Worstness.

This is one of the worst things that has ever happened on American television. Now, I say that partly to shock you. Although only partly. Hear me out.

Why is this kid allowed on national television to review movies and by extension - discuss the art of cinema? Who is he? Is he some sort of wunderkind that possesses an amazingly diverse knowledge of film? Or is he just some child that has been allowed to morph into this hideous caricature of what a movie critic ought to be? 

Let me be absolutely clear - I don't harbour any ill will toward this pre-teen boy. At least not any more than the average level of hatred I feel for all young people. I completely blame his appearance on my computer screen (and American television sets) on his parents and the producers of this particular show. Someone should call child protective services.

So why is he here? Is he here to discuss the craft of movie making? The art of telling stories and evoking emotions through a visual medium? Has he perhaps thought of some fresh, new, borderline revolutionary approach to interpreting the foggy old motion pictures? Of course not. His sole purpose on the show is as a curiosity. Some sort of freakish man-boy who acts and talks like someone thrice his age. A middle aged, no talent, complete and utter douche bag. Is this what we are reduced to? Watching someone who has yet to reach puberty spout his unfounded opinions on movies, and critiquing what amounts to the culmination of other people's professional careers? Seriously?

I am not even implying that this kid doesn't have the right to his opinions, tastes and musings. If indeed they are his own. What I am saying however is that they have no place on a major media outlet. They should be restricted to his YouTube account or blog or Twitter. Or what ever the hell it is that young folk use these days.

Sure, most people probably do not mind at all. They aren't in the least bit troubled that he has taken the place of someone who might actually have a God damn idea of what they're saying. I however do mind. I do not think that intelligent discussion on art should take a back seat to some ratings grabbing oddity with red hair. Who clearly has only really learned the tropes of a public speaker and not the actual mental prowess of a debater or critic. But maybe that's good enough for most people. As long as he appears to know what he's talking about - it'll do. After all, that's almost the same thing as actual arguments, right?

I'm going to wildly speculate here and propose that this is a symptom of a modern misguided belief that "Everyone's opinions matter equally as much.". This idea that no matter who you are or what the subject matter - your opinion has an equal value to that of everyone else's. Well, it bloody well does not. A neurologists opinion on what to do in case of a stroke should (and thankfully does) matter a whole hell of a lot more than what I might be able pull out of my ass from having watched all episodes of House M.D.

In ordinary society this becomes a problem of course, as we have a problem of gauging someone's intelligence, level of knowledge and aptitude towards the issue at hand. This forces us to hear everyone out in order to know which people we can ignore. We simply cannot immediately determine how reliable they are as a source of information from appearances and background alone. Unless they look like an outright homicidal loon and the topic of discussion isn't: "How to get bloodstains out of the carpet in the trunk of my car.". In essence, we have no quantifiable way of measuring these things, to keep track. Like, say: a number. 

Only in this case we do. It's called his age. It's eleven.* And it doesn't add up to being anywhere near enough. Certainly not to allow him onto broadcast television and discussing anything more advanced than what he ate for dinner today. Randomly tripping over some truth is not the same thing as being knowledgeable. What's next? Babies reviewing classical music?

 ‎"Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'" - Isaac Asimov

*How was he even allowed into a PG-13 movie to begin with?

Funny Thing.

One method for maintaining physical well-being that perplexes me is Laughter Yoga. Which is a form of yoga that employs laughter as a form of excercise. I suppose. It seems to be based off of the old adage that laughter is the best medicine, and supposedly prolongs ones life. Which may well be true.

I have serious doubts about the veracity of its claims. Firstly. Where this yoga technique falters is in the interpretation. The old saying doesn't actually express the belief that the physical act of laughing is somehow healthy in and off itself. What it is expressing, to my ears at least, is that a certain mirth and light heartedness makes you on the whole - live a better healthier life. And there are facts that back this up. Depressed people tend to take care of themselves less well than those who are not. Couple that with a sharp increase in substance abuse among people with depression and there appears to be some truth to the whole thing. Who hasn't had a drink too many from simply being a bit down in the dumps?

For people who believe in chakras and energy patterns and other unproven things they take some things surprisingly literally. I would have expected a little bit more imagination and anagoge.

If the act of laughing alone is somehow healthy, is then giggling also good for you health? Not in equal measure of course (that would be absurd) but how many percent on the total laugh-o-meter are we hitting with a simple spasmodic burst from the mouth and nose? Not to mention all the different varieties of chuckles and chortles. And what about a disrespectful snigger? Is that also a way towards a good long life? Perish the thought. Some asshole will live to be a thousand.

