By Any Other Name

Anyone who has been through a high school English class should recognize the title as the tail end of one of Romeo's lines in Romeo and Juliet. In it, he is describing Juliet and ask if "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." It is supposed to mean that the name of anything doesn't matter, only what it is. This seems a little messed up in my mind. If I were the rose and he called me a tulip, I think I'd be pretty ticked (not counting in the fact that a rose isn't sentient.) To me, names are important, and that is why I speak how I do.

I always try to call people by name.

A few years back, someone once told me that your name is the sweetest thing that someone can say to you. We put a lot of value on our names, attaching honor and history to last names, and individual identity to our first. In many cultures, a family with a dishonored name is ostracized from their community. Calling someone by the wrong first name is one of the most embarrassing social interactions that we know of.

I always try to know someones' name before I really start to know them. A name is the most important starting point. Just greeting someone you work with by name in when you see them is a good start. After that, addressing them by name and asking questions just help solidify your friendship. This isn't Todd's guide to making friends, but it does show the importance of names among friends.

Names and identity go hand in hand. I believe everyone out there takes pride in their name. I know that I do. One thing that I love about the name "Todd" is that I almost never meet anyone with my same name. In most places, I am the only Todd, making me unique. The meaning of the name is also something that I like. One definition for it is "Seeker of Wisdom." I am one who peruses knowledge and common sense. Sounds accurate. The other definition is "Fox."I'm talking about the animal mind you, not the adjective (though I'm not against being described like that either.) Why do you think the fox from Fox and the Hound was named Todd? A fox is a cunning and intelligent creature, and I have always felt like these traits reflect well in me.

My last name is also something that I am proud of. Naevestad is a Norwegian name, shortened from its original form which was some twenty letters long (and which I don't know how to spell.) The original name meant "place of the lower fjord (river)" and denotes an actually place in Norway. There are maybe twenty people in the world with this last name, as far as I know. I am one of the lucky ones to hang onto that name. That also means that I am given the responsibility of passing it on (however unlikely that might be.) Naevestad isn't just a name, it is an entire family identity.

I mentioned how I feel unique with my name, but there are many times when I have friends with the same name. My dorm floor had four people on it named Nathan, three people named John, and three people named Andrew (Drew). It always seemed like there would be one person to retain the name, one would get a nickname, and others would be called by their last name. This seems only to happen to guys, however. The girls that I know with the same name, I call them by their name. I don't usually do anything to it.

There is also the subject of nicknames. I have some close friends that I have given nicknames. It isn't because I have trouble with their name, but because I have a special affection for them. I call my friend Catherine Sundheim "Sunshine" and my surrogate little sisters, Morgan and Cassie Miller, "The Little Blonde People." I know that I said above that I try to call people by name, but nicknames are different. Nicknames are about a personal bond. The name is usually between the two of you, your own special connection.

Romeo may have been trying to be elegant and deep, but the guy really didn't know what he was talking about (I'll get into my hatred for Romeo and Juliet another time.) True, just because a name changes, doesn't mean the object changes, but the identity does. Names are an important part of our lives. They are the earliest definers of who we are.

To the future parents out there, don't give kids stupid names, they'll hate you.

Just something to chew on.

Bat-wuss

Recently, DC announced that they were rebooting their continuity. Every series is starting over from number one. That means that there are new origin stories and hopefully a more coherent storyline. It's interesting to see where they go with this, the younger Superman is an interesting development. This reboot is also a smart time to change the story of one famous character. I've come to a rather controversial conclusion.

Batman is a wuss.

Now, let me be clear, the Batman we all know and love is hardcore. He's the dark knight, skulking through Gotham, beating down the villains, and instilling fear in the criminal underworld. Batman as a hero is pretty sick, but his origin is so pathetic. He doesn't have that real heroic beginning.

