen it before. He was correct in this thought, because as it turns out the fake trailer he had seen in a blog was one of three trailers I made when I was in my sophomore year at Point Park University. I know this because we came home and began looking for this blog, which we didn't find... but in my search I realized I had actually for once put something onto youtube that people enjoy!

The purpose of the project in my editing class was to take any production that was out, be it movie or TV, and create 3 trailers for it... one that was 30 seconds long, one that was 60 seconds long, and one that was 2 minutes long. The action one was my 60 second, with my 30 second being a horror and my 2 minute a drama.

Don't believe me? Check it out....

Here is the original video:

Here are some sights that are using my trailer:

http://www.examiner.com/x-5631-Prime-Time-TV-Examiner~y2010m7d6-Fake-Arrested-Development-trailer-echoes-fans-urge-for-movie

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/06/arrested-development-acti_n_636048.html

http://www.urlesque.com/2010/07/06/arrested-development-action-movie-trailer/

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1938610

http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/arrested-development-action-trailer

http://jezebel.com/5580355/arrested-development-action-movie-trailer

http://www.cinemablend.com/television/Trailer-For-Fake-Arrested-Development-Action-Movie-25623.html

http://screencrave.com/2010-07-06/votd-arrested-development-action-movie-trailer/

http://www.avclub.com/articles/great-job-internet-arrested-development-as-an-acti,42820/

and there are many many more....

I'm glad people are enjoying it... but I don't want people to forget little ol'fanboy me.

That's really all.... I'll be signing autographs later if anyone wishes.

Big Issue I Have

I'm going to be frank here... there are a lot of things about the entertainment industry that annoy the living hell out of me.

I hate, hate, HATE the fact that the famous stars we all adore (or at least recognize as stars) feel some sort of power or entitlement over everyone else in the world. This may just be coming out of the fact that the infamous Parent Trap actress, who's name I will not type, is getting off so easily after yet ANOTHER run in with the law. Now, I don't mind so much after a first offense of something (with the exception of big things like murder, rape, extortion, treason, etc.) Not that drugs or drunk driving should be taken lightly, it has many times ended in tragedy... but I don't consider those offenses on the same level as the previously listed. Everyone with the lesser charges, in my mind, needs help... but deserves a second chance. This goes for ANYONE; poor, rich, or in between. But after your second time, on top of disobeying the first court sentence.... you deserve the full force of the law. I'm not saying the justice system is perfect though, I know many times the wrong people are those that face charges they don't deserve. LL should not have been given a reduced sentence AFTER the judge had already made the choice. That's what annoys me! If the judge had said "You must spend 13 days in jail." I would say, OKAY, knowing it was probably not a very good punishment, but nonetheless the ruling of the court. But to say 90 days! and then afterwards (probably some sort of deal made) to be like, OH NEVER MIND, 13 DAYS!..... I have one word for that... BULL. I believe in redemption, I truly do.... but you can't change your ways if everyone fixes things for you (your parents/lawyers) or people cut you some slack for whatever reason (judges/courts/uhh... American Justice System?) In this case, that reasons was she's famous and she's rich.... I'd like to see that happen the same way for Joe Smith from South Philly.... not gonna happen.

There's more to complain about today though... I'm going to talk about music here that will lead into movies for me.

MUSE. I love this band.... love, love, LOVE this band. Everything they have written in my mind is perfection. I have all their albums, and will continue to buy them... assuming they come back from their "break". They claim they will be back together in 2011... but if they don't then I suppose there's not much I can do. But for once in my life, my faith in them as been shaken. But because of the break they are planning to take after their tour.... but because they sold out to make a little bit of extra money... money which they don't NEED, because they are freaking MUSE, they're pretty big. Yet here we are... at a cross roads if you will in my MUSE fanhood... they have decided to allow their music used for a saga of films known as TWILIGHT. I little shiver at the thought of it. Why would they do this? I would really like an answer from the band.... I mean, I'm not gonna be one to mope about this for years to come... I just don't understand why they would lower themselves to that?? I just needed to get that off my chest.

Which brings me to the worst part of my annoyances... today's choice of movies, or more importantly Hollywood's choices of movies to make! It's very rare that a good movie comes out these days, at least one with a good story and artistic structure to it. I'll be the first one to admit that I see a lot of today's movies for pure entertainment value (mainly action and comedy) but even the comedy's are starting to waver in their originality.... same premises, same type of characters, same basic settings and stories.... enough is enough.

