Think a Bit Thursday: Pulp Fiction and Gun Control

This is Think a Bit Thursday, the weekly series where I tie movies to ideas and discuss them. This week, we’ll be talking about Pulp Fiction and Gun Control. What does Pulp Fiction have to do with Gun Control? I’ll explain in a minute. First let me give you an idea of what Pulp Fiction is in case you haven’t seen it. It is about two gangsters, a boxer, and a couple of restaurant robbers. Three seemingly unrelated stories mesh together to create what is known as one of the best crime movies ever made.

Organized crime organizations get guns illegally. Gangsters don’t apply for gun licences, obviously. Instead, they obtain firearms illegally and stay under the radar, just like those in Pulp Fiction. But what about those who are average citizens? Should they be allowed to go to a local gun retailer and get a gun as long as they have a clean record, proper training, and the correct licenses and paperwork?

This week’s question is: Should people be allowed to own a gun?

Allow me to lay out my opinion. Please do not leave this post without reading all of it thinking that I feel a certain way when I really do not. As always, I consider all sides of the issue. Just give me a moment to communicate my thoughts.

When I woke up the morning after the Dark Knight Rises premiere, I was fully charged. As soon as my alarm woke me up, I bolted out of my bed and opened my laptop. I opened three tabs at once. I sought Dark Knight Rises reviews. I was living and breathing the film, for I would be seeing it that night. Along with the reviews, I opened up Facebook. As I scrolled down, I saw a lot of: ‘Dark Knight Rises was epic!’ and ‘Best movie of my life!’ But as I was scrolling, my heart pumping fast from the sheer excitement, I came across a status that read: ‘RIP to the victims of the Aurora theater shooting.’ At that same moment, my heart sank. I finally became aware of my heart pumping hard. I slowly pulled my fingers off of my track pad and just stopped. I read the status over and over again. I just sat in my chair, no thoughts, no feelings. Just numbness. I closed all of the tabs and went to Google. I searched ‘Aurora theater shooting,’ and I read 3, 4, 5 articles. This was unbelievable. I went downstairs that morning alone and turned on the news. I soaked up everything I could about what happened in Aurora. For me, somebody who was just as excited as these people for the Dark Knight Rises, this event really struck hard. The movie theater is a sanctuary for people to escape. The fact that a person had disturbed that peace and shattered that excitement with guns and killing and evil was upsetting. It could have been me or anyone else.

Hearing this news right after I woke up put a dark stain in the atmosphere. This was raw, unreal news. And incidents like this are not uncommon. There have been plenty of other shootings at schools and public places. I am completely aware of that. It is a known fact that people do abuse firearms. But is that a valid reason to ban them?

Guns were given to US citizens as a right through the second amendment. During the Revolutionary War, they were oppressed by the British. When the country became free and the Constitution was created, guns were allowed to be carried by citizens in order to establish security and true freedom. But are guns needed now?

Look. Criminals have weapons. Until criminals on our streets no longer possess firearms, we should be able to carry them as protection. If guns are out of our criminals’ hands, THEN I can understand banning firearms. If there is nobody to protect ourselves from, then guns are useless, and solely a hazard. But when criminals are on our streets with guns, taking away the right to guns is unjust. It is taking away out protection. Criminals are dominant over us if we cannot carry a gun and they can. Especially when the economy is poor and police forces are being cut down, now is not the time to disarm citizens.

Here’s the deal. People are saying that because of these tragic shootings and the abuse of guns, they should be banned. Yes, guns have one sole purpose: To kill. And some people misuse the guns and use it as a murder weapon rather than a precaution, which it is meant to be. But we as citizens have a right to defend ourselves. Instead of getting rid of guns altogether, therefore leaving citizens defenseless, we should instead moderate weapons and who buys them. We cannot give out guns simply if a person has a clean record and can complete a training course. We need to truly evaluate each person individually before giving them a gun, and keep up with what they are doing with it. I get that no matter how good of a record a person has, however, the person can still use a gun for murder. He can be set off and act on impulse.

Look at this kid who conducted the Aurora shooting. He was a really smart kid, the kind of guy who would likely be trusted with a gun. Still, just because a small amount of people use guns incorrectly and for personal bouts does not mean that we should get rid of guns altogether. If a gun were placed in my hand and I had a grudge against someone, I wouldn’t even consider pointing the gun. Why? Because I was raised well. I know better than to misuse something as powerful as a firearm. Some people, however, don’t have that support. They don’t have that thing in their mind that says, “Don’t do it.” THAT is what needs to be treated, and before it happens. The desire to kill is a mental issue, and mental issues can be reduced and treated here in the 21st century.

