Indecision 2012

Tomorrow is the big day. Time once again to vote for President of the United States. Seems like every 4 years the choices get worse and worse. Is it just me? I've heard and seen Pros and Cons on both sides, but I have to say that I think the Cons far outweigh the Pros on BOTH sides of this election. Same as the last and the one before that...

"We would all like to vote for the best man but he is never a candidate." -Kin Hubbard

Is it because each of these individuals is a genuine p.o.s.? Or is it simply because The Republican and Democratic parties are both inept, greedy and elitist organizations who care nothing about the people within our country? They both talk a big game, but from my perspective, both sides have done an excellent job of messing up the United States. Am I saying that they are all completely bad or useless or that the blame lay solely at their feet? Absolutely not. What I am saying is that the current Two Party system is antiquated. It's failing. It also seems to have Alzheimer's since they can never keep their stories straight... It's time to move on.

"Our two party system is a bowl of sh*t staring at itself in the mirror." -Lewis Black

In the last election when Obama ran against McCain, I remember feeling the same helpless, hopeless pessimism that voting for "the lesser of two evils" was no longer something that I could do and still feel good about my vote. When Kerry ran against Lil' Bush, I did just that: I got wasted and voted for dumb ass Kerry. My reasoning was that I would rather have a fresh douche than an old, chafing one. But last election? Nope, I willingly and (almost) gladly threw my vote at a 3rd Party Candidate. I won't say which one, because it doesn't matter. I simply REFUSED to give my vote to Barack Obama or John McCain. Why? Because they both SUCKED. They sucked and so do our current options. I will not go into WHY they suck because I could spend all day doing so and YOU could spend all day debating me. We all know why they each suck, let's just leave it at that.

"When I think about who I would vote for... I don't even look at their policies. I just look at their character." -Dave Chappelle

Most people say that voting for a 3rd Party is bad because A) It takes votes away from the 2 main choices B) It's "throwing away" a vote because a 3rd Party has no chance of winning C) Voting with your conscience is meaningless, etc. I've got news for ya, folks. If I take 1 measly vote away from either of those morons, I'm absolutely STOKED. Because if you're voting for who you feel is the right choice, your vote is never wasted.

"Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting." -FDR

It is our duty and responsibility as citizens and voters of these United States to vote. BUT, it's also up to us to educate ourselves about the candidates. Why is that? Because nearly all of the major news organizations have been bought and paid for by the Right and the Left. So what we get is NOT the news. What we get is OPINION, spin and straight-up propaganda. So it falls on us to sift through the bullshit and make a responsible and educated vote. Do not give in to hate, fear and all of the other modes of control. USE YOUR FREAKIN' HEAD and back it up with your heart.

"Fifty percent of people won't vote, and fifty percent don't read newspapers. I hope it's the same fifty percent." -Gore Vidal

As far as my actual political views are concerned, I will say only this: I have no political allegiance. I try to remain non-partisan. I am socially liberal and fiscally conservative. I have been called a non-conformist, a contrarian and other colorful terms where my political views are concerned. Obviously, I disagree. I vote how I feel makes sense and what I think is best for the nation. If that's being contrary to the b.s. status quo, then so be it.

"Liberal and conservative have lost their meaning in America. I represent the distracted center." -Jon Stewart

Tomorrow I will once again vote for a 3rd Party candidate. Just who that person is I feel is irrelevant, because I'm not here to tell you who to vote for. I'm just asking you to vote responsibly and logically.

"Any man who is under 30, and is not a liberal, has no heart; and any man who is over 30, and is not a conservative, has no brains." -Winston Churchill

^This is my favorite political quote^. It reminds me to walk the fine line between emotion and logic when it comes to making my decisions as a voter. I know that's probably not what Churchill meant, but that's what it means to me. I hope it does the same for you.

See you on the flip side.

Stand-Up Review: Christopher Titus and the Neverlution!

I recently received my dvd copy of the new (and autographed, thanks dude!) Titus stand-up special, Neverlution. More on that in a bit, but first I want to talk about how I became a fan of Titus...

