Every year, since 2004, I’ve been ranking every movie that I see. This started for two reasons: 1) I’m a compulsive list taker –and- 2) It’s good to reference to, years later. Anyway, the Matties differ from the Oscars in that every movie is not up for a Mattie. Only those movies that I saw during the 2009 year. Typically, since I don’t sleep. I watch about 250 movies and read about 100 books per year, all between the hours of 11pm and 4am. This year, however, we had a baby, so my movie watching totals were reduced to only 122. Every other year, after the Oscar nominations, I make a point of spending an entire weekend at a theatre, watching every single movie with a nomination. This year, I was unable to do so (though I did see a few, like Avatar and Crazy Heart- though neither made my top 25) So, watch for the 09 Oscar winners in the 2010 Matties, after I’m able to watch them on video.

Anyway, after seeing a movie, I quickly rate it and write a very brief review, while it’s all still fresh in my mind. I don’t allow myself to ever change a rating or edit the intial review, as I want them to be raw and uninfluenced by outside opinion. In other words, these are my very first thoughts after finishing a film.

The Matties tend to award smaller, lesser known films, that take a chance and do something new. The idea being to open up some people to some films that they wouldn’t typically see. This year, the first two movies on the list are probably two that you didn’t see. They are both gut wrenching tragedies that will tear you up. I strongly recommend a box of tissues for either.

Enjoy.

