Terrible Hollywood Trends: Guns

Hello and welcome back my loyal minions um I mean viewers to what I like to call terrible Hollywood trends.  For the new viewers who don’t know what this is I basically prove how Hollywood makes up stuff in their movies to make them look better or seem cooler.  This time I’ll be talking about two of the gun myths Hollywood has conjured up.  To be honest there are many more but these two are the most prevalent and annoying ones.

Has anyone out there ever dropped a gun before?  Did it just suddenly start firing off rounds?  Probably not right but according to Hollywood if you ever do it will instantly go off and shoot anyone and everyone.  Some movies use it for a comedic affect having someone drop a gun and hilariously kill their foes or accidentally shoot their friend.  This has even been used as a sort of dues ex machine giving the protagonist a way out of an odd situation or Mexican standoff.  Movies think guns are so dangerous that even holding one can make it go off.  None of this is true though because that would mean a lawsuit so hard that basically all of the gun companies would get their pants sued off.  Gun companies would not like that to happen.  So instead of waiting for a lawsuit to happen they test their guns having several drop tests and what not so that they can keep their job and pants.

I bet everyone out there has seen an action movie where the protagonist is a super badass with a gun right.  Remember that scene where there are about ninety guys he has to shoot through but he only has a pistol?  Yeah everybody in the movie theater is like he’s dead yet he shoots every single one of them either without reloading or only reloading twice.  Hollywood has made it seem like protagonists guns are just filled with an unlimited amount of ammunition.  I mean seriously they expect people to believe that with a pistol and two clips that hold only thirteen bullets at the most you can take on a whole drug cartel.  It’s especially apparent in movies where the protagonist has an assault rifle and just keeps firing for over three minutes in full burst.  In reality however assault rifles have about a thirty second burst at the most before you have to reload.    

Hollywood loves to trick us into believing these silly things.  The truth is guns are relatively safe and if you drop it there is only a one in a million chance it’ll go off unless you tweak the trigger.  Everyone can now also sleep safe and sound knowing that Arnold Schwarzenegger can’t take on a whole drug cartel with an AK-47 and two clips.

Can Jokes Ever go too Far?

Can some of the jokes comedians make here in the 21st century go too far?  A majority of people are probably screaming at their screen saying yes they don't know where to draw the line.  Now I want the readers out there to sit there and think about it long and hard.  I mean has a joke from some comedian you don't even know ever hurt you on a personal level?  I bet for the most part that answer is no.  That's because there is no such thing as a line to cross when they make jokes.  For that exact reason I don't believe that's jokes can go too far.
I'm serious jokes cant go too far as long as the majority laughs at it the joke then it's deemed acceptable in our society.  Imagine you are at a stand-up show and the comedian says something that deeply offends you.  Now I want you to think about how many other people it might have offended I'll wait here while you do...(jeopardy music)...ok got an answer yet?  Guess what its only about five percent of you at the most who are so deeply hurt by his words.  So even if all five percent banded together and petitioned and what not no one would care because the other ninety five percent loved it.  This is because  fundamentally comedy is basically like a democracy where the majority rules what jokes are good and which are bad.  However this argument also works the other way around.  Since comedy is ruled by the majority this majority can deem some jokes going too far.  For example whenever a comedian makes a joke that the majority believe has gone too far they flag it and talk about it and petition about.  This can not only get the comedian to publicly apologize but also gives them a bad reputation for crossing the line.  
Another reason jokes will not go too far because people do not like clean and innocent jokes.  Think about a comedian who has made it all the way to the top without saying any obscene, racist, or political things that could offend someone.  Absolutely no one because clean and innocent isn't funny.  People love for comedians to say stuff they can not about society without getting scolded or called insecure.  For example look at Anthony Jeslinik.  He has made several darkly humored jokes about things that have happened from terrorist attacks like the Boston bombing and even to the theater shooting for Trainwreck.  Yet he still has over three hundred thousand followers.  If anything his tweets seem to make him more and more popular with every dark joke because people love it.  They love to laugh about things that should not be laughed about and as long as people love these dark humored jokes the line will never go to far.  On the other hand some people could argue that they aren't actually famous but infamous.  Although these comedians get an innumerable of publicity it doesn't mean its all positive.  Sure there are some who love the dark humor of some comedians but others absolutely hate it.  Anthony Jeslinik may have over three hundred thousand fans but he also has large amount of people who want to see him kicked out of he industry because they believe his jokes have gone way too far.
Jokes can only go as far as people take them.  Some think they go too far and Some think they do not. I don't believe there is a line to be crossed but other people dont think the same way as me.  So ill ask the readers out there. Do you all believe there is such a thing as going too far with jokes?