Let's look at this real fast. When Bruce was a kid, his parent's were murdered. Simple start right? Bruce trains and gets strong and agile, then dawns the famous cowl and becomes Batman. This seems pretty solid, but what about some other superheroes? Hal Jordan becomes the Green Lantern because of a sense of duty. Aquaman is out to protect his kingdom. Spider-man wants to honor his uncle's memory and atone for his selfish mistakes. Captain America is dedicated to his country. And Batman is a kid with some serious issues.

Batman is running off a messed up childhood and a desire for revenge. There is little that is noble about him. Most people probably would have moved on had they had some counseling. But here Batman is, bringing a crusade against crime to the streets of Gotham. Here's something to think about, Batman's parent's were killed and he swore revenge, Superman's entire planet was destroyed, and he's done his best to adapt and protect earth. Batman is the dark, brooding, anti-social, and Superman is a man of the people. Could you imagine what it would be like if Superman was that dark and brooding, scouring the galaxy for revenge? I don't think anyone would go for that.

I like Batman, I just think that they could do more with him. One of the main reasons I like Batman is because of the colorful cast of villains that he has. Villains like the Joker, Scarecrow, and Poison Ivy add a nice contrast to Batman that make both characters seem more in depth. But alone, Batman is very one sided, and compared to the other characters in the DC multiverse (had to get that word in somewhere) he's pretty boring. This reboot is a chance for Batman to be more than just a dark monolith of the night, he can have a depth and personality that is compelling and unique. Batman will never die in our minds, but this new age can bring him to amazing new heights.

On a related note, let's ditch the grown man in a rubber suit and little boy sidekick dynamic, that opens some serious questions that no one wants to get into.

Just something to chew on.

The Frenzy

Wikipedia (the source of all knowledge) defines a feeding frenzy as a situation where over-saturation of a supply of food leads to rapid feeding by predatory animals. A group of piranha might consider the wounded wildebeest as a meal and proceed to have a feeding frenzy on it's still struggling body. I figure that watching this would be a real gruesome sight. It's uncontrollable, nature just takes over and the feast commences.

Any college's freshman frenzy is just as terrifying of a sight.

It  probably seems odd (to the few of you who read this) that I am covering this the summer after my freshman year. After all, shouldn't my commentary about it come from having just witnessed some sickeningly sweet exchange between a newly formed couple? Probably, but  this has come about from a book had to read for my writing professor. It got me thinking, and since I had nothing better to write about this week, I wanted to make it my topic.

I guess this frenzy comes from having so much freedom as you enter college. There are no parents breathing down your neck, judging who you hang out with and who you're attracted to. Frankly, as long as they're human and of the opposite sex, your parents probably stay out of your business (aside from the expected badgering over the phone). It actually seems fairly natural. You're in a new environment, these people are stuck in the same place as you, you share many of the same beliefs, and in some dorms, you "live" together.

So if all this seems expected, what is bugging me you might ask? Here's a starter: Taylor has a reputation for hooking people up. A college like Taylor has a high rate for students meeting their spouses. Heck, it's practically printed in their pamphlets. What bothers me is the idea that the frenzy should overlap with this idea. Should the person you start dating a few months into your freshman year be your destined mate? I feel that is a pretty unrealistic idea to have going into any relationship that young.

Another thing that bothers me is what happens if things don't work out. Say you were dating Mr. Right or Ms. Wonderful for a year, then, come sophomore year, one of you goes abroad and you just can't hack it, the relationship ends. In many places, I think that it would be a growing experience and then you both would move on. Simple and clean right? Yet, mixing the Taylor mentality with the frenzy could have some nasty side effects. I could see someone getting severely depressed because things didn't work out. They might be thinking that there is no one else; they'll be single forever. You can see why I'm so critical of this right?

Something I've learned in my family, form my dad specifically, is that you need to be someone's friend, a real friend, before you can be anything more. Just hanging with a person for a few months then getting serious isn't a smart idea. When you're friends with someone, you see them at their best and their worst. You know the person, their character, not just how they portray themselves in public circles. I don't think that any relationship can be built strongly in only a few months. Without that deep friendship, I believe there is a weak foundation for the following relationship.

