Tag: cultural commentary

UncategorizedLeave a comment

Parking Lot Movie

Andy Driska

I recently watched this Independent Lens feature (available to stream on NetFlix). This movie documents what happens when dudes with a lot of education run a parking lot. The film’s strength is how it portrays people’s suspension of civil behaviors and rationality when they are driving their cars, and especially when they are trying to find a parking spot for their cars. This movie is an interesting counterpart to the Parking Wars TV show, that documents the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA). The parking lot, and parking in general, seems to be a situation or a space where it is normal … Continue reading Parking Lot Movie

UncategorizedLeave a comment

Michael Steele plays along on the Daily Show

Andy Driska

If you haven’t followed the Daily Show’s running puppet satire of Michael Steele (former chairman of the RNC), this video might not make much sense. Steele’s resemblance to the blue Muppet who frequently had something wrong with his soup morphed into Wyatt Cenac’s rhyming-version of Steele, whose speech was filled with lots of extra “bibbles.” http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:372947 Once the jokes were over, Steele was pretty candid about his ouster as RNC Chairman… kind of refreshing for the RNC, whose language is usually cloaked in the typical motherhood and apple-pie BS. Among his interesting comments were that the Republican Party has “a … Continue reading Michael Steele plays along on the Daily Show

UncategorizedLeave a comment

Abandoned Detroit: "Ruin Porn"

Andy Driska

Michigan Radio recently ran a story on The Cost of Creativity, a think piece designed to show the importance of arts funding to a state with a huge budget deficit. The story included a segment that discussed photographers “parachuting in” to Detroit, taking pictures of the numerous architectural landmarks that are now in ruins, then leaving to tell a “cliche” story of urban decay. One Vice Magazine column categorized the obsession with decayed landmarks as “ruin porn,” (I found myself thinking, “that’s a good point,” then questioning the source as I glanced at the widget next to the article that … Continue reading Abandoned Detroit: "Ruin Porn"

UncategorizedLeave a comment

Does where we live make us happy?

Andy Driska

I stumbled upon this index of “Happiest American Cities” and it got me to thinking about just what exactly makes me happy to live where I live. East Lansing, Michigan, is not the kind of place I brag about living. It’s not “where it’s at,” but for me, it has what I need: I walk to work each day, I enjoy my job and my education at Michigan State, and I have been satisfied by the relationships I have formed with the many people I have met in the past half-year. It doesn’t have the vibrancy and diversity a huge … Continue reading Does where we live make us happy?

UncategorizedLeave a comment

Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia

Andy Driska

Just watched this gritty documentary on dancing, fatalism, and pill-popping in coal country W.Va. Best part, hands down… one of the dudes shaking a bottle of pills, “that’s the Boone County matin’ call.” The movie chronicles the White family of Boone County, WV, who seem to be a relic of the Hatfield-McCoy era. The movie is marked by rampant drug use, mostly snorting prescription pills like Xanax and Vicodin, and lots of casual pot smoking. This goes on during most family gatherings. In the final scene, where they are having a party out at a city park, the little kids … Continue reading Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia

UncategorizedLeave a comment

From the Daily Show – Revenue Crunch for States

Andy Driska

Main St. Anytown U.S.A. http://www.thedailyshow.com http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:371595 Most states (47 of 50) are out of money and looking for ways to generate revenue without increasing taxes or changing tax structures. The fear seems to be that if taxes are increased, businesses and people with higher incomes will leave the state and relocate to other states where taxes are lower. I think this argument is too simple. It’s impossible to have low taxes and a high standard of living. A high standard of living means good schools, affordable health care, transportation infrastructure, clean and safe neighborhoods. That has a cost. It’s a … Continue reading From the Daily Show – Revenue Crunch for States

UncategorizedLeave a comment

From the Daily Show – Larry Wilmore’s Take on Huck Finn

Andy Driska

This is such an old argument. Wilmore makes his point humorously. He also pokes fun at the current congress for whitewashing history in their recent edited reading of the Constitution on the floor of the House, which omitted the section about slaves counting as three-fifths of a person. This clip appeared on the Daily Show with John Stewart (January 11, 2011). http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:370709 Continue reading From the Daily Show – Larry Wilmore’s Take on Huck Finn

UncategorizedLeave a comment

A second go-round

Andy Driska

This blog represents my attempt to re-romance the web. Ten years ago, or thereabouts, I spent a lot of time creating websites. It started with a website for the Ithaca College swim team (I’m a 2000 IC alum), which probably provided a little too much information on some of our team’s extracurricular activities. The college and sports information weren’t savvy enough to notice that there were pictures of athletes drinking beer on a quasi-official team site (I will attribute my indiscretion to the fact that I was a 20 year-old college boy lacking anything that resembled good judgment). That was … Continue reading A second go-round