Just thinking

Just want to say, had a great year, next year will be better. My daughters are growing, and I love to just sit and watch them. I just can't imagine the day they don't need me anymore.

The Supercross season kicks off in 5 days. I have a new team. Blairmx.com Racing. Can't wait to get to the Stadium on Thursday. Like being home again, and shedding skin all at the same time. The seasons go so fast. I do what I love, I am lucky. My wife is my best friend and stands beside me through thick and thin. I am really lucky. My daughters are completely healthy and normal. I am truly blessed.

Every year about this time, people look forward, talking about the new, big change they are going to make in the new year; out of debt, find love, quit smoking, drinking or doing drugs. They are going to reconnect with their parents. They are going to take a romantic vacation to someplace far away. They are going to quit their jobs and move up into the mountains. You name it, because right now, someone somewhere is thinking about it.

Not sure what any of it truly means. Maybe your just never really satisfied with where you are in life. You should of turned left instead of right that day 15 years ago. What "if " you would not have accepted that job on the other coast or region? Where would you be now? Just thoughts I guess. The same thoughts you get after spending about 24 hours in your hometown, "nothing has changed here at all...now what time does my plane leave..maybe I can catch an earlier flight". Then as you take off, you almost feel guilty. Wishing you would of spent more time with your parents and siblings, old friends and forgotten enemies. However, you are where you are and did what you did. Something about the grass being greener, but it's not.

I guess what I am trying to say, I'm not going to do any New Year's type resolutions, illusions, or delusions. I think all us of would love to change some things. I also think that we are very lucky and blessed in many ways. Not with the possession of material objects, not at all. In the long run, anything material is completely useless. You have people that love you, have people with whom you love. You have your health, and you have your brain. People move Armies with less. Try and find a happy place within yourself. Go there when things get tough, or stressed. Drink a little juice or a glass of milk, then get a good nights sleep. Start everyday with a little humility. You will have another good year. I will too.

Don't let politics, world affairs, city, county or state ordinances, religion, the weather report, or the couple sitting next to you at lunch showing a little PDA get you down too much. They don't loose any sleep over us, why do them that favor? Don't let anything in which you can't directly effect bring you down. You can be active, and have a voice, but don't let it take over. You're no good to anyone, including yourself, at that point. And remember this, try and do something spontaneous every now and again. It keeps you young and full of life.

And please remember to call your mother. She truely misses you and loves you.

Here is to a great year.

WadeMC

So damn insane.

So we finally captured Saddam Hussein. But let's not fool ourselves into thinking that this solves anything: Psychological Victory for US?

Didn't we want this man dead? Didn't we try to bomb the hell out of him at the outset of the war? So what purpose does is serve for us to put him on trial now? Why didn't they just put a bullet through his head when they found him? As always, there's more to this story than what first meets the eye.

Are we really fooling ourselves into thinking this man is/was responsible for the current insurgency in Iraq? Will the inevitable 24/7 media coverage of his trial help restore the political infrastructure in that pitiful country? Who has the answers to these questions?

More later...
Paul

The Last Samurai.

Oh boy, where to start? I guess the main problem is that I am apparently out of touch with the mainstream movie-going public. For I am hearing a lot of positive reviews about this ridiculous movie.

I witnessed this debacle at a nearly sold-out Century City theater. After arriving late (don’t ask), I was forced to sit in the very front row, so you could say I was in the perfect position to “thoroughly examine” this piece of…work. Okay, okay, it really wasn’t all THAT bad. It was kind of like “Gladiator”, in that despite the corny storyline, the movie presented some very well-shot visuals. The costume designer and art director did fantastic jobs of re-creating late 1800’s Japan, and I was actually thrilled by the detail of the samurai armor and fighting implements.

So much for the good stuff.

The rest of the movie, unimportant stuff like plot and character development and PLAUSIBILITY, well…just like “Gladiator”, it fooled a lot of people. Look, I don’t care HOW much time Tom Cruise spends taking daily samurai lessons, there’s NO WAY that he’ll learn enough to suddenly become the best warrior in Japan. I think, truthfully, Uma Thurman could kick his ass. In the battle of Anglo-turned-wannabe-samurai-sword-swingers, Uma showed MUCH more swordplay skill in “Kill Bill”. Not only that, but Uma, channeling Tarantino’s love for martial arts, demonstrated a much more believable respect for the art AND she had a true motive for chopping off heads. Somebody tell me why Tom turned into a blade-wielding maniac, because nothing in “The Last Samurai” clearly explained his motivation.

Nor was the motivation of his adopted samurai village clearly explained. Let me put it like this: if someone invaded your hometown with the intent of killing you and your family, AND they were successful in killing your friends and your brother-in-law, would YOU take their leader captive, force your sister to clean him, feed him, wash his clothes, let him play with your nephews, teach him how to cut off heads, basically trust him like a close friend? OF COURSE NOT.

Or how about this: if someone killed your husband, the man you deeply loved, the father of your children…would YOU clean him, feed him, wash his clothes, let him play with your kids and fall in love with him? GOOD LORD, NO! Well, maybe if he was Tom Cruise…

Somebody explain to me how and WHY the leader of the samurai (the excellent Ken Watanabe) spoke reasonably fluent English. What ever motivated him, who so revered the ways of his people, to learn that crazy language? No one else in his tribe spoke it at all, so how in heck did he learn it? And for what reason? Did he harbor some secret desire to modernize the samurai? Of course, it was too much to expect this issue to be addressed. We want to see some BATTLES!

And we got to see some battles. Two, as a matter of fact. Yes, they were grand spectacles, especially the second one. But don’t go in expecting to see the state of the art, unless you’re okay with the last century’s state of the art. An epic movie is supposed to amaze the audience with realism, and they came pretty close. But they didn’t go far enough for my tastes.

Remember the battle scenes from “Braveheart”? Well, “The Last Samurai” was almost as good. You could see the arrows flying and it really looked like they were hitting and piercing the soldiers. And the hand to hand sword-and-bayonet fighting was pretty good, but they cheated a little with quick cuts and blurry action. But my main problem was with the gunpowder-powered stuff. The significance of this battle was the dichotomy of old school versus new school with regards to the art of war. The Emperor’s army was equipped with the latest in military might, as supplied by the good ‘ol U.S.A. (just in time for Christmas: pro-war sentiment!), while the samurais stood on traditional cut-n-thrust cutlery, with the occasional dirty-trick-involving-fire (those savages!). So when the army cut loose with their shiny new cannons, I was looking forward to seeing the impact of this new technology. But director Ed Zwick chose to go with the tried-and-true “let’s blow up some turf to simulate the impact of a cannonball”, instead of actually showing what would happen when a 75 pound ball o’ lead traveling 300 feet per second hits the ground 20 feet in front of a bunch of people armored only in stiff, but pretty, leather. People, this is the 21st century! We have the special effects to show this stuff!

End of THAT particular rant.

Finally…okay, not finally, but at the end of the battle, when the army gets tired of being hoodwinked by those tricky samurai, they break out their secret weapons: gattling guns (which were not-so-subtly revealed in the second act). The problem is, when they opened fired and killed EVERYONE ON THE BATTLEFIELD, they somehow missed Tom Cruise. Well, actually they hit him several times in beautiful slow motion, but not a single bullet hit a vital organ. He single-handedly survived a machinegun attack! Even his horse was killed, but not our boy Tom. And because of his superhuman ability to take lead, he became, by default, THE LAST SAMURAI! End of movie, roll credits, politely applaud.

Oh, I wish it would have ended that way. But no! There was more crap about Tom taking the sword of the samurai leader to the Emperor, and then returning to the samurai village to demurely smile at his new “wife”. Blech.

So did I make myself clear about this particular travesty of a movie? It was awful. Fun to watch, sure, kind of like watching a train wreck in slow motion. If this film gathers any Oscar nominations for anything other than design and art direction…and maybe Watanabe’s soulful performance…then I’ll know the fix is in. And I happen to respect Tom Cruise as an actor.

More later…
Paul

You do NOT want to be this man.

So, the U.S. is currently prosecuting one man for the 9/11 attacks...and it ain't Osama. What are the chances of this man getting a fair trial in the United States?

Yahoo! News - U.S. Urges Court to Keep Death Penalty for Moussaoui

Sweet Land of Liberty.

More later...
Paul

Yeah, right.

Here's a typically goofy story: BBC NEWS | Business | Pentagon freezes Boeing contract.

Seems a former Pentagon procurement officer gave insider information to Boeing, then awarded a $18 BILLION contract to the aerospace giant, THEN quit her job and went to work for...guess who? BOEING.

Quel suprise.

So now the Defense Department is investigating whether her links to the firm "influenced" the decision. For this they need an investigation?

Watch this story quickly disappear.

More later...
Paul

Good God.

Check this crazy story out:Yahoo! News - Bush Signs $401 Billion Defense Bill.

According to the story, some of the provisions in this record-high defense budget are:

- Raising salaries for soldiers by an average of 4.15 percent, and extends increases in combat and family separation pay. Nearly half a TRILLION dollars, and the raises still barely beat inflation?

- Calls for the Air Force to lease 20 Boeing 767 planes as in-flight refueling tankers and buy 80 more. Hmmm, 767s were the planes used to attack the World Trade Center. Now the Air Force wants to use them as flying fuel tanks.

- Partially overturns rules preventing disabled veterans from receiving some retirement pay as well as disability compensation. What do they mean by "partially"? Take care of the veterans!

- Grants Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld increased control over 700,000 civilian employees. Pentagon officials said restrictions on hiring, firing and promoting employees forced them to use military personnel for jobs better suited for civilians. Democrats said the bill goes too far in stripping overtime guarantees and job protection rules. Does this make any sense at all?

- Lifts a decade-old ban on research into low-yield nuclear weapons and authorizes $15 million for continued research into a powerful nuclear weapon capable of destroying deep underground bunkers. Why?