Now, I'm not condemning all my friends who did start relationships in their freshman year. I believe that whatever is going on is in God's plan, one way or another. I'm also not saying I am above this natural occurrence. If things had been different, I might have been a part of the frenzy as well. Right now, I'm just looking back at the last year and making some observations and guesses. I wish the bet of luck to my friends in relationships, but I also want to admit that I'm not usually shocked when some relationships come to and end. Maybe that's just my pessimism, or maybe I see where some troubles are creeping in. Either way, it's a part of life, and we can all deal with whatever comes are way.

By the way, a "DTR" (Define The Relationship ti those non-Taylor people) is really not suitable for public places.  Let's put a new connotation to "get a room" and send them to the private hang outs in the library.

Just something to chew on.

You Don't Know Me!!

In fact, most of you do know me (considering you probably wouldn't be reading this otherwise.) Something popped into my head this week, something that I've talked about with others before. This will probably rub some people the wrong way, but who cares.

Those people who whine about how "You don't know me" are idiots.

You've heard these kind of people right? You make some judgement about them and they scream about how you don't know who they are, or how they live in their private life. I guess the stereotype of this is the angry drunk girls on T.V. or something, but you get who I'm talking about at this point. Anyway, the reason I'm so harsh is because that statement doesn't make any sense.

It is very true that we don't know everything about everyone we meet. We all have secrets and private things that don't come out in daily life. Makes sense. Now what this whole build up is getting to. We can't be angry because people judge us because of what they see. How we present ourselves is who we are. If I'm sarcastic in my speaking, then people think I'm a sarcastic person. How right they are isn't the point, the point is that I portrayed myself as sarcastic and that's how people see me.

So, on to those people I talked about before. Usually a claim like the one above comes when they think someone (the "You" in this case) misjudged them. If say, a girl at a restaurant was being loud and obnoxious, yelling at the waiters and generally causing an uproar, you might think she's a self-entitled witch. Now, if you told her so, she'd probably feed you that line. In reality, she might be a nice person who you could get along with easily. Yet, because of they way she presented herself in polite company has dampened your view of her.

What I am saying is that we have to be careful about how we show ourselves to the world. We can't act one way and expect people to give us the benefit of the doubt. No one is going to think, "You know, just because he throws rocks at the elderly and is currently beating a homeless child with a pool stick doesn't necessarily mean he's a bad person. I'll try and get to know him better." We don't get a second chance to make a first impression. Cliche I know, but it is true. Don't get angry at people for judging you wrongly in your mind, think about how you've been showing yourself to the world. Often, you're the only one to blame for your reputation.

Then again, some people are just delusional tools who couldn't grasp reality if it came up and tore their face off.

Just something to chew on.

Servicing Your Fans

Most video game enthusiasts know that E3 has just passed us by. There was the announcement for Halo 4, some Uncharted 3 coverage, more from Star Wars: The Old Republic, and Nintendo announced a new counsel. Big news with the recent release of Duke Nukem Finally, er, Forever!Movie goers have also been in for a treat this year. The new Pirates of the Caribbean (which I examined quite well I believe), Thor, Tron, as well as X-Men: First Class and the up coming Green Lantern and Captain America movies. With such a major media maelstrom, I've come to a solid conclusion.

Fans suck.

Harsh I know, but that's the truth. Fans of big time series are some seriously self-absorbed jerks when it comes to their area of fandom. There is something about nerd culture that refuses to let others into their world. They also seem to have a real hatred for any form of re-imagining of their favorite series. Fans are petty and protective.

The recent Tron movie is a good example of exclusivity in a fan base. I will set this out now, I have never seen either Tron movie. Neither of them looked all that great. What I'm going to talk about are the people. In a discussion among some friends I heard them criticize people who considered themselves Tron fans because they liked the new movie. My friends' argument was that since the new fans hadn't been fans of the old movie, than they had no right to say that they were Tron fans.

