Fear sells

Fear mongering, playing on our primal instinct to survive and dodge danger is a tactic long chosen by the clever advertisers. Biologically speaking, fear produces epinephrine in our brain, the "feel-good" -hormone that rewards us for experiencing frightening situations. (Horror movies, anyone?) That is why we get pleasure out of being scared, and the sensation is both contagious and addictive. Fear also overtakes reason in our thinking, and there is nothing more powerful of  a persuader than a crippling sense of danger. And this is how we make a lot of our purchases. Really. Let´s see some toothbrush images.



Feeling those gums going tender? A slice of horror in a commercial. But this is nothing new. Let´s have a look at the olden goldies.




That dust sure is a monster. Because we just cannot be clean enough, every gal needs a dose of radioactivity!


Fear of failure, or how they say "feared self", is the engine driving most of the marketing of cosmetics.
Anti-wrinkle creams, soaps, teeth whitening strips, line-control eye balms... Do we really need them, or do they even work? Or are we actually resorting to the "aid" offered to us because we _fear_ what might happen otherwise? L´Oreal states that "I am worth it", but am I worth more that gasping every single tube and case they are pushing as a boost for self-esteem? Like it or not, the message is that we are simply not acceptable without the chemicals on our skin. Be it radioactivity, DDT or parabens.




Unilever´s "Dove" -products gained a lot of good PR with their message of "real" beauty and decision to use "real" women on their advertising. This was, however, another case of smoke and mirrors. Pascal Dangin , the magician of a photoshopper, came forward to admit that "a lot" of photoshopping was needed and performed on the raw images of "real beauties".

Fear sells

The Evolutionary psychology -defense: Or, Can´t help it, it´s in my Blood

Meet Mr. Satoshi Kanazawa. Chances are, you have encountered his clever ideas somewhere, or some of his like-minded fellow, hmm,  scientists. Mr. Kanazawa likes to sow his brilliant thoughts around, so let´s have a look at some of the snappy tidbits circling our mass consciousness these days.

Just because one claims to be a psychologist, even a qualified one, does not really mean a thing. Everyone and their uncle (no pun intended, it just slipped) who has seen a therapist knows this. There are quaks on every field, and the art of playing with your mind is not an exception. Then again, who am I to judge? Few of you might agree with what Satoshi writes, and these slogans seem to go around a lot these days. To the point of using evolutionary slogans as a defense for just about everything. Even so-called "smart people" of the world have seemed to stop questioning this, and base their judgement on statements standing in thin water. (Just think of the East-Finland Court of Appeal) It is almost like trying to win an argument with a die-hard evangelist: everything _just is_ this way, because the Bible says so. There is no rhetoric, no controversy.

But let´s get back to Satoshi and his wonderful little ideas about the world. All these writings can be found here, as in "why Feminism is the anti-Viagra". The guy writes for Psychology today, which I know some of you might hold in high value. Don´t.

In 2008:  "The best thing for people to do to become happier is to get in touch with their animal nature. Recognize and accept that we are animals. In some ways, in many ways, men are more similar to male chimpanzees or gorillas than to women. Forget what feminists, hippies, and liberals have told you in the last half century.  They are all lies based on political ideology and conviction, not on science. Money, promotions, the corner office, social status, and political power are what make men happy.Spending time with their children is what makes women happy.The best thing to do is to kill all the feminists and hippies and liberals.  Destroy political correctness completely once and for all."


Charming. Let´s see what else he has a sweet opinion on.




In 2011:  "Are all women essentially prostitutes? Yes.  Prostitution is evolutionarily familiar, because mating is evolutionarily familiar and prostitutes (at least the classy ones) are no different from other women, whom men also have to pay – not in cash payments but in dinners and movies, gifts, flowers, chocolates, and motor oil – if they wanted to impress them enough to have sex with them." 