Let’s say that guns were banned. Think: What happens when the government makes something that was once widely allowed illegal? Let’s look at the Prohibition. When alcohol was banned, people obtained it illegally. Eventually, alcohol was made legal again, because the amount of crime being committed to obtain it flew through the roof. The same would happen with weapons. Men who are concerned about protecting their families will not let their guns go without a fight. Taking guns away will cause an uproar. Once people feel like their rights are being stripped in the US, they get extremely upset. Extremely. Repealing or cancelling an amendment is a very clear way of stripping a right. That wouldn’t sit well with the country.

US citizens should be allowed to carry firearms. Yes, guns are abused, and the effects are usually devastating, but if guns were taken away from us, we would see it as a loss of freedom, and the effects of the gun ban would outweigh the current effects. Maybe when crime in the US is diminished and criminals no longer have firearms, gun control could be put forth. But when our criminals have weapons, it is not correct to take guns away from citizens. It is giving power to the criminals.  There are a host of reasons why we should keep our right to bear arms. I know that this is a sensitive topic, but what is your opinion? Let me know in the comments below. Here is the question one more time: Should people be allowed to own a gun? Thanks for reading!

~Ddog

Think a Bit Thursday: Super Size Me and Fast Food

Hello everyone! This week on Think a Bit Thursday, we talk about something that has struck America hard: obesity. For those who have not seen Super Size Me, what happens is this. A man who is in great physical condition eats nothing more than McDonald’s for a whole month. He does this so he can show what fast food does to your body. We slowly see his condition worsen, his liver fail, and the overall toll it takes on his body.

The question this week is: Whose fault is it that there is an obesity epidemic? The fast food chains’ or the consumer’s?

In other words, why is America fat? Are we fat because of McDonald’s, or because of ourselves? I believe that the answer is quite obvious, but many people disagree with me. It is completely our fault. Completely. See, nobody is forcing anybody to eat McDonald’s. People make a conscious decision to consume fast food. Calorie counts are displayed at fast food chains right next to the meals. If you are eating that food and accusing fast food for your obesity, you are mistaken. YOU are the cause. Not McDonald’s, not a shady corporation, YOU. There is not one person in this country that doesn’t know that McDonald’s is not good for you.

You cannot blame fast food for the obesity epidemic. Fast food chains are essential to the economy, and are a product of hard work and determination. Allow me to explain. People love unhealthy food. This is why soda and chips are a huge market. Coca Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper. I could go on for hours. The creators of fast food franchises know what sells. Because they are trying to make money, they create a franchise that serves unhealthy food. Why? Because people eat it. Fast food didn’t spawn out of nowhere and cause obesity with it. The desire for high fat foods was here long before fast food chains.

I guarantee you that if there were as many competitors selling different kinds of salads and fruits, fast food chains would be built upon salads and fruits rather than burgers and fries. If apples and oranges were as big of rivals as Coke and Pepsi, there would be a surplus of apples and oranges being sold at fast food stores. You cannot hate fast food franchises, because the owners of them are smart. Not just smart, but intelligent. They started a business that makes quality money, because they are great with marketing, advertisement, and demographics. Do you think I want to defend fast food chains? Heck no. But McDonald’s is not responsible for obesity.

When we aren’t able to control ourselves and our eating habits, there is nobody else to blame. Yes, fast food is tempting. There is some kind of fast food restaurant at every corner. But there is self responsibility required in our lives. We have to make choices and claim responsibility for them. Here in America we are educated about food and health. We cannot turn a blind eye to the calorie counts and nutrition facts that are so clearly presented to us. There is fast food all around the world, and yet the United States is the most obese country. Yes, we do have four times the amount of McDonald’s than Japan, the country with the second highest amount of McDonald’s locations. That is a solid fact. But we are informed individuals. Just because there is more fast food does not make it alright for us to get fat off of McDonald’s. It is our fault that we are obese, not fast foods.’