But let's talk about the worst part of it all... even though Hollywood Executives taking any script they pull out of the toilet after their morning rituals and turning it into a film is pretty bad... the worst of it all is when Hollywood strikes gold and then let's the REAL success of the film (Real meaning good press, people love the film, winning awards, etc... not financial success, though important, not always what movies are about.) They let this success go to their heads and try to recreate it anyway they can... which 99% percent of the time results in a sequel.. or even worse... prequel.

(Rant for a second: Now... sequels are more understandable because they follow the characters into a new story/new adventure that allows us to be with them again from the first film we loved. PREQUELS though... takes us back before the original film we watched. My problem with this you ask? THIS IS WHY: The original film you watched was written so that ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED PREVIOUSLY TO THE STORY AT HAND DOESN'T MATTER! How do I know this you ask? I'll respond to that with a question of my own... Did you feel lost or confused by the characters or story of the film you just watched? No, you say? That's probably because THAT'S WHAT A SCRIPT DOES! It takes an idea and makes it into story with a beginning/middle/end... where throughout that whole time we learn about the characters, we are explained about the story... and all is done. So Prequels are probably the worst idea ever. They scam you into thinking you NEED to see it in order to better understand the story you originally saw... which usually ends with me crying that I wasted my money on the ticket to see it. Stories are meant to stand on their own two feet... the only exception to this rule is if the movie is based off a series of books... and the writer had already have books that came before the one being turned into a movie.)

I'm sorry, where did I leave off.... oh yeah. So suddenly you have filmmakers taking good ideas and ruining them. Here is a list of examples... argue what you will, but I have an explanation as to why each of these should've completely destroyed themselves if it weren't for their first film.

Matrix

Indiana Jones

Pirates of the Caribbean

Dumb & Dumber (but this was a Prequel.. but it still counts because it really upsets me)

Star Wars (Prequel again)

X-men

Grease

The GodFather (only Part III)

Jaws

There are many more.... and don't even get me started on remakes. I'm sure I'll write about that someday soon.

I'm just tired of films doing this to themselves... there are enough independent films that are good that Hollywood needs to get their heads from out of the clouds and start making good movies again.

Just saying.

Dexter!!!!!

It's about time for Dexter to begin again! I know it's still like 2 months away, but the trailer shown for the 5th season at the San Diego Comic Con looks amazing.

Right off the bat, if you haven't watched this show... stop reading this now and go indulge your senses in the splendor that is Dexter. SPOILERS for season 1-4.

I'm so excited to write about this right now that I don't even know where to begin! The last 4 seasons were such a roller coaster for me, and not in the a bad way... the low moments of the show were so exciting and scary, while the high moments were so intense and well constructed.

I will admit, I was one that got into this show after it had been on the air for a couple of seasons... as I tend to do with most shows (anytime I ever spend the time to watch a show when it first airs on television it usually sucks or gets canceled after 1 season. The ones that suck and aren't canceled suck my soul out of me, because I've invested my time in watching it and even though I don't like it I will continue to watch it because I feel I need to see it through to the end to see what happens! Granted some these shows, i.e.: Flash Forward, Mercy, Trauma, V, Heroes, Spartacus, have amazing episodes at times that get me hooked again... but over all they all suck) So since this usually happens, I am very skeptical about almost any show until it's been around long enough to catch someone's eye and they tell me about it. My roommate at college told me about LOST... my classmate at college convinced me to watch Breaking Bad (probably the best show ever by the way). I've even gotten into Friday Night Lights... which is a good show, but it's starting to lose my interest (I got into this one on my own... after reading enough about the recognition it is getting, plus Kyle Chandler is pretty kick ass.)

Sorry for the side rant, but it's all back story for how I got into Dexter! My best friend that I've known literally since I could walk in Diapers once told me about it when it first started, but I made the mistake of thinking it was another Grey's Anatomy, E.R., or Nip/Tuck. This was because the way Dexter was explained to me wasn't a proper portrayal of what the show is actually about... for those of you that don't know... I'll tell you.

Dexter Morgan (played by Michael C. Hall) is a Blood Splatter Analyst for the Miami Police... but his dark secret is that he is a serial killer. He doesn't kill just anyone though, he has a very strict "code" he lives by, that his father taught him when he learned of Dexter's darkness inside him. His father, a police officer for the same city, helped him train to kill those deserving of death and dispose of them without ever getting caught. Dexter uses his job to hunt down killers and bring them to his own personal justice... getting done what the Miami justice system usually fails to do, give this killers what they deserve. As my good friend from school, Harley Wilson (a film and sound editor from Pittsburgh), said "He's a modern day super hero." which in short... is true. He doesn't randomly kill, he hunts down his prey and learns about them to make sure they meet his check list of reasons to be murdered.