1. Gardens of the Night. 9.5 (from 2008). Starring Tom Arnold and Gillian Jacobs (Community). Saddest movie I’ve seen in a long time. Young Leslie is kidnapped and turned into a child prostitute. Her only friend is a boy who is also kidnapped. Their life is hell and once they hit puberty they become no use to their kidnappers and are dumped. They become homeless, and knowing only one thing, they embrace it and start working the streets, prostituting themselves to survive. Their parents are looking for them, but how do you go home after ten years of that kind of life? What is home? This movie was real and important, shedding light on an issue in our communities, child prostitution, that is often ignored in our society.
2. The girl next door. 9.4. This movie, starring and unknown cast, and based on a true story, shows the true evil nature of human kind better than any other movie I’ve ever seen. The pure evil incarnate in these people is absolutely mind blowing and almost impossible to believe that it truly happens in real life. However, it is and it does, and as sickening as it was to watch, movies like this are important for us to watch, to better understand life and how evil humans can be. Superbly acted and great adaptation of the Jack Ketchum novel, based on a true story.
3. Freedom Writers. 9.4. (from 2007). Hillary Swank. When this movie came out, despite hearing good things, I avoided it, because it was formulaic, and nothing shows a greater lack of respect for the artistic process than ripping a plot from someone else. However, it was late on a Sunday, and it came on, so I watched. WOW. Great movie. You know the story- gang bangers in a troubled school, saved by ambitious teacher-coach-principle-whatever. This movie was different though. Instead of just blaming whitey for blackie’s problems (which are part of the problem), it focused more on the demons in the inner city: poverty and ignorance. In our inner cities here in LA, it’s blacks versus Mexicans versus Koreans, etc. There isn’t much of white versus black, because there aren’t too many whites in the ghetto. These racial groups team up together because there is safety in numbers, because they don’t know any better, and because poverty breeds this kind of stuff. The ghetto is kind of like prison, and when you go to prison the first thing they tell you is to stick with your own. If we are ever going to fix this problem in society we need more educators that give a shit, more politicians willing to spend money in the ghetto schools, and new curriculums that are paramount to these kids. This movie made me cry no less than five times. That’s a home run in my book. And it’s a true story. I’m all over that book. I’d have it rated higher, but it did follow that formula, so I’ve got to knock it down a few notches.
4. Away We Go. 9.3. Starring John Krazinski. Written by David Eggers. A young couple is seeking stability in life, to prepare for the birth of their child. They travel the country looking for the perfect home, and along the way they begin to question themselves and fear what parenthood might have in store for them, eventually coming to the conclusion that all they can do is to love their baby, and the rest is beyond their control. A must see for any expecting parents.
5. Good Dick. 9.3. 2008. Mariana Palka and Jason Ritter. A woman, with an obviously shattered past, and an addiction to soft-core porn, lives as a shut-in, living off her rich daddies dollar and watching movies all day. A man with a history of drug abuse, falls in love with her, and pursues her, against all her hateful resistance. To say anymore would spoil this movie, and I don’t want to do that. It was a very unique film that held my interest with rapt attention, until it all came together to make sense, in the end.
6. The Soloist. 9.2. Starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. Incredible individual acting performances. The writing and Jamie Foxx’s performance took me to the very edge. I felt like a gentle shove would have pushed me over the edge and into his world. The schizophrenic gibberish he was speaking started making sense, and that takes incredible writing and an amazing performance to pull that off. More than anything I walked away from this movie feeling uncomfortable and in need of some clear answers that we are incapable of getting before death. Great flick, but make sure you’re in good spirits before you see it.
7. Where God Left His Shoes. 9.2. Excellent movie, superbly acted. Frank, Angela and their two children end up homeless after Frank’s boxing career suddenly ends. Frank is unable to get another job due to his hidden inability to read, and lack of any other skills. John Leguizamo (highly underrated actor) is superb, as is the supporting cast. This movie follows Frank, on a single day, as he tries to get an apartment for his family on Christmas Eve, to avoid spending the night on the streets. Two years ago I would have found this movie to be beautiful, emotional, well done, and entertaining. Today, on the verge of starting my family, I find it to be terrifying and honest. With our faltering economic situation, it shows how quickly a family can end up in a situation like this, and how fragile the netting can be when you fall.
8. The Hunting Party. 9.2. Starring Jessie Eisenberg, Richard Gere, and Terrence Howard. Bosnian war criminal, the most wanted in the world, has been on the lam for five years with the CIA and United Nations “looking” for him. He manages to avoid all of them, but is somehow found by three journalists in just three days. This story is based on the real situation of Bosnian war criminals whom have never been brought to justice by the US or UN, and urban legend that one was captured by reporters and left for dead in a town that he once raped and pillaged. A parallel between this story and our “hunt” for Osama Bin Laden could be made by a conspiracy lover.
9. WALL-E. 9.2. Best Pixar movie ever. Fun kids movie that adults will enjoy too for its social commentary on subjects such as social apathy, becoming a world full of lazy techno-addicted obese people, protecting our earth, and the ultimate necessity of love.
10. 500 Days of Summer. 9.1. Starring Zoey Deschannel and Joseph Gorden Lovitt. Great story about love, told unsequentially, which when done well like this, is very beneficial. Great acting, good storyline, great art direction. A must see
11. Frost/Nixon. 9.1. Starring Frank Langela. Somehow this movie made me feel pity on Nixon. Very well done. Great portrayal by Langela
12. I Love You Man. 9.1. Just hilarious movie about the bond between men. Anyone who’s ever had a best friend will laugh their ass off on this one
13. Hump Day. 9.0. Indy film about two long lost friends, one married, and one a single world travel, both straight, who end up at a party where they end up daring each other into making a porn with each other. At first, it is just a joke, but as the two begin to dive into the many facets of their personality, they decide that doing it is important on many levels. Very interesting and funny.
14. Marley and Me. 9.0. Not usually my type of movie, this man loves dog family comedy couldn’t have been more relevant to my life. I was in tears. Every bit as good as Old Yeller
15. Reporter. 9.0. 2009. Documentary about reporter Nicholas Kristoff investigating the Congo. This blew my mind. I decided that this reporter nick kristoff, is my second adult idol in life. He has reached the pinnacle of what a writer or humanitarian can accomplish in life. In this documentary, kristoff goes into the Congo to interview warlords and the victims of these wars. What is going on in Africa is so horrible, and it’s so sad that so few people in America truly understand or get it. I’ve traveled quite a bit, even to third world countries, and I still had a hard time wrapping my mind around this stuff. watch it
16. Whatever it Takes. 8.9. Starring Larry David. Great script. This movie, about a physics genius who is losing out to the certainty of ultimate despair, finally gets some real meaning in his life. Woody Allen playing the lead role would have made this movie great.
17. Doubt. 8.9. 2008. Just a phenomenally acted movie about the Catholic Church and the uncertainty that always clouds it, concerning priests and sexual harassment of altar boys. This was based on a true story.
18. Shattered Glass. 8.8. Starring Hayden Christenson. A true story about a journalist who wrote for the New Republic that fabricated all of his stories. A great tale of caution for anyone looking to get into journalism
19. Bruno. 8.8. Sasha Baren Cohen hits another out of the park. His absurd characters go a long way in displaying the irrational fears Americans have of minorities like blacks, gays, and middle easterners.
20. In the Time of the Butterfly. 8.8. 2009. Starring Selma Hayek. Story of Dominican dictator who killed over 30,000 of his own, and the brave woman (the butterfly), and her followers, who fought against him, to the death.
21. Fugitive Pieces. 8.7. A move about a holocaust survivor who longs for his dead family. And how love heals.
22. Incendiary. 8.5. 2009. Starring Michelle Williams and wan McGregor. Woman loses son and husband in a terrorist blast to soccer stadium while in the middle of an affair.
23. My Sisters Keeper. 8.4. Starring Abigail Breslen and Cameron Diaz. Was expecting a chick flick, and instead got a film posing a good moral debate. Abigail Breslen is Kate, a girl genetically engineered to be a biological match for her sick sister, so that she can give her “parts” when needed. Well done, and they didn’t go for the cheesy Hollywood ending, which is always points with me.
24. The Fourth Kind. 8.4. This movie was so well done that it had me convinced that it really was real video based on a real story.
25. Crossing Over. 8.4. Starring Harrison Ford. Done in the style of Crash, this movie follows several illegal immigrants trying to get Green Cards, and the government officials that stand in their way. Excellent movie telling all sides of the story, without showing any bias or taking a position.