The question this week was: Whose fault is it that there is an obesity epidemic? The fast food chains’ or the consumer’s? Let me know what you think in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

~Ddog

Think a Bit Thursday: Paranormal Activity and Fear

Ddog here with a new Think a Bit Thursday! This week we will be talking about fear. What better time to talk about fear than now? With Halloween right around the corner and more bad horror movies coming out, this is a great topic to discuss. Fear. Before we begin, let’s talk a bit about Paranormal Activity. This movie spawned the Found Footage genre back from the dead after the Blair Witch Project shook college campuses all across America. Unfortunately, the Found Footage genre is weak, and has been implemented incorrectly. Paranormal Activity was a thrill because nothing happened. We anticipated so much that when we got so little, it still seemed like so much. It’s like sitting in a seat facing a wall after eating a gallon of ice cream and a box of Pop-Tarts. You are so hyped up on sugar that even though you are watching a wall, it seems like the most interesting and thought-provoking wall. In reality, it is just a plain wall. This was Paranormal Activity. I can’t say that the movie sucks, because it delivered the scares. That’s what it was trying to do, and it succeeded.

The question this week is: What is your biggest fear?

If you asked me this before this summer, I would have said heights. I love roller coasters, but heights are just too much for me. The tingly feeling and queasiness that heights give me makes me want to crawl as far away from the ledge as possible. I have gotten stuck up in the attic because of my refusal to climb down the ladder. I had to be escorted down. But then I went to Kingda Ka. You guys saw it in my second Vacation Vlog. I rode the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world. After conquering that height, I can predict that heights don’t bother me any longer. I say predict because I haven’t been near a height since the summer. But I feel less afraid of heights now, and that’s definitely a good sign.

For some, bugs are the biggest fear. One of my cousins is deathly afraid of spiders. A few years back I decided to ask her for help on my homework. What she didn’t know was that I had a book full of spider pictures infront of me. She looked over my shoulder, jumped to halfway to the ceiling, and bolted to the nearest couch. She had her head buried in a pillow and she refused to remove it because she was afraid that the book would be awaiting her. I believe she was sobbing. This isn’t some 6 year old cousin of mine, however. She is older than me, and married. (I don’t share the age of women on gamerscene. That’s not how I role.)

For my dad, his fear is rodents. Nothing scares him except for rodents. My cousin told me a story that displays my father’s phobia perfectly. He and my dad were outside late at night, and a raccoon ran right over my dad’s feet out of nowhere. He leaped out of his chair and sprinted inside the house, my cousin at his heels. My dad slammed the sliding door shut on my cousin. Every now and then they have a good laugh about it, but I am sure that it wasn’t so funny for my cousin at the time.

I have heard that more people are scared of public speaking than death. Maybe that’s your fear. And since the attacks of September 11th, flying has become a common fear as well. Are you scared of the dark? How about clowns? Many are afraid of dentists as well. The list goes on and on.

The fact is, fear is a very overpowering feeling. Being afraid clouds our judgement and attacks our mind. It is very manipulative, as it toys with our mind. Think about how strange some fears are. Flying on an airplane. You are travelling on an airborne vehicle, trying to get from one location to another. Dentists. They are professionals who are fixing your teeth. Clowns. They are men outfitted with makeup, intending to amuse children. See what I mean? Fear is something mental, completely brewed up by the brain. There is no logic or reason for fear. It is simply an impulsive feeling that we spawn. Why? I have no idea. What am I, a doctor?

Let me know below: What is your biggest fear? Thanks for reading!

~Ddog

(A Late) Think a Bit Thursday: The Avengers and Super Powers

Hello everyone! I am greatly enjoying the new Dave Matthews Band album. In fact, I am listening to it as I type this post. But before I begin, be sure to check out this week’s previous post. In it, I have two polls to vote on. One asks if I should launch Women Wednesday. The second asks if I should launch Rula’s Rage Page. Not sure what either of those things are? Click here to check out the post and vote. The post will open in a new tab. The two ideas mean a lot to me, and a simple vote would help me tons. OK, so let’s get started.

The Avengers. If you don’t know what the Avengers is, you have been living in a rock that is deep in the earth. The Avengers is about the Marvel superheroes that come together to defend the earth.

The question this week is: If you could have any super power, what would it be? Let’s take a look at some possibilities.

Super Strength: Imagine being able to do push ups without getting tired, impressing everyone you encounter. You could go into parking lots and move cars, simply for the sake of messing with people. If you’re feeling heroic, you could become a fireman and become the best in the world.

