My Night With Young Adult and The People Who Made It

So last night I had passes to a “secret” screening at the Edina Landmark theater. I had no idea what movie it was going to be, I thought it was going to be Paranormal Activity 3, but when my friend Jordan and I got to wait in line outside the theater, we overheard people talking that it was an Oscar nominated director and people were suspecting it was the latest film from Jason Reitman, which people in the crowd seemed to know very little about. But through random connections I knew a bit more. Back in July, I was part of this marketing study where I watched an early cut trailer from Jason Reitman's latest film “Young Adult” starring Charlize Theron and written by Diablo Cody.

So we get seated and about 45 minutes later Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody pop up in front of the crowd and introduces his film which was really cool. My friend Jordan thought it was even cooler because she has never been to a film screening where the filmmakers were present. So the movie begins and it was not the movie I thought it was going to be from what I saw in the trailer, it was somewhat predictable but the film has a very different third act than what I thought was going to be. But overall, I had a great time with the movie, it comes out on December16th in case you want to check it out, in which I'll try to post a more detailed review of the movie.

After the movie Reitman and Cody did a 30 minute Q&A session and I even got to ask Jason a question, which was about the promotion of “Young Adult” and if there was going to be a similar promotion to that of Reitman's last film “Up In The Air” where Hilton Hotels helped promote the movie by putting a pic of the movie poster on their hotel key cards, which I have from a conference I went to a few years ago when the movie was out in theaters. He laughed and said based on the films premise, he was surprised Hampton Inn even let them use their hotels brand, because in the film Charlize Theron's character stays at a Hampton Inn hotel.

After the Q & A, my friend Jordan and I were freaking out because how great of experience we had already, on top of the fact that they were giving everyone in attendance a limited print poster done by a local studio. Then I see Diablo Cody talking to some friends who were sitting in front of us and I overhear her say Nye's is the place that they were going to. Which was some cool info to have but didn't for sure know if I was going to attempt to join them because it may come of as kind of creepy. I got to shake Jason Reitman's hand on the way out and we go to Jordan's car to drive back to Minneapolis. But not before we stopped for milkshakes at a nearby Dairy Queen.

So after Jordan drops me off, I start debating with myself on whether or not I should go to Nye's. Nye's is a local bar in my neighborhood of Northeast Minneapolis that I've been to a few times, but am not a frequent visitor to. Despite two of my friends, including Jordan, saying not to go out to Nye's, I end up going anyway. As you'll soon read, it was a great decision on my part. I arrive at Nye's and go to the bar and order my drink of choice, a long island ice tea. Sitting in a group of about 15 people I see Diablo Cody, Jason Reitman, and what I assumed were Diablo's friends from when she lived in Minneapolis.

I sat at the bar eyeing the group, and the rest of the scenery as the piano man was playing and everyone seemed to enjoy his tunes. I spent a good 10 minutes at the bar debating if I should actually go up to Jason or Diablo to introduce myself and say I was at the screening earlier. I had read online before leaving for Nye's that it was Jason Reitman's birthday as well. So I finally gather up the courage to ask Jason how is it spending his birthday in Minneapolis, and he said it was really great night for him. Then I bust out that hotel key card from a few years ago asking him to sign it. He was astounded that I brought it along because they were just talking about it and I said I was the one who asked about it at the “Young Adult” screening. He was delighted to sign it. It was at this point Diablo Cody introduces herself to me as she was nearby while I was talking to Jason. But she introduces herself by her real name, which is Brooke, which is what I'll refer to her as for the rest of this post. So I get to chat with her for a bit about the movie, how I overheard where they were going to be. She said it wasn't creepy at all coming out and that she actually appreciated it. I also had the opportunity of meeting all of Brooke's friends who were at Nye's and were also very nice and welcoming. It was about at this point the waitress brings out a little birthday treat for Jason and we all sang 'Happy Birthday' to Jason. Later on, while talking with Brooke, she offers to buy me a drink. That was awesome. I say I am drinking a long island ice tea and she goes to the bar to buy me that drink. While at the bar I ask about how was it working with Megan Fox and if she was the actress she wanted for the role she ended up playing in “Jennifer's Body.” Her response was very respectful of Megan Fox. Brooke said Megan was a real nice girl and that she kind of gets flack for not being so much because she is just a shy person due to being burned by so many people in Hollywood, it was kind of enlightening to hear about a side of Megan Fox that I've never heard about before.

