Posts Tagged ‘black

12
Apr
22

Why Do White Runners Even Try (to Enter the Olympics)?

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Why do white (Caucasian) runners even try to enter the Summer Olympics?

They have no chance to beat the ethnic powerhouses that pound around those tracks, often making it look effortless in the end, better than champion racehorses. Every year, you see the pale runners drifting further and further behind their darker-skinned competition. The former look like white wallpaper in the background. They are lines on the track being trampled by the dark horses who might as well be kicking up dust as they speed to victory. You could say the competition is dark; or it’s a dark horse’s race to win.

So, why do white runners bother to try?

I’m inclined to say it’s purely for the freedom to say, “I was there when ___ won.” They simply want to get the exercise and the chance to run along…er…behind some star runner. Imagine you had the chance to be with your favorite athlete as they excelled at their sport, not in the stands, the bleachers, the ring-side seats; but right behind them in the center of the action. That would be the only logical reason to try (and know you have no chance to win).

What do you readers say about this?

28
Mar
22

Bitter Curtains; the Oscars 2022

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If I could sum up this year’s Oscars in two words, I’d call them

BITTER CURTAINS

There was a nagging unpleasant taste lingering throughout the…er…festivities. And, plenty of women were wearing heaps of fabric like walking CURTAINS. Black was a dominant color, but so was a bright, off-putting yellow. There was exactly one witty comment about the multitude of large dresses, and I cannot remember who said it. But, one young woman “on the red carpet” said the broad dresses were a form of social distancing, keeping others that specified number of feet away from those wearing the dresses. It was a Covid-19-crisis joke, and it was tasteful; amazing.

Beyonce opened the show with a blinding mob in that bright almost citrine yellow; and while she was clearly making a statement about black presence (at the awards), there were plenty of “white” people in her ensemble, including herself if I may be so frank. She has become so blonde and so pale over the years; and, in that piece, she looked like a white Barbie doll. The best part of the whole presentation was her Barbie earrings. The rest I question (including the exposed leg and glittering garter). Was the concept blacks and whites united (and look at my diamond marriage symbols; someone put a ring on it…er, me)? Or, was everyone in that performance supposed to be someone “of color?”

I tend to say trouble comes in/with threes. And, there were 3 female hosts. I expected something to go awry…and it did. But, while much of media focus is on Will and Jada Smith and Chris Rock, it seems no one is even remotely bothered by Regina Hall’s comment about Tammy Fay Baker. And, that bothers ME.

In case it slipped your filtered ears, Regina Hall, who I adore immensely and thought looked more classy than most women at the showing (eh-heh), came out dressed as Tammy Faye Bakker and said she always wanted to play “a crazy white woman.” And, a portion of the audience laughed. Now…with all the talk about so many “bio-pics” being considered for awards and other discussions, why would such a statement be acceptable? With all of the drive to celebrate diversity/inclusion and dismiss conflict, why would a somewhat harsh jab at a Caucasian woman be okay? Will Smith’s enduring wife gets a casual, minor poke at her shaved head, and that’s enough to create the focal point of the awards show. But, one of the female hosts makes a crack about a woman who was the subject matter of a heralded film, and no one does anything? No boos like Will received? Imagine if someone had made a joke about Ray Charles after the movie Ray took home an award or two. Imagine someone putting on big sunglasses and pretending to be blind. How would that fly? Not well, I’d think. I would definitely wince and have a bad taste in my mouth. Which is why I describe this episode in the ongoing series of excessive award presentations as BITTER.

Again, Regina, I adorrrre you. B-But…you also did that Covid-testing/single status bit that was in poor taste, as well! I know plenty are debating what’s safe to joke about…well, what’s not certain or safe. And, you took a chance. But, it wasn’t funny enough to be worthwhile. Bringing all of the feature male stars of current film buzz on stage as dating options while continuing to make filtering comments? Considering the lack of safety precautions at the ceremony, it was risky at best…at best it was risky. [My heart aches…for you.]