Best Actor:

1. Jamie Foxx. The Soloist. 9.7
2. John Leguizamo. Where God Left His Shoes. 9.4
3. Jason Ritter. Good Dick. 9.1
4. Frank Langela. Frost/Nixon. 9.0
5. Shia LeBouf. A Guide to Knowing Your Saints. 9.0

Best Supporting Actor:

1. Tom Arnold. Gardens of the Night. 9.3
2. Phillip Seymour Hoffman. (2008) Doubt. 9.1
3. Robert Downey Jr. The Solosit. 8.8
4. Robert Downey Jr. A Guide to Knowing Your Saints. 8.7
5. Joshua Leonard. Hump Day. 8.5

Best Actress:

1. Michelle Williams. Incendiary. 9.5
2. Meryl Streep. (2008) Doubt. 9.4
3. Jessica Biel. Powder Blue. 9.0
4. Mariana Palka. Good Dick. 9.0
5. Anne Hathaway. Rachel Getting Married. 9.0

Best Supporting Actress

1. Ryan Simpkins. Gardens of the night. 9.1
2. Abigale Breslen. My Sisters Keeper. 8.7
3. Mo’Nique. Precious. 8.6
4. Maggie Gyllenhall. Crazy Heart. 8.5
5. Kristen Stewart. Cake Eaters. 8.2

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Click here for a sample of Matt’s debut novel.

Buy the full version here.

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Berwick native blogs way to book

By SUSAN SCHWARTZ

Press Enterprise Writer

LOS ANGELES – A Berwick native has landed his first contract as an author after a publisher discovered his work on a blog.

J. Matt Nespoli, 36, who works a physical therapist here, said his first book, “Broken,” sold 1,000 copies during the first week of its release earlier this month, with at least 10,000 copies to be distributed worldwide. The publisher, World Audience Publishers, already gave him a $10,000 advance on a second book about fatherhood, he said.

He’s scheduled to do a small book tour with signings in California, plus in Pennsylvania in March. The book has been available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and other chains, he said.