So the night came to a close and Jason and Brooke left, but not before I as able to get a photo with them, it actually occurred earlier in the evening but whatever. After Brooke and Jason left I stuck around as did some of Brooke's friends from the area and it as really fun to chat with complete strangers about a few different topics, including TV, movies, and one of my favorites, how social media is such a wasteland. So great to find others, some of whom work directly with social media professionally, agreed with my theory on social media.

Overall this night was just awesome to experience. Meeting Jason and Brooke and her friends was a total positive night. I really take it as a blessing from God to have a truly joyous night for a change, and after mingling and getting along great with some Hollywood types, I really see myself wanting to move to Los Angeles for sure now. For a while, it was an idea I've been kicking around, but now its something I want to pursue in a few years, to try to work in the movie industry, which people have told me for years I should do because of my love of movies and that I have made a few short films. So lesson learned from last night, if you get an opportunity to have what will surely be an awesome night, go for it full speed.

Until next time...stay safe folks.

Concerning The Westboro Baptist Church

So today is September 11, 2011, 10 years after one of the most tragic events in American history. While everyone is remembering those who were lost or just shedding tears due to reliving the events of that catastrophic day, one group is picketing with signs in New York City thanking God for that day, those people of course being the Phelps family who make up most of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, KS. Since around late March of this year, I've been doing a bit of research on the church trying to understand how a message that I've been told is about love, can be turned into such hatred. Since I first heard about the Westboro Baptist Church, it has pained me to know that there is a group of Christian believers with such passion and fire for taking God's word to the people, only to take that passion and turn Jesus Christ's message of love and forgiveness into one of hate and doom.

I'm no expert on the Christian faith I follow, but from what I've read God doesn't hate America like the WBC preaches. But at the same time, I don't totally disagree with that statement either. I certainly believe God would be a little upset with America in terms of what it has become, a land where its people abuse their freedoms and where it has become a land of excess, and considering this country was founded on religious freedom, it has turned into a country where most are embarrassed to reveal or even talk about their religion because of how unpopular it seems to be in the mainstream of our culture.

Thanks to the media who constantly give them attention for some odd reason, the Westboro Baptist Church(WBC) has now become the most talked about and most featured group of Christians in America, now making the stereotype of the judgmental and hateful Christian more prevalent than ever. But how does this message of hate come into being? The following is my theory to answer that question.

The 20^th century brought about many things to add to our culture. But one major change was how Christianity took a step back in people's lives. People seemed to the realization that they could still lead enjoyable lives without a Christian faith in their lives, and with that, people cared a lot less to listen to people who still choose to believe in a Christian faith and who voice their opinions about it. Which in turn leads to Christians who talk about their beliefs, fall on deaf ears. This became very frustrating for Christians who put themselves out there like that. This is where the WBC comes in. While this trend started to happening, I think the frustration that was caused by this preaching falling on deaf ears turned to anger in the WBC, and soon certain passages in the Bible started to take on new meanings of hatred towards the human race who ignore God's word, and given time the hatred becomes a delusion that those who make up the WBC are the only living people who will get into heaven and the other 6 billion people on earth, even those who are God fearing Christians, are doomed to go to Hell.

Certainly this is just a theory, I have little to backup this theory other than trends in American culture, and how the WBC started to get attention in the mainstream media. Its just conjecture based on observations. But taking this viewpoint on the Westboro Baptist Church, hopefully gives others a chance to view them how I've come to view them, because I understand how Christians can just feel totally disgusted as to what God's most cherished creation, humans, have become, while totally ignoring God's presence in their lives, as well as Christians, especially those in missions, get so frustrated at people who won't even give a moment of their time to hear about the Gospel. But the difference between me, as well as most Christians, and the Westboro Baptist Church, I still remember God's infinite forgiveness for people and I know that I need to extend that to others who have wronged or angered me in my life.

The Smurfs - Movie Review

“The Smurfs” was a TV show I watched a lot in re runs when I was a child, and worked really well as a half hour kids show. The Smurfs were a good and wholesome group of blue people who just wanted to live and enjoy nature. Their enemy was Gargamel who wanted the Smurfs for a number of reasons, sometimes to eat them, and other times to use them in a magical spell. It was quite entertaining and one of the better Hanna-Barbara studios cartoons.