Invisibility: If you could turn invisible, you could see things that aren’t meant for your eyes and hear things that aren’t meant for your ears. You could eavesdrop of any conversation, anywhere, any time. You would learn a lot and see a lot. If you have a grudge, you could simply become invisible and beat the crap out of your enemy. But we are thinking heroes…so instead we could tickle the enemy to tears. A self-sustaining thief or spy is what Invisibility will likely turn you into.

Mind Reading: Imagine that you are carrying on a conversation, and as you converse with your friend or enemy, you can hear their thoughts. Mind Reading could make you president some day, countering your opponent by hearing their thoughts and ideas. You could likely win every argument as well. All politicians and businessmen would likely go with Mind Reading.

Flying: You could transport yourself anywhere, anytime. Flying would be more of a pleasure than be a practical ability, but it would be pretty cool. You would likely never be late to a party, and you would arrive in style.

Telekinesis: You could move things with your mind. A couch potato’s ideal ability. They no longer have to get up for the TV remote. Still, this ability would be very handy in military torture. Throwing the enemies against the wall with your mind would surely shake them enough to spill everything they know. Oh and if you’d want to be a good guy, you could transport food to Africa and other hungry places in the world…with your mind.

Shape Shifting: You could get the face and body of anyone in the world. You could become celebrities and get free love from the fans, as well as a hefty paycheck. You could also become a famous impressionist, shifting before each show and acting like it’s simply makeup. To help the world you could become the president and make decisions that you feel will benefit the world.

So those are only a few ideas. Go wild. What superpower would you like to have, and how would you use it?

~Ddog

Think a Bit Thursday: The Social Network and Facebook

The Social Network tells the story of how Facebook was created. Though the story is exaggerated for entertainment value, it truly is a great and interesting adaptation. This movie was received very well, as it focused on something that nearly everyone knew and used at the time: Facebook.

The question this week is: “Do you feel like Facebook is a bad thing to be involved with? Is a person better off without Facebook?” In order to analyze this question, I will share my own feelings about Facebook. Maybe through my experiences with the social network you can determine where you stand on the matter.

So Facebook. When MySpace started fading away and everyone was suddenly on Facebook, I was opposed to it. When people talked about Facebook or told me to join it, I sneered. Facebook was the dumbest thing. I don’t care what you are doing. I don’t care what you are currently eating or who you are currently hanging out with. It all seemed very pointless to me. This was my point of view until I moved to California. After much thinking and consideration, I signed up for Facebook. There were two main reasons for me doing so. First, I figured that it would help me keep in touch with my friends and family, mainly from New Jersey. Besides that, I wanted to promote Gamerscene. I did so on my personal Facebook for a good amount of time, but stopped once I created the gamerscene Facebook page, which is right here. Like the page for updates and news (I had to 😉 We’re on the topic of Facebook.)

So I got on Facebook. It was addictive and absorbing for the first couple of weeks, but then I realized that I dislike Facebook more than I enjoy it. Allow me to explain why. (This ranting has a point. Stay tuned.) I strongly dislike ‘Like if you love Jesus, scroll down for Satan.’ type things. The fact that people participate in those is upsetting. I love God. I hate Satan. I still keep scrolling. I am not displaying my faith through a like on Facebook. Idiots. ‘Lost phone, need numbers’ is another thing I despise. Are people that idiotic to post their phone number online for anyone and everyone to see? Are they that stupid? ‘Most beautiful teenager’ contests also make me shake my head. Are teens really becoming that conceited and desperate to be told that they are beautiful that they need to enter this stupid contest? And people actually like the photos, one like equaling one vote for the most beautiful teenager. Just recently, it was announced on Facebook that Bill Nye had passed away. I scroll down and see that some of my friends had liked a page titled: RIP Bill Nye. The truth is, Bill Nye is still alive. Are people that stupid that they create a page honoring someone who had passed away without even knowing if they really died? People buy into internet hoaxes way too easily. A simply Google search can provide the truth. I remember how a ton of people reposted a status “issued by Facebook” to protect their account from being deleted, due to the “shutting down of Facebook.” People are really hard headed nowadays.