And his latest jewel of a daily thought:  "Why Are Black Women Less Physically Attractive Than Other Women? There are marked race differences in physical attractiveness among women, but not among men. "




(And here we have a cute pink graph explaining the whole theory, hope it helps!):

"There are many biological and genetic differences between the races. However, such race differences usually exist in equal measure for both men and women. For example, because they have existed much longer in human evolutionary history, Africans have more mutations in their genomes than other races. And the mutation loads significantly decrease physical attractiveness (because physical attractiveness is a measure of genetic and developmental health). But since both black women and black men have higher mutation loads, it cannot explain why only black women are less physically attractive, while black men are, if anything, more attractive"

Just wonderful. I´m sure that he and late Mr.Mengele would have had a lot to talk about.

Cup of tea, some silly theories to ponder on, fireplace in the background... Charming. 

The Evolutionary psychology -defense: Or, Can´t help it, it´s in my Blood

Blue Valentine : A review

Are we slaves to the gender roles we inherit from our parents? Is our parents’ relationship a deeming factor in the forms our own later romances take? Despite many reviews claiming otherwise, this film is not about the end of love. It is a sad depiction of wounded people looking for security, shelter and significance and mistaking dependency for love.

“Blue Valentine” moves between the past and now, fluctuating between images of youth  and hopefulness and  maturity and utter despair. Happiness in life is not quaranteed, and does not come easy, at least for the couple of this story. From the beginning the audience senses that something is not quite right; the equilibrium is shaking from its roots.

In flashbacks from the past, Cindy (Michelle Williams) is a bright young student from a middle-class family, aiming for medical school. Her vice, however, is bad boys. Brutish fellow student, Bobby Ontario (Mike Vogel)  uses her as he pleases, yet she is unable to turn him down. His treatment of her seems atrocious to us, but somehow she is willing to accept it with a resigned look on her face. Ontario is physically and emotionally aggressive, and in his arrogance he resembles Cindy´s father. This clearly eviscerates director Derek Cianfrance´s message: daughters seek fathers in their lovers.

The other side of the unlucky couple, Dean ( Ryan Gosling), is first presented to us as a carefree young drifter, working as a furniture remover intermittently. He works for a small change, moving in and out of people´s homes while idealizing life and love. His background appears troublesome, having his father leave him when he was 10. One day suddenly, he finds the woman he thinks will give him what he is after: the true meaning of life, pure love. He enters her life in a convenient time – she has just left bad boy Ontario and is questioning herself. Cindy appears awkward of the attention Dean showers her with, yet she goes along with it. Suddenly she finds herself pregnant to her arrogant ex, but she cannot go through with the abortion.  In a moving scene at the abortion clinic, we find out she lost her virginity at the tender age of 13, and has had sex with a multitude of men. It is painfully clear that she has sought attention and male approval which has been denied from her in her home. Dean consoles her, promises to marry her and take care of things.  Solution appears easy, and Cindy agrees to it. In a bittersweet scene, we see Dean playing the mandolin to her, while singing the song “we always hurt the ones we love”.

The couple is shown us again years later. Their dog dies after having escaped from the yard. Neither of the two take responsibility. Accumulated problems arise to the surface and a disastrous 24 hours follow. Cindy is worn out of the hectic family life and works as a nurse. Having given up her intellectual pursuits she is bitter and resentful towards her husband. Having lost his looks and even temper, Dean is slowly succumbing to alcoholism. Having a family is too much for him, and he appears lazy and cynical. Dean denies the financial situation they face and seems ill-equipped for the realities of life.  In a moment of desperation he books a room in a cheesy motel; a theme room named “future” seems ironic, since the real future for the couple seems bleak and nonexistent. A horrific night follows, during which Dean tries desperately to hold on to her wife, who has given up long ago. (If she even ever was as committed to their marriage as him). The idea of love is a pure obsession for him, and he is painfully dependent on Cindy.

Cindy demands him to show some ambition and direction in his life. Dean does not comprehend this: ”why do I have to make money out of potential?” While he tries to have sex with her, she seems paralyzed and trapped, denying him of any access to intimacy. The messiness of their situation culminates in a fight Dean later tries to start with Cindy´s boss: he is more angry at himself than anybody else and can´t seem to find a way to fix something that was broken from the very beginning.

Derek Cianfrance´s movie is a serious attempt to depict a malfunctioning marriage, and how our innate desire to belong somewhere and be loved can lead us astray. The movie has shades of Sam Mendes´ brilliant “Revolutionary road”, yet it captures a very realistic view on people´s motives and defense mechanisms in the face of abandonment. The autopsy of a dead relationship is never pretty, but in this movie, it becomes sickeningly repulsive.