Amy Schumer? What a loveable marshmallow. That’s all I can say about her. While she’s been known to say some shocking things (including that bit about Jennifer Lawrence which might have been taken the wrong way if you didn’t know it was a pregnancy joke), she was restrained and extra cute this time. And, I loved it. It’s unfortunate she was the third wheel at a racially-charged spectacle. But, I moderately respect what she did.

It didn’t help seeing Chris Rock…at all. His first line about no one wearing masks…Seth Rogen already used that one at another award show. His whole bit was a pointless injection of black male humor to complement the black female hosts, a desperate hope of perking up the room…and it bombed. [Chris? I know that’s typical you. But, you should have seen this coming. Everyone should have and given you something else to do.]

What was up with the envelopes? At least half of the envelopes seemed to go unseen; there were odd, hasty cuts from nominee lists to the winners coming on stage. Yet, when I thought they were cutting out envelopes for time and/or less mingling of hands and germ concerns, there were envelopes! So, what was going?

There was that “big number” with the cast of Encanto, which cleverly transitioned from not talking about Bruno to celebrating Oscar and the inspiration for the statue. [And, I’d swear a very similar performance appeared in a previous award show. Am I wrong? Is this just deja vu?] But, I think I’ve heard enough about families having to replay kid-friendly movies and their songs over and over and over. It doesn’t help to reference it, one more time, and then indulge the groans with another replay.

The latest James-Bond song? Meh. Of course, it takes the award, and the brother-and-sister artists continue to get pushed up the pedestal of fame for whatever reason. [Remember what little eerie comment Will Smith said during his tearful speech.] I wasn’t impressed. In fact, when Billie said she and her brother had to write the song in the basement of their tour bus?…a tour bus has a basement?…I said, “Yep. And, it shows.” The song sounded like something you’d write in five minutes just to satisfy a commercial. It had a moody beat, trying to match up with Adele’s Skyfall. It had the title in the lyrics. I guess that’s enough. No further creative effort required. [Pathetic.]

Anything else that can be said about the latest award show has already been said.

How many times must we talk about the questionable, professionally made dresses worth more money than they can boast appeal? Of all the women I saw this round, that Ariana DeBose from the remake of West Side Story, with her vibrant red dress and sharp hair style, looked the best…except for the bra section. The bra section of her dress looked like the most minimal nipple caps one could find to cover a nude photo. It was tacky (as were the bra sections of most dresses seen, which isn’t anything new). But, 95 percent of her look…beyond fabulous; she was a fiery goddess. And, while there are those that dress up (Reba M. looking classy and full of fire), there are also the groan-worthy few who dress in some questionable way that gets polite media praise from some while I hold back the vomit. [Ehem. Kristen Stewart. I mean…not like I care or anything…dazed-eyes look away as fingers rake through my hair.]

So, how do we wrap this piece up? Awh. Who cares. By the next awards show, all of this will be a pointless blur. Let’s just evacuate the building, get to some noisy party and drink until we puke and forget why we dressed up for one more round of this superficial, secretly financial crap.

I was looking forward to skipping the whole spectacle, but NASCAR racing was delaying the cartoons I had hoped to watch. So, rather than watch reruns elsewhere, I endured this hot mess.

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14
Feb
22

Staging Super Bowl LVI in the Black

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I tell you this with nearly 100% certainty; Super Bowl LVI (56) was staged. Staged how you say? No, I am not referring to stages like the ones topped by those hip-hop “legends.” I mean staged as in the whole thing was a promotion and campaign for “Black Lives Matter” and the L.A. Rams. The Bengals were just guests in the arena, or, maybe, the lions in a three-ring circus. And, yet, this isn’t new. I think most of these big games are, somehow, staged and set in some team’s favor.

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By the way, the stages were cooler than the performances, in my opinion. The strongest component of the sampler, sadly, was Eminem, the only “white” guy in the group. His performance of that infamous song from his movie, 8 Mile, which I thought he had once said was part of an identity he was leaving behind, was perfectly paired with a rare opportunity for two football teams. In fact, that song might as well be a Super Bowl theme. But, I don’t think the parts about parenting and financial struggles are all that appropriate.

