Socialistic conditioning: In (former) Soviet Russia you’ll be fine as long as you don't try to succeed.

правда в конкурсе

The Crazy Sociology Experiment Buried in a Russian Game Show | Cracked.com: As noted in Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behaviour, contestants on the Russian version of the show quickly became wary of asking the audience anything, because they'd almost always give the wrong answer. You may assume that this is the result of a government health agenda built around the regular consumption of vodka, but you're wrong. As it turns out, it's believed that Russian audiences would intentionally try to sabotage contestants on the show.

See, historically in Russia, everyone in a given community was expected to pitch in; everyone was expected to suffer and to help out. Minor favors like the borrowing of matches, money, and supplies weren't just common, they were expected. However, this collective sense of entitlement meant that anyone who stood out or attempted to make it on his own was immediately shunned and the favors that were once commonplace became nonexistent. For the record, this is the very definition of standing out:

Reality shows and game shows are meant to be a sublimated version of the Roman Circus. Viewers vent out their resentments and lash them out at “those who are going to die, Caesar.” But while some people are patiently (or eagerly) waiting for Richard Bachman’s “The Running Man” to come true, it might be helpful for us to notice that the dystopia is already with us.

There’s no need to talk about “Fear Factor”, even a bland, innocuous show like the Russian version “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” can show us how decades of communism can grind the collective will down. In Soviet Russia, they don’t celebrate your success; they loathe it intensely and try to sabotage it with all their might.

You’ll be fine as long as you don’t try to stand out from the collective.

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Angry Birds... a political statement?

PJ Lifestyle: 5 Secret Conservative Messages Hidden in Angry Birds: But here’s a few of the things you can learn flipping birds at pigs:

1. It’s not nice to steal what other people produce. The pigs are the villains because they take the birds’ eggs. Could the symbolism be any clearer? Pigs = Government. Eggs = The Productions of the Productive. Ayn Rand couldn’t have said it better — except maybe in her brilliant scene where a boomerang myna bird flies backwards into a beach ball.

2. When in doubt, turn to the wisdom of those who’ve gone before. If you want to score three stars on every level and pick up the golden eggs, sooner or later, you’re going to have to consult YouTube. It’s what we Angry Birders have instead of the Federalist Papers.

3. Doing the same thing over and over will produce the same results. In the immortal words of the exploding blackbird: “Don’t just keep hurling the same bird at the same spot. What doesn’t work doesn’t work. It’s exactly like socialism because… KA-BOOM!” The guy never finishes a sentence.

4. Destroy the foundation and everything else collapses. Clearly a veiled reference to the Obama administration’s repeated unconstitutional usurpations of power and its disregard for American practice and tradition. Also a good technique for getting a series of traffic cones to topple a wooden beam bringing down a stone castle.

5. The anchors of the network news media have degenerated into dishonorable liars. I think this is obvious. Just stop playing Angry Birds for a few minutes and watch their shows.

Well, I could go on, but I have to get back to work. A group of pigs (government) has stolen the eggs (money) from some birds (productive citizens) and I have to start hurling bodies at them in order to bring down their elaborate but essentially useless structures and restore the land to liberty.

That was the great Andrew Klavan. And yep, you just have read it. Here's a few other lessons:

6. Persevere: there is another way to win the level. Just keep trying.

7. Hard work bring rewards: Once you've figured out how to beat a tricky level, only practice will bring you to the next level. Knowledge is only half of the battle.

8. Don't lose sight of your enemies. But if you just can't stand their sneering and bickering, just mute them and keep on going. You will prevail.

9. Keep your eyes on the goal: Once you get there, you can work out the fine tuning, i.e. working to get the three stars in each level.

10. Try not to rely on the special features: they are scarce resources and they don't guarantee anything you can achieve by yourself. 

Aaaa-júa!

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Everybody sneers at Rupert Murdoch, none at Al Gore. Why?

Yes, this laureated and certified A-hole responding to the name of Al Gore, keeps on saying one thing and doing another, specially when big money is involved. For those who like to justify him because he is a "jolly environmentalist good fellow", think again about what you are aiding and abetting by turning an eye blind.

Kevin James' "Here Comes the Boom" entertains... and inspires!

It's for the frigging kids...

Here Comes the Boom is lighthearted entertainment, but still manages to bring several political hot issues to make you still wonder. For starters, it is unbelievable bipartisan. It knocks off the unfair founding school system, but it does the same with the teacher unions. The film doesn’t pit the personal responsibility ideal against the “it takes a village” meme, but embraces both of them. It cheers America and being American (a lot), but criticizes the current economical state of affairs. And Kevin James’ main character lone crusade mobilizes (and changes) the entire community at the end, integrating it in a way it can only be desired in real life, thanks to the still undergoing polarization.

Mixed martial arts and the UFC is a big winner here, something truly deserved for awhile. The new sport discipline knocked boxing out of its place by being first a more honest spectacle, and second, by bringing more feeling and emotion to the public. The movie obviously capitalizes on that ongoing spirit; some may deem this as a shameless commercial, but for most it is the final coming of age of MMA into the mainstream.

Of course “mixed reviews” were expected. After all, is a Kevin James movie and Adam Sandler is thru executive producing and his company Happy Madison involved. It is customary for the movie critics attempting to tear down anything with the name of Sandler or James once it appear in the theater marquees, but the people have spoken. People laughed with the comedy, not at the story and the focused actors’ performances.

January is supposed to be sort of a “nuclear waste facility” for the movie studios that want to get rid of failed projects and expected bombs. Here comes the boom doesn’t have the look of a failure nor its spirit. People simply need a reason to go to the movies at the beginning of the years and the cast that includes Salma Hayek, Joe Rogan (as himself), and of course the great Henry Winkler, provides it.

Highly recommended.

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