Just because it is a new paragraph does not mean that my rant is done. I am not opposed to ‘like for a like’ statuses, because I have done some out of boredom. But some people say, ‘like for a like. Not doing all.’ Not doing all? Then what the hell is the point of doing this in the first place? What, out of the pool of people that like your status you are just going to select those who you prefer? Are you kidding me? Then there are those people who post hate statuses. “I hate all these dumb *#&!^#)@&#. Leave me the )!*#$$*@$&@ alone you !@#&$^ !(@&$&@($’s. If you tried to count characters to make out words, you have been trolled. I typed the symbols randomly. Use your imagination to translate the words. And then this one girl continued, after her vulgar rant, to say, “Nobody cares about your issues. Look for sympathy elsewhere.” The irony of that statement made me want to comment and point out her stupidity, but believe it or not, I’m a nice guy. Despite my rage segments and this above rant, which is still not complete, I actually have a heart. Whoa…I just got an idea for a new post: Ddog: Not a Monster. Bingo! Back on topic. There are people who have to announce through status that they are bored. I do not care. There are those who post statuses about what they are eating. Unless it is meat, I do not care. What really gets to me are the people who like their own statuses. Are you serious? Are you that desperate to raise your like count? No crap you like your status. You posted it, you better like it. And then people who are friends of a friend, whom I have never spoken to in my life, send me friend requests. Get out of here. And some people have 900 friends. Go home. Get a life. You do not know 900 people. Some people are so concerned with popularity that they go ahead and add every damn person who is a mutual friend of a friend.

Note: This is an actual friend count of one of my friends.

As I type this I am generating more and more hate for Facebook, and more flaws to mention. By now, you should get the idea. But I am not finished with this Think a Bit Thursday. The question this week is, “Do you feel like Facebook is a bad thing to be involved with? Is a person better off without Facebook?” Despite my rage, I say that it is not a bad thing to be associated with. See, Facebook is a system that works well and is helpful to those who use it correctly. The problem is, when you add people to a network that works properly, it becomes corrupted. Facebook isn’t the one who made that picture. It’s not the one who started that group. It’s not the one who is posting pointless statuses. It’s us. We are using Facebook in an incorrect and improper way. Facebook itself, however, is not a bad thing to be involved with. It is actually quite fascinating. When my dad joined Facebook, he received a friend request from somebody who he knew from long ago. A childhood friend of his, his neighbor in Jerusalem, had found him on Facebook. My dad left Jerusalem when he was young. The fact that old friends from opposite parts of the world could stay in touch is mind blowing. Facebook has helped me sustain relationships with my friends and family, and it is continuing to do so. Facebook, despite the overload of game invites, people who don’t care about privacy, the addition of Timeline, and everything I mentioned above, is a great thing to be involved with. For a teenager and older, it is something you should definitely try out. It truly is something great.

What do you think? Leave your answer for this week’s question below. Thanks for reading 🙂

~Ddog

Think a Bit Thursday: Inception and Dreams

For those who don’t know, Inception is my favorite movie to date. I am going to try so hard to restrain myself from talking about how great it is, and stick with the format. So Inception is about…how do you explain Inception? I could explain it, but being the fanboy I am, I will get way too in depth and over complicate things. All you have to know is that Inception involves dreams. I want to hit myself over the head for making it sound so basic, but that’s really all you need to know for this segment.

This week’s question is: “Why do we dream what we dream?” Scientists have their theories and whatnot, but nobody wants to hear me state theories. The best way to come to a conclusion is to discuss your experience.

Now let’s think for a bit. Everybody has a dream or two that we remember. Whether it be because it scared us, or because it was hilarious, we all remember a couple of dreams. In most cases, the dreams we remember are the ones that scare us. Still, I can recall a dream that had me laughing upon waking up. Sometimes we convince ourselves that we remember a dream, when really, we have filled in blanks. That’s when a dream turns into a good story. But that’s like cheating.

When we close our eyes at night and fall asleep, how are our dreams brewed up? What determines what we will see in our dreams? From my experience, bits and pieces of what I remember of my dreams are related to what was on my mind in the day. Whether it be something big like an argument, or something as small as me spilling water while in the kitchen. Maybe dreams take information and memories, use them, and then trash them. The human memory is only so big, right? I can see some doctor reading this post, shaking their head. I am no doctor. I am simply speculating without Google.

More recently, I have had dreams involving things that have been on my mind. There are some random dreams, however. I still remember a dream I had years ago where I was running through some kind of a mall, with a stroller, throwing crayons at Ra’zac creatures from Eragon. I had read Eragon a year or two before the dream. I was not thinking of strollers. I didn’t color. It just happened. This is where the subconscious comes into play. Things hiding in the back of our brain project ourselves into our dreams.

But what about the dreams where we jump off a cliff and wake up of the falling sensation? How can every person have that buried in their subconscious? Everybody who I have asked has said that they have had some version of the “cliff dream.” We can’t all collectively have a shared memory, right?