- Exempts the military to provisions of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The Pentagon claimed environmental laws restrict training exercises; environmentalists said the laws have had little effect on training and that the exemptions go too far. Why does this cost $401 Billion?

- Includes $9 Billion for ballistic missile defense research. $9 BILLION?

The real problem is that no one knows what $401 Billion really is...it is such a huge amount, it's hard to fathom. Well, here it is: it is the eqivalent of spending $300,000 a day, 365 days a year, FOR 4 THOUSAND YEARS! Bush intends for our military to spend this in ONE year. You tell me if this is a good value; remember, it's YOUR money.

More later...
Paul

What do you know about Patriot II?

Most of us know that the PATRIOT ACT is an un-American piece of legislation that promotes police state tactics. But what do we know about it's sister, the Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003, more commonly known as PATRIOT ACT II? Well, here are a few points of interest:

Here are some of its provisions:
1) The attorney general is given the power to deport any foreign national, even people who are legal permanent residents. No crime need be asserted, no proof offered, and the deportation can occur in complete secrecy. [St. Petersburg Times, 2/16/03]

2) It would authorize secret arrests in terrorism investigations, which would overturn a court order requiring the release of names of their detainees. [St. Petersburg Times, 2/16/03] Not even an attorney or family need be informed until the person is formally charged, if that ever happens. [ABC News, 3/12/03]

3) The citizenship of any US citizen can be revoked, if they are members of or have supported any group the attorney general designates as terrorist. [St. Petersburg Times, 2/16/03] A person who gives money to a charity that only later turns out to have some terrorist connection could then lose his or her citizenship. [CNN, 3/6/03]

4) "Whole sections ... are devoted to removing judicial oversight." Federal agents investigating terrorism could have access to credit reports, without judicial permission. [St. Petersburg Times, 2/16/03]

5) Federal investigators can conduct wiretaps without a court order for 15 days whenever Congress authorizes force or in response to an attack on the United States. [UPI, 3/10/03]

6) It creates a DNA database of anyone the Justice Department determines to be a "suspect,'' without court order. [San Jose Mercury News, 2/20/03]

7) It would be a crime for someone subpoenaed in connection with an investigation being carried out under the Patriot Act to alert Congress to any possible abuses committed by federal agents. [ABC News, 3/12/03]

8) Businesses and their personnel who provide information to anti-terrorism investigators are granted immunity even if the information is fraudulent. [ABC News, 3/12/03]

9) The government would be allowed to carry out electronic searches of virtually all information available about an individual without having to show probable cause and without informing the individual that the investigation was being carried out. Critics say this provision "would fundamentally change American society" because everyone would be under suspicion at all times. [ABC News, 3/12/03]

10) Federal agents would be immune from prosecution when they engage in illegal surveillance acts. [UPI, 3/10/03]

11) Restrictions are eased on the use of secret evidence in the prosecution of terror cases. [UPI, 3/10/03]

12) Existing judicial consent decrees preventing local police departments from spying on civil rights groups and other organizations are canceled. [Salon, 3/24/03]

I found this at this interesting website: Assistance needed, along with a ton of more information. Open your eyes.

More later...
Paul

Matrix Revolutions.

I guess I’m just a Matrix fanatic, because I still don’t see why so many critics have chosen to pan the third installment of the Matrix trilogy. It’s as if the mainstream press has finally tired of the Wachowski Brothers Hollywood juggernaut, and the hating has come out in full force. Whatever it is, I think they’re all missing the point.

Don’t get me wrong, I feel that “Revolutions” is a flawed movie, just as I felt there were some problems with the second movie, “Reloaded.” But taken as a whole, “Revolutions” is a kick-ass action movie, fully laden with incredible special effects.

A few critics have taken the movie to task because it wasn’t able to create the same genre-jumpstarting buzz that the first Matrix did. All I can say to that is it is the rare sequel that trumps it’s predecessor. Sure, “Aliens” improved upon “Alien”, but none of the following installments were able to hold a candle to number two. “T2” certainly kicked the original “Terminator’s” butt; the jury is still out on “T3” (which I enjoyed immensely, by the way). And perhaps “Godfather II” was better than the first. But that’s about it. And considering the gazillions of movies that the studios insist upon building into so-called “tent peg” films, those successes are just a drop in the bucket.

My point is that just because “Matrices” 2 and 3 didn’t shock the mind as strongly as the first, doesn’t mean that they weren’t effective movies. Yes, they had problems, but they were still good movies. Ah, I guess I’m just a fanatic.

But like I said, I did find some flaws in “Revolutions”, and I intend to discuss them here, so be forewarned that I am going to reveal some plot points. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, you might not want to read any further. Final warning: here comes the noise!

Okay. First problem: why, oh why did they NOT spend more time in the Meringovian’s world? Morpheus, Trinity and Kato (well, I don’t remember his name, but he was the Oracle’s Asian bodyguard, and he seemed a lot like Bruce Lee’s “Green Hornet” character to me) had to confront this evil program in a fetish nightclub called “Hell”. Now in “Reloaded”, the W Bros. opened up a whole new world of possibilities by introducing the Meringovian and his luscious wife Persephone and their slew of vampire henchmen. In “Revolutions”, we see that they like to hang out with a TON of hardbodied freaks in an underground nightclub where the dancing seems to be just one second short of turning into an all-out orgy. Cool. But it ends much, much too fast and easy, and it never really addresses what the heck this guy is all about. And if he really “controls” the underworld of the Matrix, could we please see more of what that means? I also noted that while the Agent Smith virus seemed to infect the entire Matrix, the Meringovian not only seemed totally unaffected, but even blissfully unaware. What, was his McAfee Virus Shield updated?

Moving on, the battle scene at Zion was visually spectacular. The swarming sentinels were fantastic, but on second thought, why didn’t they just attack every living thing in the dock, instead of swarming around in circles? The most questionable part of the whole deal, though, was the idea that it took only one EMP (electromagnetic pulse) weapon to defeat the entire first wave of the invasion. Well, it was a cool idea, and it was executed heroically, but why did they only have these weapons on the ships? As well armored as Zion was, you would think they might have a spare EMP or two laying around, just in case.

Yes, the death of Trinity dragged on longer than necessary, and played to Keanu’s weakness: his lack of ability to emote (some would say “act”). Whatever. The true problem here was that their relationship seemed flat anyway, or at least one-sided. Perhaps we have to see all episodes back to back to follow the arc of their love. In the first Matrix, you really feel her love for Neo when she wills him back from the dead. In “Revolutions”, I sort of didn’t care, even though she risked her life (and those of Morpheus and “Kato”) for Neo. So she died in his arms. I guess that meant she was truly human and not, perhaps, a special program.

Oh yeah, it’s true: Neo is able to use his Matrix-powers outside of the Matrix, that is, he is able to stop sentinels with his mind. What does that mean? Who knows? I guess it means he really WAS “The One”. But he was only able to do it sporadically, and mostly forgot he even had the ability. At least, he didn’t try to use it during his battle with the “humanized” Smith.

The final flaw was the concept that Neo negotiated a deal with the machines to join together to defeat the Agent Smith virus. In return, the machines agreed to spare Zion. So the machines jacked Neo into the Matrix and the battle royale ensued. And just like the STOOPID Neo vs. Smith battle in “Reloaded”, they go through just too many histrionics before Neo pulls out the trump card he held all along. C’mon guys! If the critics have a point about anything, this would be it. Yet most of them failed to pick this one up. Why would anyone get bloodied in a knife fight, when they have a Glock in their pocket all along?

So at the end of the movie, Zion is saved, the Matrix is restored and the machines take Neo’s body…somewhere. Can you say “M4”? I sat through the closing credits, not out of respect or interest, but just to take a few minutes to process what had just happened. I knew I had a good time watching the film, but I also felt let down because my expectations were not met. I had expected the Wachowski Brothers to answer all of my questions, and it didn’t happen. I wondered if it was intentional or just carelessness. And it created the expectation that the story was not over yet. We’ll see.

More later…
Paul

Kill Bill, Volume I.

You know what? Quentin Tarantino is not the greatest filmmaker in the world. Maybe he wants to be, and that is a noble endeavor on his part. But he’s not there yet, despite what some critics would have you believe.

You know something else? “Kill Bill” is not a bloody movie. Unless you consider bright red colored liquid “blood”. “Kill Bill” IS a truly entertaining movie, though, and there is a LOT of that bright red wet stuff spurting all over the place. It looks so fake that it is very clear that Tarantino MEANT for it to look fake. C’mon, in “Reservoir Dogs” there was a lot of blood, and it looked real, so Quentin certainly knows how to do blood. He was just sending a different message in “Kill Bill”.

This is a lightweight movie. By that, I mean that it is a simple revenge flick, with very few twists or plot complexities. Or at least that’s for this first installment. We’ll see what Volume II will bring. But in this Volume, the plot progresses in a very predictable fashion. We already know, before the movie even starts, that the heroine (the questionably lovely Uma Thurman) is going to get her revenge. The movie isn’t about making us wonder IF she’ll get her justice, it’s all about HOW she gets it. And it’s fun, fun, fun all the way. In a really fake-bloody sort of way.

Hey, if your revenge weapon of choice is a samurai sword, you have to expect a little blood to be spilled, right?

Undeniably, Tarantino brings a lot of style to this film. His choice to break the movie up into titled chapters, his use of black and white, silhouette and anime, even his inspired casting (bringing back his friends Thurman and Michael Madsen; making Lucy Liu seem even bitchier than usual; Darryl Hannah?) all combine to make an absolutely must-see cinematic event. You have to give the guy credit, he puts a lot of thought and work into his films.