I became an ardent fan of Titus and his work when I first saw his Fox sit-com, Titus. The show, based loosely upon his life, really struck a chord with me. Because, not only was he from a dysfunctional family and into cars (like me), but he managed to make both really funny, especially the dysfunctional part! And I don't mean in the grunting, sappy, cheese-ball Home Improvement type of funny, more akin to irreverent, crass Married With Children funny. Growing up in a some-what dysfunctional family that always had an old Chevy (and various other forms of vintage tin) in the driveway, I couldn't help but be drawn to the show and Titus' sarcastic, cynical and often times straight-up silly sense of humor, and the "Negative Space" from which he narrated and commented was, I thought, really unique. It was different than any other show that had been done before. And while I referenced Home Improvement and Married with Children to describe Titus, really the only thing it had in common with either were cars and dysfunction, respectively. Unfortunately, Titus only made it to the 3rd season. Figures. The really good stuff never lasts on TV.

But nonetheless, I've continued following his stand-up act (though I have yet to see him live). He's released several televised and/or recorded specials since his show ended; Norman Rockwell is Bleeding (2004), The Fifth Annual End of the World Tour (2006), Love is Evol (2009) and most recently, Neverlution (2011).

Titus has never really been shy about broaching even the most taboo of subjects; substance abuse, domestic violence, mental illness, suicide. He's included all of these plus others into his acts. He even finds a way to make you laugh about them. And not to say that he makes light of such heavy matters, but he definitely finds a way to make you laugh about even the most soberingly serious subjects. His facial expressions, tone of voice, characterizations/impersonations, gesticulation and body language are as much a part of the performance as the subject material and words themselves. Plus, he always finds awesomely interesting and creative ways of incorporating visuals, whether with his sets, lighting, photos, etc. And the thing I really like about the visual aspects he employs, is that they never detract from his performance. They almost always simply add another layer of nuance that you probably won't notice at first. Despite the very un-subtle way he approaches comedy, the visuals are tastefully understated.

One of my favorite things about Titus, is that, in the tradition of the Late Greats George Carlin and Bill Hicks, Christopher Titus is not afraid to offend, though it is not his intention to do so. He says what he wants, how he wants to say it. No apologies or back-pedaling. Just, this is what it is. Laugh or don't, Titus is here to entertain. And not unlike the work of Carlin and Hicks, Titus seems to make you think as hard as you laugh. I believe Mel Brooks might refer to such as "Stand-Up Philosophers."

In my opinion, never has that M.O. been more apparent than in his latest special, Neverlution. In the past, a bulk of his material dealt with family and personal relationships, backed up with his social commentary. This release is kind of the other way around. While never really getting deep into the realm of politics, ala Lewis Black, Titus sets his sights on our crumbling society and the causes of it. Not so much the political reasons, more so the social reasons; modern parents and their shitty parenting or lack there-of, "terrorism", our country's techno-philia, our society's mediocrity, banality and apathy and the out-and-out douche-baggery of the people in our country.

He basically says it's up to us to make the change. If we sit around waiting for our government to do so, it'll never happen. I read somewhere that "Dissent is the highest form of Patriotism." With that said, Titus seems upset at what our country is becoming and can you blame him? We should all be upset, but in the word's of Carlin, "Nobody wants to rock the boat because we've all got cell phones that make us waffles and rub our balls for us. We've been bought off by gizmo's and gadgets..." Titus makes a similar observation, saying sarcastically that "I'd rather give up my freedom, than give up my shit." That seems to be the general consensus throughout this country. And I'm not immune to it, I love my shit. Do you think I have an old car because I needed one? Is it essential to my survival? No. I wanted one. We are a people of wants. And I suppose there's nothing wrong with that mentality, but...  The time for change is coming. What that will entail and what it's going to cost us as a people remains to be seen. But tensions are rising all over the world and we are not immune to unrest here in the United States. History has proven that to be true...

Regardless of where you stand politically, or what kind of family life you had growing up, I think just about everyone can get at least a laugh or two out of Neverlution. Though personally, I laughed my ass off.

Here's a few clips of some of Titus' work, plus the Intro from Neverlution:

From Norman Rockwell is Bleeding:

From The 5th Annual End of the World Tour:

From Love is Evol:

From Neverlution:



If you like what you see and hear, "Like" Titus on Facebook and visit his website. Say hello and buy a dvd or two!