Now in the year 2011, Columbia pictures has released a half computer animated half live action film version of The Smurfs, simply just called The Smurfs. It takes the the characters from the original TV show, and through a random warp transplants them to New York City, and thats just the start of how ridiculous is. The voice acting stars Katy Perry, George Lopez, Alan Cumming, and most notable, in a rare appearance of any kind, legendary comedian Jonathan Winters who does the voice of Papa Smurf. It was really nice hearing Winters voice throughout the film but his character makes about the same caliber of questionable decisions as Qui Gon Jinn in Star Wars: Episode I. He comes off as this wise old sage of the Smurf clan but then acts like a child in situations once they are in New York City. For example, he promises one of the humans they encounter that are kind to them that they will stay put, and not even 10 seconds later runs off with his Smurf friends following suit, even the 5 year olds that this movie is mostly marketed to can stay still longer before turning their words into a lie.

The live action part of the cast must've owed someone a favor because I can't see how else they got them together. The film stars Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays (from “Glee” fame), Hank Azaria, and in a rare cinema appearance, Tim Gunn from the TV Show“Project Runway” who has one or two good one liners in his limited appearance in the film. Harris and Mays play an expecting married couple who accidentally find the Smurfs in their home and eventually try to help them get back home. Harris works in marketing and worries too much about his job and has to learn a lesson about. Which becomes one of the morals of the movie and it comes across as very forced. Mays plays the expecting mother who is well on her way to being very motherly.

Hank Azaria plays the villain of the film, Gargamel, and he makes it a very close competition between who is more cartoonish: The Smurfs or Gargamel. His performance is the one redeeming thing in the movie because it seems his winking at the camera often enough to point out that he is in the Smurfs movie and he almost knows its bad but he is having as much as he can with it. His best bit is anytime he comes across a mist rising out of the sewer he points out to himself and his cat that it looks very mysterious walking out of a white mist. He almost is always in conversation with his cat, Azrael, who is computer animated but made to look as much as a real cat as possible which was done well. So if you want to see Hank Azaria acting like a fool but being well aware of it, well The Smurfs might work for you.

The biggest fault of this movie is it overlooks the biggest, and basically only, character development of the film in the character Clumsy Smurf, who as you can tell by his name is clumsy and screws everything up, and semi-spoiler alert redeems himself in the end, and its celebrated but not to the extent you would expect. Plus they totally miss a great setup in the film where its discussed on how Smurfs get their names, and from the conversation had between the Smurfs and Mays and Harris' characters you would think Clumsy Smurf would be renamed upon redeeming himself, but it doesn't happen, for me personally left the ending of the film underwhelming.

So overall, I didn't like this movie, and not because it is a kids movie, because kids movies can be done really well, like Toy Story 3 and How To Train Your Dragon, and The Smurfs doesn't even have half the quality of those films. The writing is shoddy, the characters are very flat, and other than Hank Azaria's self aware character performance, there is really nothing enjoyable about this movie.

My overall grade for this movie: D

Until Next Time...Stay safe folks.

Top 5 Movies I want released on Blu-ray

So back in November of 2010, I made the upgrade the Blu-ray which is a far superior medium if you have the equipment to support it, that being an HDTV and a home theater sound system. The greatest thing about Blu-ray is the uncompressed video and sound it delivers which makes the at-home viewing experience almost on par with going to an actual movie theater. The downside to Blu-ray is thought the format has been in the mainstream for about 5 years, studios still have some catching up to do on releasing great past titles on to the format. So here is my current top 5 movies that aren't on Blu-ray nor do they have a release date set for Blu-ray.*

#1 Who Framed Roger Rabbit

This is easily one of my favorite films of all time. Robert Zemeckis does a fantastic job of replicating the Tex Avery style of animation and mixing a half animation, half live action world. The 2003 Vista Series DVD release is an excellent presentation, but I think its time the powers at Disney do another restoration of this for Blu-ray. The vivid colors and theAlan Silvestri score would be awesome to have on Blu-ray.

Update: This movie is set to be released on Blu-ray on March 12, 2013

#2 The Indiana Jones Trilogy

This one is probably at the top of most Blu-ray enthusiasts lists most wanted titles on Blu-ray, but Roger Rabbit holds a special place for me that just edges out the Indiana Jones trilogy. There isn't much left to say about this trilogy other than the fact that its quite shocking they didn't do a Blu-ray release for this back in 2008 when Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull was released, but with Star Wars and Jurassic Park being released on to Blu-ray later this year, it has to be the next franchise to get Blu-ray box set. I just hope they offer it as a trilogy box set so I won't have to deal with owning Crystal Skull.