We have dreams sometimes that mix both what is on our mind and random things. For example, I can still recall a dream where I was running outside my grandma’s house. That makes sense. I used to gather there every Sunday with the whole family. The catch is, I was being chased by bees. I faintly remember something with the roof. See, I was thinking about my grandma’s but the bees were completely out of nowhere.

In the Bible, dreams meant something. They were given to prophets by God. But we’re not prophets. We aren’t living in biblical times, times where Christianity was being formed. We just dream. There can’t be some ultimate goal of dreams.

There’s one simple answer to this question: Why do we dream what we dream? Until we have the technology and will to understand the brain, we will never know why we dream what we dream. Dreams cannot have a purpose from some all powerful being. Dreams scare us, make us laugh, and sometimes tell a seemingly pointless story. Maybe dreams are there just cause. We won’t know until the future, or maybe, we’ll never find out.

The question this week was: Why do we dream what we dream? Please leave your thoughts below in the comments. Thank you, and have a great day.

~Ddog

Think a Bit Thursday: The Dark Knight and The Joker

The Dark Knight is a movie about Batman’s struggle to remain a hero. When the Joker declares that people will die every day that Batman doesn’t take off his mask, the people of Gotham become restless. They call for him to turn himself in to the Joker. The Joker is a misunderstood character, however.

The question this week is: Is the Joker really insane? Does he believe in anarchy like he claims?

Let’s start with how Alfred explain the Joker to Batman. He says, “With respect Master Wayne, perhaps this is a man that you don’t fully understand, either. A long time ago, I was in Burma. My friends and I were working for the local government. They were trying to buy the loyalty of tribal leaders by bribing them with precious stones. But their caravans were being raided in a forest north of Rangoon by a bandit. So, we went looking for the stones. But in six months, we never met anybody who traded with him. One day, I saw a child playing with a ruby the size of a tangerine. The bandit had been throwing them away.”

“So why steal them?”

“Well, because he thought it was good sport. Because some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like money. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.”

Alfred tells how this bandit raided a caravan and simply threw away the precious stones he stole. He is saying that some people just want to cause hurt to the world just because. This is how Bruce Wayne sees the Joker from that point on. He sees him as a man with nothing to lose, and nothing that will make him crack. He sees him as a man who has no structure. He sees him as a man who just does. Let’s look at another point of view, from the Joker himself. Here is what he says to Harvey in the hospital.

“Do I really look like a guy with a plan? You know what I am? I’m a dog chasing cars. I wouldn’t know what to do with one if I caught it! You know, I just… do things. The mob has plans, the cops have plans, Gordon’s got plans. You know they’re schemers. Schemers trying to control their little worlds. I’m not a schemer. I try to show the schemers how pathetic… their attempts to control things really are.  I took your little plan and I turned it on itself. Look what I did to this city with a few drums of gas and a couple of bullets. Hmm? You know what… you know what I noticed? Nobody panics when things go according to plan. Even if the plan is horrifying. If tomorrow I tell the press that like ah, gang banger will get shot or a truck load of soldiers will be blown up. Nobody panics. Because it’s all part of the plan. But when I say that one little old mayor will die. Well then everyone loses their minds! Introduce a little anarchy! Upset the established order and everything becomes chaos. I’m an agent of chaos.”

Alfred, though he doesn’t refer to the Joker exactly, says that he is a man who just wants to see the world fall apart. Joker says that he doesn’t have plans. He just wants anarchy: A society without rule. We hear multiple times in this film that Joker is crazy, insane, a freak, etc.

Here’s the thing. The Joker has a facade. He claims to be someone who just does. Who doesn’t scheme. The truth is, he is the biggest schemer of them all. The opening bank scene. The grenade in his jacket. The mayor’s assassination attempt. The judge’s car exploding. The cell phone stomach bomb. The hospital explosion. The battleship sequence. The clown-civilian swap. Those plots were complex, thought out, and all driven by human behavior. His plans never involved solely a time bomb that was going to explode. Each and every plan involved humans acting on impulse. His plans were heavily coordinated. He brought the darkest side out of humans, and knew how they would react so well that he based his plans on human impulse.

The opening scene. Joker has school buses full of money after robbing multiple banks. Later on, he burns his share of money given to him by Chechen. He knows that Chechen is driven by money, and burning his own share infront of the criminal would make him afraid. The Joker must really be nuts, is what is going on in Chechen’s head. The Joker understands what makes humans tick. He is not insane. In fact, he is quite the opposite.

