Things you learn about politics as you mature

I have always thought that it's a sign of laziness (and in some cases, stupidity) to be totally ignorant about politics. Sure, it can be frustrating to take the time to learn things about how politics and government work-but these things have a direct impact on your quality of life. When talking with people who are ignorant about politics you'll often hear "Opinions? Oh everyone has one and it's not worth a damn." Wrong. People who downplay or dismiss others opinions are usually intimidated by them or simply too stupid to form their own opinion about issues. 

As you grow up, you being to to learn two things about politics that the extreme right and the extreme left will never understand. One-good people can and do disagree. Two-the extreme right and left are truly the problem. 

The first one isn't obvious, but it should be. If you can't figure out how two people who are diametrically opposed in their views can still get along and be good people than congratulations. You are partially why things are so messed up here. Getting your morality from politics is a terrible idea for many reasons but perhaps the worst is because it teaches you to think that you are noble and wonderful and everyone who disagrees with you is a scumbag. Your own political heroes can be personally reprehensible people and yes, that goes for liberal and conservative heroes. If someone doesn't lie, cheat, steal gives to charity and thinks of others in their actions-they are a good person. Regardless if they are liberal or conservative. 

The second is obvious. The extreme right and extreme left are both part of the problem. This isn't an argument for the mushy middle-but as you get older you begin to realize that governments and politics require compromise in order to keep everything going. There is "sticking to what is right and sticking with your morals" and there is "being stubborn and unrealistic." The perfect examples of this are the right on abortion and the left on guns. Banning all types of abortion is impossible and will not happen-and it shouldn't. Sadly pro-lifers can't celebrate even minor restrictions on abortion because they demand all or nothing. What I just said about guns is the exact same. Leftists who want all guns banned are just as silly as the radical pro-lifers.

Scripture Sunday 3 Nephi 14:1-3

Ah, the famous "judge not lest ye be judged". Which has replaced John 3:16 as the most well known scripture quote in the bible. It's in the book of Mormon too, pretty much the same as it is in the bible. It's the most misread and misinterpreted scripture verse in history.

It says, "For with what judgement ye judge ye shall be judged and with what measure ye mere, it shall me measured to you again." That is sort of in contradiction to the judge not-because it says that applying certain judgements is okay as long as you are ready to have the same judgements applied to you.

So no, it's not saying never judge. It's saying don't judge unless you are ready to have the same standard of behavior applied to you.

True Confessions-Robin Williams

I don't like Robin Williams.

Let me be absolutely clear: Not liking him doesn't mean I'm glad he is dead and doesn't mean I dislike every movie he's ever been in. I like the movies where he isn't playing himself and his death is genuinely tragic and horrific.  So I truly hope you aren't "that person" who focuses on the wrong thing here.

Knowledge is knowing that the high school football player trying to juggle bottle rockets will get his arm blown off by doing so. Wisdom is not saying "you knew it would happen" when it finally did happen, because you'd get your ass kicked. Not because you wanted it to happen-but because people thought you wanted it to happen.

Knowledge is knowing that Robin Williams, when playing characters that were zany and insane for too long and without it being part of the character is not good Robin Williams. Wisdom is knowing that if you say that, be prepared for people to take it totally out of context.

One Hour Photo is good Robin Williams. It shows his exceptional acting skills and his ability to play a deeply disturbed character that is totally unlike his cute and cuddly persona. I greatly enjoy that movie even though it's tough to watch and disturbing in parts. Frankly lots of good movies can be unsettling.

Patch Adams is bad Robin Williams because of how manipulative it is. He shoves sentimentality down your throat and basically forces you to feel for the character. It's basically like screaming "Feel my pain damn you!" The amazing Roger Ebert said it better than anyone could about this movie, "it's like extracting tears from you one by one." Sadly I think Robin Williams too often did just that.  

Album of the Weekend

R.E.M-Out of Time

Feeling mellow? I am. R.E.M was always a relaxing band to me. Something to listen to when you need to chill out and relax for a bit. Not that metal and punk doesn't relax me-I actually find it incredibly soothing-but there are some rare times I need something softer to listen too.

And R.E.M is as soft as I'll get. This album is their apex. It didn't get better for them, it doesn't get worse. Everyone knows the song "Losing My Region" and even though it's a popular song, that doesn't mean it isn't good. It's actually fantastic. It's one of the very, very few pop-rockish songs from my childhood that I still listen to today. Contrary to popular belief it has nothing to do with atheism-losing your religion apparently means just losing your temper.

