For You Judgemental Types...

Everyone I have talked to over the years has said how appalled they were at Michael Jackson's ever evolving appearance. Understandable. What really bothered me was how critical and judgemental they were over the changing color of his skin. I suppose the repulsed thoughts had crossed my mind a few times, however, I still held out hope that there was an explanation greater than "he wanted to be white."

Based on yesterday's article posted on CNN.com Michael Jackson's Glove, I can now sleep better knowing I was right to withhold judgment all of those years! As a result of postmortem interviews with Jackson's former doctors and dermatologists, as well as statements from friends and close associates, it has been confirmed that Michael Jackson did suffer from the melanin-destroying (skin-lightening) disease "Vitiligo."

In the 1980s, actress friend of Michael, Cicely Tyson, was told by their mutual fashion designer that he was designing a glove for Jackson to cover up the beginning stages of the disease which attacks the hands and face first. Michael's dermatologist later said he began administering skin-lightening treatments to blend the white patches of skin from the Vitiligo with the rest of Michael's body. He said the procedure was in no way an attempt for Michael to "become white" and he was a "proud black man."

The CNN article has all of the information in detail and I will let you refer back to it for the rest of the story. Either way, even for the type of lifestyle that Michael Jackson lived, it is a far-fetched claim that he wanted to be "white" badly enough that he bleached his skin. He was many things but wanting to be white certainly does not seem like one of them. This just adds even more to the amount of pressure he was under and the number of unusual circumstances he had to deal with.

I can't even imagine.

- Mitch G

Twilight Review... Revisited

Alright, it seems as if I've made a few people a bit upset with my harsh review of the teen Vampire melodrama "Twilight" so I wanted to make a few more points here.

First, my initial review still stands. Period. The reason it stands is because I am basing my review on the movie, not the books, which I have not read. I can, and will, take a leap of faith and believe the book was far better than the movie.

Second, and what I deem most is important, I now know the movie was based only on the first book, and not the entire series. Unfortunately this doesn't improve my impression of the movie, it worsens it. I can be a bit more understanding if a screenplay writer and director need to compress a series of books into a two hour spot, it is difficult to do, but when they are dealing with only the first book in a series, come on, lets see a bit more effort. They (the screenwriter and director) assumed I knew everything about the characters, their background, their feelings and the reasoning behind their actions. I didn't, and unless I had read the entire book, could not have had a clue. The movie jumped right into the action with no caution for development and understanding. I was never able to get attached to the characters and understand their motives. There wasn't enough meat to make me believe those things could actually be happening in a Forks, Washington high school. Speaking of, what is with the high school stereotypes? Don't movie makers know that those stereotypes are outdated and far too obvious?

Third, I've been made vividly aware that this was a low budget film. Now, I understand a low budget film means you generally end up with cheesy visual effects and scenery but this film did reasonably well in that regard. While spending $37 million, a low figure but not debilitatingly low, they should have thrown a little more towards the screenwriter and received a better adaptation from the book--that would have made things infinitely better. I believe the actors have talent and that their talent is limited by the supporting writing and directing in a movie so I can't fault them too much, yet. Since there were basically two filming locations (Arizona and Forks) with minimal special effects I would say that $37 million should have bought me a lot more entertainment and satisfaction. None of this is really surprising considering their marketing budget was at least as much as the film budget, if not more.

Finally, sometimes bold statements need to be made when jaded people make unreasonable claims about something. I am not knocking on the books because I know vampire stories tend to tread on the campy side as a part of their basic nature. I am simply stating that from a non-devout Twilight book fan the movie was really awful. Hopefully, with a bigger budget, a better adaptive screenwriter, and possibly a new director, the second movie will be far better. I will keep and open mind since I now have a minimal understanding of the characters.

- Mitch G

Twilight, the movie

This was a terrible movie. No real plot, no character building, cheesy cinematography and a poor timeline. Why do all recent Vampire movies and television shows have to be this way? They are all so campy I figured Old Navy must have mashed a bunch of their old commercials together for the silver screen.

I realize that Twilight the movie was intended for the followers of the Twilight book series, but attempting to wrap them all into a single movie was a joke; thinking it would come off as artistic was a fantasy made in... hell.

What a waste of over two hours of my life. I'll stick to books when it comes to this type of thing.

- Mitch G

R.I.P. Michael Jackson

The greatest summer for Michael Jackson fans in nearly two decades has been cut abruptly short. Michael Jackson, as everyone in the world now knows, was pronounced dead late last week at the age of 50. I won't go into the details of his death because that is common knowledge but I will say that I am sad and mourning.

Jackson was my pop idol since I can remember--I learned how to dance based on his style and I still jam to his music a couple days a week. When his music comes on while I am out I'll be the first on the dance floor to break it down. It hard to imagine him being gone.

This summer was going to be the best for Jackson in a long time; he had 50 concerts planned for the O2 arena in London starting early this month and stretching until spring 2010. It was my intent to fly to London and see one of those concerts, knowing it could be the only chance I'd have to see him dance and sing in person--that goal of mine is no longer.

