Economy: The New Four-Letter Word

It's nearly inescapable, around every corner of every supermarket, gas station and workspace, as widespread as the Swine Flu or the California wildfires; no matter where you turn someone is talking about "The Economy". It's almost like a steamy Hollywood rumor or a new movie you saw during the coming attractions, "have you heard about 'The Economy'?", or maybe a viral video being passed around. For those of you who think I'm exaggerating, I've heard mention of it 3 times this morning in the 2 hours since I've been at work.

Throughout my life, I've heard about "The Economy" in many different stages and conditions. During the Clinton administration, I heard it described as "strong, stable, booming". I've heard about events that helped to "boost" the economy, like the Sammy Sosa/Mark McGuire home run battle that generated impressive memorabilia sales, until talk of steroids brought the game to its knees thanks to a washed-up former slugger with no code of honor and an empty bank account. Lately, words like "crumbling", and "sluggish" are heard regularly when talking about today's economy.

President Obama spoke of "The Economy" and the need for repair during his nomination speech, clearly stating that "it may not get done in one year, or even one term", yet people have the nerve to wonder why he hasn't made everyone rich in less than a year of office, when G.W. was given a full 8 years to do his damage. However, this is neither a rave about our current president or a rant against our "ex".

The economy, in my own interpretation, is a complex system of corporations and investors, and consumers, all buying into the collective force known as "The Economy". Political parties, such as the Democratic and Republican parties separate those who wish to help the rich stay rich from those in the working middle class who are trying to level the playing field a bit; at least that is my understanding of it. These political parties are really just grown-up versions of the same cliques we dealt with in school. The Republicans are the popular kids who drive nice cars and go to prom, and the Democrats are the kids that are picked on by the Republicans for being unpopular, uncool, and for coming from "working class" parents.

The economy is at its strongest when people are making purchases, spending money on the things that improve our everyday life. Black Friday, the infamous day after Thanksgiving which kicks off the holiday shopping season, is usually a good indicator of the strength of our economy. The new NRF's (National Retail Federation) Black Friday survey for 2009, conducted by BIGresearch, shows that 195 million shoppers visited stores and websites over Black Friday weekend, up from 172 million last year. However, the average spending over the weekend dropped to $343.31 per person from $372.57 last year. There is some very simple logic involved in creating a strong economy, and it involves the percentage of American families who can afford to spend the kind of money that helps to boost our economy. Basically, there is an elite group of people who make enough money to put into our economy, beyond simple staples of living. According to a number of reports, less than 10% of the American population makes more 100K or more per year. That means that unless those people are out buying in bulk and making large purchases on a regular basis, the economy will never be strong because they are a "minority" among consumers.

In recent news, there is widespread criticism of President Obama's efforts to revive our economic situation, even though the housing market is already on the rebound thanks to the Homebuyer Tax Credit and its extension into June of 2010. For now, the upward climb of "The Economy" is slow but increasingly steady and hopefully in the new year pop culture events will reclaim their spotlight in break rooms across America.

Backyard Customs: Reader's Choice Winner 2009

The Sacramento News and Review hosts an annual "Best of Sacramento" issue with favorite picks of local businesses by readers and editors ranging from best smoothie to best pet salon. Being that I live in Folsom, I look to the Folsom/El Dorado Hills edition of Style Magazine for local favorites and they've just released their Reader's Choice 2009 Awards.

Backyard Customs, owned and operated by Jarrod Zehner, got the top award for "Best Landscaper" in the Reader's Choice issue. Jarrod left the corporate world a few years back to start the business, and that decision is obviously paying off. Backyard Customs offers a wide variety of services like design and installation, maintenance, fencing and concrete, water features and irrigation, and more. They even have a connection with John Deere Landscaping for financing options. The website offers great before/after shots of their previous jobs and is laid out well for easy navigation. When you're ready to transform your yard into a amazing retreat, or give your house the curb appeal it needs to fetch top dollar, be sure to call Backyard Customs and tell 'em SharkByte sent you!*

For the full list of Folsom/El Dorado Hills Style Reader's Choice 2009 winners, click HERE


*This is not a paid advertisement and any tracking is for the purpose of marketing research.

Lucky Penny: A Love Story

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Daren Carter"

On September 19, 2009, Daren and Kim completed the first chapter of their incredible story by becoming man and wife. I was among the select group of friends and family who had the privilege of sharing their day; I also had the honor of coordinating the music for the ceremony and sharing DJ duties at the reception (a previously unrealized skill). Daren has been one of my closest friends since meeting at Tenaya Middle School in Fresno 20 years ago. We've seen each other through some doomed relationships in the past but when he introduced Kim to my wife Kacy and me, like many others have said, I was instantly aware of the amazing connection between them.