The best part of “Kill Bill” for me? The fact that as soon as it was over, I was DYING to see Volume II. Not because of a cliff-hanger ending; there wasn’t one. Just because Tarantino told a story that was so interesting, I just have to know how it ends, even though the ending is a foregone conclusion: Uma WILL get her revenge; I can’t wait to see HOW (and why they wanted to kill her in the first place).

More later…
Paul

The Worldwide Dogs of War.

Here's a quiet little story that is sure to send chills down the spines of those "New World Order" conspiracy types...Yahoo! News - NATO Unveils Strike Force, Key to Alliance Future

The only problem with a NATO led "Attack Team" is that it begs the question: who's in charge? And I don't mean who's commanding the so-called NRF (Nato Response Force), but what political body has the authority to send it into action? And who voted them into power? Who is their constituency and to who are they accountable?

What we may be looking at here is a de facto dictatorship, at the very beginning of it's run.

19 Nations currently make up NATO...can you name them? Are they all democratic? Do we trust all of them?

This is huge news, but it's being treated as if it's nothing really important.

More later...
Paul

Don't even THINK about voting for the Terminator.

"When I am governor I will prove to women that I will be a champion for women. " So says Arnold Schwarzenegger. (in this article:Reuters News Article)

What about proving it IN ORDER TO BE ELECTED, Arnold? Aren't you putting the cart before the horse?

That's like saying "When I am underweight, I will prove that I am no longer overweight." But what about now?

Mark this guy as dangerously clueless. Too bad there's a good chance he'll be the governor of California next week.

More later...
Paul

Where does the $87 Billion come from?

I didn't watch the President's "speech"...I don't believe anything he says. But when I read this story (Yahoo! News - Bush Seeks $87 Billion, Support for Iraq Effort), I have to wonder where the country will get the money from, now that we're already running a huge deficit. I guess it means we're going to charge it. And if that's the case, then what are the interest charges on $87 billion? And how long will it take us to pay it back?

Good grief, is Iraq even worth $87 billion? And that's just the dollar figure...the President also said we can count on more casualties before this thing is finally over. What price can we put on the lives of American sons and daughters?

Bush said this was an "essential victory in the war on terrorism"...show us the proof, Mr. President.

More later...
Paul

Bring 'em Home.

Yahoo! News - U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq; Bush Vows No Retreat

This senseless war is making even less sense, if that's possible. We need to bring our sons and daughters home, because what they are dying for is not worth the price.

Yahoo! News - Massive Blackout Hits Northeast Cities
This is not a good sign, even if it turns out to be caused by a "natural occurence", as New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg so flippantly put it. Four nuclear powerplants were shut down; mass transit was shut down; two major airports were affected; cellular communications were terminated.

Reminds me of the blackout in "Matrix: Reloaded"...a blackout this widespread means someone is up to something.

More later...
Paul

Gigli?

Okay, I admit: it's a horrible name for a movie. But I don't understand why there seems to be so much venom being written about this movie. It's not like Hollywood has never released a bad movie before. I just can't believe that people hate Ben and Jen so much. What's to hate? That they're too cute? Too successful?

That they can't really act? No one should be suddenly surprised by that.

Actually, I think they both do fine as actors. Not that I've seen "Gigli"...the title turns me off. The movie's poster says absolutely nothing about why I should spend $10 to see the film, and now I hear Sony Studios is canceling all TV ads for the film. Sheesh, after one poor showing in it's first week out, the studio is pulling the plug on the ad campaign. I smell a fish. I think the studio engineered the whole "flop" job. I guess Sony needed a write-off.

The weirdest, saddest thing about this whole deal is that now the buzz is out that pairing Ben and Jen in a movie is a BAD IDEA. How stupid is that?

More later...
Paul

Now, again! This time on the right page...

just trying something new hear...BLOGGER

Wanna see my bike (again)?

It's so lovely...and it's for sale!



And here's my wonderful trailer...also for sale! How convenient!



More later...
Paul

Inglewood Blues.

So the jury in Inglewood is undecided on whether it's legal for police to beat a man in handcuffs. Sure, that sentence may be oversimplifying the matter, but oversimplification has been the defense all along. People in favor of unchecked police brutality rarely want to consider the complexities involved in enforcing the law. The facts of this case (which I don't really know because I didn't attend the trial) probably point to multiple areas that caused confusion in the jury room. But instead of deliberating further and gaining more understanding, the jury decided that they couldn't make a decision. And by declaring themselves "hung", they forced the judge to declare a mistrial, letting the officers off the hook and lending credence to the long-held belief that it's okay to physically abuse suspects.

Would there have been a different verdict if the victim were a 19 year old white woman?

More later...

Is the Draft on the way back?

I don't know what got into me, but I watched the CBS Evening News with Dan "what's the frequency, Kenneth?" Rather last night. I'm not going to get into the many Ratherisms and the story flow, but one factoid stuck out in a bad way: CBS reported that America has military forces in 139 countries around the world.

I can't even name 139 countries.

The point of the story was that we may need to send more troops to handle the ugliness in Liberia, but are troops are already spread thin worldwide, and Senate Armed Services committee is already discussing the need for more people in uniform.

So here we go. The unemployment rate is at a new high, the economy is still in the doldrums, interest rates are plummeting, inflation is rising, the deficit is ballooning and now, any day now, the call will go out to impoverished young men and women across the land: "Uncle Sam wants YOU!"

More later...
Paul

This is not what we wanted to hear.

Kobe, you let us down. You let your wife down, you let your daughter down, you let your family down, you let your team down, you let your fans down. I know what you obviously know now: there’s no way that your marital indiscretion with a 19-year-old girl, no matter how hot/nice/sweet/sexy she seemed to be at the time, is worth the price you must now pay.

It may very well be that you are now telling the truth about the alleged assault, but it doesn’t even matter now. You have taken your crystal-clean image and smashed it into a thousand pieces. And, as I feared, you have given racists more fuel for their foul fires. Take a look at this article, and then look at the message board attached. There are hundreds of crazy people just eating this up, using your actions as proof that there is something dangerous about black men. Yes, they would act the same even if you had not had sex with that woman, but brother, you’re not helping things.

I am disappointed in you Kobe. You blew it.

More later...
Paul

Kobe.

Kobe, Kobe, Kobe. Please tell us you didn’t grab that little girl’s butt while you were relaxing in Colorado. Please tell us that you didn’t let a little harmless flirtation turn into a sexual assault charge. Please tell us that you had nothing to do with the 19 year old woman, and that this whole thing has been a set-up from the start. Kobe?

This has nothing to do with your formidable basketball skills, you know that right? This has nothing to do with your three championship rings, your scoring records or even your now-on-hold multi-million dollar Nike contract. This is all about the fate of black men across the nation. You were an inspirational figure: clean cut, polite, well-behaved. You had no children out of wedlock. You married early and quietly. You seem to be a genuinely good guy. If it all turns out to be a sham, a manufactured image, then just watch: the reputations of good black men in every state will be called into question. Bigots will have a field day.

“I told you all along they can’t be trusted, ESPECIALLY the nice ones.”

The problem is this, Kobe. You made a mistake. Hopefully, you didn’t make a big mistake and actually do what you’ve been charged with. But unfortunately, you made the seemingly small mistake of being in a position to be compromised. Now it’s international front page news. Did you or didn’t you?

The spin has already started on the woman’s side. An article in today’s Los Angeles Times has begun the process of painting the woman as “a friendly, wholesome young woman” who lives at home with her loving parents. Her friends have described her as “funloving, outgoing and emotional”.

Kobe, Kobe, Kobe. I don’t think you did it, but it doesn’t really matter what I think.

More later…
Paul

The Matrix Reloaded: for true fans only.

I have been perplexed that it has taken me so long to gather my thoughts enough to write a review of this film, but finally, after another viewing and after seeing “The Animatrix”, I am ready to commit words to weblog. So here’s my take: “Reloaded” is a great installment in the Matrix trilogy, but you have to be a true fan of the series to really enjoy it.

If you like action, and if you like long, drawn-out chop-socky fight scenes, then you will definitely get a kick out of this movie. But if you didn’t “get” the first film, if the true subject matter of the story…the battle for the survival of the human race….doesn’t interest you, then the movie will probably seem like so much techno-babble.

As for me, I wasn’t particularly impressed with the fight scenes. Yes, they are masterful pieces of fight choreography, but I kept wondering why Neo (who had figured out the whole Matrix/Agents thing at the end of the first movie) insisted on hand-to-hand combat instead of doing that special, superhacker stuff. Leave the fighting for the “other” humans, Neo was supposed to be “The One”. In “Reloaded”, the main way Neo manifests his “specialness” is by flying around like Superman. And it looked as corny as it sounds. My biggest beef is the scene in which Neo battles a league of Smiths. Once the scene gets too crowded, and the Smiths (heh heh, where was Morrisey?) started getting the upperhand, Neo simply flew off. Why he didn’t do that in the first place really bugs me. What bugs me even more was the Smiths’ reaction: they simply meandered off…to where? Where were they going? Home for dinner?

Mrs. Smith: Hi honey, how was your day?
Agent Smith #245: I’m bushed! We tried to kick Neo’s ass again, but he flew away. Got any more apple pie, babe?

Don’t get me wrong, there were some pretty decent special effects going on (the car chase is incredible), but for me the most captivating parts of the film involved dialogue. The gist of this installment is pretty straightforward: the machines are launching a full-scale assault on Zion (the last outpost of humanity, hidden far underground), using a massive army of “sentinels” (the octopus-like robots that nearly killed Neo, Morpheus et al in the first movie). According to Morpheus (good ol’ Laurence Fishburne again), the “prophecy” states that the battle will be over soon…all they have to do is get some advice from the Oracle. Unfortunately, no one knows where she is. And when they finally do find the Oracle, the only help she provides is to send Neo on an adventure to find another clue in the puzzle, which leads to yet another clue, which leads to….well, if I told you, you’d kill me.