I know that I am better off than most of his concert going fans in that I had yet to purchase a ticket. I can't imagine the feeling of waiting days in line for a floor seat, front row and now knowing I wouldn't be able to use it... ever. It is just tragic.

The amazing part about MJ's death is the out pour of sympathy for Jackson and his family. I am one of those who will forever remember him as the "king of pop." It is true that we all make mistakes in life and if anyone knows Michael's story, they know he isn't completely to blame. I wish him peace and I wish his family peaceful mourning in their time of grief.

Rest in peace Michael. You are an idol and inspiration to millions.

- Mitch G

I am sick and tired of this "Swine Flu" Crap!

Once again, people all around the world, unlearned and irrational are causing and attempting to cause mass hysteria over an issue.

I just found out that someone is developing an iPhone application that will track the "Swine" or "H1N1" flu. Talk about a way to make people even more paranoid! Next to that article I read another one about a university that is making a group of students who recently returned from Mexico graduate separately from their classmates. I have a slick idea for the university, why not stop over-reacting, give them a simple flu test if you think there is a REAL cause for concern and then make your decision. Genius, I know.

There is one truly outrageous happening in our country right now due to this "flu" to top it all off... mindless morons who promoting the closing of our southern border with Mexico due to the "imminent pandemic"--they should be locked away in an insane asylum. If you stop, think rationally (I know it is hard to do), and realize that illegal immigrants coming into this country DID NOT BRING THE FLU you might reconsider your absolutely aimless, pointless and horrid protests. The flu, as it has traveled around a bit, came by US CITIZENS traveling freely by air! I guess maybe we should think about keeping them away too right? Oh, no, this is just a great opportunity to voice your "no illegal immigrant" banter to the media. I can't stand it and think it is completely irresponsible.

This is the flu. Like any other flu. Get treatment early and lay low and you'll probably be fine. The media and societies idiots are really getting the best of people right now. I wish they didn't get the best of me but I'm so angry that I can't get any REAL news right now that I felt compelled to rant.

- Mitch G

How do traffic lights work?

A friend of mine wanted me to prove to him how traffic signals (lights) knew when a car was waiting to cross an intersection or make a controlled turn. I had consistently told him that most systems (especially on rural or country roads) use an "inductor" loop-style circuit that senses the magnetic field of the stopped car to tell the system a vehicle is waiting.

The car's mass, most of it some type of metal (frequently steel), acts as the inductor material in the loop of wires placed in the ground. You can frequently see the loop of wires at the stopping points of an intersection with a traffic control light (the wires are typically covered by a black rubber compound). The car's mass has a magnetic field and that field is sensed by the circuit in the ground which is read by an induction meter. When the meter value changes the system knows there is some considerable mass (car) waiting for the light to give it the indication to proceed.

This is precisely why it can be difficult to get a traffic signal to change for a motorcycle. It is also why it is nearly impossible for it to change for a bicycle or human being. The system was set up to measure the field of an object with considerable mass (in all cases, a motor vehicle) and the above mentioned objects have little mass with even smaller magnetic fields because of it.

There are many other types of traffic control systems but the most common is the induction-style circuit. Timed systems that change on a schedule with no consideration of actual traffic flow are common in urban areas with many intersections and consistent traffic patterns. There are also dual-systems that utilize both technologies in many cities. It just depends on the right system for the specific application.

For more information on traffic signal (light) systems you can read the How Stuff Works article regarding this subject. It also explains induction circuits in more detail.

- Mitch G

Why Such Beatings on Obama?

I'm not going to write much here but I wanted to link the commentary from James Carville about Obama's presidential day on April 2, 2009. He says, and I complete agree, that Obama had a fantastic day as President of our great country.

STORY

I'm getting really frustrated with all of the conservative right-winged individuals in this country posting online how much hatred they have towards Obama. He has been in office for a little less than three months and is doing more than most presidents have in that amount of time.

I'm reading complaints that the economy is still in the tank, that the government is now in control of our lives and we are becoming a socialist country, all this blah, blah, blah because of Obama. What people FORGET to mention is that we are in one of the biggest holes of ALL TIME and it isn't just the government's fault--the fault falls on the shoulders of ANYONE who overextended themselves or became greedy with others' money. Time is needed to fix major problems like those our country is facing and drastic action is necessary to do so to prevent a bigger collapse.

Patience is a virtue. Let's all get some or pretend to have it if you can't figure it out permanently. You'll help everyone. The best thing we can all do is channel our energy (anger or sadness) into productivity to build this country up again to what it was and should ultimately be!

If you are afraid the country will be, or is now, a socialist nation, just look at REAL socialist countries and tell me how similar we are. Research is good to do before making bombastic claims. I hate reading them, and wouldn't, except they pop up everywhere. The beauty of a democratic society is that if things get out of hand we, the people, still have ultimate power and if enough of us agree that we need change we can make it happen. It did during the last election. It is a great example. It is quite simple. It has been done before and can be done again, if necessary. Until we know what is necessary the claims need to stop so progress can be made.