Update: These movies were released on Blu-ray on September 18, 2012

#3 Dick Tracy

This is one film I bet a lot of people forget about, but I can guess if the restoration is done correctly, which is almost a guarantee since it is a Disney movie, and almost all of their Blu-rays look and sound perfect, Dick Tracy will look amazing on Blu-ray due to its bright color palette and amazing sets built for the film. In a recent Dick Tracy Q&A Warren Beatty said a Blu-ray is in the works but no release date has been set. And that is the first bit of news concerning this films Blu-ray release, I've ever heard of.

Update: This movie was released on Blu-ray on December 11, 2012

#4 The Rocketeer

The Rocketeer was a movie my mom and I watched numerous time when I was a kid, and we watched it off of a version we taped off of Disney Channel which back then showed films in their entirety and didn't take any breaks at all. But this movie has an amazing score that I would love to fill the room with, and it's another Disney movie so the restoration will be awesome and with this year being the films 20^th anniversary, its kind shocking Disney missed the boat on capitalizing on doing a Blu-ray release of it this year. Plus with its only DVD release dates back to 1999, its long over due for a high-definition restoration.

Update: This movie was released on Blu-ray on December 13, 2011

#5 Batman: Mask of The Phantasm

Of the titles on this list, I imagine this one is not far off, especially with the release of The Dark Knight Rises next year, Warner Brothers has to be planning this one for a Blu-ray release real soon, especially after the fact they released Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker back in April, and from what I read the high-definition presentation was well done, and Mask of the Phantasm, was actually released in theaters so they may have better material to work with in terms of making a restoration of the film. Mask of The Phantasm is the only Batman movie left that was released in theaters to not have a Blu-ray release, unless you count the Batman serial films from the 1940s.

One movie that was going to make this list was It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. But researching this post I found it was released as a Wal-Mart exclusive earlier this month and its a budget release so it was only $10. Great deal for one of my favorite films of all time.

Captain America: The First Avenger review

So Captain America: The First Avenger is the last major comic book movie to come out this summer, and the studio system has certainly saved the best for last. Captain America: The First Avenger is filled with action and adventure, subtle romance, a villain that seems to be just pure evil, and one of the finer hero's journey stories. I saw the movie in 2D, because I read it wasn't worth seeing in 3D, and after seeing the film I didn't see anything where 3D would have added much to the experience of watching the film.

The cast was absolutely amazing, everyone played their part and didn't out shine anyone in terms of performance. Chris Evan signed on for nine films when he was cast Captain America. That was a great decision on the studio's part because he was spectacular in the role, a huge departure from his other Marvel based role of The Human Torch in the Fantastic Four films. He is able to capture pure good essence of the Captain America character without a factor of unbelievability that he is too good, and he comes off as relatable throughout the film.

Hayley Atwell plays the Captain's love interest, Peggy Carter, she plays a strong willed but still slightly vulnerable female lead. She's assertive and certainly has some attitude to her. It was great to see that they did not dumb down her character in the transition from comic book to film, because it is very easy to do that when making a movie set in the 1940s but the writers and director didn't do that at all.

My personal favorite performance of the film is Hugo Weaving as The Red Skull. When this casting was originally announced, I got excited because Weaving is great in every geek property he has a part in, whether it is The Matrix, Lord of the Rings, or V For Vendetta and now Captain America, he always turns in a stellar performance. The Red Skull for those who aren't familiar with the character is one of the more major villains in the Marvel universe, and one that doesn't compromise his agenda for anything, he is just pure evil and nothing less than that, and Hugo Weaving conveys just that as The Red Skull.

The one detail that I was a bit weary about going into this film was the director, Joe Johnston. For those who don't know, Joe Johnston early in his career. directred some awesome films such as The Rocketeer and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, while lately directing some films that were just terrible, The Wolfman (2010) and Jurassic Park III. But upon seeing Captain America: The First Avenger, Joe Johnston has regained his directorial touch he had while directing The Rocketeer, which makes me think he should just stick with directing movies that take place in the 1940s. The performances he was able to get out of the actors and choices in how to shoot scenes comes across as positive on screen. He deserves a good amount for the overall package of a movie he was able to put together.

