The Manchurian Candidate is the title used in two films. The one released starring Sinatra and Lawrence Harvey in the early 1960's and kind of hidden following the Kennedy Assassination. And the most recent starring Streep and I never remember the actors' names..

The original film begins during the Korean War and somehow a group of American soldiers are hijacked to Manchuria by the dirty commies who use hypnosis and drugs to control their minds. They are then released and they come back to America and have no memory of their captivity but they all suffer from some post traumatic syndrome. The idea is to get the Kerry- like figure to become president and....well I really never figured out what would happen after that. I mean there is this oedipal relationship between Harvey and his mom and Sinatra sweats a lot and smokes cigarettes.

But if the commies get their guy in as president, I mean were they going to get Alaska back or something?

The second film kind of attempts a similar plot but there are actual brain implants involved. Don't get me wrong, I liked both films. And since they replay them on general cable every three months I will see them again. I just never really got into the mind control concept-except when the aliens actually take over somebody's body. I mean, that IS why I wear this hat all the time.

Time Magazine has an article by Michael Grunwald about how behavioral scientists are actually employed by the government to help 'get out the message.'  To get into the head of individual Americans.

There supposedly is the Consortium of Behavioral Scientists, a secret advisory group of 29 of the nation's leading behaviorists...

The existence of this behavioral dream team -- which also included best-selling authors Dan Ariely of MIT (Predictably Irrational) and Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein of the University of Chicago (Nudge) as well as Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman of Princeton -- has never been publicly disclosed, even though its members gave Obama white papers on messaging, fundraising and rumor control as well as voter mobilization. ..Moffo tells TIME. "These guys really know what makes people tick."

President Obama is still relying on behavioral science. But now his Administration is using it to try to transform the country. Because when you know what makes people tick, it's a lot easier to help them change.

We need to quit smoking, lay off the Twinkies and avoid other risky behaviors that both damage our personal health and boost the costs of care that are ravaging the nation's fiscal health.

I mean, these guys really know what makes people tick?

There are some commercials that I get so sick of that I hit the mute button immediately and some are so inane I actually look forward to them.

This lady is on the couch as is cold, oh so cold, and magically she is cloaked with a robe thingy that you put on backwards. Oh and we are shown how blankets somehow don't work to keep us warm enough. I was listening to some silly show where they indicated that they sell a lot of these backward robes. My question is, why not just put your regular robe on backwards?

The Foreman Grill is one of my favorites, because it gives me such great throw away lines. Besides the commercials they have thirty minute shows.  And so, of course, when you sell ten million machines, you get to watch the knock offs in their thirty minute slots.    

I have a cast iron frying pan and a Teflon coated frying pan. Anybody who can grab a pound of hamburger at the grocery store can fry a hamburger.  Oh, you have to make sure the pan is hot enough and you can play with the meat and salt and pepper and garlic power it or chop up some onions.....But you flatten the meat with your hand and lay it onto the frying pan. Now here is the tough part I guess, I use a spatchula and turn the meat over. I turn it over three times, usually. I do use the spatchula to hold the meat while I empty out the fat and water that have accumulated during the cooking process into an empty can.

Now I have my hamburger that I lay onto a bun placed on a plate and I usually use catsup and mustard.   I usually take the pan and lay it in the sink, throw a little dish soap in it along with hot water.  After my meal I scrub it a little, empty it and put a little more soap in it with water and it sits another half hour. In the old days, of course, I just threw it into the dishwasher.

These infomercials I discussed go on an on about how the grill thingy is so easy to use and easy to take apart and easy to clean.  I do not do a damn thing to the frying pan. I do not take it apart. I do not plug it into the wall. I just soak it in the sink.

Awhile ago they had this one commercial that claimed that you could put these patches on the bottoms of your feet just prior to bed time and when you awaken, all the disease spores in your body would somehow find their way into these patches and you could stay well...for a long time I guess. I am guessing that after three or four months the FCC or FDA or ASPCA or some such organization banned the commercial. BECAUSE THESE SILLY PATCHES WERE SELLING LIKE HOT CAKES AT IHOP.

Every day, I will see some ad on the web or tv that says all you have to do to lose weight is to TAKE THESE PILLS.  You do not need to diet or exercise or get cancer, you just take these pills and everything will be ok. And it appears the FCC, FDA, and ASPCA care not to do anything.  And my belief is that millions of fat  people along with people who think they are fat  eat these pills. I went on diets without any pills and lost over 60 pounds at three different times in my life. Eat less and walk or jog every single day no matter what. That's it. No secrets. No special religion. Just move more and eat less.

Now, am I making fun of stupid people? Hell, while I am typing this I am keeping tabs on a more recent Bruce Willis film. Oh he is playing an old man this time. But basically, he is getting beat up and shot at and more beat up and more shot at while he falls down in every scene and moans in pain and complains about his life. Oh and people, bad people are chasing him and of course trying to kill him. I do not recall seeing him smoking but otherwise, this is every Bruce Willis film ever made. It is always the same flick. But I watch it.    

So except where aliens are involved, mind control just does not concern me. I have learned that people will buy anything. ANYTHING. Just advertise it. It does not matter how you advertise it. I mean you can use talking lizards, or laughing tigers or sulking cave men or claim that time is running out and this is your last chance. It does not matter.

THE END





http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1889153,00.html