Sometimes we need to sacrifice for the good of the nation. This may be one of those times. Why don't we all pitch in and do it? The complaining is getting terribly old. Someone has to take control and make the big decisions... I say we let that happen and figure the rest out when we have a solid foundation again.

If you disagree with me, please post and tell me why and for the sake of a good argument please have something to back it up. I am definitely fired up and ready to take this to debate. Too many people are too negative in this country right now.

- Mitch G

Your Kids Aren't That Special

I really need to stop with this CNN reading but I can't help myself!

Articles like this one titled, "Parents, your kids aren't that special," are the little gold nuggets I find every day! This article, an excerpt from Jack Cafferty's "The Situation Room" on CNN, is exactly how I feel 99.9% of the time when out and listening to people's children complain, act out and disrupt.

Jack's commentary is spot on... parents, your kids are not that special. Children deserve discipline. They must be taught what is appropriate behavior and what is not--especially when in public. I am not a fan of physical discipline and I certainly don't condone it and the good news is that all research indicates it is not necessary. With steady parenting (the biggest component), proper techniques, and a healthy dose of trial and error you can teach your children to be human beings from a young age... seriously!

Obviously being a parent is not a perfect science, in fact many would say there is no science to it all. As a sociology major from the University of Washington who studied human behavior I have to respectfully disagree. While being a good parent is a learned skill and certainly not genetic, you can be effective right out of the box using proven steps.

Start by doing your research (yes you can research being a parent and it is OK!), remember to be compassionate (you are raising a human, not an animal), and most importantly, establish fair but firm boundaries. Fair but firm means keeping a steady hand--not a vise-grip--and recognize that children are children and they do not yet have the ability to manage their emotions like you do (or like we all hope you do).

NOTE: If you don't have the ability to manage and effectively channel your own emotions... don't have children; you are doing them, you, the world and me great harm.

It is important to recognize that you and your child can teach each other things. It is OK. You can learn from your child--it is encouraged. Please do it. They may help you understand yourself better. Your child could quite possibly--and likely will--open your mind to new and better ways of interpreting life that you would miss on your own! The innocence of youth has a funny way of doing that. Don't squash it. Listen, you may be surprised by what you hear.

With all this said, I am not attempting to give parenting instructions here. I am also not saying that each method works for each parent and child. There are variations... many of them. Ultimately the responsibility always falls on the parents for a child's behavior. Please, don't neglect them. If you can't parent, don't have children.

I get upset when children are unruly and lash out with no restraint but it is your job as a parent to resolve the issues with your children and you owe it to them to do so. You are the only one who can set your child on a path for proper societal integration. Do it. For you, for them, for me and for everyone else on this planet who may have to deal with them now or in the future.

- Mitch G

Robbers Steal $100 million from Harry Winston Paris

I just had to post this quickly as a result of my complete shock...

STORY

Apparently four robbers held up a Harry Winston jewelry store near the Champs-Elysee's in Paris. They not only got away with nearly $100 million in jewels in roughly 15 minutes but the store had been held up not 14 months earlier!

The store is located around the corner from a police station and the robbers STILL got away. I'm completely amazed and wish I had more details because it is hard to believe. It sounds easy.

Not only is there an armed security guard at the door of my local Tiffany's store in an ENCLOSED shopping mall but there are roaming armed city police within minutes, if not less, from the location. Should there be a problem a half-dozen or more armed law enforcement personnel would be on site before you could beathe.

I guess I figured a Harry Winston would be better protected. Arrogance maybe? Who knows. I just don't know how a store such as H.W. could allow something like this to happen with no resistance whatsoever.

Does anyone know more about this? I want to know more. I realize this was a while ago now but I finally got around to writing about it (like most of my other posts I've been putting off).

- Mitch G

Gas Guzzling to Gas Sipping... Hummers?

The title does pose a strange question... can gas guzzling, classic American cars as well as some late model vehicles (ahem... Hummer?), become fuel sipping econo-cruisers? According to Johnathan Goodwin of Wichita, Kansas they most certainly can!

Goodwin's company H-Line Conversions specializes in converting gas guzzling Hummer off-road vehicles (H1 and H2 models) into economical (and environmentally friendly) bio-diesel cruisers. The details of the CNN story is here and H-Line Conversion's web site is here.

The H2 Hummers go from 325hp, 8-12mpg binge gas drinkers to 650+ hp, 25mpg, bio-diesel and earth-friendly wonder trucks. The conversions are not cheap but the positive environmental impact is high--not to mention you will have one of the most unique vehicles on the road.

What really caught my eye was the conversion of rock legend Neil Young's classic 1959 Lincoln Continental from a big-block gas guzzler to a gas sipping hybrid gas-electric land yacht. Not only is the Continental one of the biggest and heaviest cars America ever produced but it is nearly 19 feet long and still, with the conversion, can achieve nearly 100 miles per gallon!

The conversions aren't exactly cost effective but they make a great statement. I would call them a great topic and centerpiece for conversation. If I ever decide to spend enough of my money to buy a gas guzzling truck or classic car I may consider a conversion like this to make a statement and spice things up a bit!

Very cool.

- Mitch G