Not including Mary J. B., the other “talents” seemed ignorant and careless at a time when the world is being force-fed constant concern over a deadly virus. A club crowded with flaunting “hoes” and cloned men boxed together so tightly in an attempt to make a cool formation; not smart, right now. The desperation of wealthy extroverts is apparent…and apparently putting everyone at risk, making all those Jurassic Park and zombie apocalypse movies more of a reality; ‘spare no expense.

The lack of caution carried over into every interview before, during and after the game. Reporters standing very close to the players, staff, owners, whoever; it didn’t matter. No one cared; you’d think it was 1992 instead of 2022. The whole scene reminded me of the Heston classic, The Ten Commandments, when the naughty people partied and abused the most beautiful woman on holy ground. SOME people had masks but carried them on their chins; fewer folks actually had masks over their faces. If no one is reported sick in the following weeks, either a vaccine mandate worked (and everyone at the game got a temporary dose at just the right time, which seems miraculous and unlikely) or our fears are truly inflated and enflamed by television.

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When the Milwaukee Bucks won their recent basketball championship, they had an expensive “pad” already built at home, waiting to be put to good use. Had they lost the tournament, what would have happened to the posh estate? Oh, let’s not even dwell on the grim possibilities for the city…because they won! Right? It was in the bag! No. I think it was very secretly arranged…and staged. Oh, the wonders that mighty dollar can achieve…for a team that gave up its purple to look more green.

Now, the L.A. Rams host a Super Bowl in a newly furnished stadium, costing over five billion dollars…with the “man of the year,” Mr. Charity, on their team, given a spotlight…along with a few Hall-of-Fame legends who were the first black men to play football, also given a spotlight…and the families of those who no longer are able to play the sport, also given a spotlight…and a star defender seeking a coveted prize, given a spotlight and place on the team logo whenever NBC goes to commercial, while the Bengals flash images of their lean, rookie, WHITE quarterback…and you just try to tell me it wasn’t all staged. How could the Rams possibly lose? [But, if you saw some of the camera shots the Rams’ head coach received, you’d think he was rather nervous about losing…until it was in the bag.] It’s almost like the talk about China covering its back in the Winter Olympics by featuring the very people some voice concerns about sparing from further harm. If you doubt the Rams’ right to winning, just look at all of the money and perks put on the table for the world to respect. Throw in a few sad, abused animals seeking your monthly donation of twenty bucks, and the package would have been complete.

[Sadly, the team with the largest number of “black” players, during Black History Month, the Bengals, did not win…even after one dirty play that should have received a penalty. Well, I guess losing the game is a penalty. And, why is it every big game has to have that one dirty play that could spoil the whole victory? But, in this case, it didn’t spoil victory…for the team in the favored, heavily sponsored and recently furnished seat. Had the Bengals not made that foul play, could they have won? We’ll never know.]

Topping it all off, you get “the Rock,” Dwayne Johnson, to introduce the teams, wearing a shade of purple which looks closer to the Rams’ blue than the Bengals’ orange and giving greater emphasis in his voice when speaking of the former. [I detected the difference.] And, during the rather weak game which might as well have been played in a snowstorm (for the lack of points put on the board and the number of mishaps that occurred), we see both star quarterbacks fall to the ground, grabbing their “wounded” legs, making very painful faces…only to get back on their feet and play like pros a few minutes later. Hmm. What does that remind me of…oh…I know…WWE wrestling. Someone might as well have hit the quarterbacks with a “steel” chair. Puh-lease! Injured my foot. The only injured person was Odell B., Jr., who looked like he had been stripped of the right to play and his pride in favor of letting Kupp take all the glory…because…let’s be honest…the shaggy white guy got the job done in the end. Isn’t that just like Tom Brady and his pal “Gronk?” Oh, no, wait. It’s not; the Rams have Reggie White…I mean…Aaron Donald to praise, as well. Thank goodness it wasn’t just two white guys getting all of the credit…in a staged championship…where plenty of wealthy faces can be seen and share in the excess. No one can say an Aaron or a Donald failed to get the job done. [Is that going to rally Trump supporters?]