Blue Valentine : A review

The Wife test -keep her or leave her?

This post is dedicated to my anonymous male friend, who is battling with these demons, as we speak. I am talking about those pesky late-night moments, when the thought creeps  into your consciousness -is s/he worth it? Shall I go on? Is this meant to be? Decisions, decisions. To be, or not to be.
(That is the question. Still. )

Yes, those scientists of the 1930s were crafty. They came up with a scientifically formulated rating chart to ease those tensions clouding your judgment. See, it is easy to rank the spouse!  Much like giving points in the Eurovision song contest, this table gives you all the answers. Hmm, better keep that suspiciousness under the belt. So not ladylike. Aw, I do hope she keeps over the 24 points!

Well, this picture would not be perfect without the opposite, now would it?

Let´s introduce the Husband chart, or in other words, is the dude worth keeping around anymore. 

Like a lot of these 1930s "inventions", this one was criticized as well. Really? And I thought this was so scientific and accurate! No way! Poor George Crane. The shrinks don´t always get it right.

Personal bias be damned. 

Although most people who read the test today find it humorous and obviously dated, Crane did attempt to make it scientific. His method was to interview 600 husbands on their wives’ positive and negative qualities. Then he listed the 50 demerits and merits that arose most frequently. Crane, did admit to using a personal bias in weighting the items that he thought were most important in marriage. (Via neatorama)

The Wife test -keep her or leave her?

Scientology and The Road to Freedom

Religion is a sensitive topic. The ones with strong beliefs on its power are always eager to defend its importance for our existence. How can one be human without spiritual guidance, a system that molds our choices and provides safety from lingering fears on pure arbitrariness in the universe? For some of us, atheism is simply absurd. Spiritual vacuum is feared, condemned and it can even be considered a morally questionable representation of the character at large.

 I do recognize the feeling of shelter religion brings, it is easier to live with someone/something giving straight  answers to everything (no matter how correct they are). There is no uncertainty or questioning of choices: things are, as given. It is a matter of placing your ultimate trust in the hands of someone, and something. This trust can be easily exploited, however.

When there is demand, there is supply. A friend of mine had an intriguing encounter with this specific church in the past. Well-dressed, well-spoken woman on the streets of Brighton offers a free personality test. After the test (which in its complexity was nothing but random general questions of nothing important) the results were given. No surprises there, the need for help was regarded as immediate. My friend was apparently "in dire emotional stress and going nowhere" without intervention. Relief would come in the form of dianetics. And countless courses, I assume.  Without going into specifics of Scientology, as I suspect most of us have heard the stories on thetans, aliens, suppressive persons, auditing and the perils of modern psychiatry, I present some hip music by the church of Scientology.

In 1986, Scientology put out an album of songs created by no other that the great L. Ron Hubbard himself.
The lyrics are exactly what one would imagine, preaching the ARC triangle, devils of psychiatry etc. This is "the Road to Freedom" , indeed.

Scientology and The Road to Freedom

What women may, or may not want (for Valentine´s day)

That dreadful time is approaching again. Pressure to buy blood diamonds,  child labor chocolates, teddybears from China, plants and other trinkets just to prove (s)he matters. Because we are living in a material world and we are material girls(and boys). Oh, the stories I could tell of past Valentine´s days gone crazy weird.
But let´s not get into that.

Remember  guys, the measure of love  has been set. Namely by this fellow, who actually built a 400-square-foot closet for her wife into the guest bedroom. Modeled after Carrie Bradshaw´s walk-in-closet in the movie "Sex and the city". The cost? A mere $175 000. Spare change, right?

Money and material aside, what is it that women want? Let´s get some semiprofessional help into the picture.
Meet Dr.Love, or as otherwise known, Jay Herrod. The man may seem like a peculiar oddball, but some of the lines may hit the right note. Sort of. My favorite is number 5: all women have a set pattern. Figure it out and a man may  figure her out. After these golden tips no woman is safe from surrendering to the hunt.

And if all else fails, remember guys (and gals): Wine is fine but whiskey´s quicker.

