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Real-life crime crusaders?
April 30, 2009My favorite comic superheroes are Batman and Iron Man.
Fans of Iron Man might tell you that for Tony Stark, the suit is just an extension of his large ego. Batmaniacs will tell you that for the dark knight, Bruce Wayne is the caped crusader's mask.
Ever wonder if there are folks like our favorite pulp superheroes? Are there real masked crusaders around us? Apparently yes.
I am a little late to this party, considering that magazine articles and local news stations have already done reports on them, but it is interesting nevertheless.
These caped crusaders (mask and all) make their do gooding in Cincinnati, OH, mostly in broad daylight! And they even have their own sort of Justice Guild, which extends to other states in the nation.
Don't believe me? Watch this.
Now, I remember wanting to be superhero as a kid. And while I don't have the stats to prove it, you all know that almost every kid puts on a cape at least once in their lifetime. But I must say, these guys are at the least impressive in their resolve to do this as grownups and to actually carry out these acts in a dedicated fashion.
Who knows? Perhaps more of us should don on masks and set out to do more good deeds. Or are the masks even necessary?
Posted by Maurel Merette at 8:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
paying for facebook?
April 20, 2009In the summer of 2004, right before I moved to Texas, I got a funny email from my good friend and Fraternal Brother W. Albert Martinez with the words "Facebook Me!" on the subject line.
It was one of those red pill/blue pill moments, should I take the blue pill/trash the email and make nothing of it or take the red pill/read it and subsequently join one of the most addicting social networks ever created? Well, red-pill-me folks, I joined.
I've had my name and face available on facebook for little under 5 years. During that time I've de-activated my profile and reactivated it a few times. Personal reasons.
I've connected with high school friends, college friends, co-workers, relatives overseas and even my younger brother whom I have yet to meet in person through this website. Thus, the benefit of a free service (*cough, cough* classmates.com) to re-connect with folks from the past is evident.
But would I be willing to pay for it if the free went away?
CNET Blogger David Carnoy asked the same question today. He posted some info on financial issues that might make this move necessary for the social network. I in turn asked some of my co-workers who gave me a flat "NO"
I personally see the benefit of facebook, but quite honestly, I can do without it. I once deactivated my facebook account for 4 months...yes folks, and I wasn't for lent either.
Can you do without facebook? Or you would you be up for paying $1 per month to get your impersonal social network fix?
Posted by Maurel Merette at 9:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
musical healing
April 17, 2009I love Jazz.
Thanks to papi I had plenty of brass around the house to tinker with as a little tike. Legend goes that mi padre has a recording of me singing along to him playing the Tenor Sax...
So when life gets a little hectic and sometimes it seems I can't get myself going, I put on some Jazz, heavy on the trumpets please.
It's no secret that I dig the Menahan Street Band, their last effort plays more than once or twice a week on my Treo. But I found something more uplifting.
There's a video on the ol' youtube of a performance by a school band in Clinton Hill (I think) in NYC performing MSB's "Make the road by walking." It is awesome. Little kids doing music of this quality is always inspiring. Definitely makes me feel like something much better than what we have accomplished so far is coming and that's pretty inspiring.
Here's their performance. Oh, and you have to give them madd props, the actual Menahan Street Band was in the audience when they performed this..talk about bravery.
And here's the original for your comparison...they did awesome in my humble opinion.
Posted by Maurel Merette at 2:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
jumping on Susan Boyle's fanwagon
Ok. By now you have seen the video, heard the commentators, saw the Today Show, whatever.
If you don't know who Susan Boyle is, well, the rock you were under was under another rock.
I'm not going to re-state what has been said by all who encounter this. All I want to say to Ms. Boyle is thank you for reminding all of us that beauty and talent is more than skin deep. All of us ugly duckling's out here are cheering you on.
Warning! Watching this will certainly massage your tear ducts, I certainly got something in my eye somewhere during her performance.
*For some reason they decided not to allow embedding for this video, but here's the link
Posted by Maurel Merette at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Chevy, energize!
April 15, 2009This is a video of a reporter driving the long-touted and GM hail mary pass Chevy Volt....sort of.
He actually didn't get to drive the finished product, but the insides on it are the Chevy Volt's electric engine and other revolutionary parts.
So, it will still take another year for the vehicle to enter production and quite honestly, I don't see these making any showrooms for your purchasing pleasure until 2011.
Enjoy
Posted by Maurel Merette at 9:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
537 Cuba
April 14, 2009Almost two decades after we made nice with the our former Soviet foes, we finally show the beginnings of making nice with the Cuban government.
I've always had an admiration for Cuba and its people. Yes, Fidel is a little touched (not that my father would appreciate me saying that) and la revolucion sort of stalled when it's major cheerleader and supporter folded and caved into peer pressure and what some consider its own manufactured demise. But Cubanos are some resilient folk.
Where I'm from we have a say, "Dios te aprieta, pero no te ahorca" loosely translated this means "God squeezes but doesn't choke" Kinda crude for PG audiences, right? But if you grew up in a developing nation like mine, the sheer reality of everyday life can truly feel like it is somewhat cutting off your air supply. Well, imagine this magnified by a hundred, that's a typical day for many Cubans our the current day and age.
I recently watched a documentary that centered around group of raperos in La Habana as they crafted their music and prepared for a concert which would later be cancelled by the Ministry of Culture. It also showed the day-to-day slings and arrows that these group of folks have to dodge to survive. Needless to say, it paints a grim picture and a deep disconnect between the younger generation, who has grown up in the crumbles that make up Cuba and the older generation who remember the days of Fulgencio Batista and the early years of la revolución.
I, like many Latin-americans believe that its high time for Cuba to rejoin the world. But under who's terms will this family reunion come to fruit? I am sure that all the resort magnates are currently licking their chops and setting up contingency plans for when open resort building season is open in the Cuban mainland. But can Cuba ever really join up with the world on their terms? Or are they being set up to be pillaged by opportunists?
One thing is certain, President Obama's recent move would definitely allow for some families to reconnect. For some, lifetimes have passed since they saw each other. I hope that one day, the rest of us non-Cubans are allowed to go there as well.
Here's a trailer for the Documentary, "East of Havana", a must-see for anyone who wishes to see native informants speak on the nation's troubled history and current state.
Posted by Maurel Merette at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
escaping the matrix
April 1, 2009I've been made fun off or rather, folks have poked fun at me for my references to the blockbuster and my fave flick of all time "The Matrix" when it comes to real-world applications.
But here's a guy that uses the Matrix metaphor and makes it work for him.
Jonathan Haidt studies stuff, like many folk out there with degrees and stuff. But he's no regular watcher of people, he takes great notes and makes up good surveys. He also gets to talk at TED (which I wish I could go to, but upon strict search of cost, found out that awesome thinkers talking and pontificating cost muchos pesos).
Anywho, here's a talk I found by him at TED, he urges folks to step out of the moral matrix and quite honestly makes some good points about the ways in which our moral compasses move. He also talks on the division of our society of conservatives and liberals (and all of us around or in between) and how this deeply influences our stances on issues of morality and many other things.
The talk is not too long, under 20 minutes, and I recommend watching it instead of plugging your headphones and minimizing the window.
Posted by Maurel Merette at 9:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