The best commercial–for Salesforce–was being aired days if not weeks before the Super Bowl; so I can’t include it in the lot of possible “hits” but give it credit…though I know nothing about Salesforce. And, the ad, as poetic as it is, doesn’t define the company, similar to most insurance commercials, in which we get an amusing scene but little to no content to justify an interest in investing in the companies. Plenty of good intentions but no clarity regarding how the company assures/provides them; I could just as easily say I am pro- every noble cause on the planet and then commit some scandalous crime with your financial contributions and labor, unseen, simply because I pleased you with my good intentions. Amusement does not equate personal security/safety.]

The Uber Don’t Eats ads made one thing rather clear. The company you trust to deliver good food today could easily send you something not good to eat tomorrow when they buy out some other company or dip their toes into other non-related businesses to boost profits (greed spawned from fading leadership/responsibility leaking opportunities to ambitious fiends). We need to be mindful of companies like Uber Eats and not just turn mild amusement into blind compliance and financial support. If we just laugh and use those “services,” we contribute to the next big monopoly to send people into space in rockets shaped like male genitals and replace human workers with robots until only a select few actually have the financial resources to enjoy life on this planet, while the rest crumble under the illusions of televised advertising and “fast” convenience.

I was surprised the Bengals even made it to the Super Bowl. How did that happen? Was that…arranged, too? Considering they were there in the year of the (Water) Tiger, in terms of Chinese astrology, how perfect would it have been for them to win the thing? But, as I’ve read about tiger years, you have to expect some shocking disappointments. And, this Super Bowl was one.

[And, the Bengals’ head coach? Don’t ever wear that black cap, again. That looked stupid. You could barely see the “B” because the whole thing was black! That’s not your team logo.]

Commentators; I’ll say it again; they suck. They predicted big things for the last game between the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers. But, they didn’t have a clue about snowy weather in the Midwest. Point predictions were WAY off. Now, being closer to their own homes, they simply predicted the Rams as the winners, no point spreads given (unless you count that confusing talk about betting pools and who got what square). Well, one chose to back the Bengals, but he looked like the sad, odd white loser in the group, anyway.

And, who needs someone pointing out statistics like the odds of winning a coin toss and losing the big game. Why do we bother watching if we predict the winner from the coin toss?! Who won the toss? Oh. Okay. Game over. Pay up. We don’t need to sit through all of this. Let’s go hit the club and spread germs, instead. I’d rather party with Charlize Theron and Jennifer Lopez.

I chose to back the Bengals for a number of reasons, one being I like tigers and thought it was cool how the quarterback came from a town called Athens (being I’m a fan of Greek mythology and, particularly, the goddess Athena who won a contest to claim rights to Athens, Greece). But, I guess, none of that matters in a contest of riches and racial exhibition. You’ll never see me sport a set of Rams horns (at least, not yellow and blue). You’ll beat them, next time, Bengals. Just don’t spoil my support.

10
Sep
21

Isn’t Applauding Ethnicity (Alone) Still Racism?

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I keep hearing and seeing these “historical moments” in which people of any ethnicity other than “Caucasian” get a standing ovation for being featured in something other than an “extra” role in film and television. [Books will come later. Though, there have been authors of various ethnicities for a long time; no one seems to care about this point.] Most recently, Asian film leads are getting plenty of buzz. And, before that revolution, coincidentally after recent history with violence against Asian folks, there was a strong “black” movement in film/television. If you see enough commercials, you see plenty more African-American folks and fewer Caucasian folks.

Cultural diversity is just fine. I get it. Caucasians have been dominant in America for so long, regardless if that dominance includes Caucasians of various nationalities. [No one’s making a fuss about Germans or Irish folks getting more exposure and fame than Polish or Italian folks; are they?] It’s about time someone from a different culture, an immigrant (other than all the other immigrants that have come and gone), achieved some status in the USA, restoring some luster to that old chestnut, the “American dream.” It’s time we discarded the stereotypes of the 1960s and 70s, in which many “black” and Asian folks are in servant roles.

But…ain’t that America?

I mean…if we drop in on China or Japan, you’re not going to see many–if any–Caucasian storytellers or leads in movies. You’re going to see Chinese and Japanese folks. That’s their people. [Of course, you probably won’t see “white” or “black” folks in servant roles, either. Maybe you’ll see some “white” folks looking/acting stupid…but that’s about it. Just sample some Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee films.]