As the show progresses we learn so much about him... his relationship with the amazing and beautiful Julie Benz, who plays Dexter's girlfriend Rita Bennett. His family life with his short tempered, but good hearted sister Debra Morgan, played by Jennifer Carpenter. (Whom Michael C. Hall is actually married to in real life. Weird... but I'm also jealous.) And even getting a look into his childhood as he was raised and trained by his police officer daddy Harry Morgan, played by James Remar.

That's the back story... I'm going to talk to the Dexter fans now for the rest of this... so there will be SPOILERS from here to the end. You have been warned;

I'm not going to dive too much into the first three seasons, because since I'm going to be talking about my hopes, fears, and thoughts on the coming season I'm going to mostly talk about season 4... since 5 appears that it will pick up from where season 4 ended exactly.

Here's where I was confused... when did Trinity have a chance to sneak away and kill Rita?! I was so upset about this... I know that some people were saying she was starting to get annoying and her character became too strong, whereas when we first met her back in season 1 she was a complete mess and very unstable... like Dexter.

But that's exactly why I liked her character!! She matured and grew out of her faults and became the complete opposite (yet still very compatible) person that Dexter is. She was his biggest obstacle, next to Debra. He's doing his best to make sure neither of them find out about him... although Debra came so very close once or twice last season, literally to the point where I thought he was going to tell her, and she was going to take her father's role of protecting him (which still may happen very soon.)

The biggest question is what will Debra do when she learns about him? (notice I did not say IF, because she will learn soon.) Will she rise up and protect him, knowing his intentions, though twisted and morbid, are good and in their own way right and just.

I'd say what would Rita say... but we all know she'd leave him, and since she was so close to finding out as well, they killed her off... because that storyline would become too complicated. So now, and this is my guess, they will bring Rita back as a ghost in Dexter's mind, much like his Father. In fact Rita may take over his father's role in his life now... so the question is what will Ghost Rita do with Dexter? Will his mind turn her into a person that accepts him and helps him continue to do his evil justice... or will she be his white angel on his shoulder and help him stop killing and be a good person for their children? It could go either way... I think it would be cool if she was the angel and Harry was the devil that continued to full his killings... as he has for the last 4 seasons. This would start a new and interesting level to the conflict Dexter continually faces.

From what it looks like in the new season (watch the trailer if you haven't) is that Quinn is going to start becoming the new Doakes. Quinn becomes suspicious of Dexter after arriving on scene for Rita's murder. The first moment that appears to be when this dawns on Quinn is when Debra asks Dexter, "What happened?" and he blankly replies, "It was me." This sets Quinn off on the manhunt that led to the explosive exit of Doakes... haha, get it? explosive....

Anyway... the season seems to be a time when Dexter really starts to slip and lose his grip. His wife murdered by a man he didn't kill in time (although he had a chance or two to kill him early on), a child that was just born again in blood (much like himself) so his baby now as the darkness in him he thinks, two step children that now hate him for not saving their mother, and Quinn on his case and Debra worried about him. Plus his already struggling with his killings and he has begun going to rehab for drugs (which he didn't take) but they are making him feel emotion, something that he has never felt before.

All of this is now happening at once... and as I said, Debra is close to figuring it out, and I predict Quinn is going to be a much more menacing foe for Dexter than Doakes... and here's why:

1. Quinn is younger and doesn't have a history that reflects poorly on him such as Doakes did, so the department won't be on as tight of lock down with Quinn.

2. Quinn is also a little be overly ambitious it seems, and unlike Doakes who at the end was able to attempt to plea with Dexter for his release and offer help... Quinn will not, he wants justice and recognition. Doakes just wanted to make things right... in his own short tempered way.

3. By Quinn starting to ask questions about Dexter to the department, Debra, and his Lieutenant, Maria Laguerta... he's going to start bringing up the same questions and concerns and suspicions that Doakes voiced to everyone. So now people may start to look at this again and maybe ask themselves "why would two detectives be asking the same things?" So now Dexter will have the department watching him more and more.

Those are the biggest things... I hope that when Debra learns the truth, she finds a way to accept it and protect Dexter from Quinn. Which leads me now to my predictions for the series of Dexter....