This album stops short of being a masterpiece because of the few songs that are, um, quite bad. "Shiny Happy People" gets stuck in your head and aside from complex brain surgery there is no way you can stop singing it. Believe me, I've tried. Radio Song, the opener to the album, is also an interesting take and an innovative idea for a song, but to me it goes nowhere. "Near Wild Heaven" and "Me in Honey" are pretty good though.

R.E.M has some songs that I really like combined with some songs that I really don't like. 

Evan McMullin

Two things come to mind when I see his candidacy: One, some LDS (and non LDS) are deeply misguided when they  think he'll win and two, some anti-LDS have nothing but screaming rage for our church, don't they? Both types of people are not exactly what you want to aspire too.

First off, I'm going to be blunt-Evan McMullin has absolutely no chance to win. Period. None. Nothing. Like it or not, in this country at this moment you need political experience to win the highest office in the land. Trump is proving that you can't just be a total outsider with no political experience and win. Evan McMulliin is much more polite and friendly than Trump, so many LDS like and admire him for that. He's still a political outsider who no one even heard of until a few months ago. He has no chance whatsoever and voting for him instead of Johnson, Hillary or Trump shows that you are really struggling with how politics works.

Second-there are idiots out there who think that McMullin is part of the grand LDS mafia (Lou Dobbs reference here) who sit back in our temples and conspire on how we are going to take over the world. Never has such power thought to be had by a religion so small. The LDS church is only 15 million people and the blunt truth is that people outside the religion don't care to much about what the LDS church does or thinks. 85% of non-members do not think much of the LDS church. No, that's not an insult-you don't think much of religions that you aren't part of either. Yet there are some people who let their ignorance of the church delude them into creating whack job conspiracies about the church. What bullshit.

Being right wing in music

An amazing article about how being left wing in music isn't as edgy anymore as it used to be. 

I am extremely surprised that the LA Weekly (basically like the Village Voice, another publication I follow)  had the :: ahem :: backbone to run this piece. I am 100% certain that the majority of their fans and readers can't get over their screaming rage when they see the headline, much less actually read the article.

The writer, Nicholas Pell, makes many brilliant points but his best quote is when he says "You will not get invited to the cool parties if you vote for the same guy as down on their luck rust belt Americans". Musicians like Springsteen claim to be for the common guy (sorry, I know I've said that many times) but in reality they are elitists who sneer at the little guy and their values.

If you really want to "speak truth to power" and "question authority" you'll do so to everyone, not just the other side. Sadly though, the people who have those bumper stickers are usually too obtuse to really understand that.

Parents Television Council and the Walking Dead

The Parents Television Council are a group of people who are making it their goal to censor violence and sexuality in television. They've been around forever and I remember them getting fussy and angry about the WWE back in the early 2000's. Now their target is the vastly popular show "The Walking Dead". I'm sure The Walking Dead is a great show and I've heard it's also a great comic, but I'm not a fan of the show. I'm sort of tired of the zombie thing in pop culture. Obviously just because I don't like it doesn't mean I don't see how someone else could like it and that doesn't I think it's a bad show. 

I'm not a fan of the Parents Television Council either. I don't think they are "hate filled" or "intolerant". In fact, their heart is in the right place-honestly I don't want a seven year old watching The Sopranos or The Walking Dead. For a consenting, thinking adult though-knock yourself out. The real world isn't always a cuddly place and you can't really have a show about zombies or the mafia and have characters talk like southern belles from the antebellum period. There is nothing wrong with liking things that are R-rated-yes, I disagree with the church on this issue.

There is a big difference between adult-child and fantasy and reality. If you like watching snuff films and Faces of Death five for enjoyment-you need psychiatric help before your fantasy becomes reality. However if you like watching R rated movies or The Walking Dead-the violence and gore is in context. 99% of people can see the difference and achieve balance in this. You don't want to be the person who compares The David by Michelangelo to a Playboy centerfold. That's another blog for itself-the difference between "art" and "porn" and how there are people out there who can't grasp it. 

The Parents Television Council is fighting a losing battle. If they think they'll get sponsors to drop one of the most popular tv shows out there right now, I wish them the best of luck.