What women may, or may not want (for Valentine´s day)

"I´ve been careless with a Delicate Man"

While waiting for some new material from our fabulous miss Fiona Apple, let´s see some of her older classics. "Criminal" from her 1996 album "Tidal" is considered by many to be her greatest, and did receive a Grammy-award. (While accepting the award, she gave her famous "don´t model yourself after what we say" -speech)
The music video, directed by Mark Romanek, was controversial, and raised concerns over exploiting Apple. Although she was 19-years-old at the time, she looked years younger, to the point where the music video was judged borderline child pornography. The whole early image of Fiona Apple teased the public with "a malnourished, depressed Lolita" -denotations, with or without her blessing.

The video starts with Apple taking a picture of "us", making us the voyeur of her actions. She knows she is being watched, and thus takes the control of the gaze from us. The space is dim and dark, and the lighting gives an impression of a flashlight being forcefully focused into something morally ambiguous escaping harsh judgment. We should not be watching this, yet we want to. The stuffed animals and beer bottles move into the images and so does a scantily dressed Apple. The scene being played out looks disturbing, yet Apple never gives away the control.  Half-clothed, laid out bodies next to Fiona appear just before she sings "I´ve been a bad, bad girl". The other people remain faceless, plain body parts which are used by the main subject. The idea of an orgy is played with, presented to us as a night gone awry, and the seemingly under-age girl is looking for redemption for her actions. The sin being here is her desires, and hiding in the closet cannot erase sexuality. Apple moves to kitchen tables and begins to undress. By now it is clear that we are not watching a woman, but a "child-woman" still maturing. In her thin and fragile frame she appears uncomfortable, vulnerable and awkward.

The images of a sports car seem at first out of place, until we see Apple trapped and half-naked in the backseat of the car. Someone is taking pictures and video of her, making her an object. She is shown enjoying herself being filmed, yet her body movements suggest there is something more sinister going on. The forbidden sexuality is hidden in closets, bedrooms, showers, bath tubs, pools and cars- yet made visible to the voyeur inside of us, watching her. While she sings " I´ve got to make a play, to make my lover stay, so what would an angel say, the devil wants to know" she admits her guilt and deception for the first time. The final images of the floating dish detergent are an all-too obvious metaphor to be discussed and the video ends with Apple lying on top of sleeping men while turning her gaze away from us, ashamed. Although the lyrics of the song "Criminal" suggest Fiona is on control of the sexual situations laid out for the audience, the visual imagery of the video imply otherwise.

"I´ve been careless with a Delicate Man"

First shots: Edgar Allan Poe -the movie

Here are the first shots from the upcoming psychological thriller (my favorite kind) "The Raven". 
The film entails the story of the famous writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), one of the first adapters of the detective-fiction  genre, brilliant poet and master of Gothic romance. His life was also one of macabre horror stories: he married his 13-year- old cousin, suffered alcoholism and mental illness. Oh, the writers. One has to live the life to write about it? Is it old-fashioned to say that out loud?

John Cusack is playing the title role. Interesting choice. Can´t wait to see the end result, though. He took these pictures on the set, in Serbia.

First shots: Edgar Allan Poe -the movie

"The Black Swan" and the Paradox of duality

"The Black Swan" by Darren Aronofsky is an intense melodramatic  psychological thriller, describing the arduous world of ballet, where nothing is ever good enough- perfection is an agreed, yet coveted illusion.

The movie centers around a soft-spoken ballerina Nina(played by Natalie Portman) working in a fictitious New York ballet company, where she has pursued her dream of a lead role for years. Despite being 28, she looks and lives the part of a child, living with her  over-bearing mother in a cell-like cramped apartment. She sleeps in a little girl´s pink “princess room” full of stuffed animals and a music box by her bed, playing Tchaikovsky´s “Swan Lake”. 

Ballet is a world of unthinkable self-discipline: years of rigorous exercises and sacrifices amidst constant criticism and fears of physical injuries ending it all in a second. Training takes precedence over everything else and normal life outside of the art form is neglected. The hard work is constantly emphasized for the film´s audience: the crackled sounds of the feet, heavy breathing, sweat and tears are showed and heard in excessive detail.  Nina´s life is  and has been about ballet- there is little room for her own wishes, as she is aiming for what her mother failed to accomplish after getting pregnant with her- being a star ballerina.