“They have high hopes,” he said of his publisher. “I don’t. My goal is to sell 100 copies. … I’d just like to do enough to be able to introduce myself as a writer, not a physical therapist.”

He’ll get half the profits of the first book, he said.

Delayed dream

Nespoli always loved writing. He was the editor of his high school paper in Berwick, and almost studied journalism in college. But he was talked out of it by people who told him it would be too hard to find work, he recalled.

So he became a physical therapist.

“I don’t love it,” he said. “My passion is writing.”

Still, the job let him travel around the country.

“I would call up different hospitals and ask if they had any pregnant physical therapists,” he said. “If they said ‘Yes,’ I’d say, ‘Sign me up for six months over her maternity leave.’”

Since graduating college at 24, he has lived in 10 different states, eventually winding up in California, where he fell in love with the ocean and the mild weather.

He also fell in love with a woman – Rea, whom he married more than two years ago.

But he still wanted to write.

“We Nespolis like to run our mouths, and my wife was getting tired of listening,”

So he started The Naked Word Surfer at www.nakedwordsurfer.com, which he said was “A 100 percent strip-down, giving you the truth, with no agenda.”

Personal beats politics

It started as a site for political and social commentary. He even put out an ad on craigslist for guest writers, paying contributors from every continent to get different points of view.

He also started writing personal columns about getting older, about life in general, and – after Rea became pregnant –<\f>about becoming a father.

The site gathered 100,000 hits per week, according to Google, mostly by people who typed in the address rather than stumbling on it through searches, he said. That means they had heard about the site elsewhere and were looking specifically for it.

But the Google analysis also showed people weren’t reading the social-political commentary.

“All they were reading about was the comedy stuff on fatherhood,” he said.

Meanwhile, one of his guest writers was being published by World Audience. That writer told the publishing company about Nespoli. And after staff looked over his Web site, the publisher offered him the contract to write a whole book on fatherhood.

That’s when he told the company about the novel he had already written.

Travel inspiration

Nespoli said “Broken” was inspired by his travels around the country.

It took him two years to write and was part of his healing after a woman he thought loved him took all of his money, but that’s not what it’s about, he said.

“It’s based on some of the people I met,” he said. “A common thread I found was a lot of people are lonely and sad. It’s about people who think they’ve been broken by different tragedies, and about the healing power of love.

“… But it’s not depressing. It has a comedic tone.”

Berwick influence

It also has touches of Berwick in it, although the town is never mentioned by name.

“You know how football in Berwick is huge,” he said. “One character is a football player who is everyone’s hero, but is unhappy. Another character grew up in a town where football was the big thing, and didn’t feel like he belonged there, was always trying to fit in.

“One character is essentially from Berwick, but I moved the town to a small town in Oregon. I didn’t want anyone thinking, ‘This character is me.’”

He’s nervous about the book’s reception. Several friends have read it and told him they liked it, “but you never know with friends and family if they really like it,” he said. “I’m worried people will hate it. It’s very personal to me.”

He doesn’t think it’ll bring in enough funds for him to quit physical therapy; he has his own physical therapy business now.

He also has a 12-week-old son, Keller, and needs a stable income, he said.

L.A. assignments part of appeal for physical therapist

LOS ANGELES – One of J. Matt Nespoli’s first assignments here was to massage the breast of a 22-year-old actress for 30 minutes, he said.

Nespoli, 36, was working as a physical therapist for the Screen Actors Guild. When the woman came in with her prescription, he couldn’t believe it.

“They don’t teach you about that in school,” he said.

He called her doctor to make sure it wasn’t a joke. The doctor told him women who get artificial breast implants need to have them massaged so they don’t get hard.

Most places, women do it themselves, he said. But in L.A., people hire physical therapists for the work.

“It made me really dig being out here,” Nespoli joked.

He no longer works for the guild. But his interest in beautiful California women hasn’t faded. About a month ago, he added “Naked’s Hotties” to his Web site, www.nakedwordsurfer.com. The new section features photos of scantily-clad women, plus interviews with them about their political views, what they look for in a man, and some heavy flirting.

