Showing posts with label celebrities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label celebrities. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr.

I read an article in the New York Times today about Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., who has been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, the same illness that my father suffers from. Three things about mental illness I can tell you:
  1. People do not understand it and are afraid of it.

  2. Mental illness is subtle sometimes and can be treated. I would expect that many of J.J.'s peers suffer from similar disorders with varying severity.

  3. It is common to blame the sufferer, whereas with a physical ailment the cause, such as cancer, is blamed rather than the victim.
I remind myself to forgive my father, because he is crippled by manic-depression. An observer is tempted to forget the illness during his periods of lucidity. I am tempted to react to him in normal fashion as I have all my life, but now his illness has progressed until his mind is ruled by the illness, with little of his better, former self remaining.

Mental illness raises fascinating ethical questions. Perhaps one should forgive everybody, because all evil under the sun may be the result of mental illness, undiagnosed and untreated. Can free will exist in a mind impaired? Today we know only a few mental illnesses, but how many conditions exist without labels? Of course universal forgiveness was the position Jesus adopted. Perhaps we are too limited in both resources and wisdom to adopt this position on a societal scale or even an individual one.Post a Comment
by igor 04:20 4 replies by igor 09:32 0 comments

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Brave

I think the bravest guy on television has to be Jon Stewart. He's incredibly fearless. He's what I always wished the other guys in TV News would be like, except he's even better than anything I would have imagined. He communicates with humor in a way that really appeals to many people. He doesn't even have great material, but I just like watching him. I prefer watching a guy smiling and laughing, like Stewart, rather than getting uptight and upset like the guys on Fox News. They seem to have problems with anger management and are always making much ado about nothing. Fox panders to the middle-age rage that some guys experience. It's a biological thing, seems to me. If one just watches Fox all the time then I have to wonder about the judgment, whether such a person is gullible. I thought Glenn Beck was a bit abnormal. Jon Stewart essentially stopped Beck's career with a satire that hit home somewhere in Fox News Headquarters. I think the chief executives over there got a load of Stewart's satire and took a closer look at Beck and were taken aBeck.Post a Comment
by igor 04:20 4 replies by igor 09:32

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Goodbye, Gore Vidal

It is with sadness I mark the passing of Gore Vidal, one of my favorite writers. However, he had a long, prosperous and successful life, so one mustn't be too sad. I liked the quote from his partner, "Didn't it go by awfully fast?" I often feel that way too. Life does go by awfully fast.

Gore Vidal will live forever, or survive his death for a longer time than most, due to his voluminous writings, which many will still read far into the future when many other writers are long forgotten. Many of his works are insightful and prophetic. He knew things.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

The Cynicism of Gore Vidal

Anyone who scans the media without cynicism either isn't paying attention or isn't bright.

I think that Gore Vidal was spot on when he said that public opinion is molded by the few largely for the benefit of the few--those that already have their fortunes made for them. This was not unique, I think, only to the modern U.S., but is a global and eternal condition, as true a thousand years ago as today.

It is often that critics of Vidal misinterpret him through oversimplification of his message. My father wrote criticisms of Vidal throughout Vidal's book, "Virgin Islands." But I do not agree with his criticisms of the critic Vidal's criticisms. In many cases my father misinterpreted the meaning of individual words. For instance, to say that a man is unprincipled is not necessarily a bad thing. Principled men can be quite cruel and malicious. Being principled does not equate to being good or just. The word "unprincipled" figures in Vidal's criticism of both FDR and Clinton. My father, loyal to FDR, was unable to concede the smallest thing in his idol. Perhaps he would have conceded Clinton, however.

In reality, Gore Vidal was one of the most patriotic Americans that ever lived. He loved his country more than can be imagined. He was a man of ideas, interested in Right and Wrong, and desiring that Good prevail. I do not think Gore Vidal spared the smallest effort to apply his utmost powers of concentration, research and due diligence to the task of criticism, which is the art of distinguishing good from bad, or the better way from the worse.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Seinfeld Still the Best Comedy

All four of the regular characters in Seinfeld were brilliant. I'm particularly a fan of Michael Richards, who I think was exceptional. He was extremely well-suited to his role. I think that it is most unfortunate that he was not placed in a well-written movie or television show after the end of Seinfeld. However, nine seasons, with over twenty episodes per season, is quite a run. I don't think in the whole of television and movies there has ever been anything as funny as Seinfeld.