The ballet company´s authoritarian art director Thomas (played by the magnificent Vincent Cassel) announces the season´s new project: “Swan Lake” with a new raw edge, “visceral and real”. Thomas treats the dancers as amusing chess pieces; he carelessly tosses aside the older prima ballerina Beth (Winona Ryder) for some new blood to bring in audience. It is obvious that he has slept with Beth, and the ease he exercises in touching and harassing the young dancers suggests that his position of power has corrupted him of guilt.

When Lily (Mila Kunis), a new dancer from San Francisco, arrives to the company, Nina becomes fascinated by her. Lily is everything Nina is not:  bold, loud, experienced in life and unapologetic. Nina fears her, covets her strength and fantasizes about her. At times the sexual fantasies suggest she might be homosexual. Impresario Thomas suggests she should dance more like Lily; not with just technique but with a feeling. Nina can master the “White Swan” but not the “Black Swan” of the story. Otherwise the star role would be automatically hers. This presents a dilemma: how to remain in her comfortable virginal role of a child imposed by her mother, yet please the demands of the art (Thomas)?

Tchaikovsky’s “The Swan Lake” originates from Russian folk tales and depicts the story of a princess (Odette) turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer. By day, she is a swan and nighttime she morphs back into a beautiful woman. Only true love can rescue her from turning permanently into swan form. Young prince Siegfried catches a glimpse of the princess and immediately falls in love. Later the sorcerer tricks him, however, by presenting his own evil daughter Odile  to the prince, and as Odile resembles strikingly Odette, the prince falls for her. Later he realizes his mistake, but it is too late, he is forced to marry the evil Odile. Heartbroken Odette jumps into the lake.

Nina is determined and dedicated to her craft, and therefore begins to pursue “the darker side” her director is asking her to show in dancing. She plays and experiments with drugs, alcohol and flirting while on a night out with Lily. While Thomas tries to force himself on her, she bits him. Surprised, Thomas gives her the main role of the “Swan Lake”. Everything is not well, though. The pressure to change and emerge from her safe cocoon of a “childwoman” result in evil twins and doppelgängers in the mirrors, subways, paintings and shadows.  As Nina strives for perfection in her dancing, her mental stability (if there ever was any) begins to falter.

While striving for perfection and disciplining her body, Nina is constantly aware and scared of the limits. Wounds, rashes and blood scare her, the example of Beth, former prima ballerina replaced for being old becomes a source of horror in her visions. After a lifetime dedicated for the pursuit of perfection in ballet, nothing is left for Beth, and she attempts suicide. The sight of Beth on a hospital bed immobile and badly injured is horrific- an open wound, an abjection which must be denied.

The incestuous relationship Nina shares with her mother does not leave room for adulthood or emerging sexuality. Her virginal and fragile self begins to pave way for the “Black Swan”, an aggressive and sensual woman which threatens the status quo. Signs of self-harm are visible and audible from the start. Nina vomits, cuts and scratches herself.  Aronofsky does not make the metamorphosis seem easy, as it never is. Some of the cuts on her body seem to emerge on their own and disappear. It is a metonymy of the cut that goes deeper, within her mind. It cannot be erased or concealed, at least not for long.

As the opening night approaches, the pressure to master her role as the “Swan queen” intensifies. The fears of replacement grow, evil mirror twin torments Nina and Thomas turns into something else than a plain art director. He becomes the Father, who calls her “her little princess”; the same words her mother has used of her. The quest for perfection and control of dual roles, both as “White swan” and “ Black Swan” weigh on her sanity. As Nina finally succeeds to drive the Mother out of her space(room) and reclaim her independence, she has a vision of her legs breaking under her. The traumatic experience carries on to the stage, as she hallucinates stabbing her evil twin/Lily. The removal of the Other is impossible without hurting the First. At the end of the show, she realizes having hurt herself, and the bleeding wound becomes visible to everyone.