By Susan Schwartz

Press Enterprise ( Page 1 )
Press Enterprise Cont’d ( Page 8 )

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By J. Matthew Nespoli

Why?

People will tell you that beauty is only skin deep and that there is very little one can do to improve their appearance and that most of it is genetic. I disagree. While much of one’s appearance (facial structure, height) may be genetic, some things can be changed with lifestyle habits (exercise, eating habits). Regardless, even the parts of appearance that are genetic, don’t they have value anyway? I mean, aren’t most of the traits that we value in a mate largely genetic?

Let’s run through the list:

Intelligence- genetic

Personality- largely genetic

Sense of humor- mostly genetic.

Sure, there are other things, like loyalty, honesty, integrity, that we value in a mate, but much of that is genetic too. So, to make the statement that picking a mate based on appearance is shallow because appearance is genetic is hypocritical unless you make the same statement about intelligence, sense of humor, and personality.

Also, I’d argue that one’s appearance also gives insight into what kind of person they are. If a person looks like they’ve put some effort into the way they look, it shows that they have some drive and some initiative that likely spills over into other aspects of their life. Isn’t that attractive? If they are thin and fit, it shows that they are active and exercise. Isn’t someone who is active likely to be someone who is more fun to be around? It also shows that they have healthy eating habits, and you tell me, do you want to be with someone who lies around all day sucking on ice cream cones and watching reality TV, or someone who hits the tennis courts after work and then has a reasonable dinner?

Thus, there are many things we can derive about a person simply from the way they look.

We are made to be attracted to one another based on appearance. This goes back to our roots as hunters and gatherers. Women were subconsciously attracted to men with broad shoulders and large pectorals because this was indicative of someone who could protect them and their offspring, and someone who could provide for them. Men were attracted to women with big breasts and curvy hips because it would show a woman who was more likely to be capable of bearing children and providing for them. This was part of how nature protected the human race and ensured its survival and continual evolution.

Now, modern day man may not be concerned about finding a woman with curvy, child bearing hips, and women may not be concerned with finding a man with broad shoulders who could protect her children from predators, but that doesn’t mean that we aren’t still built to be drawn to each other based on appearance. We are. We have not evolved past that. One day, we may. One day, when a man’s strength no longer has any redeeming value, and his intelligence is the only thing that matters for survival and thriving in this world, then maybe our predisposed human nature to be attracted to one another based on looks might change, but that hasn’t happened yet.

Men and women (women are not above this) always notice one’s appearance first. It is almost always the first thing that we notice about one another. When you go to a social function, you see a person about whom you know nothing. All you can judge them on is their looks. And based on their looks, you decide whether you want to get to know them or not. Now, you may be attracted to them and approach them, and they may turn out to be a total douche, and you lose interest. But this does not change the fact that what drew you to them was their appearance. Likewise, you may not be attracted to someone at all, but then you get to know them through a circle of friends, or through work, and you become attracted to other traits that they possess.

Let’s discuss love at first sight. This is typically viewed as being something that is romantic. Why?

I would contend that love at first sight is literally that. You see someone and you fall in love with their looks. But if you put the label “I fell in love with her at first sight” on a story of meeting someone, it will likely be regarded as a beautiful story. However, if you show up to work and say to your co-workers, “I met a hot chick last night and I really wanted her,” many of them will frown upon that.  How is that fair? Aren’t they exactly the same thing?

Actually, not really.

With love at first sight, the person falling in love does not have the self-awareness to realize that they are simply infatuated with a person’s looks. Where with the guy who sees a hot girl and states his physical desire for her body. This man is a man who realizes that while she is hot, there may not be much else to her. Thus, I would argue that this man, of the two, is the smarter.

Sure, there may be other factors involved with love at first sight, some kind of unseen chemical attraction between the two of you, but isn’t that really just another product of appearance? We see someone, they look like the kind of girl that we are typically attracted to, and our brain releases chemicals that intoxicate us and make us have feelings for that person.