I regard the seasons two through seven of Seinfeld as the best. After season seven, the writing turned zany in the quest for more and bigger laughs. The actors morphed into inhuman monsters, which inspired the writers to sentence them to prison in the final episode.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Sympathy Misplaced, Perhaps

I can't help but feel sympathy for some of the big-shot, rich celebrities that get tangled up in some kind of scandal, legal dispute, or divorce proceeding due to their affair. Some of them are intelligent men, so the question arises, why do men stray? I suppose from the logical perspective, it would be best to remain 100% monogamous or (possibly better) asexual. Of course, humans are not entirely logical animals, and we are animals. I think in Humans 2.0, the next version of our species, when we roll it out of our laboratories, we will be more logical and consistent; some would say boring. But boring can be good. Boring becomes interesting as one's expectations adjust.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Yahoo CEO Lied About Tech Credentials

The CEO of Yahoo lied about having a bachelor's degree in computer science. That's not surprising, because it's tough to earn a bachelor's degree in computer science, and CEO's are as stupid as the day is long. The only reason they become CEO is because they are part of the good old boys club. I can't imagine any CEO actually sitting down and learning how things work. They pay other people to do all the thinking for them. The job of a CEO is simply to have lunch with other CEOs, schmooze, booze, and take all the credit for all the work done by the workers, prior to downsizing the workers and shipping the jobs off to China.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Marine Le Pen

The media keeps referring to Marine Le Pen as far-right, with little or no explanation, and that made me suspicious, so I looked her up on Wikipedia. Turns out that far-right in France has no relationship to the far-right in the U.S. She actually sounds pretty reasonable, at least on Wikipedia, and I could envision myself voting for her. The only thing I read that raised question marks was her opposition to euthanasia, but one never finds a politician that concurs with 100% of one's political and social views. The reason the media hates Le Pen is obvious. She's against free trade, and the rich boys make a whole lot of money manufacturing things via cheap labor overseas and selling it in the West, and they don't want anybody to mess with their cash cow. So every time that Le Pen is mentioned in print, she is condemned with the term "far-right" which evokes Nazis and fascists. She sounds to me like a moderate Democrat.

The media is controlled by those who steal money from the government and the people on a regular basis. To the media, "far right" can be translated as "a candidate opposed to stealing."

Media Darling, Steve Jobs

The media continues in its lionization of Steve Jobs, who betrayed the country of his birth by stealing jobs away from his fellow countrymen. In later years, he will be recognized, not for what the right-wing media is saying now about their little darling, but for what he really was, yet another amoral CEO who made a lot of money by firing American workers and sending those jobs overseas to take advantage of cheap labor. He enjoyed all the advantages of living in the U.S. and having his big fancy company protected by the U.S. government, but gave back nothing. Everytime I see an I-phone, I think about Americans with college degrees standing in line at the job fair looking for minimum wage jobs. There's really nothing more to be said about the ironically misnamed "Jobs," who should have been named "Traitor" instead.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Andy Rooney

My Dad liked "60 Minutes," and so I watched Andy Rooney on "60 Minutes" as a child and on into my teenage years, and I never once understood his appeal. All I remember about him was that he was humorless. Rooney made frequent gratuitous digs at minorities. He seemed like a college-educated Archie Bunker. He called himself a liberal and an atheist, but I never would have guessed either of those two things. I would have characterized him as a homophobe, a racist, and a conservative. He went the atheist route just to have an excuse to offend a new group that he hadn't offended yet.

I liked the other journalists on "60 Minutes," however, and feel like they performed very useful and necessary work in the U.S.
by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Keith Olbermann

I've never watched any show with Olbermann, but did see clips of him on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He seemed to be the liberal equivalent of Rush Limbaugh, so I never felt any desire to tune in. There is something to be said for being nice, funny, or cute. I can do angry myself. I don't need somebody else to do it for me.

Looks like Olbermann is wasting a whole lot of time and money of liberal and progressive people by taking Current TV to court over his expensive fifty-million dollar contract. In the first place, I don't know who is worth fifty million dollars. Maybe Jon Stewart is. I don't know about Keith Olbermann. I don't even know anyone that watches him. At least Jon Stewart can appeal to the other side through the lubrication of wit.

If I were going to watch anybody on politics besides Jon Stewart, then I'd probably give Rachel Maddow a go. In fact, I may do so. Lately, I've gotten tired of Jon Stewart. His recent shows have seemed a bit boring. I also don't understand why he brings in a constant stream of airhead celebrities to talk about their stupid movies. I suppose he's taking money from the studios, but why should I watch an insipid interview about a movie I never plan to watch?
by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth

Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth.