It all started on a night out with friends, back in early 2006. Victor, a former classmate of ours, knew one of Kim's friends so he began talking to their group. Daren returned from the restroom when he and Kim made eye contact and began talking, both feeling a strong connection from the beginning; Daren has described their first meeting as "love at first sight". As the evening came to an end, Kim noticed a penny on the floor laying "heads up" and gave it to Daren, she told him "this is a lucky penny". Kim was in a relationship at the time so they went their separate ways that night but Daren gave her his number in case they would get a second chance someday. He knew from how things were going that they both hoped they'd meet again when timing would be on their side. He went home, frustrated that they couldn't go out together but confident that they would see each other again.

Two years later, Daren received a text message on his phone that read "lucky penny". He knew it was Kim, and they made plans to have drinks the following weekend. That evening, Daren asked Kim to reach into his pocket and she pulled out that lucky penny she gave him when they first met. For me, a very interesting and important factor in their reunion is that he was newly single when he got her text, having just ended a difficult relationship. Timing kept them apart after that first night but he became available just in time for them to reconnect. Regardless of timing, I'm pretty sure that nothing would have kept him from answering the message he waited two years for.

Not long after they began dating officially, he brought Kim to my dad's house to meet us, around early Spring of 2008. Later that year, they had a holiday party; I thought he may have been using that as a chance to pop the question because I knew just as well as he did that she was the one for him. I asked him before the party and he said "no, but don't worry I'll tell you when I do." Just two months later he called to tell me that he had the ring and on Valentine's Day she said yes. On their wedding day, with Daren's Best Man Kevin, his friend for 30 years, by his side and Stacey, Daren's cousin, by Kim's side, Daren's lucky penny lived up to its name.

Call A Plumber, The Music Industry Is Leaking

There is a wave of leaks plaguing the music industry, but it's not coming from the bathroom sinks in record label offices. In the industry, the distribution of new music before it's planned release date is known as a leak. Some are intentional, like MTV's "The Leak", in which new albums are made available to preview before they're released meant as a catalyst to boost early album sales. However, the problem comes when the new releases hit the Internet for downloading before they're released in stores which puts an early halt to album sales. There are probably thousands of sources that host a wide range of albums for free, but most of them are old releases and most site owners urge visitors to purchase the album after listening. Of course, good intentions only go so far so many people build up their music libraries without supporting the artist. Any site owner who provides access to download full albums and expects visitors to still go buy the album is foolishly idealistic, being that in an iPod and mp3 world, many just want the music files. Personally, I love having the actual album artwork and being able to read the liner notes. My friend Tony, author of "Tony's Hazy Concert Memories" in my sidebar, has a home office and on one wall stands a large wooden storage unit which hosts his entire CD collection. To see the colored spines of his CD cases adorning his wall, filled with the incredible music that is the soundtrack to his life, is incredible.

I think back to the days before the Internet when MTV and radio were the only outlets for hearing new music from your favorite artists and the premiere of a new music video was highly anticipated. The Internet is an invaluable tool but, as with anything, it can be a dangerous resource for those who misuse it. Unfortunately, there are people out there who do not believe that artists should receive due payment for their work and they post new music to be taken, and there are plenty of takers. Some artists have fought back, as Eminem did when he released his album "The Eminem Show" on a Sunday, two days before its planned release, when news spread that his album was available on the Internet. Tuesday has long been the standard day for new releases to hit stores, although Fridays would be better being "payday" for most people. From time to time, artists will release their album on other days like Friday or Sunday, like Pearl Jam whose new release Backspacer hits stores September 20th, this Sunday. I'm not sure if it's a way of putting extra attention on their album for its unusual release date or, like with Eminem, an attempt to get people in the stores who cannot wait any longer and will resort to downloading illegally.

A serious lack of security at the recording studios is the real problem here, because if any accountability or protection were in place this could not possibly happen. First of all, no studio should allow cell phones, recording devices or storage devices in the mixing room or recording area. Next, the media on which the music is recorded should be locked away after each session with access allowed to only the artist and the producer. Once it leaves the studio, when the finished mastered copy is prepared for duplication and packaging, there needs to be some monitoring done there as well to ensure none of the copies are taken. If those kinds of practices were in place, there would be no excuse for music to be leaked, but obviously there is some carelessness involved in the recording process these days. I don't know much about the industry or the numbers involved in making a record, but I've heard different artists say in interviews that some studios and artists have to sell a minimum number of albums before they even make profit. That should be enough incentive for artists to keep a closer watch on their work and for label execs to protect their investment better.