[And, on that note, Jackie Chan has been leading in his films for a long time. And, that’s not just as special or worth applauding? He’s become a star in places other than his own native land without much focus on his ethnicity. What’s special about any other Asian person being a lead actor when you consider someone like him, the somewhat charming stuntman-star? Now…let’s not all go out and do our own stunts; okay? It’s not worth the punishment to the body.]

Is anyone not native to China or Japan going there and making a big, public fuss about being slighted? I probably would fuss if I felt that pressure and scrutiny. I have yet to get there; you tell me.

If a “white” man heads a business or is the most famous actor in some Asian country, that’s news to me. He probably came with a ton of money and investors and bought up the place. Google wasn’t started by a “black” or Asian guy; neither was Amazon.

I am almost certain that MAKING a non-Caucasian person the head of some prominent company in the USA is not going to overturn or end racism. If that individual doesn’t rightfully earn the position, it’s fabricated status. It’s like getting a “participation trophy” or tournament title someone on your team earned for you (because, truthfully, you did nothing). If you apply gold paint to an incompetent laborer, they’re still going to be an incompetent laborer.

[HOWEVER, if you are of a non-Caucasian culture and are DENIED status (or a high-paid position of status) with even the slightest reason being…you’re not “white”…THEN we have a problem that needs to be addressed. And, giving a few “participation” trophies to non-white individuals or rewriting stories about “white” characters isn’t going to solve it.]

I’d like that same concern and respect applied to all nations. But, let’s be honest, again; what are the odds of a “white” man (or woman) easing into some place like Iraq or South Korea and becoming the next big corporate head?…or even the most favored actor (or actress) of that nation? Wouldn’t the “majority” culture of that nation want to represent itself?

Crucial question break. What makes a nation a nation other than it’s native population? [Of course, in the case of “America,” the native population is more like a skid mark left on the roads than a prominent representation of the people. But, that’s an argument for another day. Enjoy your turkeys stuffed with lies.]

If you take away the native population, the founding population, and replace it with a rainbow of cultures, what defines the boundaries or makeup of that nation? If every nation looks like the USA, with every culture on display, what separates that OTHER nation from the USA, good and bad? Wouldn’t all nations lose their importance if we took away cultural significance, cultural distinction? [And, I leave it to you, readers, to figure out if that’s a good or bad thing. Maybe, when we finally get rid of national borders, we might all share ALL of the land, equally? What a crazy, daring notion. It boggles the mind.]

Just…IMAGINE…the recent Tokyo Olympics with all “white” or “black” people running the show. If there had been no natives in kimonos, no kabuki actors or shockingly big and beautiful drums on display, would you even know it was Japan hosting? How can you represent a culture and its history by featuring those who are not of that culture and history?

The Magnificent Seven was originally a story about seven samurai. It was re-written to be a Western, starring Yul Brenner (of all people to play a cowboy). It’s been re-re-written as a Western not that long ago. [Because, in the USA, there’s nothing better than a remake of a remake…… Spoiler alert. Sarcasm!]

While I applaud writers for being creative and turning a samurai story into a Western, I could complain about twisting what was already a good cultural story. But, I’m pretty sure other cultures have turned stories written by non-native people into stories featuring their own ethnicity. I know, for a fact, there’s a Japanese Alice in Wonderland out there (but the protagonist isn’t trying to be THE Alice). At least, the filmmakers of The Magnificent Seven didn’t cast “white” guys to play seven samurai.

The USA just happens to have a Caucasian majority and has brought in people of other nations/cultures. And, that causes no concern…until someone decides to feel slighted or say, “Hey! What about those people? Don’t they deserve something? Where’s their fair share?”

What’s so special about being any ethnicity other than “white” if that’s all there is to the story? And, why not acknowledge what makes the individual special–not including their nationality–if we hope to conquer racism? Isn’t that the goal of ending racism?…recognizing the value of each and every person, regardless of ethnicity? If we spotlight someone for being Asian or “black,” aren’t we contributing to the problem?