Now, we should all be smart enough to realize that just because someone is good looking, does not mean they will make a good mate. We must be smart enough to factor in other things (some of us are not).

In conclusion, it’s acceptable to be drawn to one another for our appearances, and those who are brave enough to admit it should not be frowned upon.

Please buy Matt’s debut novel, Broken.

BUY IT HERE!

Matt Nespoli, J. Matthew Nespoli and Matthew Nespoli are all copyright material for Naked Word Surfer © 2009-2010

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I’m well on my way to becoming that dad who puts his arm around his son and says, “Son, you should ask that Susie out. She’s really cute.”

And the son replies, “Dad, she’s wearing headgear and doesn’t shave her legs. She’s the ugliest girl in my grade.”

There is something about fatherhood that makes us start to lose our ability to judge women’s beauty. I have two philosophies to explain this phenomena:

1. We no longer get sex from our brides, thus our standards drop dramatically. Everyone looks good to us.  Example – two weekends ago I was out for a happy hour drink with a buddy of mine at an outdoor bar on the Strand. A girl walked by and I said, “Wow.”  He looked at me like I was out of my mind and said, “Are you out of your mind?”
2. Our priorities have changed. Though we are still sexual beings, we are now also dorks. We make goofy faces at our babies, play stupid games with them, and make the queerest sounds you’ve ever heard. Then, when we get out into the real world, we just can’t operate as smoothly as we once did. We lose our touch, and with every passing day it dies a little more.

Most likely, it’s a combination of both.

Did you ever see a wealthy old man with an ugly young girl on his arm? You look and think that she’s obviously with him for the money. But then you wonder, why is he with her? Does he think she’s good looking? The answer is ‘yes’! He does think she’s good looking. And the reason is because he is old and divorced and has children and his ability to judge beauty is gone.

What if the bride and I divorce one day?  She’s a hottie, and I’m proud to have that hottie on my arm. What happens if I become single again and have to find a new girl? How can I trust my own judgment in this scenario? I can’t. I would need complete reprogramming of my hottie radar, and I’m getting too old for any kind of training, so I really don’t want to go through that. I guess the only solution is to stay married forever.

I’ve often wondered if old, wrinkly men still find their old, wrinkly wives attractive. I’m beginning to believe that the reason they stay with the old bags is because they fear the choices they’d make if they were to divorce and re-enter the game.

And now that I’ve incredibly insulted thousands of women, let me state that I am just kidding. Being married with a child is fantastic, and my bride, six weeks after giving birth, is even sexier to me now than she was when we first met…

But then again, that could be because my standards have dropped.

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As a child, I remember seeing starving, skinny African babies with big swollen bellies on television. I knew consciously that it was all real. Even as a child, I could differentiate between the “for a cup of coffee a day” commercials from the movie of the week. However, understanding that something is real and seeing the reality are two different things. You can’t understand and grasp reality until you’ve actually lived it. It’s just not possible. Until I actually saw starving malnourished babies in a third world country, there was no real context to it; I knew they existed and knew it was real, but it wasn’t part of my reality.  In other words, you can watch the news, listen to the talking heads and form an opinion, but until you’ve truly lived something and seen it, your opinion is lacking the knowledge necessary to have an educated opinion. It’s hard to have a fair and educated position on issues like global poverty and the effect of American Imperialism on the rest of the world until you’ve actually seen the world. Ultimately, knowledge is not synonymous with intelligence; knowledge is more synonymous with wisdom, and wisdom comes from living and experiencing.