Here’s the deal, though. Even if you are a die-hard fan of the Matrix, you MUST see the “Animatrix”, a DVD collection of 9 animated stories, all written by the Wachowski Brothers and produced by some of the greatest creative minds working in Anime today. These short masterpieces provide the backstory for the entire Matrix series, filling in many of the holes and setting the scene for what occurs in “Reloaded” and the third and final installment of the trilogy, “Revolution” (due in theaters this fall). Trust me on this one: these are not lighthearted cartoons. They are complex, sophisticated, violent, gory works of art and they were definitely intended for mature audiences only. While all 9 stories provide much needed information and fresh perspectives of the Matrix backstory, of particular interest are two pieces titled “The Second Renaissance, Parts 1 and 2”. These shorts tell exactly what happened to generate such animosity between the machines and man. It’s nothing like the Terminator series, in which AI (artificial intelligence) agents just up and decide they don’t need humans around anymore. No, instead we get a story of how man had built machines to serve him, and ended up enslaving and abusing the machines until they wouldn’t take it anymore. Some of the scenes in these clips are downright horrifying.

The Matrix has become more than just a movie, so it’s easy to overlook some of it’s cinematic shortcomings…but they’re there. Most of the actors do very well in their roles. Jada Pinkett-Smith’s appearance was much anticipated, and her character (as Morpheus’ former lover) adds a new wrinkle, but not much more. Hopefully she’ll get a better turn in part III. Monica Bellucci added quite a bit of sensual glamour in her role as Persephone, and while some might see it as a mysterious throwaway, upon further inspection it appears that she brings in a whopper of a clue as to what’s really going on. Plus, she got to strut her considerable stuff in a form-fitting latex dress…yum!

Some fans have complained about the “rave” scene, and after watching it a second time, I can honestly say that…I still don’t get it. Even after Morpheus delivered his speech about not being afraid to the people of Zion, I don’t really know why they decided to have a big throwdown in the face of near-certain death. At first, I figured that it was a tribal thing, like they were doing a massive war dance. But when the camera moved in for closeups, it was obvious that the dancers had just one thing in mind: getting their freak on! It was nice to see that the youth of Zion were all hardbodies and could dance fairly well, though. Must be the low-fat diets they subsist on. If someone else has figured out the meaning behind this particular scene, please help a brother out…!

So how did I really feel about “The Matrix: Reloaded”? I’m looking forward to seeing it a third time. I might really figure out who the heck Trinity really is…!

More later…
Paul

I bet you didn’t even see it.

This past Father’s Day, 2003, something remarkable happened in the little town of Budds Creek, Maryland. The sun came out (remarkable in itself, as the entire region had been literally flooded with rain for weeks), and James Stewart, Jr. raced his first National Motocross race for 2003.

Why is that remarkable? Well, it wasn’t the fact that he was racing, or the fact that it was only his first race of the season after sitting out the first four rounds with a broken collarbone. What was absolutely remarkable was the manner in which he devastated his competition to finish the day with a perfect 1-1 score. I wasn’t there, but I read enough of the “remarks” on the internet and in Cycle News to know that what James did that day was nothing short of amazing. Or remarkable.

According to the reports, the 17-year-old phenomenon blasted away from the pack and rode off to a dominant 45-second lead in the first moto, absolutely demoralizing everyone else in the 125 class. Then, after falling in the first turn and tangling with another rider, James finally got going in next to last (37th place!) and charged through the pack to convincingly win the second moto. Some of the most experience journalists in motocross have been quoted as saying they have never seen anyone ride a 125 that fast.

How fast was James on Father’s Day? According to the stop watches, James set the fastest lap of the day, even faster than superstar Ricky Carmichael, who was the dominant force in the 250 class! Somehow, young Mr. Stewart was able to will his 38-horspower Kawasaki around the Budds Creek circuit faster than Carmichael’s 50-horsepower Honda. Yep, that is indeed remarkable.

Go James!

The Streetsweeper.

It was definitely serendipity that caused me to come in contact with this wonderfully heartwarming film. I was looking for a movie to see the other night, and titles like “2Fast 2Stupid” and “The Italian Car Ad” just didn’t appeal to me. And who really cares about “Alex and Emma”? Anyway, I found myself in Old Town Pasadena, walking past the United Artists theater and pondering whether I wanted to spend money on something called "The Eye”, when I nearly stumbled into a sign they left on the sidewalk, advertising a movie called “The Streetsweeper”.

So I stopped stumbling and started to read the photocopied reviews that were taped to the sign. Just as I was getting to the heart of the story, this white-haired guy pops out of the movie theater and says to me “If you want to see a great movie, and you don’t care about explosions and car chases and all of that, ‘Streetsweeper’ is the one. It has a great heart” or words to that effect. I looked at him, and he looked like someone who could pass for a madman in a Coen Brothers movie. So that cinched it for me. I took a chance and walked in for the show.

As I said, it is a wonderfully heartwarming film.

“The Streetsweeper” is the story of Enzo (compellingly portrayed by Paul Michael), a kind old Italian American gent living in San Diego, who puts his only son through Harvard by working as a streetsweeper driver. What Enzo’s son (played with conviction by Michael Cavalieri) doesn’t know is that his dad has made some extreme sacrifices in order to pay his college tuition. The story is about their reunion right after graduation day, when the son finally learns the real price of his education. Sounds pretty simple, right? Well, it is, but it’s even more than that. The film takes a surprising dark turn, and then gets even darker still. And just when all hope is lost, it pulls off a transcendent ending. Kudos to writer/director James Hill for taking a risk instead of staying with the standard formula.

“The Streetsweeper” is definitely a low-budget independent film, but it looks good for the most part, give or take one or two out-of-focus shots and a few wooden lines by non-professional actors. That they shot with the complete cooperation of the City of San Diego is apparent; at times it feels like an advertisement for the San Diego Board of Tourism. But that’s okay because all of the scenes fit the story and San Diego is indeed a beautiful and diverse location. In any case, the impact of the story overcomes the minor visual ticks.

I definitely recommend “The Streetsweeper”, but because it’s on a very limited release schedule, you might have to go out of your way to see it. It’s well worth the effort, though.

More later…
Paul

Where have I been?

Man, I've been busy! I've seen "X-Men 2", "The Matrix Reloaded" and "Cremaster 3" since my diatribe on Apple's Music Store...but I haven't worked my way into actually writing reviews. So to all of my loyal readers...or, I should say, to my loyal reader...I apologize for the lack of content. Reviews will be coming soon!.

More later...(really!)
Paul

What is Apple Thinking?

The Apple corporate slogan was, at one point, “Think Differently”. It may still be the current slogan. But if that’s the case, why didn’t they practice what they preach when they undertook their current iTunes Music Store business? As many of you know, Apple has reached an agreement with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) to market music over the internet. Macintosh and iPod owners can download music from a list of something like 200,000 songs for the price of 99 cents per song.

Apple’s stock has actually risen over this news. And to be fair, the news reports that they have sold over 2 million songs since launching the service a few weeks ago. Apple also hopes that the Music Store will drive sales of their iPod devices.

In my mind, this is mostly bullshit. First off, 99 cents…let’s just call it a dollar…is still too much to pay for a song, particularly one that only exists in a digital format. When you go to the record store and buy a CD or vinyl 12 inch, you are still purchasing something that’s physically tangible. Downloading songs in a digital format is an intangible purchase. All that physically happens is some electrons get rearranged in the memory media of your iPod. The cost model is entirely different from a physical music purchase, so the cost of the product should reflect that. A buck a song is as much of a rip-off as buying a CD for $15 from your local Virgin Megastore.

I am not suggesting that music be given away for free and that musical artists starve. I am fervently hoping that the continuation of free music downloads via internet file-sharing (some call this theft…I do not) forces the recorded music industry to rethink their business model, which is mostly based on abusing the consumer by overcharging for their products. The new Apple Music Store is merely business as usual. To top it all off, the iPod is overpriced as well, but that’s always the case with Apple stuff.

But what’s even more disturbing to me is that it signals, once again, that Apple’s leadership is looking to move away from what they do best (creating cool hardware and the operating systems that run them) to fool around with selling software, only this time the software is pre-recorded music.

I’m not always pessimistic, but I don’t see this one working out they way they hope it will. Time will tell, but I stand firm in my assertion that a buck a song for digital downloads is too much for too little.

More later…
Paul

26 in a row?

Last Sunday, on Mother's Day, a young Florida native by the name of Richard "Ricky" Carmichael did the unthinkable...again. In 2002, Carmichael won the American Motorcyclists Association's National Outdoor Motocross championship by winning every single moto of every single race on the 12-race schedule. 24 motos in a row. No one could beat him. And on this Mother's Day, at the opening round of the 2003 championship season, Ricky once again demolished his competitors to add two more moto wins to his record-setting streak.

Can this young man be stopped?

Perhaps. Another young man from the South, Kevin Windham, looked to be the fastest rider of the day when he took off with the lead on the opening lap of the first moto and was steadily pulling away from Carmichael. Unfortunately, Windham fell and then had trouble re-starting his Honda CR450F, and ended up finishing well back in the pack. In the second moto, though, Windham was the only person able to keep Ricky (sort of) in sight. Kevin didn't beat Ricky, but he served notice that he has the speed and determination to put up a challenge.

The test will be at the next round, as the series moves to Central California, to see if Windham will be able to keep up his challenge, and if Carmichael will be able to extend his streak.

More later...
Paul

Gotta check this one out:

Go to this site and laff your ass off!

How can you mend a broken heart?

I can think of younger days when living for my life
Was everything a man could want to do
I could never see tomorrow, but I was never told about the sorrow

And how can you mend a broken heart?
How can you stop the rain from falling down?
How can you stop the sun from shining?
What makes the world go round?
How can you mend this broken man?
How can a loser ever win?
Please help me mend my broken heart and let me live again

I can still feel the breeze that rustles through the trees
And misty memories of days gone by
We could never see tomorrow, no one said a word about the sorrow

And how can you mend a broken heart?
How can you stop the rain from falling down?
How can you stop the sun from shining?
What makes the world go round?
How can you mend this broken man?
How can a loser ever win?
Please help me mend my broken heart and let me live again

- Lyrics by the great Al Green.