In terms of the actual story and plot, without going into spoilers too much, the story of Steve Rogers becoming Captain America and going after the bad guys, was just really enjoyable, well paced, and just fun to watch. The love story between Peggy Carter and Captain America was subtle, didn't seem forced, and flowed really well into the overall plot of the film. The fight scenes were well shot. Never was the camera too tight on the action, which was a problem in the other Avengers movie this summer, Thor. And the final fight of the movie, was great to sit through and see it develop, awesome build up and great payoff, including some possible foreshadowing for The Avengers, maybe???

Sure there are a few issues with the film but I'd have to go into spoilers to explain them and I don't feel like ruining the movie for others who maybe reading this who haven't seen it yet. So go see Captain America: The First Avenger and then start the countdown to May 4, 2012 when this series of Marvel films finally will payoff and The Avengers will kick off what will hopefully the best movie summer in a long time.

Overall Rating of the film: A-

Until next time...Stay safe

Photographers are a Sham

There are so many issues to have in the world but one I have with that seems to go unnoticed is people who identify themselves as a photographer. That term is so loosely used these days its kind of disgusting, at least to me. Back before digital cameras, photographers had to have an eye for what makes a great photo. Now one can take thousands of photos and have a few great photos just out of sure luck. It used to be photographers had to be sure what they were taking a picture of would make for a great visual, or they would be wasting time, money, and film. They only had so much film to take so many photos, now the amount of photos one can take is basically infinite with the size of flash memory. It seems anyone with some extra money can buy the title of photographer, and most of them will never see the inside of a dark room, and Photoshop makes it so the picture doesnt even have to be that good and it can still be made to look attractive to the human eye.

Just because someone can post a few picture they took online and show them off to make people think they can take good photos, doesn't mean they deserve the title of photographer. If that statement were true, every parent who feels the need to take pictures at every event their child is on display would be called a photographer, which isn't true, they are just documenting their childs life because of their sheer love for them.

I own a video camera, and have made a couple of films that have been posted online, that doesn't mean I call myself a filmmaker, and those who do, are just as crazy as the photographer folk.

My last comparison to prove my point is, to quote the movie Ratatouille, anyone can cook, but it takes a special talent to be called a chef. The same is true with being called a photographer, anyone can take a picture, but it takes a very special talent in a person to be called a photographer.  But too many people who just take pictures in their spare time, call themselves photographers, and get these visions of grandeur that they want to be professional photographers, in which my response to them, despite killing their dreams, is good luck, because there are very few people in the world who make a living off of being a photographer.

And DON'T say because someone did the pictures for a few peoples wedding that they deserve the title of photographer, because anyone who has seen a couple romantic movies can figure out how to take decent wedding photos.

Now I am quite sure people out there well disagree with me, which is fine, but when you think about it, its all too easy to pick up a camera, point it at something, shoot it, and if need be, make it pretty in Photoshop. And if that is what makes someone a photographer, what do we call the few people who are actually talented and gifted in the field?

Until next time...Stay safe.

My rules on seeing movies

The following are the rules I tell people to follow when seeing movies with me, if a person violates any of the rules, unless you have a very valid excuse, which is rare that I decide it to be valid, I won’t see a movie with them ever again.

1. Must arrive at least 10 minutes before the listed time that the movie starts. I usually suggest 20 minutes so in case people get held up by things on the way over.
2. I pick the seats, I have seen enough movies in my time to know the select seats to sit in that make for optimal movie viewing. They are the ones in the upper section of seats and right in the middle. This is why Rule #1 is so important to get to theater early to be able to claim these seats.
3. If I, or someone in the group of people saves a seat for you, and you don’t show up or show up after the movie starts, I won’t see a movie with you again. This rule harkens back a midnight screening of Avatar when it came out and I saved a seat for someone and they decided to have a fight with their significant other in the lobby and they never showed up. So I look like a tool during the whole movie in a sold out theater with an empty chair with my coat in it. Not cool.
4. Don’t talk during the movie unless both of us have seen the movie, I don’t want to hear your smart remarks on my first experience of a movie, I want to fully experience just the movie and that’s it, don’t talk to me or others around you. Even if you think you are the quietest whisperer, others, that you didn’t come with, and don’t want to hear you, can hear you talk, and its very disrespectful to the movie goers around you. There is an exception to this rule but it has never come to fruition for me. If we are in a theater and our group of people, whether it be 2 or 10, are the only ones in the theater for the movie, then comments are allowed because I have always wanted to have that experience, but it happens so rarely, I’ve had the opportunity to do so.
5. Don’t go on your cell phone during the movie, EVER. I hate people that do that, it is annoying and distracting, if you absolutely have to check your cell phone, quietly leave the theater for a brief moment, and check it outside.
6. If you go with your significant other to a movie with me, don’t make out during the movie, that’s highly annoying and just embarrassing that I came to the movie with you, holding hands is a maybe, but definitely a big NO on the making out, if you want to suck each other’s face off, stay home and do it in the privacy of your home.
7. When the credits start, that does not mean its time leave. If we followed rule #2 we are in the middle of a row, and if it’s a packed theater we’ll have to wait for people to leave. Enjoy the end credits music and maybe there will be an easter egg at the end of the movie, and that latter hope is why I sit through every movies credits in a movie theater, just in case.