That kind of attitude bugs me. It makes something that is a way to pass time, a way to kill time, so kind of ivory tower. Come my fellow fans, the might fanatics chortle, let us look down on those trying to immerse themselves in our world. I get this sticky feeling that they think they're better because they've been fans longer. Here's the thing, however. Stripped down to its barest elements, this mentality has a reasonable foundation. Whether it is Tron, Superman, or Mario, fans are familiar with they're favorite series. They've grown up with it. The new fanbases can threaten to can seem to be threatening their childhood heroes and everything they knew about them. Pride in your favorite works is completely acceptable, but when you make yourself out to be superior because of your history, that is crossing the line.

The other point I wanted to make was about fans and re-imagining a series. This ties in a bit with the first idea. My example for this time around is the movie Thor. This is another movie on my "to see" list. However, the critics I have heard have said that this movie is too childish. It isn't gritty enough for the modern audience. This is such an stupidly odd idea to me. Let's take a quick walk down memory lane. The first Thor comic was published in 1962. This was the time when greasy hair and leather jackets were big, and The Twist was hitting dance floors across the nation. Not exactly a pop culture I would call gritty.

What I'm seeing here is something typical of comics. If it isn't dark and morally ambiguous with people getting killed off every other page, then many people these days think it is childish and unrealistic. Thor is about a giant Norse god with a hammer smashing things and throwing lightning. This is every young boys fantasy, haven't we hit childish and unrealistic with the subject matter itself?

I've raged enough against movies for now, so I'm taking this point to another medium, video games. This is a medium that is almost the opposite in its views on re-imagining, but is just as extreme. Those of us who enjoy video games don't settle for the same things. We want our series re-imagined. Legends of Zelda: Skyward Sword was one of Nintendo's big displays at E3 this year. They had amazing looking videos featuring the game, its style, and its action. Yet I found countless people who whined about the game, saying they've seen it all before. I myself am a huge Zelda fan, and I understand them, but disagree. They want a new formula, but if Nintendo did change things up, these same people would be complaining that it isn't the Zelda games they know and love.

There really is no way to satisfy the fans. Fans are petty and whinny, never satisfied, always wanting. I think the reason so many people avoid trying to get into comics or video games or movies is because the fans of each are so smug about their preferred medium. This is true of all kinds of hobbies, from sports to Dungeons and Dragons. Everyone talks about being open-minded and tolerant, but when their hobbies aren't so exclusive, they can get fiery.

I am also a fan of series, I admitted that above. I've been getting into comics, have been a long time fan of video games, and am trying out D & D. The reason I can say all this is because A) I'm not one to keep my opinions to myself, no matter how insulting, but mostly B) I am not exclusive. I'm always trying to get people to play video games and to read the things that I like. If I enjoy something, I think others deserve to enjoy it as well. All of us who consider ourselves fans of some series or another need to not be so offended by those who enjoy what we love. We could be their guides to all that we enjoy. Think of the reward like this, the more people who are fans of a series, the more likely that a movie or game company will put real effort in and do a piece right.

Just avoid Anime, that stuff gets real weird real fast.

Just something to chew on.

Dr. Happy Teeth the Barbarian

Today I had to sit through one of the bloodiest procedures I'll probably ever be conscious for. At seven a.m, I had my to get my teeth and gums deep cleaned. It was an hour of sitting in a dentist chair as my teeth and gums scraped with hand held pickaxes. This whole debacle has brought about an interesting conclusion in my mind.

Dentistry is one of the most primitive forms of medical practice out there.

Medicine and techniques in hospitals grow by leaps and bounds as the years go on. All sorts of new methods and medicines, technologies and tonics, and practices and pills show up with new ways to heal. Disease are treated, and old ideas are thrown away. If there is so much innovation in the physical wellness area of medicine, why does my dentist still rake my teeth with a fancy set of toothpicks?

I'm don't like going to the dentist. That's not to say I don't like dentists as jobs, they provide valuable help to us, but going to the dentist is always the same. Lie about flossing regularly, deal with the same lectures, and have your chompers razed by some other worldly metallic artifacts. Okay, I might be exaggerating a little on that last part, but I'm right on the first two.