More later...
Paul

That's what I meant, anyway.

My sharp-eyed friend Mark Butler correctly pointed out that it was David Carradine, NOT David "Caine" (who the heck is he anyway?) that played the ass-kicking Shaolin monk in the tv series "Kung Fu". I sit corrected.

More later...(I promise!)
Paul

Is the War over or what?

Talk about strange days. It was only a few weeks ago when the nation's televisions were blaring war stories non-stop, when speculation about Hussein's death ran rampant, when the entire nation was bracing for the "final drive to Baghdad", as if it were the last quarter of a ghoulishly bloody football game.

Now what? According to my sources, the Prez will address the nation this evening to tell us that the War is over and that all is well, etc, etc, blah blah blah. Move along people, there's nothing to see here, it's all over. Welcome to 21st century warfare, United States-style. My fear is that there are literally millions of Americans thinking "Hey, that wasn't so bad. We might as well kick some more 'Axis of Evil' butt while we're on a roll!"

Yep, that's just what this country needs. A worldwide killing spree, all in the name of whatever reason we can come up with...freedom comes at a price, and dadgummit, we're willing to pay!

Remember the old TV series "Kung Fu", starring David Caine as the butt-kicking Shaolin monk from China? He was quiet and unassuming, and he never started any fights, but boyohboy could he finish them! I remember when our country was like that monk...well-armed and extremely capable of defending itself, but never, NEVER the aggressor.

All of a sudden, I feel a twinge of nostalgia coming on...

More later...
Paul

Another Senator self-destructs.

Apparently foot-in-mouth disease, while not getting as much media attention as SARS, is still a deadly ailment affecting some of our leaders on Capitol Hill. The latest Senatorial gaffe was made by Pennsylvania Republican Rick Santorum, who conveniently happens to be the Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. In other words, he is the third-highest ranked leader in the Republican Party. According to an article I read in the Washington Post, the senator was being interviewed by the Associated Press and, during a discussion about a Texas sodomy law currently being considered by the Supreme Court (boy, those Supremes must get some interesting reading material!), Santorum basically equated homosexuality with bigamy, polygamy, incest and adultery. Here's the quote:

"If the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual (gay) sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything." (here's the article: Washington Post)

Hmmm.

Any surprise that there was an immediate outcry by nearly all of the Gay rights organizations? Well, I wasn't surprised. But it gets me that Santorum and his people were. So he issued a statement, claiming that the AP article was misleading and he even goes on to compare himself to other "constitutional scholars" and implythat his quote was taken out of context.

Okay. "Scholar", eh? Maybe he should go back to school and consult a dictionary and compare the definitions of those words he used.

Here's a bit from his statement: “When discussing the pending Supreme Court Case Lawrence v. Texas, my comments were specific to the right to privacy and the broader implications of a ruling on other state privacy laws.’

“In the interview, I expressed the same concern as many constitutional scholars, and discussed arguments put forward by the State of Texas, as well as Supreme Court justices. If such a law restricting personal conduct is held unconstitutional, so could other existing state laws.’

“Again, my discussion with the Associated Press was about the Supreme Court privacy case, the constitutional right to privacy in general, and in context of the impact on the family. I am a firm believer that all are equal under the Constitution. My comments should not be misconstrued in any way as a statement on individual lifestyles.”
(full text of statement)

Hmmm, again.

I get, from his statement, that Santorum was merely using those words to illustrate a point, the point being that if the Supreme Court says behavior H is okay in the privacy in one's home, then behaviors B, P, I and A have to be considered okay, as well. Well, I call bullshit on his analogy and bullshit on his statement. Of course, I don't claim to be a "constitutional scholar", so maybe I'm not qualified to comment. Bullshit.

Why don't these guys get it? Why is it so hard for them to understand that all they have to do is apologize, retract the statement, and all will be well? What's so hard about saying "Sorry, didn't mean to go THERE"? Like Lott, Santorum insists on taking the hard road, asserting that what he said, whether it offends a million Americans or not, is fine and dandy. Take it or leave it. He must not have been paying attention when Lott got booted. The same boot is headed for his rear end.

More to the point: I predict that in less than 2 weeks, Senator Santorum will relinquish his position in the Republican Party, for the good of the Party of course, and someone more aligned with Frist and Bush will take his place, just in time for the kickoff of the '04 re-election campaign.

Wow. This is almost as exciting as the NBA Playoffs!

More later...
Paul

We've got visitors!

The more observant among you have already noticed that we've added links to "The Onion" to our page. Check them out, they're right at the top.

I think "The Onion" is one of the most consistently funny parody newspapers in existence today, and I just wanted to share it with you. So there. You can thank me later...!

More later...
Paul

Irreversible.

It has been a long time since a scene in a film caused me to audibly gasp. Plenty of films have made me laugh out loud, and a few made me jump or shield my eyes. But this French import, directed by Gaspar Noe, portrays a few violent scenes in such an unflinching, realistic way that I feel compelled to issue a warning to all whom might be interested in seeing it.

Ironically, I urge those of you who love good cinema to make the effort to see this film. It is very unique and much more complex than it’s simple plot suggests. According to the Internet Movie Database the plot can be described thusly: When a woman is raped by a stranger, her friend and ex-husband decide to take justice into their own hands. Well, okay, that’s the basis for this movie in a nutshell, but it doesn’t begin to describe what you’ll see on the screen. And feel in your head.

Like “Memento”, “Irreversible” uses a reversed timeline. We see the end first, then we work backwards to the beginning. More than a gimmick, this device serves the purpose of reminding us that our actions don’t always have the effect we want them to. In the film, we get to see the effect first, and while we’re speculating on the cause, we find out that it is something totally unexpected.

But what was it that made me involuntarily cry out in the theater? It was a bit of violence so realistic that I still cannot figure out how they pulled it off…and this particular bit was definitely not the nastiest thing that occurs in this film. Much has been already written about the rape scene in this film, and I found it to be very disturbing. However, it was the “revenge” beating that literally took my breath away. I long ago learned how to deal with nightmarish images in films by always keeping in mind the fact that they are constructed pictures. Manufactured fantasies. How the filmmakers of “Irreversible” accomplished their special effects is nearly beyond my own understanding of latex and prosthetics and horror-movie makeup. I kept asking myself “Is this real? How did they do that?” Although it’s not a horror movie, it represents a stunning achievement in horror effects.

“Irreversible” is a fantastic, but disturbing movie. I recommend it only to the most mature movie-goers, and I again must warn you: if you have an aversion to intense, unrelenting violence and gore, don’t see it.

More later…
Paul

So the War is Over?

What, are you kidding? We took over the capital of Iraq, gathered videotape of the desecration of a statue of Hussein (similar to burning an effigy), and suddenly headlines are screaming about victory. Well, except for that one headline that says the President warns that the War isn't over yet.

Does anyone even remember what the objectives of this War are?

More later...
Paul

The Segway HT (Human Transport).

Wednesday, March 26, 2003 was a watershed day for me, because I rode a Segway HT for the first time. For those of you who haven’t been paying attention, the Segway is a self-balancing, two-wheeled personal electric transport device. Some people call it a “scooter”, and I used to do the same, until I encountered the device in person. The Segway is to the scooter what a Gulfstream jet is to a paper airplane. Just as the paper plane and the business jet both share the principles of aerodynamics, the Segway shares the characteristics of two wheels with the scooter. And there the similarity ends.

First off, the Segway’s wheels are aligned in a parallel fashion; all scooters have their wheels in-line. Second, the Segway employs 5 solid-state gyroscopes and a very sophisticated on-board computer, which gives the device the ability to not only balance it self, but balance you too, when you step on board. Try that with your razor-type scooter. Or even your Vespa, for that matter.

But before I get too far into the technical aspects of the Segway (and you should visit the Segway website for the real information), let me back up and explain what happened on March 26. I was in Old Town Pasadena, the yuppie restaurant and shopping foci of the San Gabriel Valley, and I saw this guy crossing the street on his Segway. Up to that point, I had only seen the Segway on the web and in magazine articles, so I actually had to do a double take to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me. The guy (his name is Joe), had accelerated across a crosswalk, and then quickly and smoothly slowed down to roll up the ramp onto the sidewalk. Then he stopped to talk to some pedestrians. Right then, I knew I had to talk to him.

As I approached, I was amazed that he was able to stand completely still, with what seemed like complete balance and control. And then, when his friends moved, or when people walked by, he was able to twist and pivot the Segway effortlessly. Despite the lunchtime crowds, there seemed to be plenty of room on the sidewalk for the Segway and the passing pedestrians, many of whom didn’t even give the unique device a passing glance. Not me, thought; I was entranced!

When I approached Joe, he was extremely friendly and seemed happy to answer any questions I had. He used the Segway to commute to work, and had just returned from a lunchtime errand run to buy dog food. His Segway featured a soft parcel bag on the front, similar to the old wire baskets that were used on older bicycles. He gave me a business card that was basically a FAQ list, and it also listed his website (www.pasadenasegway.com). Joe totally surprised me when I asked him how long it took for him to get so good at maneuvering the Segway….he hopped off and offered me a demonstration ride!

Now, as many of you know, I am an avid motorcyclist, and it’s nothing new for one biker to approach another to compliment or talk about their motorcycle. But it’s a very rare day indeed for a biker to offer a stranger a test ride on their pride and joy. But Joe did so without hesitation. I was floored! I was like a kid at Christmas!