His whole master plan is coordinated. He admits that he has a plan to Batman.

“This city just showed you that it’s full of people ready to believe in good.”
“Until their spirit breaks completely. Until they get a good look at the real Harvey Dent and all the heroic things he’s done. You didn’t think I’d risk losing the battle for Gotham’s soul in a fist fight with you? No. You need an ace in the hole. Mine’s Harvey.”

“What did you do?”
“I took Gotham’s white knight and I brought him down to our level. It wasn’t hard. You see, madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little push!”

He attempted to strike fear into the people of Gotham, and in case it didn’t work, he has a corrupted Harvey Dent. To see the face of Gotham, the white night, become corrupted, would destroy all hope that the people of Gotham may have.

Does Joker believe in anarchy? No. He is a very methodical villain, and he distracts people from that fact by acting like a rabid dog: unpredictable and scary. The Joker’s goal is simple. Not only is it to break Gotham, but to have Batman break his rule. Batman’s one rule is simple: Don’t kill. The Joker knows it very well. As he is on the street, Batman charging at him with his Batpod, he yells, “Hit me! Come on, hit me!” Batman yells as he veers away from the Joker, tumbling off of his Batpod. The anger that Batman feels is just what the Joker intended. The Joker knows what angers Batman. He knows that he won’t break his rule. We know that Bruce Wayne feels like he is not fit for the role of Batman any longer, and this part of the movie contributes to that feeling. If he can’t kill this “lunatic” who has killed multiple civilians already, how can he carry on with his responsibility as Batman?

The question this week is: Is the Joker really insane? Does he really believe in anarchy like he claims? I strongly believe that the answer to those questions is no. Please leave your thoughts in the comments. Do you agree or disagree with me? Let me know below.

~Ddog.

Think a Bit Thursday: The Taking of Pelham 123 and Being a Hostage

Once again, I decided to get lighthearted for Think a Bit Thursday. Usually I take a philosophical point from a movie and talk about it, but this week, let’s talk about being a hostage.

The movie I have drawn inspiration from this week is The Taking of Pelham 123. In this film, John Travolta and his crew of criminals hijack a subway train. He demands money, and will kill hostages if he does not get it.

The question this week is: If you were a hostage in a subway train, how would you deal with the situation?

I am sure that we would all say: Hide my cell phone, call 911 when the bad guys aren’t looking and use morse code and clicking noises to give my global position so they can send a SWAT team to save the subway train. But the reality is, none of us would do that. I would give the guys my cellphone, crawl under the seat and do whatever they tell me to do. I wouldn’t say one word. I am not idiotic enough to take on men with guns. Am I cowardly? No. I simply don’t want to get myself killed infront of the children who are on the train. If they get out alive I wouldn’t want them traumatized. Besides, what chance would I have? These guys have guns. I have a pack of 5 Gum. But this question isn’t just, “What would you do?” It’s “What would YOU do?” For example, I usually carry around my iPod and phone if I am going somewhere. Occasionally my nook. You may carry around your laptop and smartphone. Think of some apps you have. Maybe you carry around a pocketknife? How would you use these tools, if at all?

I simply have an iPod nano, which has no outward communication. So that’s no good in bettering the situation of me being a hostage. The phone would be taken from me for sure. In the movies there is always someone who hides it under their leg or whatever, but in reality, if these guys are smart enough to get on a subway train, they’re going to find a standard-sized phone. Maybe if it were a Palm or something similar, I can hide it. But not in my situation. So I would wait it out on the train hoping that noone is killed. But maybe you have an extensive knowledge of subway trains and the subway system. In MY circumstance, I would lie still and not draw any attention to myself. Playing hero is out of the question. Like I said, getting killed infront of the kids wouldn’t help their childhood.

So that’s what I would do. What would YOU do? Let me know below in the comments. The question, once again, is, “If you were a hostage in a subway train, how would you deal with the situation?” Also, let me know what you like better: The serious, deep thinking Think a Bit Thursdays, or the lighthearted, “if you were in this situation” Think a Bit Thursdays. Thanks for reading! I’ll be back online on Saturday, so when I don’t get back to you in comments or emails, that’s why. I’m taking a mini-vacation! 🙂 But it’s only a few days of no communication. I’m sure we can stick it out.

~Ddog