Growing up, my knowledge was limited to the life I lived in Pennsylvania; thus, my politics and social opinions were limited to my narrow scope of the life I’d led. That’s no knock on Pennsylvania, there is nothing wrong with PA; in fact it was a good place to grow up. However, my opinions and point of views were all formed by my narrow scope of experiences. In other words, I was largely uninformed. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve traveled, I’ve lived, I’ve done just about everything I’ve wanted to do. I’ve spent the night on Skid Row with homeless people. I’ve lived with a tribe in Thailand, I’ve been to Africa, I’ve studied and investigated the Mayan people in South America, I’ve built homes on charity missions overseas, etc, etc. This doesn’t make me smarter than anyone else, but my broad experiences do give me more information and worldly knowledge from which to pull. When it comes to having a position on politics or social issues, having a broad base of information and knowledge gives you the ability to pick your position based more on personal first hand experience, rather than what they are telling you on the television. And as a result of my experiences, I’m a completely different person at 36 than I was at 22. I’m not a better person. My personality hasn’t changed, but my beliefs and politics have evolved and are more informed. As I continue to live and experience, I’m sure they will change again.

It is important for all of us to experience life. It is important for us to raise our children to be seekers. By the term seekers, I mean people who seek answers to questions, people who seek experiences, and people who seek knowledge. If you aren’t a seeker then you are one who takes somebody else’s word for it. You listen to what others say and you accept it as fact. This happens all over the world in churches, in schools, and in homes. We are all taught to lead and not follow, but in accepting what you are told as fact, without investigating for yourself, you are, in fact, following. Let us raise our children to be leaders.

The natural inclination as a parent is to protect. That is our instinct. It’s an important instinct, as it helps us survive and thus evolve; however, it is very easy to become over-protective, and by being over-protective we restrict the growth of our children and the expansion of their knowledge.

This all comes to mind, and is the subject of today’s blog simply because I had a visitor this weekend whom asked me about traveling. He is a fellow traveler, a fellow seeker. He has traveled more than me in his life. I don’t think that makes him smarter than me, but it definitely gives him a broader scope of world events than me. Point being, I want to make sure my son Keller grows up leading, questioning, exploring.

We also, as parents, have the inclination to get irritated with our children when they ask us questions. A child asks questions because a child is a seeker by nature. If we shush them, or give them BS, we slowly kill that nature. This is what happens too many of us. We were all born seekers and, sadly, society kills that inclination in us.

My parents were wonderful. Greatest parents in the world. If they had one fault it was that they loved me too much and were way too over-protective. I also asked, “Why?” every five seconds and I’m fairly certain I drove them to the point of insanity where they could do nothing else but shush me. Regardless, I grew up loved, and that is the most important thing, but I did not grow up with a wealth of experiences that allowed me to acquire knowledge. I was forced to be a follower because of a lack of options. That’s not good.

Being a parent, even at five weeks, is hard. We are all going to make mistakes.  The important thing is to learn from the mistakes our parents made, as well as learning from the good they did, and doing our very best. Every parent screws up in some ways; it’s a hard freaking job. I’m learning that.

I’m using this blog as a political forum, to push the agenda of taking back government from the corporate elite. However, I can’t ignore the fact that I am a new parent; it’s the most prevalent part of my life. So, in addition to being a political blog, this forum also gives me the opportunity to share parenting experiences. Being that I have no qualms about sharing anything personal about my life, I’m hoping that any prospective parent can read this and maybe gain a little insight on what to do and what not to do, based on learning from my successes and mistakes. However, ultimately, every parent needs to do it themselves and learn from their own mistakes. Because, ultimately, as with anything else, experience is knowledge and knowledge is king.

So parents, the next time your kid asks you, “Can I?” really think about it before you say, “No.”  Even if it’s something you don’t feel is appropriate or completely safe, maybe ask yourself, “Will my child be a stronger, more educated, and better person as a result of that prospective experience?” You’ll be surprised how often you answer yes to that question.

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My family has labeled me an “I told you so” guy. Maybe it’s true. I can’t help that I’m ridiculously smart; I was born with this curse. Ha-ha.

Anyway, I’ve made a list of how I see the world in thirty years so that I can come out with the ultimate “I told you so.”

My first prediction: After I’m dead, they will call me Nespodamous.

Here is my vision of our world down the road and when these things may happen. This is off the top of my head, and its fun to fantasize about. I challenge you all to come up with your own.