Joe pulled what looked like keys out of his pocket…actually they were encoded magnets, and they were color-coded as well. He briefly explained that they governed the speed and sensitivity of the device. He inserted the black magnet into an opening on top of the “handlebars”, then stepped to the front of the Segway. He adjusted the height of the handlebars for my height (similar to adjusting the height of a microphone stand), then held the bars out for me and told me to take them.

First thing I noticed was that I didn’t have to hold the Segway up. Then Joe told me to put one foot on the platform. No problem. Then just step on board with the other. I did so without a concern in the world…and immediately I started wobbling back and forth. Joe quickly commented that this was normal, and it would stop as soon as I relaxed. So I did, and it did, and….I was balanced on the Segway! It was as if all I had to do was trust it, and it would take care of the hard part. It didn’t feel weird or out of control or anything. It didn’t feel as if I was on the verge of falling over it felt perfectly natural, as if I was standing on solid ground.

Then Joe instructed me to lean forward slightly. I did so, and the Segway started to roll forward. Then he said lean backward; I did, and it stopped. He told me to lean even farther back, which I did and the Segway began to slowly roll backward. We did that two more times. Then Joe told me to twist the left handgrip to the right. When I did that, the Segway pivoted to the right. I then twisted the grip left and pivoted back to my original position. Then he told me to turn right while leaning forward. And by that time I was completely hooked. I wanted to spend the rest of the day playing with that thing!

By the time I got home, I had figured out that the Segway was the answer for my own daily commute to work. I have mentioned before on this site that I live close enough to my office to bike to work, but biking requires specific bike-oriented clothing to be comfortable. A bicycle seat will destroy a pair of dress slacks in a matter of weeks. Plus, my ride home is all uphill…good for exercise, but bad for motivation. The Segway solves that problem entirely. You can ride a Segway wearing a suit, as long as the weather is good. And here in Southern California, good weather is a given.

Yes, the Segway is a viable transportation tool for people like me, who daily commute falls within its rather short 10-mile range. But the Segway costs nearly $5,000 (it’s available at Amazon.com right now) and that’s a hurdle that I cannot overcome at this time, both fiscally and conceptually. Being a motorcyclist, I am well aware that any number of very capable motorcycles can be bought for that amount or less, while providing much greater range and utility. However, the Segway is a revolutionary device because it can do something that no motorcycle or scooter will ever be able to do: it can co-exist on sidewalks and in buildings with people walking. I can ride the Segway from my kitchen at home right up to my desk at work, without ever getting off. The Segway is the closest thing to George Jetson’s spaceship-that-folds-up-into-a-briefcase yet. I gotta have one. I just have to figure out how to get one.

More later…
Paul

Good for Michael Moore.

I went to see “Bowling for Columbine” again on Friday night. What a great movie. And it’s particularly appropriate for this current time of war. So I was quite pleasantly surprised to see that the film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. I masochistically tuned in to watch a little local news last night, and caught the update on the Oscars show, and they showed Moore accepting his award. Apparently, Moore took the opportunity to protest George Bush, and many in the audience booed him! Wow, what a surprise…the way the mainstream media has been playing it, you would have thought that the Oscar audience would be full of bleeding heart Bush bashers. Maybe the Academy planted some pro-War people just to even things out…

More later…
Paul

They are either with us or against us.

The State Department has released the list of 30 countries that say that they stand with America in our mission to rid Iraq of Hussein, er, disarm Hussein….I mean, liberate the Iraqi people. These countries are: Afghanistan, Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Britain, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Turkey and Uzbekistan. And apparently there are 11 countries that are on are side, but are too shy to admit it in public.

Japan has made it clear that their support only extends to participating in the post-war activities. Um, okay.

There seem to be some notable countries missing, like France and Germany, but that’s old news. What about our northern and southern neighbors Canada and Mexico? What about staunch ally Israel? How about all of South America? Most of Africa? Southeast Asia?

Does it matter that many of our friends and allies disagree with our course? Should it matter?

One thing that stood out, to me, from the president’s speech other night was the closing. He ended the speech by saying “…and may God continue to bless America.” Which is usually a cool thing to say, but this time it seemed to exclude those other countries that choose to stand beside us. It would have been more appropriate to say “…may God continue to bless America and it’s allies” but then that would also signal that we believe God only cares about us, further fueling some Islamic extremist thoughts that this is really a religious war that we’re waging on them.

Oh well, as long as we win, that’s all that matters…

More later…
Paul

Bush to Hussein: "That Middle Eastern country ain't big enough for the both of us"

The ultimatum has been issued. Hussein has 48 hours to gather up his sons and his stuff and leave Iraq, the country of their birth, to go...where? Who cares? If he doesn't get out of town by sundown (tomorrow), the might U.S. Military is gonna come out guns a'blazin'.

God bless all those involved.

I really hope that this war, this sequel to "Desert Storm", is as short as the first Persian Gulf conflict. But there's a problem: in that first "episode", the objective was to simply oust Iraqi forces from lil' defenseless Kuwait. Now we're taking them on in their home country. What is our objective? Is it to remove Hussein from power? Is it to destroy or confiscate their Weapons of Mass Destruction? The President has talked about "liberating the citizens of Iraq". So does that mean our objective is to change the entire political structure in that country? How will we know if we've won or lost?

What do you think?

What the heck is THIS all about...?

No means No, even for talented directors.

Okay, I let myself get caught up in the current saga of exiled film director Roman Polanski. I haven’t seen his new film, “The Pianist”, but I hear it’s pretty good. There’s a big brouhaha in Hollywood these days because it the film has been nominated for an Academy Award. Why is Polanski in exile? Because he “sexually abused” a 13-year old girl back in the ‘70’s. I believe the correct term is rape.

The first I heard of this case was an op-ed in the L.A. Times a month or so ago, written by Polanski’s victim, now a woman in her 30’s. In the essay, she pleaded with her readers, and the Academy no doubt, to judge Polanski’s film on its merits and not on his criminal treatment of her from decades ago. At the time, I was impressed. It seems that the young woman has found a way to forgive the director, and was willing to open herself to public attention. I thought she made sense.

I still think she makes sense, but after reading transcripts from the actual trial, thoughtfully reproduced on the Smoking Gun website, what that 13-year old girl described was an adult male forcibly raping her, both vaginally and anally. Rather than face certain prison time (where he would probably be anally raped himself), Polanski fled the country, never to return. He did the crime, but not the time.

What he did was wrong. And he followed it up by running away, another wrong. During this current climate, in which female Air Force cadets are being raped by their classmates and then dismissed from the Academy, what type of signal are we sending if we give Polanski the Oscar? Shame on the Academy for even giving him the nomination.

More later…
Paul

Okay, I sit corrected (part 2).

I just KNEW someone would take issue with my claim that Detroit auto designers are in-bred hicks. I got a call from my good friend Mark from Maryland, who wanted to point out that many of the current American designs are done by Italian and Japanese designers. To which I respond: hey bubba, I don't care WHAT nationality those in-bred hicks are, they need to do better than "fugly" cars like the current Chevy Monte Carlo, the Chevy Malibu, the Buick Regal, the Oldsmobile Aurora, the Dodge Neon, the Ford Taurus...and if I keep going on, I won't get anything else done.

I tell you this, the Italian designers hired by Detroit certainly can't compete with a well-known Italian design house like Pininfarina.

More later...
Paul

Okay, I sit corrected (slightly).

A friend handed me the latest "Road & Track" magazine, and inside there was a pretty spiffy foldout catalog featuring the newest cars from Chrysler, due to arrive at dealers in the summer. The first one featured is the Crossfire, a pretty swoopy coupe that they tout as being "50% American Imagination, 50% German Precision, 100% Passion".

Whatever. How about that name? "Crossfire". Just in time for a war, no? I think it's telling that there's no mention of what type of engine powers this thing. But I will admit...it IS interesting.

I can't say the same thing about the other new Chrysler, the Pacifica. It's a station wagon! And they have the nerve of claiming it provides "the thrill of something totally new." So now the in-bred hick designers are writing the advertising copy, too? It boggles the mind.

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Paul

Would you buy a car from these men?

Oh, woe to the American Automobile Industry! ‘Scuse me whilst I brush away these crocodile tears. The financial news outlets are reporting that American auto sales are way, way down, and they even went so far as to say that bad news about General Motors in particular is partially responsible for yesterday’s record Dow Jones drop on Wall Street yesterday.

So, what’s the cause of this calamity? The experts are blaming it on war fears in the American consumer, but I call bullshit on that. The same experts note that Honda sales are up in the double digits. Aren’t Honda buyers worried about the war?

The truth is that the most attractive…and thereby best selling…American cars are actually trucks. The Big Three have focused so much on their more profitable pickup truck and SUV markets that they have totally neglected the need to produce decent cars. And the result is that the current crop of American sedans, coupes and sportscars all pretty much suck. This is not a new development, by the way. It’s been bad for a while.

Seriously, when was the last time an American car caught your fancy? The ‘60’s? The problem is that all of the people in charge of styling and design at the American car companies are in-bred hicks (now someone will probably write to ask me what I have against in-bred hicks!). In truth, the last interesting new car launched by any American automaker was Chrysler’s PT Cruiser. When they were new, they were headturners, mostly because they were so different. Now that they’ve been around a while, ho-hum.

Let’s break it down: at Cadillac, GM’s luxury leader, the most sought after vehicle is the Escalade, an overblown redo of the Chevy Suburban. The ‘lade is MUCH more stylish than Caddy’s newest sports sedan, the weirdly angular CTS. CTS? What type of name for a car is that? I think it’s an acronym for “Car That Sucks”. A good friend tells me that it’s really comfortable inside. Really? That’s kind of like putting a barcalounger and a big screen TV in a shotgun shack. Damn in-bred hick stylists.

