The Super Bowl Ads

We all watched the Super Bowl last night. Some of us cried, others lost large amounts of money, and at least one person in New England was happy with the outcome. But, for those of us that do not enjoy sports all that much, the advertisements that happen during the game are extremely fun, and motivate us to join in on the game time action. The ads were as funny as ever last night, my personal favorite being a Pepsi one that featured a diadem donned Elton John and Flavor-Flav at the very end. But this article, Puppies and Nostalgia will Always Sell, was about much more than just the highly over-priced articles, it was about the need for instant gratification in the American culture these days. "But now, in a hyper-accelerated world where 4G is just waiting for 5G to supplant it, the speed of light is too slow, and even the sense of immediacy somehow feels inadequate; we prefer to experience our events, particularly the enormous ones, well before they happen." I cannot agree with this more. Our culture is based a lot on who can get it done first, with the best cost efficiency  of course. This is true even for things like the Super Bowl ads, where they have teaser trailers on TV and YouTube out weeks before the game happens. The real question here is how our society got this way. Is it a uber need for control in an unstable economic environment that causes us to want to predict the future? Or perhaps we want to know what's going to happen so we can try to "improve" it. In any case, nothing can happen fast enough, and patience is becoming a thing of the past.
This article was more of a rant than anything else. Othmer, the author, imposed humor and quick wit to get across his point: the ads are " are a reflection of a desperate media reality and the degree to which advertisers and their agencies are asked to exceed the massive expectations of an increasingly brand-savvy, post-ironic culture that is almost impossible to surprise." 


The article here.

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

This is a fantastic, horrifying tale of a boy stuck in a childhood of poverty and alcoholism. It is by far the most depressing book I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I read most of the book the Friday night after we chose our memoirs because it was almost impossible to put down. McCourt's writing style is fantastic, flowing, and flawless. The biggest quirk of this book is that there are no quotation marks around the dialogue, something I initially thought would bother me throughout the book. However, McCourt's story is so gripping, and his writing so great that it is hard to pay attention to it. It perhaps even enhances the story, allowing it to flow better. This book was so immersing that when I was on the turbulent loving plane ride to and from Minneapolis, I stopped worrying about how I was about to perish because of the terrible pilots that seemed to know nothing about flying. McCourt's story is truly amazing, and it's a wonder he's alive to tell the tale today with the childhood he had. McCourt had a couple of serious illnesses, deaths of siblings from malnutrition, and on top of that, he was starving all the time because his distant alcoholic father drank away their food. Angela, McCourt's mother, was no help in this, with her bouts of depression and melancholy in light of this terrible condition that her family was in. Through all of  this, he tells his story with poise and dark humor. It such a great book I cannot praise it enough. As the cliche goes, it will make you laugh, and make you cry, and put your "horrible" life in perspective of what a broken home is really like.

Bless Me, Ultima: Chapters 17-22

I am not too pleased with the ending of this story. There isn't really any indication of what Tony is going to do with his life, except that he definitely isn't going to be a Priest, a cowboy, or a Mini Ultima. I never thought that Tony would do as his father wanted, he always seemed to deep in meaningful thought for a rowdy life as a cowboy free on the plains. But for a while the priest thing was going well, until he made communion. And honestly no wonder he didn't want to become a priest any more. The kids that made him play priest caused Tony to realize that people would want him to condem others, rather than save them. He's too gentle for that. The priest who was teaching them for their communion also made Catholicism sound rather silly and horrific at the same time. I get he was trying to scare the kids into not sinning with the timeline of how long burning in Hell for all eternity would be, but that was cruel and frightened me. It reminded me of an episode of Criminal Minds where this crazy spanish priest goes around murdering people for their sins because he thought that he was saving them from an eternity of hell. Additionally, I enjoyed how Anaya put the start of Tony's questioning "'What if I go to confession?' 'Then your sin is forgiven, your soul is clean, and you are saved-' 'You mean I can go out and sin...do a million bad things and then when I die I just go to confession and make communion, and I go to heaven?' 'Yes,' I said, 'if you're sorry you sinned-' 'Ohhhhh,' he laughed, 'I'll be sorry!...You know it doesn't seem fair.' No, it didn't seem fair, but it could happen." (Anaya 192) I never really understood that part of Catholicism. Basically they don't want you to sin, but it's completely alright if you do as long as you just are sorry. So if you regret your bad decisions, if you're sorry that you did them, it deems them as okay? I think it indeed is not fair. You are basically giving people the green light to do bad things. I enjoyed Florence, and I was upset when he drowned. He effected Tony greatly, and I think was a big cause of his questioning his faith.