Debra will have to confront Quinn at some point and protect her brother, whom she knows as saved her multiple times doing his "super hero serial killer" thing. Which will ultimately lead to her having to kill Quinn, hence joining her brother in his murders... but just being the silent protector for Dexter. She will be to Dexter what Alfred is to Bruce Wayne.

IF Rita becomes Dexter's angel, she will help him learn to stop killing and live a normal life, forever banishing Harry from Dexter's mind in the sense of urging him kill.

And though it may not be this season, it will come eventually (hopefully not too much longer, though, I don't want the show to go longer than it needs to, such as shows like LOST... should've ended about a season earlier.) but the end of the show will probably have Dexter finally free of his darkness, only to discover his baby does have the darkness... and Dexter will have to start training his own child, much like Harry did to him. Basically, starting the cycle over. Which would be a fitting end in my mind... I don't think this will be the last season, maybe 1 more? Depends on how this season progresses..... I haven't heard anything yet at least.

There it is... my Dexter posting... again just thoughts and opinions... I'd love to hear feedback though.

And let's all take a moment to be happy that Michael C. Hall is doing ok with his recovery from cancer. When I learned of this, I was initially told that season 5 may be delayed for a long time because of his treatments... so I'm glad he's doing well and I hope to see him in many more movies and shows in the future! Amazing actor, funny guy, and he seems to be a good person.

That's all for now.... check out the trailer here, plus a tv spot: http://www.comingsoon.net/news/tvnews.php?id=68227

Inception

Very fitting name for this post because this will be my first blog here and it'll also be about the new Christopher Nolan masterpiece, Inception.

I've noticed that in my spare time when I sit around bored and without entertainment I tend to find myself mindlessly browsing the inter-webs of the world. Even more so, I end up stumbling across some very interesting things in my findings and usually end up sitting in bed at night pondering my new valueless treasures of knowledge and know how. Thus I have decided to begin unloading my suitcase of opinions, thoughts, knowledge, and criticism for all to see.

You may not find it interesting, you may find it a complete waste of your time to read my posts... but I find it a relatively fun use of my down moments.

I will not be posting every day, or I may be posting multiple times a day.... whatever my heart fancies. Some may be short, others long.... only time will tell how much I take use of expressing myself to my digital audience. Of which I probably only have 1 (Thanks Sarah!).... maybe 2 (Thanks to you too Mom.)

With that said... let's begin, shall we?

Inception = Awesome.

I saw this movie opening weekend and thus far my only regret is that I did not see it in IMAX.

This movie was so perfectly crafted to resemble what one could perceive as the subconscious of one's mind. Granted, a dream would probably not be so smooth in it's progression of time and space, but I am willing to grant it that one flaw. I thought for a moment in a scene when Leonardo's character Cobb was explaining to Ellen's character Ariadne the inner workings of the dream world that they would make great use of hard cuts and jump cuts to show the chaotic nature of a dream... but it was one cut and they never really came back to the style, oh well.

The story itself though was so rich with environment and concept for the story. They seemed to have an explanation for almost everything that went on, which most movies never will do because it can become very complicated. But Nolan has a good eye for making that sort of story work.... look at his past movies, there's the big ones the whole world knows so well such as Batman Begins and The Dark Knight these are rich in a different way, because they have to reach both the Batman fan boys (and girls) and the new audience that may be lacking in their DC Comic knowledge.

Plus The Dark Knight had such a vast scope of things going on in it, that let's face it, no one else could have successfully done it without there being a huge cliff hanger ending. There was a bit of a hanger at the end... but not big enough that there NEEDS to be another film... the way the comic books tell the story works just fine with how TDK ended. I don't wish this though, because I am looking forward to another Nolan Batman film.

But he's got other great films like The Prestige and Memento both of these films complex in different way... The Prestige followed two story lines about competing magicians, while Memento told an entire story from the end to beginning while following a character's point of view who's short term memory is nonexistent, so he doesn't remember anything for almost the whole movie!

These are just a few of the reasons I love Christopher Nolan. But even more so, just look at the story of Inception. Thieves that steal thoughts from successful people by invading their dreams and digging through their subconscious to find these secrets to wealth and power. Then they are hired to put a thought into someone's mind to make them believe it's their own thought when they awake from their sleep... a concept that the world of the film believes to be impossible.

Plus on top of the mind bending story... there's some mind blowing action! What more could anyone ask for... a solid good story with some sweet kick-ass action.

If you haven't seen this movie yet, see it. You won't regret it... for such a complex story, it's not difficult to follow AS LONG AS YOU PAY ATTENTION.

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/inception/