No. We need to stop this right away. Laughter should be reserved for manifesting joy, amusement or in some cases scorn. No more laughing without actually meaning it. What's next? Sneezing when we're not feeling...sneezy? Shaking hands although we've already met the person and are quite familiar with them? High-fiving at the funerals of loved ones? Complete madness. Almost as mad as standing around in a group and laughing hysterically for no real reason.

Musings on moisture.

The wonderous world of weather phenomenon. It's perplexing, how such things evoke thoughts and feelings in me.

Mist can be romantic and mysterious. As it creeps and lingers around trees and up against moss-covered blocks of granite I sense something otherworldly. Infiltrating and caressing. Implying a spark of life it does not possess. Like a stalker, only less likely to carry a knife.

Fog is sometimes comforting when it envelopes your house on an autumn sunday while you enjoy a cup of tea. Turning your humble abode into a safe island, plunked down in an ocean of upcoming and stressful monday morning musts.

Haze mutes the world, bluring the harsh colours and blunting the sharp edges. Making the world seem distant and soothingly at bay. Perhaps a moderate bout of cataract would be beneficial? Not only for the weed-privileges.

Few things can compare to the pleasures of imagining a simple cloud into a rambunctious little turtle driving a tractor (fueled by nothing but chocolate) on a marvelously sun-drenched spring day. That so much joy can be drawn from water vapor floating aimlessly through the air. From what is in essence just dampness taken flight. So why don't I feel the same way when it infiltrates my socks?

I even find mushroom clouds quite attractive. In their own way.

'merican Medicinal Madness.

Many people view the American health care system as broken. As in, temporarily broken down. They believe that with some new corrective legislation and minor tweaks it'll be up and running again, good as new. I fear however that the situation is much worse than that. I fear we are dealing with a massive case of systemic failure. A rot that goes so deep as to be incurable. An infection that started somewhere else in society but that has now completely overtaken a system that is vital to said societies continuation.

What started out as a wish to do good business paired with the right to the pursuit of happiness has over time and various negative influences warped into a mentality of psychotic greed. The problem is two-fold:

• Ordinary supposedly God-fearing Americans justify their reluctance to reform by biblical verse taken out of context, plain ill willed ignorance or some inculcated fear of "socialism". What it comes down to in the end is fear. Fear of not having enough. And the fear of what you do have being taken away from you.

• The owners of America see these fears they've so skillfully seeded into society and exploit them to their fullest potential. Fueling them by hypothesising a we-against-them type scenario where someone is somehow out to destroy this wonderful health care system which everyone loves, sometime soon.

Fear is a powerful tool. Apparently it can even convince people that they're not actually being raped; they're being loved - forcefully. The facets to all of this are too many to delve into here. But needless to say this culture of rampant fear and Bottom line blindness has been allowed to do massive damage on the morals of medicine and plain human compassion.

It has taken America over seventy years to even begin to approach a "public option" health care system like the ones employed by every other industrialized nation. One has to guess that millions must have died due to lack of health care during those decades. More than 45,000 people each year by some estimates. Yet no one seemed to feel any urgency to fix the problem. Conscience soothed by bags of money from people in high places, no doubt.

The American health care system needs to be taken out behind the barn and shot. Point blank. In the face. Everyone has to know this by now. Even staunch Republicans must feel that twinge of disgust towards it, deep down in those empty suites they wear. The system has grown into this rabid dog about to chew the faces off of your entire family if it gets the chance. It is not Old Yeller. It's not even Cujo. Even if it's always been a good friend to you, the fact still remains that it kills poor people every day. At least Cujo killed indiscriminately.

Open wide and say "Aaaaah!"

Science Schmience.

What is it with some people and their irrational fear of science and medicine? It certainly can't be from any historical misuses of the two. These people tend to know nothing about anything that happened before 1975. What scares me is that this nonsense is slowly creeping closer to home, my home that is. In all its flamboyant, retarded glory. A not so entertaining little production by and for drama queens.

This person will not be added to my friend list anytime soon.

Well then, keep your filthy disease ridden children far away from me. Don't come crying when they turn out sterile from HPV, deaf from measles or dead from influenza. These things could do you real harm, seriously. How many times does it need to be said? Vaccination does not cause autism!

But this isn't about any actual danger posed by vaccination. And there are some slight risks. It's about parents being ill-informed, knowingly ignorant and hooked on the fear that the media provides them. What an indulgence. What spoiled childish behaviour. What a white person's privilege. What yuppie fucking bullshit. If people like this end up breaking herd immunity I hope they are the last to go. Just so that they can see what they helped create. Third world style pandemics on main street. It'll be quite the show.