I have to say I am happy this book is over. I wish that there had been an epilogue giving some indication of what Tony does in his later life, but perhaps Anaya couldn't think of anything that sat right with him enough to give to his readers. I like the explanation of Ultima, and I think her death was a good way to end the book. It made the world of Tony's seem at peace, as if he was ready to start a new part of his life. But I guess we will never know for sure.

Bless Me, Ultima: Chapters 13-16

This book and I are in an abusive relationship. One minute it's really great, and I want to read and never stop. The next minute I want to fall asleep because I'm in tears with boredom as it drags on infinitely, and I won't even mention that issue of some random language Anaya created and spontaneously threw in the text. Regardless, this set of chapters had my favourite passage of the whole book so far, and it will most likely remain this way. I loved the little play that Tony and his misfit, rowdy friends put on for the rest of the school. It was such a sassy mess, and I laughed at the poor teacher for how much of a joke her life is. It was like a nice little bonus from Anaya, as if he was saying, "Hey I can be fun and light-hearted in my writings about a small boy and his mess of a life." Then ten pages later Tony finds his brother in an awkward position and he witnesses death number two. Rudolfo Anaya, you are such a tease. The only humor in this book at all is with Tony's little gang. I love them all, especially Lloyd, who obviously going to grow up and sue everyone like all good Americans do.

But, sadly, the more meaningful parts to this book are also the ones that made me so tired. Tony's little dreams where he talks to God hold most of the books meaning. Personal moral conflict is turning out to be the name of the game in this story. The book started out with Tony's wondering if he was going to follow his mother or father's wishes, now it's becoming slowly more about his religious and moral beliefs. The most signifigant one is on pages 172-176, but one thing that really struck me was this "'You foolish boy, God roared, don't you see that you are caught in your own trap! You would have a God who forgives all, but when it comes to your personal whims you seek punishment for your vengeance..." (Anaya 173) What is Anaya trying to say about Tony here, and about religion in general. Is vengeance a basic human characteristic, if even a young and gentle child can feel it? Tony wants Narciso to be saved, but he wants Tenorio to burn for all eternity, and what does that really say about him. Does that make Tony hypocritical, or is he just basing this off of what the people in questions did wrong from his perspective? After all, both men only did what they thought was the right thing. If Tony wants vengeance on Tenorio for killing Narciso, why is Tenorio so wrong in wanting vengeance on who he thinks is his child's murderer? I feel bad for Tenorio. Dead kid, another one who is probably going to die and he's blinded in one eye. That is rough. I don't really know where this story is going, but all I want at this point is for Anaya to tie up all the loose ends.

Bless Me, Ultima: Chapters 8-12

Well after reading up to the halfway point in this book, I have come to a few simple conclusions. The Spanish is now easier to skip over and pretend it does not exist in life, and Toni will sadly not be a wizard priest but merely a Ultima 2.0. He went to save his uncle AND saw the Golden Carp? Too much coincidence for my taste. The Golden Carp event dimly reminded me of the movies and the books with "The Chosen One" type of character. You know, Harry, Frodo, those tough persistent hero characters who overcome obstacles to fight evil. Rather than a good versus evil fight to the death, this story seems to strongly suggest a tone of doing good, in any way that you can do it best. Ultima, to me anywho, is a witch , but she always wants to help others. Toni can see that, and it is causing him to question his faith which in the past had been so unquestionably embedded in his mind. Regardless, Toni is definitely more of his mother's child than his fathers. He seemed almost frightened for his two brothers that left home, as if something terrible was going to happen to them.