"The Black Swan" and the Paradox of duality

"Tron: Legacy" and Going Mad

I don´t know if you have already had the chance to see the new "Tron: Legacy", which is a sequel to the legendary original "Tron" from 1982. It´s in 3-D, full of cool images and gadgets. And good looking girls and boys in tights. And this is a Disney-movie, folks. Which sort of makes sense, if you have a dark and wicked mind, like I do. (Just kidding)

So far the reviews have been less than stellar. The plot is weak, if non-existing. The acting sucks. Jeff Bridges is apparently just waltzing through his performance like an insomniac on weed. The main star of the movie, Garret Hedlund, is pictured in every possible angle stretching his ill-fitting body suit. The movie did make around 44 million $ on its opening weekend, which is about $ 17 million more than the original "Tron" did, but this does lack the original estimate of 54 $. Is the sequel going to be a cult classic as its precessor? Hmm, I am not sure. The original "Tron" was also not critically well-received, nor did it make a commercial success. However, the ideas it presented at the time (1982) of the digital world, immersion into games, alternate realities, AI becaming aware etc. were groundbreaking.





The Los Angeles Times did an interesting article on the ´psyche´of the first "Tron"-movie, as theorized by Jay Martin, Martin, who is a University of Southern California Literature professor AND a practicing psychoanalyst, has provided his own intriguing take on the actual subplot of the movie. In sum, he thinks "Tron" perfectly describes the schizophrenic brain and its processes. Schizophrenic patients often see themselves being at the mercy of a machine or computer. He cites a German psychiatrist Viktor Tausk, who described
 "schizophrenia as a mental process which is experienced by the schizophrenic as if it were imposed upon him through the diabolical activity of some external force induced by a mysterious machine. The patient´s disordered impulses feel as if they are not his own, but are pushed inside from an alien outside."


In the first "Tron", Jeff Bridges´ character Kevin Flynn exhibits symptoms of paranoia, as evidenced by his videogames ("Space Paranoids"). Paranoia dwells into schizophrenia as Flynn is absorbed into the computer and must fight the manifestations of his own programs. According to Jay Martin, this underlying subplot is so raw and effective that it makes the viewers feel uncomfortable.

"The senses of fragmentation, alienation and danger as a way of life; the film´s representation of a primitive, paranoid schizophrenic process lying just beneath the surface of behavior, into which we might fall at any time - these are what made ´Tron` so hard for audiences to take".


The ideas of alternate realities, dream worlds and losing grip with reality are not that rare of a treat these days ("Matrix", "Inception", "Sixth Sense"). Perhaps the new version of the digital game world is met with less disturbed feelings?

"Tron: Legacy" and Going Mad

Inception and the Three dimensions of Power

Christopher Nolan´s science fiction thriller "Inception" has been  a massive phenomenon this year, yet it took me this long to actually have seen it. Was it as good as they claim? Yes, it was- albeit not as difficult to comprehend as some argue.

The whole plot centers around corporate espionage thieves, led by a man named Dominic Cobb (played by Leonardo DiCaprio). The thieves extract information out of the heads of the unsuspecting victims through means of shared dreaming. While dreaming, the mind is vulnerable and reveals the secrets to the voyers in the same dream space. But then the normal mission turns to something more daring: the attempt is to implant an idea into a person´s head, making him believe it is his own. The way to do this is "Inception": a-three-layered dream within a dream within a dream.





This whole idea reminds me of the concept on three dimensions of power, as visioned by Steven Lukes  (Power: a Radical View).
In the first dimension, the use of power over the other party is clearly visible to both sides (shall we say A and B). In the second dimension, the whole agenda is outlined by the party with power (A). So the issues B might have an interest in are not discussed or even a possibility. The reality is outlined by A, but B knows this.
Now, in the third dimension of power, the first and second dimension are incorporated. Use of power does not need to be visible or even an issue. The situation is deemed as natural, and B believes this to be in the best interest of him. B might even think the grand order is his idea. Complicated?  Lukes´ book is a fascinating read, and highly recommended for those who are interested in these sorts of things.

