Signs of the Times, Issue No. 15 - 07/07/08

It wasn't that bad. I liked it. I really did. But it kind of reminded me of "King Kong." You know, the whole girl-loves-monkey deal? Kinda sick. But really, it wasn't that bad...

Greetings to one and all on another glorious Tuesday from the United States of America. It seems like this week has gone by in the virtual blink of an eye, which is strange to me, since I worked every day from Wednesday to Saturday, including the Fourth of July, leaving me to dry with a mere one day weekend. But hey, that's not necessarily a bad thing, is it? I hope that all of you have had as enjoyable week as I have. Now, to kick off another lovely week, let us take a peek at some of the topics to be discussed this Time: sweet, sweet love, debunking the myth that a man can still make an honest dollar, eye-witnesses to yet another drug deal, celebrity hook-ups, and six degrees of separation. On we go!

My Fourth of July festivities were as follows: Working at the big GC, buying a cheap t-shirt at Wal-Mart, changing into said article of clothing, heading to the fabled Larry Miller Dome (a.k.a. my former place of employment, Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons), and then returning home for a barbeque and fireworks show with the family. For all intents and purposes, today I would like to focus my thoughts upon a certain movie commonly referred to as "Wall-E." "Wall-E" is one of the most highly acclaimed productions of this summer and, being such, we went in with very high expectations. I am not here to bash nor to boost, but to explain. The movie was good. Don't get me wrong. Was it my favorite movie of the summer? No. Was it the worst one I've seen? "Tampoco," as they say in Spanish. Now I'm no math major, but I will say that, similarly to the movie "Castaway," lack of dialogue = lack of interest. Sitting for about half an hour or more where the dialogue is as scarce as the human beings is a little tough. I'm not going to lie - I started dozing off a little bit and I know I wasn't the only one. The movie redeemed itself in the second half, largely thanks to the captain. For those of you who haven't seen the film, I won't go into details, but the captain is the stinking man! So as I said, I won't knock the movie. I enjoyed it and I don't feel it was a waste of my time. I'm glad I saw it. The only other thing I have to say it that it's a cute little show that you should see with your significant other. Why, you ask? Because nothing quite says "romantic" like two robots and a cockroach.

I have been in a mood lately where I think that having millions of dollars is normal. Everytime I turn around, I see another rags-to-riches story about some lucky punk hitting it big, but the real moral, ethical question is this - is it possible to make lots of money and still maintain your morals and ethics? The resounding answer has come to me and that answer is this one - ...Maybe... I am currently reading a book called Bringing Down the House, upon which the movie "21" is based. It centers around a group of genius MIT students who form a blackjack team with the sole intent of bringing down Vegas casinos by counting cards. They go to great lengths in the book to impress upon the reader's mind that card counting is not cheating and that, in fact, the law is on the gambler's side in the event that he is caught. However, it still has an unfair overtone and the practice slowly begins to corrupt and overcome the main character and once-innocent chemist, Kevin Lewis. It is sad to me to see this transformation from mama's boy to blinging billionaire, but also somewhat intriguing to see what he will buy next. It seems to me that he obtains the same thought process as my trainers at Guitar Center: "People say that money doesn't buy happiness, but... it really does..." - a theory to which I do not personally subscribe. Perhaps this is merely because I don't have a lot of money.

Then, I turn around and see that my family is enjoying the movie, "Catch Me If You Can," starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. The plot is also based on real events that center around Frank Abagnale, Jr., then infamous for check fraud. He used his skill to create thousands of counterfeit checks and thus propel himself into a life of riches. There are several scenes in the movie that feature what I suppose could be dubbed "shopping sprees," where Abagnale purchases fine-twined linens and imported sports cars, which clearly seems like a very attractive lifestyle.

I have recently sat and pondered upon these situations, thinking about myself in comparison. I suppose that if you surround yourself with something long enough, it becomes, essentially, a reality. For example, for Truman Burbank, fictional star of "The Truman Show," his world was, for all he knew, real. However, unbeknownst to him, his surroundings were all a set up. A television show where he was the main character. Here is the dilemma - If I continue in this misery that is all things "based on a true story," I fear that these things may become my reality. Am I doomed to a life of card counting and bank hopping? Will I be permitted to spend to my little heart's content? Only time will tell... only time will tell.

Here's the deal - There we were, doing my little brother Cody's Eagle Project putting bark down for a horse trail at the neighborhood park last Wednesday... This one girl that I haven't seen in like... thirty years comes running through the park towards the sandbox/swing set with a bag of something unrecognizable. She walks around for a little bit, looking quite like she doesn't know what's going on, then sets the bag down just behind the edge of the sandbox. Then she walks around for another second like a little ditzy school girl and takes off toward the back side of the park, heading back for her house. Kind of strange, thought Austin, another witness to the scene of sheer confusing-ness. She had forgotten her bag of clothes or whatever that was... A few minutes later, a long-haired skater kid pulled up to the park, leaving his car smack-dab in front of a fire hydrant (genius!) and walked down to the swings. He didn't make a big deal about it, didn't speak, didn't act oblivious. He simply walked to the bag, picked it up, got in his car, and drove away. And that was about it. We never heard more of the matter. In fact, we hardly spoke about it amongst ourselves. But we're pretty sure they were dealing drugs. Probably. So the next time I see a long-haired skater kid with a bag, I'm going to tackle him and make him pay. I should join the Neighborhood Watch.

**QUESTION TIME!!**


Q. "Dear Aaron,
You've heard about the big A-Rod break-up, right? Apparently he and Madonna are getting a little comfy, so to speak. And the crazy thing is that A-Rod's wife is with Lenny Kravitz, right?!? So anyway, we were thinking and we'd like to know this: If you could hook up any two celebrities (past or present), who would they be?"
- Just Curious,
The Junior Mounties

A. (SALUTE!) Good question. Good question. I've got a match made in Heaven for you - Walker, Texas Ranger, and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.


Remember, you can submit your very own questions to "Signs of the Times" via email at tarheelglory19@yahoo.com.


Celebrity Birthdays for July 8th, 2008 include Alta Band alum, Larissa Cannon, country singer, Toby Keith (47), and, in case you needed proof that everyone in the universe is somehow related to him, Kevin Bacon turns 50 today.



Finally, the Shoutouts of the Week go to my family and to James Jensen.

Family - today is a big day! Congratulations on taking the next step, Austin!

James - Still the man. Still the machine.


That's about it for this week. Hopefully you've enjoyed it. Now if you'll excuse, me, I think Madonna is calling me. Gotta run.


Until next Time,

Move It! Sell It! And Leave the Door Open!

Aaron