Terrible Hollywood Trends: 10% myth

Hollywood has many terrible trends that can be found in most movies and media.  Unfortunately a good number of the consumers today see and believe in them.  Then there are some people who miss the falsehoods entirely.  The first of the abundant Hollywood trends that I will prove wrong and personally annoys me the most is their ignorant concept regarding to the human mind that are completely untrue and made up.
In tons of movies they say over and over again that we only use a small percentage of our brain which is complete and utter nonsense.  If we were only able to use as small of a percentage as these movies say we would practically be brain dead zombies shambling around not knowing what our true potential was.  According to the movies if we could find a way to use the other percent of our brain we would unlock our true potential we will acquire a type of level up in cognitive and psychic abilities like we were in some type of role playing game.  I mean look at the movies such as Lucy and Limitless where they both take magic drugs, although by different means, that make them a million times more intelligent and all of a sudden can read books in just minutes, learn other languages just by looking at them, and even at one point in time learn fighting techniques.  In Lucy the main character even gains telekinetic powers that allow her to move stuff with her mind and even go back in time by the end of the movie.  I still don’t understand where exactly they could’ve come up with these absurd notions that we can only access a minuscule part of our brain.  The fact of the matter is we use all one hundred percent of our brains in our everyday life.
It may be true at one time we may only us ten percent of our brain but the other ninety percent is dedicated to other background tasks that we need for living.  Our brain dictates which ten percent it needs to focus on at the time.  Think about it when will the part of your brain for facial recognition be useful in solving a complicated math equation.  Also when you use all one hundred percent of your brain in medical terms its called a seizure.  Our brain is working overtime every single night actually to keep the body working and dreaming.  So now everyone can sleep tight knowing that our brain works day in and day out and that there is no magic pill that can turn people into psychics and geniuses.

Reviewing Casting Shadows Everywhere

The book:
Today we shall be discussing a book that I just picked up for the shocking price of free.  The title of said book is Casting Shadows Everywhere by Tim McBrains & L.T. Vargus.  This story is about a 15 year old boy named Jake.  Basically picture the narrator from fight club but with a much more squeaky voice.  Then add a thousand pop culture references.  And you have casting shadows everywhere.
Synopsis:
The plot it was wonderfully unique Jake, the narrator from five club, takes lessons in many illegal things from the local crook nick, who happens to be similar to Tyler Durden.  I assumed this is a coincidence, but as the philosophical musings of our narrator would fit in any chuck Palahniuk book.  I spent most of the time reading attempting to decide what the actual main plot was.  I decided it was either the standard can't get the girl plot line or the how far wil he fall plot line.  These two ideas raged on inside my head for most of the second half as a book.  And sadly I never quite figured that out.
Rating:
Beginning: 5/5
Middle: 4/5
End: 3/5
It is an enjoyable read for the price.  It had a multiple laugh out moments.