Narcissism and Social Media

First off, I am going to start this blog by saying: if I offend you in any way, good. That’s the point

of this blog entry. It’s to make you mad and hope you do some reflection, because its come to my

attention that we live in a highly saturated narcissistic society, and most of us don't come anywhere

close to fully realizing how bad it is. Sure, most people acknowledge celebrities come across as

narcissistic, but if you are absorbed in social media, you are a narcissist to a certain degree (and

some much more than others). Twitter and Facebook have made regular, everyday people turn into

self-centered freaks who post things from their lives or their thoughts online to draw attention to

themselves. Am I being narcissistic by posting on this blog? YES, and I know it. But for once with this

blog, I am trying to make a valid point. (And for those who know me personally, yes I would make

this rant in a very animated manner.)

“Social media” as its called, has given people free reign, and allowed them to yell out, “Look at me and

what I am doing.” Whether its worth seeing or not is up to the viewer. My point is that doesn't matter.

Why? Because people are going to do it anyway because it makes them feel good. It makes them feel

like they have an audience of some kind. The result is they do whatever they can to feel attached to us,

posting as many things as they can online. Photos. Status updates Silly videos. I have done all of it for

far too long and I feel it’s grown tiresome.

I can't log on to Facebook or Twitter without seeing someone posting something that makes me think,

“Why in the heck would anyone in their right mind post that,” and then I remember, “oh yes, it’s to add

to their ever expanding ego that everyone seems in competition to add to...whether they want to admit

or not.” Take for example a tweet I saw tonight that read, “I HAVE BEEN A SINGLE GIRL FOR FAR

TOO LONG. DOES GETTING MARRIED MEAN I HAVE TO STOP LEAVING CLOTHES ALL OVER THE HOUSE? THIS IS SERIOUS. :)” Now a few details need to be known about this before jumping to your own conclusions: this person has been out of a dating relationship for barely 3 months, and this person has a child. Now knowing that info, this tweet just seems idiotic when one thinks of why it was

posted. I know people have said that Twitter is just pointless status updates, and I have defended it by

saying it’s a bit more than that in some ways, but at the end of the day, it’s real purpose is to build up

the poster’s ego by making them feel important. I don't care if people deny it. On some level, that is

why people participate in social media: because they want attention, and social media feels like an easy

to get some sort of attention.

And to the people who say, “I'm on Twitter to network.” SHUT UP. No you're not,. You can network

without Twitter and maybe get rid of your big ego. People choose not to because the people who

feel the constant need to “network” on Twitter also need attention (why else would they “network”

where there’s the possibility that billions of people could access their thoughts?) If Twitter were to

be wiped off the face of the earth, those people would need some serious mental help. Altogether as

a society it doesn't matter who reads this blog post because people will still go on overusing social

media outlets because that is just the way things are. At the end of the day we are an egotistical, self-

centered, narcissistic group of people who interact with each other with words that, if looked at out of

the context of social media publication, makes little to no sense,. It is simply people saying over and

over again, “Look at me. Please, please look at me. Notice me. I’m important, look at me.”

And yes, I know I am a part of the problem, but to operate in society today you have to participate

or it’s as if you are living in the dark ages. Its quite intriguing. If I can make it to the start of Lent

without losing any more of my mind due to the egotistical-ness of social media, I am giving it up for

the entirety of Lent, and I’ll try to focus on more important things.

I still don't know how to end these things properly, but please think about what I've written, and

consider life just for one week without social media. I imagine it’s a freeing experience. Hopefully I'll

find out for sure, soon.