Help me define this. Is racism the mistreatment of people sparked by an irrational resentment toward that people (typically a biproduct of simply fearing the unknown, someone or something we have yet to experience and/or understand) or simply the angry rant of someone from a particular ethnicity for being slighted?

Disney didn’t have a bunch of pasty “white” princesses because of some Nazi agenda. And, you can’t tell a story about a poor German girl if she’s not a poor German girl. Sorry if Snow White being a very pale Caucasian woman bothers you; I’d rather not bleach someone to look that white. [I dare anyone to rewrite THAT story with an African-American lead. That’s just ridiculous.]

It becomes a different story when you change the character. Sure, the events might be similar (or even seemingly identical)…regardless if that’s realistic. I get the feeling authors and movie makers are still more concerned about including a cultural face than accurately representing a culture. And, when they are not, the effort to represent a culture washes away the story; we become focused on “this is what it’s like to be a person of the ___ culture” instead of “this is a story about a person named ___.”

[I’ve ranted about this, before. Instead of re-writing previous stories and making a dozen remakes just to satisfy a few people of other cultures who wish to be part of that story, can’t we encourage more creativity and write just as good or better stories that are more original? Can’t we herald someone for that instead of just spending a fortune on repainting something that’s already been done? If not, how long before we don’t even bother reading or watching movies because the stories are all the same, just with different faces?]

When trying to become a famous author, you might hear people say, “Write what you know.” Stan Lee, at Timely/Marvel Comics, helped create a number of Caucasian heroes and heroines before he ever dared to try an African American or Asian one. He also struggled with anything scientific…because he really didn’t know much about the matter! He wrote what he knew and then daringly tried to include other subjects. He could have been heckled and lost his job for trying to properly represent someone of another ethnicity. Surely, mobs could have assembled to complain about the lack of realistic portrayals and returned shredded comic books in crates of excelsior. [See what I did there?]

There are people “out there” who feel a need to give every culture the chance to be everything imaginable. And, that’s fine. But, can’t it be one’s imagination that gets them there? Isn’t imagination a key component to creativity? Aren’t some of the greatest heroes born out of deficiency, lacking something but rising from “nothing” to become great?

I know I don’t look like any of the characters I’ve come to admire, characters I’d dress up as for Halloween. It’s fairly humiliating to dress up as someone with plenty of muscle and a skimpy costume when you typically cover up your pasty, lanky body with loose clothing. It’s silly. But, it’s my imagination that lets me make and don that costume and feel some measure of amusement in it. I can pretend to be the character. I don’t have to be “black” to dress up as the Black Panther, from Marvel Comics, or from the Far East to pretend I have the skills of Bruce Lee. [Coincidentally, I did wear a black cat costume, once. And, now and then, I pretend to be a sort of Bruce Lee, usually making a fool of myself.]

Do I need someone to put MY face or physique on a TV or movie screen to feel accepted?…to feel special? I’m sure it would have an impact. But, I’d probably feel better if I could just interact with people without feeling inadequate or bullied. I don’t think a movie about a guy like me is going to change that. I don’t think starring in a movie is going to suddenly make anyone treat me better–other than the whole “celebrity factor”–or change how people treat guys like me, including me. Especially, under current conditions, with so many shaking their fingers at “the white man.” With such importance placed on hiring and representing people of other cultures, suddenly being the “white guy on the totem pole” is more challenging than ever. Is that ending racism? [Or, am I just the next victim?] Do we all have to become “famous” to find acceptance and be treated nicely?

If we herald someone just for being a different skin tone or gender choice, I think we do as much to cultivate racism as we do to counter it. Only when we acknowledge some value beyond the surface do we ignore and get past it. If we recognize people for their merits and wits, not their appearance, we let racism disappear. It’s easier to lose/forget something when you stop thinking about it, when it’s no longer in your face or discussed at your table.