The Illusion of Confidence

I came today to give you a wake up call. Confidence does not exist. There now you know. Bye.
Okay you may think I am a bit crazy (I may be). Allow me to elaborate. First I want you to do me a favor. Please use your imagination to picture the most confident person you know. What makes you say they are confident. Is it the self-assured way they walk? The way their eyes never look down when faced with a challenge? The fact they do not burst into a flaming pile of non-confidence when speaking in front of crowds? Do you enjoy my rhetorical questions? Well I have one more.
What do all of these signs of confidence have in common? They are all external factors. Confidence is about what a person does. It has nothing to do with how a person thinks. You can appear confident no matter how little confidence you think you have. Anyone can become that confident person you imagined earlier (well not exactly like that person, everyone is a special unique snowflake of uniqueness). You just have to take it one step at a time.
Like all great journeys the path to confidence starts with a single step. First work on having a more self-assured walk and work on traits from there. Then all of these minor changes build air of confidence around you. Do the things confident people do. I believe someone once said motion makes emotion. If you keep acting in the exact manner as confident person does you will start to feel confident inside.
Now you may say there is no way you can act like a confident person. That is not true you just need practice. You need to repeat the actions a confident person would take in situations. You repeat the actions to create new neural pathways in your brain. You keep repeating these actions and the neutral pathways grow more complicated. Then once the pathway has been used enough it becomes second nature.
That is how we can all become confident.

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Decoding Fear: The dark

Everyone fears something. We all know that. Have you ever wondered why? I hope to use my imaginary degree in philosophy to discuss these fears. The first one I choose to philosophize about is the dark.
Why are we so afraid of the dark? It is simply the absence of light. Right? But for some reason it feels so much more sinister. As kids it made us hide under our covers and call out to mom and dad. The vague shadow we could see became goblins or demons or some other type of monster. We would try to avoid it with night lights, but the darkness would always come.
I believe all of fearsomeness of the darkness can be explained easily. When it is dark you cannot see. It sounds simple but think about it. Your brain is a complicated piece of equipment. Its job is to interpret data and extrapolate facts. The lack of light means there is no data for your brain to take in. That lack of things to do allows your brain to just make things up. Think about it even as an adult you will still experience weird things when you look deeply at the darkness. That feeling that someone is behind you, the sound of foot steps, or maybe you can swear you saw someone walking through the dark. Things like this make the darkness eerie. Your brain makes the unknown strange and the strange frightening.
Or maybe there is something supernatural about the dark. Before the beginning, before God made light, there was one thing, darkness. It represents the chaos before the order that became the universe. On the other hand it could be the embodiment of the chaos inside of every human being sitting there waiting for the right moment to take over. Maybe that is why we are so afraid of the darkness that comes with each night. I guess the world shall never know.
wonderful Story about the dark.

The style of no style (part 2)

Okay my semi-faithful reader (yes I am talking to you specifically) last week I left you with quite a conundrum. How does Bruce Lee relate to writing advice? This week you get to hear the answer for the every day low price of free, but first we need learn a bit about Mr. Lee.
The man know as Bruce Lee first studied Wing Chung, a style of Kung Fu in China. The moment he began learn the style of Wing Chung he lost a bit of his fluidity. The moment he learned the to punch or kick he the Wing Chung way he lost the ability to see all the other ways in the hands and feet could be used as weapons. You could say the lessons in style stifled his creativity. Blah blah. <Insert Wikipedia page here>.
Blah blah. Bruce Lee realized that in this world there were many different marital arts that teach various aspects of fighting in different ways. Bruce decided that in order to become a great fighter he would study all aspects of fighting taught by the many styles. This led to, in the opinion of some, the beginning of mixed martial arts and the invention of his own style of marital arts.
And now we get to the important part. What does any of this have to do with writing? Well, as you probably know everyone is said to have their own style of writing. You also know to copy another writer's style is a grievous offense. You know also know there are common phrases everyone is told like “show don't tell.” You also know every genre has its own conventions, things that happen in a genre frequently. In order to become a truly great writer you must always be one the lookout for ways to improve your writing. You take in what you know will work for you and discard what does not.
That is the style of no style. You must always be look for ideas, advice, and maybe even plots that you like and then adding your own unique your own in order to produce the best possible book withou being unoriginal

why you should write every day?

