Paranormal Activities

So,

Just saw Paranormal Activity with my girlfriend – SUCKED!

For all the Hollywood hype and stories I heard from people about theater patrons vomiting during the movie, or fainting, or leaving the theater early because they were so disturbed by the images, this movie really disappointed. I thought things more laughable than scary, really. I do however appreciate the subtlety of the scare and am glad audiences could appreciate that; I thought it was well filmed! And they even went so far as to cut the credits from the end of the movie for the feel of authentic footage. Cool. BUT! after the hype, the movie really leaves you with some empty expectations. I rank it pretty low on horror charts, but maybe it's the right thing for you if you're too used to Blah Hollywood "look at out behind you!" films.

That's all I've got right now... I was going to say more, but I'll leave it at that.

Walk

Dolphin Olympics 2009

Hello!

So, as you may or may not know the Dolphin Olympics are back! That's right, you are just one click away from the greatest athletic event this century has ever seen! Here it is! Go compete for yourself and then come back and we'll continue:

http://www.rawkins.com/games/do2/

Are you back? Great. How was it? Hard at first and slightly confusing? Just another stupid flash game? Well let me tell you, this particular game created by Alan Rawkins and first place recipient of the Casual Game Design Contest #3 has been the occupation of every second of spare me-time for the past week. A coworker at my on-campus job pointed me to it Monday, and I have been obsessed with breaking each and every record I set. So far I've earned 9,000,000 points, but compared to those of the high scores list, this number is laughable. It is an obsession too! There are mini-support communities for the game, including information, reviews, and (dun dun dun!) strategy guides and video walkthroughs -- yes, I've watched them; yes, they help. Dolphin Olympics 2 truly is, a game of skill and good timing. If you haven't, you should, so click that link and get competing!

Other notes:

Aliens terrify me, ever since I was little (I just watched the trailer for Fourth Kind). When my sister would babysit me, she would tell me she had laid her alien eggs in my carpet, and that if I got out of bed they would hatch and get me. Shortened: "I've laid eggs in your carpet. stay in bed or else."

Everything was always an or else when I was a kid.

"You do well in school or else,"

"You stay in bed or else,"

"You clean your plate or else."

It wasn't until I tread each of these waters that I discovered 'or else' meant Military School, an Ass-Beating, or a Sharp Rap on the Head with a Spoon in this order respectively. Being a kid was weird now that I look at it: always on the verge of some great unknown punishment. Religion used to do that for people, maybe it still does. I think I came out of it well though. For a while my mom had the fear that all good parents must have -- "Is my kid going to turn out all right?" Which is a selfish thought for the most part. Being a parent puts this heavy new responsibility on you to make a good product; it's a long haul and I think that's the dread men get the day of birth, pacing back and forth in the waiting room and huffing away on cigarettes. If your product is no good, who does it reflect on? I can't wait to have kids.

Well, I think that might be enough for now. Thanks for reading to this point.

Let me know what you think,

Walk

Personalities, Nietzsche and more!

Hello,

I'm reading about personality theory after talking to a friend I just met at a dinner lecture series about Dorothy Day. He's from China and very into documenting stories of healing and so turned me on to Tibetan medicinal practices around the country as well as in Europe... I guess there's a documentary he wants me to watch, but the name has slipped him. Either way he brought up personality types, claiming he's a Type A. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_A_and_Type_B_personality_theory)

I'm a bit skeptical about personality theory, or psychological categories... I mean, why do we have to strive so hard to lump each other into definitive categories? Can't we just be content with the individual, or is there other reasons behind it? Advertising, power, etc?

In a slightly unrelated ramble:

I'm always surprised with how content some people are to just accept things without asking "Why?" every now and then. Why structure? Why religion? Why anything? Maybe this is all existentialist ranting, but the more I read Nietzsche, the more I start to see this dualism in society between complacency and change (good and evil to Nietzsche). He argues that we settle into society and anesthesia to avoid pain, but by doing so we allow evil or change to take rise almost instantly. 9-11, being one of the most recent. Before 9-11 most Americans weren't aware of terrorists in the Middle East, and now. . .? Change sparked so quickly: the Patriot Act, troop deployment, unified patriotism. Amazing. But now we've almost settled back down into an everyday passive peacefulness (completely, if not for the ongoing war and issues with Iran) that we should ask ourselves, "What's next?" What is the next step? The next Awakening?

Just some thoughts. If not for you, then for myself.

Gotta run,

Walk