Global warming will cause massive destruction and death. Mortality from global warming disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunami’s, etc) will kill over 1 billion people (from 2010-2020)

There will be a religious war between Muslims and Christians. (2011)

Every person will carry one gadget that does all their stuff: i.e. phone, camera, computer, GPS, TV, and everything else imaginable. (2011)

Gays will be accepted fully and be married. (2012)

It will be common knowledge that we have interaction with alien life. (2013)

Satellite technology will make it possible to record everything that is happening on our streets. This will cut down on crime tremendously. (2015)

There will be no more movie theaters, music houses, concert halls. (2015)

80% of all American’s money will be held by two major banks. (2015)

Banks and corporations, with the money and thus the power, will basically become our governing force (2016)

The people will finally wake up from our political slumber, block out all the noise, stop being sheep in the herd, get naked, and revolt against this fascist republic! (2018)

Our human rights will be completely infringed upon; every newborn will have a computer chip placed in their body so that the government (big money corporations) will know where you are at all times. (2018)

Penalties for driving and texting or talking will be as severe as drinking and driving. (2019)

The connection between the Mayans, the Egyptians, and alien life will be proven beyond a doubt. (2020)

We will watch entertainment in the form of holographs. See Star Wars and the Princess Lea message. (2020)

The internet will completely crash (2020) – it will be too congested with info. We will develop a new system of communication

Music, art, movies, etc, will all be done without the help of major studios (they will all be bankrupt and out of business), and everything will be distributed through computer technology directly into one’s home. (2021)

The population will hit 10 billion (2025), and half the world’s population will die off from starvation, war and disease within ten years (2035).

We will travel by hover crafts, similar to that seen in star wars and the Jefferson’s. Before we become free of our bodies and the need to feed, we will have become vegetarians, out of need, health, and politics. (2030)

They will run on renewable, reusable fuel, and we will get this technology from aliens. (2030)

We will have cured: cancer, HIV, and Parkinson’s, but only the rich will get these cures (2030)

Organized religions will be replaced by the understanding of science. Only 10% of the world’s citizens will subscribe to Christianity, Islam, or Judaism. (2030)

The food chain will be a mess, starting at the bottom, with the death of plankton, seaweed and bees, and work its way up until humans start dying. Thus the need to become vegetarian (2035)

We will have discovered other planets in other solar systems in other galaxies with intelligent life. (2035)

We will have developed some kind of protection from the sun’s harmful radiation. (2035)

Open sexual relationships will be the norm. People will have learned that sex and love are different and will practice as such. (2040 – I missed the boat on this one. Enjoy, little Keller)

The bible will be regarded as a good work of fiction. (2040)

There will be one world government and countries, like the USA, will function more like states. (2040)

Cloning humans will be common. (2040)

People will have learned how to communicate telepathically. (2045)

Some of the alien life will be part biological and part machine.

Humans will start becoming part biological and part machine. We will be able to download our personalities, and everything in our brain that makes us human, onto computer chips, plug those computer chips into synthesized bodies, and essentially, become immortal (2050). It is that tragedy which will lead to the science of our immortal beings as discussed above.

Racism and segregation will be nearly gone as most of our children are of mixed ethnicities. (2050)

The moon will be a vacation destination. (2060), or it will be revealed to us that the moon is an alien space station and hollow inside (not kidding).

The science and religion of quantum physics will be much more in practice. It will be widely accepted that there are other parallel universes in the time space continuum, in which there are other US’s. (2070)

We will have achieved time travel. (2080)

Our government will be planning for colonization of a new planet. This will be carried out in our grandkids lifetimes. (2110)

They will refer to me as “Nostradamus of the 21st century.” They will ask me how I knew all this stuff, and I will just say that it was intelligent intuition.

With our immortality and mechanical computerized components, there will be no need to feed. (2110)

We will be moving in the direction of downloading ourselves into some type of computer. We will become free of our bodies or the need for any kind of body. We will survive and live through technology. (2120)

There will be no physical us. This will happen in our great grandchildren’s lifetime, but the progress towards it will be evident in our lifetimes. (2130)

That’s all off the top of my head. Fun stuff.

Any predictions by you all?

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