Merry Christmas!!!

Douglas Clark
-Head writer, The Inspiration Engine

Merry Christmas!!!!

Enjoy the time you have with your family and friends. 

Thanks for reading.

DouglasHClark.com

5 reasons the Force Awakens Trailer is Terrible

Douglas Clark
-Head writer, The Inspiration Engine

I’m sure I’ll piss off a lot of people with my opinion. Truth is some people should really just get over it. First thing to remember is this is just a teaser trailer, nothing more. Everyone is a critic and you can’t please them all. So I’m not going to try.

I didn’t like either Star Trek movie J.J. Abrams made, and it’s looking like I won’t like the Star Wars movie he’s working on right now either. I’ve kept in mind that this trailer is just a teaser, but from what I’ve seen so far, read so far, and previous movies made by Abrams, he’s not going to do anything revolutionary.

1.  Overreliance on CGI

CGI is a great tool to get a shot done when it just can’t be done in ‘real life’. The thing is for Star Wars, everything the Millennium Falcon, X-wing and Tie fighters, speeders, and droids do can already be shown in model and stop motion. We’ve seen it before in the Original Trilogy. The little bits of CGI thrown into the Special Editions of the originals were great and really enhanced what was already there. But in this new age of technology, CGI is turned to more and more. 

There’s a bit of realism lost when it’s employed, rather than models. I know models are hard, damned near impossible really considering what people expect nowadays, but the sterile, ‘clean’ look of the second trilogy still haunts me. Granted, at least the storm troopers are really there, wearing actual armor, so that’s at least something. But weren’t we promised a throwback to the Original, gritty look and feel? Guess that was too much to hope for. 

2.  Incoherent and short cut scenes

Thirty seconds into the teaser trailer and we had at least half a dozen, if not more quicker clips, flashes of scenes cutting from one location and character to the next. Nothing about these cuts tells us anything about these new characters, what they are really doing, or (more importantly) why we should care. 

Okay, so we get a look at a few things we haven’t seen before, but without any contexts or reason to care, it all falls flat. (See reason 5 for more detail.)

3.  Complete lack of plot or story line

For a second, the somewhat sounding Benedict Cumberbatch narration made me think I was watching the Star Trek: Into Darkness trailer again. And it has been revealed that Andy Serkis spoke the lines. But if you really listen to what he’s saying, he basically states the title of the move. There’s an awakening of the Dark and Light side of the force. Well thanks, we knew that from the title of the damned movie. 

How about having a character say something important about the struggle he’s about to undertake or what’s at stake for loved ones, or maybe how scared or concerned he is about someone or something. How about something like: I want to come with you to Alderaan. There's nothing for me here now. I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father.  See, we don’t get any of that.

4.  Ineffective and comical use of Nostalgia

I know the Falcon is bad ass. We’ve all known that for more than 30 years. Han Solo risked 3720 to 1 odds and successfully navigating an asteroid field to show us just how friggin’ incredible that ship is. Oh and if there were any doubt, Lando whipped that thing through the guts of Death Star number two (albeit with a minor scratch) and made it out in (almost) one piece. Showing the Falcon’s aerial acrobatics is nothing new, and as much as I’d love to see that hambuger–shaped hunk of junk fly all day long, there’s more to the story (or at least there should be) than that.  How about in addition to those acrobatics, show us some new menacing ship the dark side baddies have, maybe something our heroes have no answer for. That would certainly build tension. 

Also, although it’s great to see Tie Fighters, X-Wings and the like, if this movie takes place 30 years after Jedi, ship designs probably would have changed just a bit. Couldn’t we see some of that instead of more of the same. I get there’s a bit of homage payment due considering the prequels were atrocious, but 30 years have passed since Yavin. Show it.

5.  No emotional impact or development of engagement

I really paid attention to this trailer, hoping there would be an emotional punch, or at least a hook that drew me in. I didn’t get that. Each shot shows the supposed main characters alone: Boyega in the desert, the comically rolling droid, Daisy Ridley on the Speeder, Oscar Isaac in the X-wing, the cloaked figure in a forest, heck, the storm troopers were the only ones in a group. 

The lack of interaction here may be sending a message of detachment or the need for our heroes to ‘come together’ but to me, the way it was presented, it only showcases (poorly) that these people are in the movie. How about we see them talking, or fighting together, or something, anything…

Here's Hoping the Movie is Better

The original Star Wars trilogy set up a definable story arc that propelled the plot and drove the narrative. Character interaction played a huge part in making the story memorable and lovable. When the first Star Trek movie by JJ Abrams came out, I hoped that the magic of the original series and the movies would be captured, at least a little bit. 

What I saw, carried over to Into Darkness as well, was weak storytelling, borrowed plot points, lame McGuffins (Red Matter…Really? WTF) and rehashed elements of stories previously told. Into Darkness turned out to be a soulless and uninteresting retelling of the Wrath of Khan, which was an emotional, powerful and damned good story.