In the hobbled economy we're facing, people have less money to spend on luxury items like entertainment (music, movies, theme park visits, etc) and these people who leak new music are taking advantage of the common desire to get more for less these days. However, artists deserve their paycheck like anyone else and with new releases being sold for just $9.99 I think everyone can afford to support their favorite artists, even if they have the opportunity to get it for free. You can bet I'll be in the store this Sunday to buy Pearl Jam's new CD as well as back to get the new Alice In Chains CD a week later, even though I could go download them.

PLEASE SUPPORT THE ARTISTS BY PURCHASING THEIR MUSIC

Halloween 2: Rob Zombie's Brutal Final Chapter

Rob Zombie made Halloween his own in 2007 after being approached by Dimension Films, and rather than let someone else continue his vision, he has returned to finish it himself in brutal, bloody, squirm in your seat fashion.

Being that he firmly repeated he was only doing one film, I took the ending of his first Halloween film as the true ending to his story as a standalone vision. That was until I started seeing images of an "H2" movie poster and reports that he signed on to make the sequel to his film. I walked away from the first one thinking that Rob had recreated this character to be so terrifying that it re-defined the series and couldn't wait to see how he would continue that. I had no idea just how far he was going to take his vision of making Michael Myers a truly terrifying character.

**SPOILER ALERT**

Do not read anything between these two spoiler alert warnings if you don't want to know the details of the film. Highlight the blank area below to reveal the details.

The film opens with a quick flashback to a young Michael Myers in the mental institution having lunch with his mother Deborah Myers, played again by Rob's wife Sheri Moon. His time in the institution followed the murdering rampage that occurred when he killed his older sister and her boyfriend along with his mother's boyfriend in the first film. Unfortunately, for those of us who saw his first film we see a new actor in the young character role. This is my only gripe for this film, as I hate seeing actors replaced in a series if anything for the sheer purpose of continuity. However, I understand that perhaps Daeg Farch, who played young Michael in his first Halloween film, now looks too old to have reprised his role and the director has to find a way to move on. After the short flashback, the movie picks up the moment after the first one had ended, with a blood-stained and traumatized Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton)walking down the middle of the street after having "killed" Michael Myers. Laurie is taken to the hospital where she is stripped down and cleaned while doctors prepare to close up her many wounds and a fingernail removal provides the first squirm-worthy moment. We then see Myers' body being transported when he escapes in one of the most graphic scenes of the film.

The film follows Laurie Strode in the aftermath of her encounter from the first film, examining how tortured she is in believing she killed Michael but the fact that he may still be alive being that "no body was found". Meanwhile, Michael kills takes one victim after another and the killing scenes are so brutally realistic and violent even the hardcore horror fans will find themselves in shock. A few examples include Michael stomping a man's head in, snapping a man's forearm leaving him screaming while he runs from Michael holding his dangling arm, impaling a few drunken hunters on the deer antlers that adorn their truck, and the beheading of one of the men who were transporting him when he escaped.

**END OF SPOILER ALERT**

There are plot details below but more observational than revealing

We learn while following Laurie that her dreams are haunted with visions of Michael coming after her, leaving a trail of disfigured victims behind along the way. She struggles with the idea that she killed Michael but somehow he could still be after her and that idea lives in her dreams. Some of these dream sequences, especially near the end of the film are reminiscent of something that would have come from his "House of 1,000 Corpses" movie for their very strange figures and styling. Of course, using the scenes as Laurie's dreams allowed Rob a lot of freedom to go as far as he wanted to in the realm of strange which he took full advantage of. Many of the sequences, both being Laurie's dreams and visions that Michael has, are those of his dead mother Deborah all in white with a horse, surrounded by a backlit glow. For me, the scenes with Deborah are too similar to the Friday The 13th scenes with the mother of Jason Voorhees (most notably from "Freddy Vs. Jason").

I have seen a natural evolution in the four films directed and written by Rob Zombie and while none of them are perfect, they all stand alone as incredible films. His first film, House of 1,000 Corpses, was like a trip through a psychedelic haunted house following the twisted Firefly family while its sequel, The Devil's Rejects, left the colors behind and turned to cinematic grit with a far more violent approach to the rampages of the family on the run. The Halloween film released in 2007 showed how Rob was able to take a known character and storyline and turn it into something new and fresh, revealing a backstory to the origin of Michael Myers as a killer. This new Halloween film turns the volume way up as we see just how violent and scary Michael Myers is as he brutally and graphically murders anyone in his path as he seeks out Laurie. Rob's killer is a large, powerful man and the angry grunts that Michael lets out while slashing his victims shows what a brute killing force he is. As Otis says in the "House" film, "the boogeyman is real, and you found him." For those of you who have seen it, I'd love to hear your opinion on the film and on my review and for those who have yet to see it, prepare yourself for a new breed of killer in this revived Michael Myers.