Christopher Nolan designed his screenplay for nine long years, and the initial idea resembled a horror movie. Luckily for us, he decided to turn it into a scifi heist film. In order to stay focused on his grand plot, he used this mind map of the three-layered heist:

Inception and the Three dimensions of Power

Bitesize pops

Tickets for a Steve Martin -event in Miami were refunded . Audience criticized him of being too boring. Or more diplomatically :"the event did not meet the standard of excellence people have come to expect".

Evolutionary psychologist claims that there is scientific data to back up claims on why beautiful people tend to produce more daughters

"I really don´t think it´s about getting laid for him". Vincent Cassel talks about the director of his new hyped-up movie "The Black Swan"

Writer Anne Rice thinks the romance-aspect of "Twilight" is genius, yet placing the vampires on high school is less so...!

PJ Harvey has announced a new album coming up. Hopefully it is better than her last one. Some people argue  that she has not produced anything as brilliant as "Rid of Me" in 1993

Director and all-around artist/auteur David Lynch has ventured into modern blues . Hmm, something tells me this is either way out there or something marvellous.

Apparently mercury turns wetland birds into homosexuals . This will lead to interesting questions about the safety of residue chemicals/metals  in our drinking water...

Jack White is not happy about his limited-edition recording releases  being sold for hundreds of dollars above their original selling price

Bitesize pops

Two words for you: Autoerotic Mummification

Dexter´s current fifth (5) season is closing its end, and so far to be frank, it has been nothing but underwhelming. Where is the usual bold choices in scriptwriting, Deb´s filthy mouth and bloody gore that you cannot watch? Almost feels like the producers have gone the safe route, opting to have more family -friendly material in order to please the masses. And to get the show more easily available for non-cable consumption.

Looks like I am not the only one. Recent article by the LA Times asks the very same question. The storyline of Lumen is fumbling its way towards the light and meaning, but never quite gets there, if it is to even get anywhere. Julia Stiles´ character is either A)scared b) confused c) the mix of A &B. Like Dexter (played by Michael C. Hall) asks in episode 8 of the new season: " This is much easier with a partner [Elumen]. But a partner in what?"
And judging from the latest episode it is difficult to see where her character is going. Is she the love interest? A fellow psychopath side-kick? To be rescued victim? In a way, the writers are indeed trying to find a partner for Dexter in his murderous pursuits. The primal flaw in this is the fact of being a psychopath serial killer, which Dexter is portrayed as being: they remain unattached, they operate alone, and do not feel remorse.

All along past the 10 latest episodes we have heard the screams of the 13 victims being raped, tortured and butchered by the gang of "take it!"-men club. But we have not seen it.  Are we approaching the limit of what can be shown in realm of this story? Is it too much to handle for the borderline dark comedy-material of the show? Do we even want to see sadistic killing of innocent girls?

What is being served for us, and in plentiful, are the constant mass mind games and fake smiles of the motivational speaker "Jordan Chase" (played by Jonny Lee Miller ). Various inspirational speakers and motivational coaches are a kind of perverse sign of our times. The need for someone to tell us we are worthy, that everything is ok is an inherently psychological regression into childhood; longing for our mommy. Secular times have replaced the old priests on Sundays for cd:s, tapes and seminars full of psychobabble jargon that is supposed to change our lives. Small change for offering has been taken over by credit cards and greed. "We are born primal. Do you feel that Dexter? That hunger inside of you to be whole again. That hunger is your primal self. You must open your heart and listen to what it says. Cease the power of instinct. We are going to take it".
Is this the true gore of the fifth season?





What seems to be the highlight so far, is naturally Vince Musaka and his refreshingly out-there comments on his surroundings. I only wish he could get more screentime. Autoerotic mummification. Need I say more?

Two words for you: Autoerotic Mummification

Recording dreams soon possible

Researchers claim that recording and reading people´s dreams is soon a reality. US scientist Dr Moran Cerf writes in the journal "Nature" of his findings. His plan is to actually build a machine, which helps psychologists to interpret and analyze dreams as a form of therapy. Dr Cerf performed a number of tests to volunteers, where he showed a variety of images and objects to them, and was able to monitor brain functions- as in, which area of the brain lit up when looking at a specific item.

However, he did admit that this discovery is a long way from actually precisely "seeing" another person´s dreams  and thoughts, so ideas of "Inception" are not yet upon us.

Recording dreams soon possible