My guess is JJ Abrams is going to borrow similarly from the Original Star Wars trilogy without investing any real emotional depth or feeling, essentially pandering to Star Wars fans while simultaneously cheapening the underlying greatness of those stories. 

As I said in the beginning, this was just a teaser trailer. But from the efforts previously offered by Abrams, there’s little hope something new, inspiring, and profound is on its way. We shall see next year.

Let the blood letting and flaming begin!
Thanks for reading.

Questions and comments are welcome.

Aspiring Writers Should Be Heard!

Douglas Clark
-Head writer, The Inspiration Engine

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to actually get your writings published? Have you ever just had an opinion or idea you wanted to express and share with others? Well if you do, make contact with the Inspiration Engine. 

We welcome new and aspiring writers and would love to hear what you have to say. Submit an essay, opinion, or review and we'll totally consider it for the Inspiration Engine. 

Thanks for reading, and submitting!

Questions and comments are welcome.

DouglasHClark.com

Mustang Madness!!!

Douglas Clark
-Head writer, The Inspiration Engine

I thought for Sunday, it would be a great time to share some pictures of my favorite car: The Mustang. I always thought they were really cool cars, but didn't truly appreciate them until I got one of my own. I've had it for about seven years now and plan on keeping it until it's a classic. 

I'd also love to buy a vintage one and restore it. That's the kind of project that could keep me occupied and interested for a very long time. Until then, I'll just have to admire the work of others. And you can too, with all the pictures here.

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading, and looking.

Questions and comments are welcome.

DouglasHClark.com

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Douglas Clark
-Head writer, The Inspiration Engine

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Don't eat too much, but remember to enjoy the time you have with family and friends.

Thanks for reading

DouglasHClark.com

Where Am I Going?

Douglas Clark
-Head writer, The Inspiration Engine

Have you ever been working on something so long you kind of lose sight of the point of it all? It’s kind of like wondering if everything you’ve done is really leading you somewhere or perhaps every choice you’ve ever made is just some random ping pong like course you’re chaotically leading through life.

I’m going to be completely honest with you. I have six months to go before I’m 40. For a long time it didn’t make any difference to me. Most of the time, age is just a number. But the more I thought about it, and the closer it approached, I realized 40 is more than my age. On May 15^th, it will mark the fact that so far, I’ve had 40 years to accomplish everything I’ve ever dreamed of.

Now that’s not to say I was on a deadline and not finishing by my 40^th birthday means I failed. Actually, it reminds me of all the time I’ve wasted. You see, I like to be busy, the more I have to do, the better I can do everything (up until I burn out that is). When I’ve got all the time in the world and I don’t have to rush or worry, or even really care what the clock says, I kind of just procrastinate. 

Remember that old cliché, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.”? Well that is me, at least where work is concerned. When it comes to my personal goals, well, I kind of slack off. You know the feeling right?

Granted, I’ve written two novels, a host of short stories and poems, and two plus years of blog posts. But in my head, I remember all the times I didn’t write, all the times I didn’t capitalize on the few minutes here and the few minutes there I could have written just a little more. Also, I think of where I’ve been, the places I’ve visited, how far I’ve advanced (or not advanced depending on your perspective) and sometimes I wonder if I’ve shortchanged myself.

Even when I failed miserably, couldn’t achieve the goal I set, got tired, etc., I usually feel like I could have done better, or if I tried again with a different approach, I could do better. I don’t think I’m a perfectionist, but I am persistent. Putting all this together, though, I still wonder, where am I going?

To put it another way, the question I’m faced with is this: How efficient have I been with my 40 years of life? Will I do better going forward?

I could have done better; I could have done worse. The reality of it is I am where I am, simple as that. As happy or dissatisfied as I am with my life thus far, I can’t change it. The only thing I can do is try to make the next 40 years, or however much more I have left better, more enjoyable, more fulfilling and fruitful.

The future has no form. It’s my job to mold my present to help make tomorrow more to my liking.

Do you know where you’re going?

Thanks for reading.

Questions and comments welcome.

DouglasHClark.com

Thank A Veteran!

Happy Veterans Day!!!!
Thank a veteran, they deserve it.

Thanks for reading. 

A Quote Worth Thinking About

Douglas Clark
-Head writer, The Inspiration Engine


"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength."
- Corrie Ten Boom


If you find yourself worrying about something so much it takes over your life, it's time to let that thing go.
Think about it. 

Thanks for reading.
Questions and comments welcome. 

DouglasHClark.com

Happy Halloween!

Trick or Treat!!!
Have a good one and enjoy your candy.

What is Your Why?

Douglas Clark
-Head writer, The Inspiration Engine

Why do we do it? Sometimes I wonder what it is that keeps me going? Perseverance, commitment, fortitude, diligence, they’re all great, but if there isn’t something deeper, more basic powering those qualities, you won’t really get that far in life. Quitters aren’t winners and Cheats usually get caught, sooner or later. Sure they can live the high life for a while, but there’s almost always a downfall for taking the quick and easy way; the cheap and dishonest way.