Remember the Cadillac Catera? That was a mid-sized, supposedly sporty model that for some reason, Cadillac chose to saddle with a duck for a mascot. Calling it “the Caddy that zigs”, they implied that cartoon ducks represent world-class performance. Get it? Neither did anyone else. (Although the American Honda motorcycle racing teams currently use a perpetually pissed-off Woody Woodpecker for a mascot. No one knows why Woody’s so mad.)

On the subject of car names, why can’t Detroit come up with good ones anymore? Chevy has the Cavalier, a cheap, slow econobox. What’s “cavalier” about it? Remember the Chevy Citation? Who wants a car that brings to mind speeding tickets? Of course with the weak engines they put in the Citation, speeding tickets were most unlikely, but owners were often cited with moving violations for driving a butt-ugly car.

Lincoln-Mercury had a car named the “Mystique”, but when you pronounced the name, it sounded like “mistake”. And it must have been one, because they ain’t selling ‘em no more. Now they’re selling a car called the “Marauder”. Lovely name, there. Brings up great images, doesn’t it?

How about the Chevy Celebrity Eurosport? What the hell were they thinking when they named that piece of crap? I can’t even imagine anyone wanting to be seen in a car that carries those name badges. Or the now-forgotten Chevy Beretta. Or Lumina. Or Corsica. These cars were destined for the scrap heap as soon as the ink dried on their designs.

Compare those names to the ones Honda uses: Accord and Civic. These names are words that actually have a related meaning, and these models have now been around for decades, selling successfully. Certainly outselling their American counterparts by embarrassingly large margins.

So now is probably a great time to get a fantastic deal on an American car, but which one is actually worth owning? The only exciting car made by Chevy is the Corvette, and you’d have to be pretty rich to afford feeding a ‘Vette its daily ration of $2.25/gallon premium fuel. A fuel-efficient ride it is most certainly not.

How about Chrysler, or should we say DaimlerChrysler? I was excited to hear about the merger with Mercedes-Benz, but I’ve yet to see any evidence that Chrysler products have improved. Mercedes, however, is going strong, making what are arguably the very best cars in the world. Anyone who disputes this statement simply hasn’t spent much time behind the wheel of one of these fine automobiles. And now you can buy a Benz Sport Coupe for about the price of a loaded Chrysler PT Cruiser Turbo. Talk about a no-brainer.

Dodge is no better. The Intrepid is a decent-looking car, but the ride is wallowy and soft. And the reliability of Dodge products have been very suspect in recent years. The most exciting Dodge is the Viper, but like the Corvette, it has a very limited market because it is really an overpriced toy more than anything else.

Ford is selling a version of their Crown Victoria sedan that’s called the “Sport”. They’ve got to be kidding; what's sporty about a tired 4-door family sedan that weighs two tons? The Crown Vic is the car chosen by police departments around the country as the best car to chase villains in, so I guess the “Sport” version is the model villains will chose to lead those wacky pursuits. In any case, I ain’t buying one. Ford also sells the Focus, a decent little economy car that comes in hatchback, sedan and station wagon flavors. It’s probably the best car they make, and it might be worth buying, but it feels like a cheap rental car to me. Of course, there’s always the classic Mustang and Thunderbird, but even these cars are mere shadows of their former great selves. I’ll pass.

Lincoln has a new model called the LS. Hmmm, like Cadillac’s CTS, I guess those in-bred hicks ran out of vowels. I think it’s an acronym for “Last Shot” and it really is Lincoln’s last shot at trying to capture all of the American consumers who are very happy buying quality cars from Acura, Audi, BMW, Honda, Infiniti, Lexus, Mercedes, Nissan….need I go on?

The cars from Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac are not even worth mentioning, Tiger Woods be-damned. These re-badged, overblown Chevys are mostly pathetic, and the concept of actually owning one is pretty sad. Gone are the days when a Cutlass was a cool car, when the Electra actually meant luxury, and a Grand Prix had enough power to get out of its own way. I see these cars with their horrible styling and I have to wonder what happens to young automotive engineers after GM hires them? It must be a combination of having to live near Detroit, and being forced to drive Cavaliers and Grand Ams that must tear the souls out of those wretched fools.

That, and the in-bred hick thing, no doubt.

More later…
Paul

The Price of Gas (how much is too much?)

I admit, I try to buy the cheapest gas I can find. My Ford Explorer seems to run better on 89 octane, though, so I still have to pay a little extra, no matter where I go. I try to stay away from “no-name” gas stations, and I have found the lowest prices are consistently at ARCO, at least here in my neck of the woods.

That’s as close to a free plug as it’s going to get. Run with it, ARCO!

But the last time I was at the gas station, I paid $2.03/gallon for 89 octane. My tank was just about empty, so I had no choice…at least, that’s what I’m telling myself.

The deal is this: gas is too damn expensive, and the oil companies should be ashamed of their blatant price inflation, War or no War. The only real problem, this time, is that we have to be ready to shoulder a large part of the blame, too. That’s “we”, as in you and me, the average consumer, we who insist on driving cars.

There. I said it.

Let’s start with me: I actually live close enough to work that I could comfortably ride my bicycle and still get there within 30 minutes. And in my little neighborhood, almost all of the most-needed shops (grocery, video rentals, post office) are within easy walking distance. So I could actually give up my car for the better part of the week, and just save it for those times when I need get across town, or escape to the beach.

So it’s possible, but I’m not yet uncomfortable enough with the current gas prices to make those changes. Hey, I walk to the grocery store, but it’s not the best one in the area. The better ones are a 10-minute drive away. And the bike-ride-to-work thing? Getting there is not the problem, but the ride home is 4 miles all uphill. That’s not something I can see myself looking forward to after a long day in the office. Call me a sissy. Hmmm, maybe I’ll trade my 16-miles-per-gallon Explorer in for a 45-miles-per-gallon motorcycle…

But what about you? Are you pissed off at the high price of gas, and are you prepared to do something about it? I guess what I’m getting at is the fact that we, as a Nation, are being pushed to a decision point. We proved to the oil companies for the last few years that we would NOT stop buying gas once it crested the $2/gallon level. But when WILL we push back? $3/gallon? $4? Can you imagine filling up your 13 gallon tank at $5 a gallon? That’s $65!

Realistically, the American oil companies will probably not get that greedy. They’ve got to know that they’ll cause a major consumer uprising if they price gas too high. And the American auto industry is not positioned for a sudden shift in consumer thoughts about the price of gas…their investment in high horsepower, low mileage vehicles would be at risk. I’m not just talking about pickup trucks and SUVs, but all of the sporty luxury sedans that are making upwards of 200hp.

The bottom line is this: we are way overdue for a change in our attitudes about transportation…what it means to us, how important it is, personal versus mass transit, utilitarian versus status symbol. The fact that we’ll pay exorbitant amounts of money just for gasoline means that we’re still in denial about the whole deal. Time to wake up, America.

More later...
Paul

Hussein calls Bush out.

Did you see that? Unbelievable. On CBS last night, with the aid of Dan Rather, the president of Iraq challenged the president of the United States to a debate. A live, televised via satellite throwdown. Hussein said we can go man-to-man, pardner. Heads up. You ask me some questions, and I’ll ask you some questions. You explain why you want to go to war, and I’ll explain why I want peace. In front of the whole world. Uncut. Uncensored. Straight up.

What was Bush’s response? According to CBS, the White House said no way, Jose. They said Hussein wasn’t serious. Is that the sound of chickens clucking?

Okay, seriously, if I were the president, I wouldn’t take Hussein serious either. Joining that guy in a debate puts him on an equal level, something that he is not. Or is he?

It is very hard for a human rights loving country like ourselves to argue that another human being is not worthy of being debated, especially when the topic is something as important as national sovereignty. Yes, it can be argued that Saddam Hussein’s heinous actions against the Kuwaitis and his own people disqualify him from being considered an honorable opponent worth of debate, and that’s my point. But that’s not what the White House said…at least yet. So far, the spin controllers haven’t done their job.

Like I said, if I were president, I wouldn’t honor Hussein with a debate. But I’m not president, and I would find a Bush-Hussein debate fascinating. I’d love to see it happen, mostly because I don’t think Bush would win. Mostly because Bush is crappy when talking off the top of his head. But also because the real U.S. policy towards Iraq is secret, and all the posturing over Weapons of Mass Destruction and aiding terrorists is a smokescreen designed to placate an American public that’s still touchy over the events of 9/11. Bush knows this, Hussien knows this, and THAT’S why there’ll be no debate about it. Hussein would ask too many questions that Bush won’t be able to answer.

One thing is certain: if anyone ever thought Hussein was stupid, they have been emphatically proven wrong. He may be a murderous, lying, out-for-himself dictator, but he made Bush look like the cowardly warmonger. Yikes.

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Paul

When is a War not a War?

Back in the '80's, then-President Ronald Reagan stood before the White House press corps and said the following: "My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I have just signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes."

It turns out that ol' Dutch was just joshing, but what he didn't know was that the microphones were turned on, and somebody recorded the whole thing. That quote was later sampled by an enterprising dance music producer, syncopated with some hi-energy techno funk, and released as a reasonably successful dance hit. A classic example of making a silk purse from a sow's ear.

So that was the light-hearted section of today's entry.

I just read an Associated Press article that said US warplanes have been bombing Iraqi military communications installations, and that we have conducted at least 4 bombing raids over the past two days.

Does that mean the war has already started? I cannot imagine that if any Western country had another nation's warplanes fly over and intentionally bomb military installations that that country would not consider itself to have been attacked. Yet in that very same article (which is titled "Bush Mocks Saddam on Weapons Disclosure"), it says that the U.S.-British-Spanish resolution is "…seeking U.N. authorization for War", while the French-Germans-Russians have a proposal on the table to continue weapons inspections at least into July.

Might not be much left to inspect by July, if we continue bombing runs.

What does all this mean, really? I think it means that we, the American people, have NO IDEA what the heck is going on over there, and we probably won't find out until years after the fact. Son of Bush brings us Son of Operation Desert Storm: The Big Payback. Somebody oughta make a dance record out of it.