20
Aug
21

Big Brother USA 2021; Current Outlook

*****

My “guilty pleasure” show is already in its semi-final stage, when the remaining players are ready to join “jury.”  I have missed a few episodes, but that’s…okay.  I will live without my (married) Julie Chen.  😛

Normally, around this time, I am disappointed because one of the people I root for has been eliminated.  That is not the case this year.  However, a few of the nicer people have been, WHITE folks (in a house clearly dominated by the “cookout” folks).  The final outcome seems obvious.  [An African American will win for the first time, after many years of being eliminated quickly in a house dominated by white folks from southern “confederate” states, many from California and/or Texas.  You do the math.]

My personal vote goes to the prettiest and most noble of the “cookout.”  That would be the lovely Azah.  Yesterday, she proved she had more honor than her teammates by voting in favor of the white mushroom, Britini, a rapping school teacher who made a bad deal with Kyland (cool name for a guy who cannot be trusted).  Azah gave the only vote against her teammate (and cried repeatedly about Britini and, probably, the harsh social situation she now inhabits).  [People keep telling themselves “it’s just a game” but keep crumbling when their humanity clashes with their injected desire for wealth.  It’s the Hunger Games without anyone dying.]

[If you are unfamiliar with the show/game, most of the time, if someone is targeted to be “evicted from the house,” the majority of “house guests” vote the same way to avoid earning a target on their back for going against the “head of house.”  It’s a cowardly move, but most comply and make the whole thing a bore.  Would you risk your chances of winning by being the only person to disagree with the majority?  It’s sad, either way, especially if you show any warmth to the person you “sadly” vote to evict, before or after the decision is announced.  How crappy is that to say you did everything you could to save someone and give them affection all the time you are outside the voting booth, where you fold and give into the enemy, anyway?]

Sadly, Azah appears to be the “pretty floater” of the group, the person who cannot win any competitions and is easily made emotional.  But, all weaknesses aside, she has the most integrity and has earned my support.  So, if there is any justice, she will have a darn good chance of winning this whole thing…but it’s not fair to those who CAN win competitions (if she wins the whole game).  If there was a separate prize for the most respectable competitor, she wins; hands down.  [And, I would easily pick her as a “ride or die” partner…even though I’d wish she could be a better competitor to help win a few things.]

Anyone else watching?  What are your thoughts on the game?

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24
Nov
16

The Future of Black Friday?

*****

Imagine if you will…

The future of Black Friday in a world of internet shopping…

Just wait. It could all turn around. But, instead of people fighting in the stores, they’ll fume and fight over internet/web site crashes. They’ll keep the foreign hotline operators busy with complaints about internet service. The operators will offer them fake sympathy and minor discounts to keep them plugged in yet mildly happier.

After all, do you think families will get any closer the more they push fast computerized everything from radio speakers to watches?

No.  This is like driving cattle.  Retail and outlet stores drove people for decades to chase their sales.  Now, as so many stores give up and move resources online, the stampede route shifts in a slightly different direction (until the next big movement in sales appears on the horizon…if there is a horizon left).

Maybe someday, all the lonely people of the world will surround themselves with AI families, their phone, clock, TV, etc. It will be like Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, except all the characters will be digitized voices and flashing lights.

Amazon.com is putting all of your shopping money into dominating Mars and consuming the global economy. But, go ahead and feed the beast, a beast not unlike Wal-Mart type stores trying to house everything and run all hours of the day. Soon, Wal-Mart will create its own extinction event, and online empires like Amazon will stand out like skyscrapers…skyscrapers no one will see because all they know are numbers, words, video clips and flashing icons on digital screens.  Unless people get wise to some kind of reading/writing and math Apps, I fear even being able to read a label or balance a bank account could become a challenge.

I think Black Friday can be a fun time for a small family/group if they keep a positive attitude and camp together. But, more often, bargain hunters turn around to make a profit off their “hot items” or get really cruel and competitive about the hunt as if their life will be empty without the sale item. If you’re not on your A game, you tend to feel like a squirrel in rush hour traffic. If you’re not with a happy group that doesn’t care if they get every sale item or any sale item and just enjoys shopping together…don’t go.

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[I was just inspired to write more about Black Friday, the USA way to spoil a family holiday with thoughts of bargain hunting amid mad crowds of careless people who will trample each other and suffer buyer’s remorse, later.  ‘Amazing what glancing over blog posts will do.]

 




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