Besides the now non-existent Spanish, I really like the way Anaya writes. It has a nice flow and sound. The story is also enjoyable, even if it is a little predictable on what will happen. My hope is that there will be some sort of twist, along the lines of Ultima turning out to be a witch hunter and his mother is the imprint of evil. Or something fun like that.

Bless Me, Ultima: Chapters 1-7

This book is just making me sad. I feel like it has so much potential to be a really great book for me but there is one thing that is driving me crazy. The Spanish. I take Spanish and (kind of) understand it, so I don't really have to look up any of the words but it is just killing this book for me. I want it to be in one language. That's all I want. Just one. It is a very simple request. The editors of this book are also lazy because the Spanish words aren't italicized, which I'm pretty sure is against the laws of proper formatting. So take that Rudolfo Anaya. Maybe he is just bitter because of his awful name and wants to torture us all with a poorly edited multilingual book. I would like to tell Rudolfo there are plenty of unfortunate names out there, and their owners don't lash out at the rest of society and he is a terrible person for being so cruel.
Now that I've gotten that bit over with, I must admit that I do in fact enjoy this book. So far. I think the element of magic and happy spirituality in the story a nice change of pace. My personal prediction? Tony is going to end up as a wizard priest. I think he will end up as a Luna man, like his mother wants, because he constantly has spoken about how much he loves God and how devoted he is to Him. God is mentioned at least once a chapter. But Tony also is fascinated with Ultima and how she heals people and awestruck by her power. He will want to learn her ways and become a wizard priest to please everyone. Except his father. But it seems that his father already has three rough and wild blooded sons, so I think it's only fair that his mother should get one wizard priest. It would be selfish and evil of the father to hog all the sons. Tony was also a little freaked out when Lupito was shot right in front of him, so I do not know if a wild blooded life of what sounds like murder and cowboy police work would be the line of work that would play into his strong suits. Then again, he's only six. So I guess there is time for change in his dislike of watching men get shot. We shall see. I am excited to see where this book goes.

The Aging Parent

The reason I read this article is because I can sort of relate to it in a sense. My father just had surgery a week before Thanksgiving. Nothing of too much concern, it was planned and went so smoothly that the doctors sent him home a day earlier than expected. Everything was fine, that is, until the operation sight started to bruise and bleed the day after Thanksgiving. So how did I spend my Black Friday? No, not shopping, but at the ER. From 2pm-11pm I was there with my father, waiting, demanding and hoping for some medical attention at the insanely overcrowded hospital. The article I read was about how the Baby Boomer generation is now imposing on their golden aged childrens' lives. Yes, I am not a 60 year old, but I can understand why the children might feel selfish in taking care of their parent. Did I want to spend my Friday night in the hospital? No. But out of concern for my parent I stayed there. And I would do it again next Friday night if that's what had to happen. Just like the Baby Boomer's children are forcing them to make tough choices that are affecting their lives greatly, whether that means taking the parent or parents into your own home, or financially straining oneself to get the parent some outside help.

This article had an interesting point of view, as it was written from a 87 year old woman who faces the same problem that the others of her generation are. Funnily enough, the article remains unbiased, and presents the sides of both the adult children and their parents. There's a lot of pathos in this article, as many people can relate to having concern for their parents at some point in their lives. There was also some logos in the form of statistics. When speaking about the adult child's responsibility to their parents now as compared to a century ago the author stated "Then, life expectancy at birth was just over 48 years; today, it’s close to 80. Then, so few lived to 65 that there is no record of life expectancy at that age. Today, if we make it to 65, we can expect to live another 20 years. And one-third of those over 65 need some help in managing their daily lives; by the time they reach 85 (the fastest-growing segment of our population today), that number jumps to well over one-half." This explains why this issue is becoming unique to modern day society, and as we live longer, it seems our responsibility to others grows as well.

The article: http://www.salon.com/2011/11/26/the_no_win_situation_of_caring_for_mom_and_dad/