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Paul

The Gangs of New York.

Martin Scorcese is a great filmmaker. A GREAT filmmaker. So why is "Gangs" such a crappy movie? As an example of the filmmaking art, it is incredible: the period costumes and art direction are perfect, the craft of cinematography is stunning, and the movie successfully conveys the look and feel of 19th century New York City, a veritable battle zone between the so-called "Native Americans" (no, they're not Indians) and the newly immigrated Irish.

But the story? What the heck is this thing about, really? Is it a revenge drama, the story of a young boy (Leonardo DiCaprio) who, after watching his father die in a skirmish at the hands of Bill "The Butcher" (Daniel Day-Lewis), grows up to avenge his father's death? Or is it about the mean times that these folks lived in, and the ethnic tensions that engulf the entire city?

Well, hell, at least there were some fine performances. Liam Neeson played Qui-Gon, er, "Priest", who was Leo's father. I mention his "Star Wars: Phantom Menace" character because it was pretty similar to Priest….ol' Liam is getting pretty good at playing these wonderful father-figures who get killed by the bad guy early in the film. I think he even used the same accent in both films! In the opening scene, he gives young Leo (no, I don't remember his character's name, and you won't either) a lesson about shaving…or was that a lesson about cutting oneself? It's hard to say, because it didn't have any bearing on anything else that happened in the movie. What was the lesson? "Leave the blood on the blade." Right then you knew he wasn't a butcher…or at least you hoped he wasn't.

Daniel Day-Lewis absolutely CRUSHED his character, a murderous butcher who was also the de facto boss of the slum they all shared. In fact, he is the only good thing about the whole movie…he stole every scene he was in, and a few that he wasn't. I hear that Cameron Diaz was in this film, too, but I don't remember seeing…oh wait, was she that mousy, mouthy chick with the tummy scars? Talk about forgettable…I still haven't figured out what her character added to the story, other than give Leo a pseudo-romantic interest, and perhaps another recognizable name on the poster.

My guess is that Scorcese loves his town of New York so much that he even wanted to explore and expose this particularly sad chapter in the history of the city. What he shows us in the movie is rampant crime and corruption, terribly unsanitary living conditions, wretched poverty and unabashed hatred….and the thought that kept running through my mind is that not much has changed since then. I'm pretty sure that was at least one of the points Scorcese was trying to make. My only question is why? Seeing this movie made me want to go out and rent "Age of Innocence", just to console myself with one of his better films. "The Gangs of New York" is cinema as emotional punishment, not enlightenment.

More later…
Paul

Breaking down War.

These are strange times we live in. We have moved from a "potential" war with Iraq, to a "probable" war, the stated reason being that Iraq's dictator has lied about stockpiling so-called "weapons of mass destruction", thereby violating any number of UN resolutions and agreements.

But we really need to be clear. We cannot afford to fool ourselves about this, or any war. War simply means killing other people to take their shit.

Now, a lot of money has been spent, and television airtime wasted, to dress up war and make it appear to be some sort of valiant undertaking. However, that doesn't change the reality of war, which again, simply means killing other people to take their shit.

How did Operation Desert Storm get started? Iraq sent its troops into Kuwait, killing people and taking their shit. In response, we sent OUR troops over to kill Iraqi people and take THEIR shit.

Hitler kicked off WWII by killing a lot of people and trying to take EVERYBODY'S shit.

Some will argue that defensive actions can be justified, such as our taking on Hitler and Hussein. Well, justification notwithstanding, the reality of war doesn't change: we killed a bunch of Germans and Japanese and Italians and took their shit. And that's what we plan to do in Iraq this time around.

When will we (and by we, I mean the entire human race) EVER learn that killing people and taking their shit NEVER SOLVES ANYTHING? Here in America, we have amassed the world's most powerful army supposedly to defend our American way of life. We've got more and better guns, missiles, tanks, ships, submarines and jets than anybody. Our armed forces were built not to take offensive actions against other countries, but to deter aggressors and defend our Nation. That's wonderful, but the only problem is that the method to do this is to kill other people and take their shit.

The old saying still holds true: If you live by the sword, you'll die by the sword. Is that what we really want for our children?

More later…
Paul

The Michael Jordan Conspiracy.

Yesterday I watched the 2003 NBA All-Star game, broadcast from Atlanta by the TNT network. Now, I'm not the biggest basketball fan in the world…in fact, I fairly suck at the game, but I like watching it and I'm very appreciative of the artistry displayed by the phenomenal athletes of the NBA. I was watching the game with some diehard B-ball boys, and I was quite surprised at the disdain these guys had for Michael Jordan, the undisputed King of Basketball.

My co-watchers were making constant sarcastic comments about Jordan; his age, his diminished abilities, his many "retirements". Most telling, though, was their conviction that the NBA was pulling strings to make sure Jordan achieved three major accomplishments in what was to be his last-ever All Star game: First, he would break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time All Star scoring record. Second, he would score the last basket to win the game in the final seconds. And finally, he would win the MVP title. The hat trick, as it were.

My friends were convinced that the fix was in. And judging by the number of times they ran that "triple Jordan" commercial during the breaks, it seemed that they had a point. But Michael was struggling. He missed his first seven (!) shots, and had to really work to score 20 points. The scoring record was his. But his shot was so off that he missed his final shot in regulation, and the game went into overtime.

The score remained tight throughout the overtime period, and with about 5 seconds left on the clock, Jordan went up for a jumper and scored what should have been the winning two points. But just a second or so later, one of his teammates committed an idiotic foul on Kobe Bryant while he was attempting a 3-pointer. Kobe made two of three free throws to tie the game again. Now, if there REALLY were a conspiracy, Kobe would have missed all of his free throws, right? Well, Kobe told reporters after the game that "he had a job to do" but he did think about just giving it to Michael. Hmmph.

So the game went into DOUBLE overtime, the first time in history that an All-Star game has taken so long to decide. Unfortunately for the Jordan cabal, their man did not come out to play the entire period. At this point, the West All-Stars had seen enough, and decided to put the game away for good. Final score: 155-145.

Jordan did NOT shoot the game winner. Jordan did NOT win the MVP trophy. If there was indeed a "Michael Jordan conspiracy", it failed. But let there be no doubt who left Atlanta last night STILL the richest, most well-known professional basketball player in the world. Need I say his name?

More later…
Paul

Saturday, February 1, 2003....ouch

It was a normal morning around the McDaniel house in the Dallas suburbs. My wife was out and about, my daughter had a chocolate milk mustache, and I was lying on the couch watching her...watch cartoons. Then my windows shook and my alarm on my car went off. It sounded like the whole block fell into a sink hole." What the heck" I muttered? My daughter took another drink of chocolate milk and I surveyed our property. Everything seemed in order. Like I have said before, we live in the most boring neighborhood in all of America. I found nothing unusual.

So I took back to my perch on the couch and watched my daughter giggle and mimic the television. As soon as a commercial came on, I turned the channel to check the days weather so I could decide if I was going to moto practice that afternoon at Mosier Valley. Needless to say, my attention was deverted from the days weather and my daughter....to one of complete horror.

My heart ripped as our local Dallas/Ft. Worth channels kept showing the Space Shuttle Columbia shred into pieces just 40 miles above my house. At first I didn't even realize it had broken apart in Texas, or over the Dallas area. I didn't put the two together, that they were showing footage shot by our own TV crews? Then it dawned on me! I was horrified, saddened and confused. I thought, " Oh Lord not again, I just remember sitting in Mrs. Deputy's 8th grade Algebra class watching the Challenger explosion like it was yesterday". As the morning progressed, I realized that I had heard the sonic boom that the doomed Columbia had delivered as it dove into the atmosphere at 12, 500 mph. Even at that point, I was hoping against all hope, science, logic, common sense, that somehow the 7 astronauts were able to eject. You just don't like to automatically think the worst, even though in the back of your mind you know that to be the case.

As the morning turned into noon, I was glued to the TV. I cried and sobbed as the reports kept coming in, each one more bleak than the last. People were already finding debris in their front lawns, and Air Force helicopters were flying overhead all day. The electronic highway signs read, " Please report all Shuttle Debris to the local authorites". That was very surreal. It's a funny thing living here in Texas, we are all very close to the Space program. Nasa itself is only a 3.5 hour drive from my house. It was just very sad.

I soon realized that out of the seven astronauts, 6 of them were married, and 5 had children. That is when I put myself in their shoes for those last horrific 90 seconds when they realized that they were doomed, and there wasn't one damn thing they could do about it. They were all eager to get home and see their families. Can you imagine your last 90 seconds on earth? Can you imagine looking out of the window of your spacecraft and see the left wing fall off? At that point, you know that you just died. You have 90 seconds to reflect on your past, even though you don't because you are in a panic mode. You have 90 seconds to scream, hold your breath, close your eyes, squeeze your cockpit seat. 90 seconds of pure hell. Pure hell.

Knowing that, we also know that each of these heros are very well aware of the risks they take. They are strapped to an experimental, rocket powered aircraft with 28 missions under her belt. A Southwest Airlines 737 does 28 flights every 2 days. These astronauts are very special people. They are hands down some of the brightest minds in the world, doing a job that not many people have the drive to do. I guess for an astronaut, going out in a ball of flames at 17 times the speed of sound is just about the way they would want it. That is what I tell myself anyway.

I pray for the families and for their kids. None of these astronauts will ever be able to get up on Saturday morning and drink chocolate milk with their kids again. But on the other hand, their kids know that their parents were some of the most elite, heroic people in the world. It's a trade off, but only at a different level that someone like myself could never understand.

God bless the Columbia crew, their families, and God Speed to all of them.

Now then let's fix the problem and get our asses right back up there and continue what these wonderful people were doing...... moving forward.