You have probably heard that as a writer you should write every day. Have you ever wondered why that is? Well I can answer that with one word. To form a habit (yes that is not one word). Writing itself does not sound too difficult. You sit at a desk, chair, any form of sitting apparatus and put words on to the paper. The moment you try to do it you realize it is much more difficult than it looks.
Writing is a much more daunting process than it looks. That blank page could be one of the most frightening things in the universe. Why? Because it makes you realize how insane you are. You plan to craft a story that is somewhere between 40,000 and maybe 80,000 words. That is utterly insanely difficult commitment and you will realize that. All those thoughts might make you quit writing before you even start writing because your brain is telling you everything that can go wrong in this new  project. Your brain will tell you that you are wasting your time. You have to overcome these thoughts.
It is similar to pushing a rock up a steep hill. Every time you sit down and write you are shoving that rock a little further up the hill. If you continue to push hard on that rock you will make progress. Sooner or later you'll hit the top of that hill and momentum will pull the rock down the rest of the way. It will become much easier.
Once you hit your stride sitting down to write becomes much easier. The words will seem to flow from your brain. Why? Because the human brain is extremely good at adapting. When you force yourself to write your brain realizes writing is just another part of life. It becomes a habit no harder than taking out the trash or washing dishes. That is the kind of mind set that is hard to form without writing ever day.

The style of no style (part 1)

Everything has a style. This dictionary that I just grabbed defines style as “[a] method or manner of preforming a task.” Every job can be accomplished in many different ways. Each person creates their own unique style. This is how things how always have been. Then one day someone realized they could teach others to use their same style.
Then teachers of everything popped up. There are thousands of people with books, documentaries, and seminars on writing, getting rich, and life in general. All teaching their set style. Now set style is not always bad. You can only skin a cat so many ways, but some things are not as simple as skinning metaphorical cats (anyone want to explain what skinning a cat is). Writing is one such craft. Imagine if everyone wrote in the same voice, same sentence structure, same genre.
There would be no point in picking up another book. You would have already seen it all. The art would stop evolving. Everyone would just keep passing along same set of tips and trick making everything uniform.
The other choice is completely disregard any advice given to you by anyone. This would prevent you from absorbing anyone's style and it would allow you to keep your uniqueness. That option can go wrong if you suck at writing and let's all be honest most of us suck at writing. I suck writing. It would seem there is no getting around it. You will either fashion your style of writing after another or you will be stuck with the way you write now (which may suck). There appears to be no solution to this problem. That I will tell you later.
Hint: it involves Bruce Lee

Short story- Mu

I was being mugged. Two boys were threatening me with deadly force, one behind me and one standing front and center. I had nowhere to run. I used to say today’s youth couldn’t be as bad as television says they are. Maybe I was wrong. Either way boys shouldn’t harass an old man like this.

“Shut up! Just give us the money,” said one of the boys when he heard this. He pressed the gun against my back harder. I put my hands in the air. I surrendered. “I don’t have any money.” The boy scowled. This looked grim. I tried to talk my way out of this. Pretending to be a confused senior citizen can get you out of all types of trouble.

I felt the gun butt collide with the back of my head. I fell to the ground. They weren’t buying it. No one respects their elders these days. Then it happened. Was it an accident? Were theses boys just that evil? I don’t know I never saw them again. I just know what I heard and felt.

I heard the gun go off. BANG! I felt the bullet tear through my chest. It tumbled upon entering. That made it hurt more. It still didn’t hurt as bad as I expected. Bullets are hot. It was the worse burning sensation I have ever felt. Still it could have been worse. Blood poured out of the wound. It’s funny how you never think about all the blood moving around under your skin till it ends up on the outside. All the oxygen and nutrients my organs needed were being spilled on the ground. Such a waste.

I was dying. I didn’t want to die. I didn’t have a choice. I did start think positive no more hearing aids, cataracts, or boys disrespecting their elders. Those were the promises of growing old. Death has no such promises. Death is life’s wild card no promises, no expectations, and no warning. Maybe death would be a paradise.

I could not be any more wrong.

I was dead. The official cause was blood loss. It was dark. I was scared. I screamed. There was no echo. No expectations. I waited for something to happen. Nothing happened. I could not see. I could not hear. This was death Mu, the void. No promises. I screamed. There was no echo, nothing. Years flew by this way. I was bored .I screamed. No warning.