(I know, that's a dated expression, ain't it? I'm from the 19th century, how are you doing?)

Malawi is complaining because Madonna has spent only 3 million of a promised 11 million in charity so far. Sounds like corrupt officials are upset because they can't get their greedy little paws on the rest of the stash.

One thing about me is that I do *NOT* look a gift horse in the mouth. If someone does something for me, I keep a ledger in my head that shows their debits and credits. I remember good deeds and seek to pay them back in whatever way I can. In the case of bad deeds, I may avenge, forgive, wait or may decide to sever contact, depending upon the situation. But I know that if I were Malawi, I would not be complaining about 3 million dollars in free money and more to come. Let Madonna build those schools wherever the hell she wants. They are FREE!
by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Officer Derek Middendorf Captured on Video

A rail thin old man suffering from dementia got beaten senseless by Officer Derek Middendorf.
by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments

Megaupload

I don't have sympathy for the Megaupload tycoon. People that are in the scene to help others are one thing. Hackers understand the concept of friends helping friends, of sharing what one has. It is an old tradition that dates back to the discovery of fire. However, people that profit off the work of others are another scenario altogether. What did Dotcom invent, other than his last name? Dotcom's millions will be better put to the service of the U.S. or N.Z. governments. Dotcom is exactly the type of character that the corporations should have been going after in the first place, years ago, instead of the poor little grandmothers that they were punishing with expensive lawsuits and $3,000 fines for .mp3's that their grandchildren downloaded.
by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Steve Jobs

It's amusing that the media idolizes Steve Jobs. He is one of the worthless parasites responsible for the high unemployment rate in the U.S.
by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Diary of a Call Girl

Billie Piper is simply amazing as the lead in Diary of a Call Girl.

I do like that show, although it is very exploitative, obviously. I am in favor of legalizing prostitution, in a similar style as in Holland, so do not object to the show on moral grounds. Nevertheless, I do feel a trifle guilty watching a show about the petty and often silly life of a high-class escort, whose world seems to revolve around appearances and sex.

I mean, I know the show ain't Shakespeare. But on the whole, the show is amusing and it is impossible to keep one's eyes off of Billie Piper. She is dazzling to behold. I thought so in Dr. Who and I think so in this show.

Diary of a Call Girl does seem formulaic though, and I probably lose a few thousand brain cells every time I watch. In every episode, Billie is getting stick from someone. In many, she has a little tear trickling down her face. Sometimes I find the situations contrived and ridiculous, even absurd. I think the writers are trying to conceal her limitations as an actress and their limitations as writers by using such a formula.
by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments

Friday, November 11, 2011

Low, Middle and High Brow

Vidal makes frequent references to the human race being divided into three classes--low, middle, and high- brow. Judging by who he sorts in the middle and high category, surely the bulk of his readers must know where he'd place them.

Oh, Vidal must have many detractors, I'm sure. I suppose my humility is such that I don't really mind being placed in one of the two inferior categories. Acceptance is more my style. I'm a bit amused, also. Because if Vidal and a thousand-odd are all that's high-brow, then in the first place I'm in the majority, and in the second place, high-brow ain't all that, by Vidal's own admission and with numerous supporting details straight from a high-brow himself.
by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments

Criticism of Jon Stewart

The worst that can be said of Jon Stewart (and it's not that bad) is that he hosts Jew after Jew, and some of those Jews are tiresome. Adam Sandler is one boor that I prefer to skip. He is never funny, never bright, and harps on his conservative style of Jewishness when he's on the show. Then Jon hosts a lot of writers I've never heard of whose only badge of merit appears to be Jewishness. I can think of about a hundred other guests I would like to see on his show, such as Gore Vidal before he kicks the bucket. I think being a Jew compensates for mediocrity in Jon's book. He will assist the career of anyone who is a Jew.
by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Even More on Gore

In Gore Vidal, I have found a wit that I could never hope to equal in a million years. He is funny, fresh, careful (when he feels he must be), and vigorous. I can only imagine that he spends enormous amounts of time concentrating his energies upon his writing. When I have done so, the end product has not been nearly as good as Gore's, I think. If I had started out in college by reading Gore instead of second-raters like Anne Rice and Ayn Rand, then I would have abandoned any pretense of becoming a writer, so far above me is Gore. The prose of Anne Rice and Ayn Rand gave me hope, along with other bad habits.
by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments
techlorebyigor is my personal journal for ideas & opinions