Where does that drive and fuel for continuing on when things get hard come from? Who and what, or how did it get instilled in me to not quit, to never give up? I can point to good people in my life that taught me lessons, some painful, some wonderful, but all valuable.

Maybe because when I was young, our family was so very poor, not working, giving up, and slacking off meant hunger, homelessness, and despair. Maybe it was after I got my own job and discovered I could provide for myself. Maybe it was studying through college and realizing I could excel to greater heights if I applied myself and kept learning. Maybe it was enduring the hardships of Naval bootcamp, struggling to make it through despite fatigue, distraction, the unknown, homesickness, loneliness. Maybe it was when I truly was homeless and vowed to never let that happen again. Maybe it was being a single parent, knowing a child depended on me for everything and I held the responsibility of teaching and nurturing alone. Maybe it was when I fell in love again.

Maybe, just possibly, my whole life is one great lesson in understanding that perseverance and fortitude are developed over time, given the right circumstances and influences. I may never reach a level of ultimate success or fortune. I may continue to fail just as much as I succeed. If I’m a good person and that karmatic energy is passed on, perhaps the net gain of my life is more than just mediocrity.

If that is so, I wonder just how other people manage, when they don’t have the same influences I had. Some people I’ve met excel despite mistreatment, abuse, neglect and disregard. Others flounder even after being cared for, loved, nurtured and respected.

I don’t think there is one answer. I believe certain qualities innate in people can enhance or sabotage their lives, but influences, by others and circumstances, events and chance also play a role in driving their lives forward. I guess though, in the end, we all have a choice. 

Despite and in spite of all that we see and hear, experience and learn, choosing to continue down a path we know and understand to be right is the only real power we actually have. Like Neo in the Matrix, I choose to persevere. It’s my choice. That is my ‘why.’

What’s yours?

Thanks for reading.

Questions and comments are welcome.  

The God Delusion - Book Review

Douglas Clark
-Head writer, The Inspiration Engine

The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins is an English ethologist, evolutionary biologist, and writer. He is an emeritus fellow of New College, Oxford and was the University of Oxford's Professor for Public Understanding of Science from 1995 until 2008.

Besides The God Delusion, he’s written many books. His writing career took off in 1976, when he published The Selfish Gene, which popularized the gene-centered view of evolution and introduced the term meme. In 1982, his book The Extended Phenotype explored the concept of evolutionary biology and the concept of phenotypic effects of a gene. The idea being that the genes influences are not necessarily limited to an organism's body, but can actually affect the environment, including other organisms. The Blind Watchmaker, published in 1986, argues against the intelligent design concept using the watchmaker analogy, an argument for the existence of a supernatural creator based upon the complexity of living organisms.

Dawkins is also known for being a vocal atheist and speaking out against the idea of any God-like figure responsible for the creation of the universe and man. A man of science, he presents is findings with scientific mindedness. Unflappable in his adherence to the scientific method and value of provable evidence, he provides an effective counterbalance to theologians who argue for belief in God on faith alone. 

Brief Description

Dawkins takes a logical, analytical approach in an attempt to prove his point that there is no god, and those who believe in one, are delusional. Employing scientific elements like the scientific method, logic, reason, and evidence brought to light from figures such as Charles Darwin, Dawkins leads the reader through a detailed rendering of what the world looks like when fact and reason replace faith and belief. 

Memorable quotes

“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”

“To be fair, much of the Bible is not systematically evil but just plain weird, as you would expect of a chaotically cobbled-together anthology of disjointed documents, composed, revised, translated, distorted and 'improved' by hundreds of anonymous authors, editors and copyists, unknown to us and mostly unknown to each other, spanning nine centuries”

“There is something infantile in the presumption that somebody else has a responsibility to give your life meaning and point… The truly adult view, by contrast, is that our life is as meaningful, as full and as wonderful as we choose to make it.”

“Do those people who hold up the Bible as an inspiration to moral rectitude have the slightest notion of what is actually written in it?”

What makes this book Unique or special….

Dawkins isn’t afraid to speak his mind, and he doesn’t really care if offends you. He writes in a way that bluntly informs the reader most things religious are really disguises for unholy things designed for nefarious purposes. Where once it meant death for speaking out against God and his doctrines, Dawkins takes liberty with society’s current free speech reality and beats up on the age old accepted belief that God is immutable and indisputable. 

He points to specific logical fallacies, misdirections, and flagrant lies religion has told over the past few millennia to disprove any deity and directs the reader to the logical alternative of Science. In his mind, religion and God are untenable when examined under the scrutiny of the scientific method and logical reasoning.

Readability

Although English, most American readers won’t have a problem following his narrative style. Occasionally he’ll refer to something clearly English, leaving the reader somewhat displaced by his analogy or reference. For the most part he is easy to follow and isn’t overly verbose. There are sections, however, that do seem to lag on, delving too far into what I felt were digressions not exactly necessary to prove his point.

Final Thoughts

Definitely worth reading. If you expect to be offended, you probably will be. If you have an open mind, you’ll find his ideas and progressions refreshing and stimulating.

Thanks for Reading.

Question and comments are welcome.