WW II in HD

World War II in High Definition on the history channel is pretty amazing. There is something about seeing footage of the war in color that just automatically captures your attention. I also believe that one of the factors in a lot of people's interest in watching it lies in the fact that most of us grew up reading and watching WW II in black and white.

However, at the same time, WWII in HD also makes the memories of war (at least for me) even more brutal. I am specifically speaking of the American island hopping in the South Pacific toward Japan and the footage of the Holocaust. Having already seen most of these brutal events in black and white, the addition of color just magnifies the intensity and emotionality of the war for most people (I am referring to the universally quiet and shocked faces of my friends as we watched the allies liberate the death camps).

World War II has always quite literally been a trip for me. On one hand, it is very interesting to learn about and discover the many aspects behind the largest war ever fought on this planet. At the same time, the brutality of the war also makes one ask why man is so brutal toward once another...

Healthcare in the United States...

Even though I try not to think about my generation and our future, sometimes I just have to wrestle with some ideas. One of those ideas is healthcare. What the hell is the right answer? I don't know, and I am also willing to bet that not a whole lot of people really know too.

So, on one corner of the debate, there are people who say that health insurance should be left to the private sector (as it stands now). I guess one plus of keeping it in the private sector would be having these companies keep each other in economic check (prices to the consumers) and keep costs low (at least in theory). However, how could we get most people covered (i.e. if your employer does not provide any type of health care, what do you do?).

On another corner of the debate is making healthcare nationalized. One plus of giving the government control over healthcare could come from larger coverage, however, as many of us have experienced, do we really want the government as the only (or one of many) options? The DMV comes to my mind, and I'm already pissed.

I really don't know the answer, and I think a lot of people who put themselves in one of the aforementioned camps (and the two that I spoke of are not the only points of views, either) tend to just want to tell you how stupid the other "group" is. I hope something does work out, because the thought of people going in bankruptcy or loosing their (for example) homes due to medical bills in almost unfathomable to me.

This is another example of me wishing my brain did not have to mindfuck so many things...oh well, so is the price of being a thinker...

Bioshock 2

Oh man, I love Bioschock 2. There are so many things about this game that I love, and because I can, I am going to list some of them.

1. The graphics and atmosphere are amazing. Rapture, interestingly enough, and amid all the blood and death, has a certain type of memorable feeling to it. While it is pretty to look at, it still is a place that pretty bluntly says "Stay the fuck away from this part of the Atlantic Ocean!".

2. The weapons and plasmids are sweet. Is there anything better in life than shooting some drugged up Splicer with an exploding spear, right after you blast them with a jolt of electricity? Well, maybe food and women are better, but the speargun fun definitely helps pass time.

3. The story and characters are all extremely interesting and fun to follow. I love how the first Bioshock had the whole far-right individual mindset to it, while Bioshock 2 goes for the far-left, group mentality stuff. You don't need to be a Ph.D douche to appreciate the political atmosphere being fought for in Rapture!

So, there is soooo much more I can say about this game, (I haven't even TOUCHED the multiplayer yet) however, there also happens to be a warm bath with my name on it, so the 2K games jerkfest will have to end for now...

The Power to Tax Is the Power to....Decide?

I always thought, and still continue to think, that it would be a good idea to show all workers on their pay stubs where their taxes were exactly going. Seeing where Uncle Sam was "borrowing" my money would in some way make me feel better about forking over money to my state and federal governments.

For example, if I saw on my paycheck that part of my federal taxes went to some type of public works project or giving more money to a school district in need, I would probably not be as pissed off as to the amount of $ taken from my paycheck each week.

But then again, since we as taxpayers do not have the power to decide where our taxed income goes, the idea of your pay stub telling your where your taxed money went is kind of pointless.

Oh well, one can dream...

What the hell could possibly be worth $10/$12?

For those of you looking for a movie to see, I highly (giggle) recommend Shutter Island.

Whether or not you are a fan of Scorsese, Shutter Island is a must see film! Why, Aaron, is Shutter Island a must see film? Well, first off, the film has as amazing atmosphere. Without giving too much away, Shutter Island's atmosphere is amazing because the movie makes you feel as if you yourself are on an island in the middle of the ocean, full of "mentally insane" people. From the old Civil War type prisons to the quarters where the staff stay, one gets the sense that there is something waiting for you in some dark corner somewhere.

Aside from atmosphere, another thing I liked about this movie was the way it made me think during the entire film. I was constantly questioning myself and challenging what I had been told from scene to scene. Every time I felt like I had a hold of the story, a scene came along to derail me from my thought processes. In fact, I would still argue that the end of the movie is purposely a little vague, as to give the viewer a sense of confusion, something that is fantastic for a film like this!

All in all, even though movies nowadays cost a lot of money, (in terms of being paid minimum wage, Shutter Island cost me an hour and 1/2 of labor.....lame) I would recommend Shutter Island to anyone who loves movies. Just don't expect to leave the theatre with a sense of closure, which, at least in this movies case, is just fine with me.

First blog ever!

Alright, I have been wanting to set up a blog thing for a while now. In my opinion, teh internet offers some great opportunities, and setting up your own blog is one of them!

I created this blog, "Observational Therapy", in an effort to provide myself with an outlet for noting my observations of daily life. In addition, alongside with my comments and opinions, I also hope that other people on teh interweb will also give their opinions on all that there is to experience in this "life".

Alright, before I do anything else, it's time to search other people's profiles and experience the crazy and unknown world of an internet blogger!