Dentists have been saying the same things for who knows how long. Their instructions seem simple, brush twice a day and floss daily. Simply enough right? Not when you factor in people. We're rushed in the morning, basically meaning we'll skip that brushing, and flossing is a beast. Nothing like running bladed rope through your teeth. At this point, couldn't we come up with some more advanced methods for dealing with teeth.

There are all those fancy automatic toothbrushes, I own one myself, and they have their benefits. Here's the thing though, they're still basically just a toilet brush that moves on its own. It's no use unless we put the time into using it. Somehow, I feel like there isn't enough incentive to brush. Dentists aren't helping the need to brush thing. What do you get when you're finished at the dentist's? A small roll of floss, and a pathetic manual toothbrush.

Flossing is also such an issue. It's time consuming, and pretty unpleasant, not to mention really hard to get into. Once you see that string covered in your blood, you can give it up pretty quick. They have those long handled ones that get the cross section of floss, and those are supposed to make it easier. But really, they're end up being just like the regular rolls.

Dentistry as a profession seems pretty technologically stagnate as well. Again, it's always metal picks and that weird rubber brush. Sometimes, added to the fun is a little device that sprays needles of pressurized water, oh joy. These tools are effective, sure, but that doesn't mean they're right for our day and age. A heavy rock was an effective hunting tool back when, but now we've got big shiny guns that can drop a deer at a thousand yards. Where is all the innovation and futuristic methods for dentistry? I think people will take their dental health more seriously if the dentist's office doesn't vaguely remind them of a medieval torture chamber.

Here's what I think we need: an all purpose mouthwash. Rinsing for thirty seconds is easy. If we could develop a mouth wash that killed all bacteria, penetrated the gums, and strengthened teeth, there would be some many more healthy toothed people. Medicine gets easier to use, a few pills takes away a headache for the day. Why isn't there some kind of remedy for tooth decay that works like that? Scientists are smart (usually) and I feel like this kind of product would be easy and profitable to develop.

People are lazy, and most other businesses realize that. They make things easy for the consumer to use so that they can sell more. Dentists need to pander to humanity's lack of motivation and develop a simple, easy to use dental health formula.

On a related note, no matter what innovations there are, I don't think the British will ever have good teeth.

Just something to chew on.

Pirates and Preachers

(Heads up, we're looking at some parts of the new Pirates of the Caribbean movies, so spoiler warning.)

I'm really tired of seeing Christians in movies as some kind of raving lunatic. So often it is the devout Christian who is the crazy serial killer, or the bumbling idiot. Somehow, a killer is more believable when they have some kind of religious basis. If you think I'm joking, check out the trailer for the movie The Ledge. Or watch some episodes of ABC's Secret Life, that one Christian chick needs some help.

As much as this is the case, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides has a character that is a breath of fresh air. One main sub-character is a dedicated missionary. This character, I feel, is a good example of what a Christian character can be in movies.

I really like Philip Swift.

Philip Swift is a missionary who is taken onto Captain Blackbeard's ship and kept alive by his daughter. He fully believes that any soul can be saved, no matter how cruel and diseased. Swift strongly stands against Blackbeard on a number of occasions, despite the risk to his health. With the mermaid Syrena, he is kind and compassionate, going out of his way to help her. Even while dying, he tried to both gain her freedom, and forgiveness.

What he shows a Christian to be contrasts with the Spanish  sailors. The Spanish show up toward the end to wreck the Fountain of Youth. The apparent Captain makes a note how God is the only one who can provide eternal life. They add the religious zealot aspect, but I didn't take them as the crazy types. You might not have like what they did (or thought it was a poor plot point) but I can't condemn them as crazy or stupid.

It's surprising that a movie like Pirates of the Caribbean could offer a decent view of Christians. Everyone can take their own moral views on Philip Swift, but I see him as a strong step for public medias like movies. Christians that are real people, not bible thumping lunatics, have a place in modern media, and characters like Philip Swift show just how realistic they can be.

The fact that the director keeps him shirtless for about half the movie probably adds to his popularity.

Just something to chew on.