This is Chickenshit, plain and simple.

First, the president doesn't want a commission investigating what happened on 9/11. Then he begrudgingly accepts it, but underfunds it. Then he approves decent funds, but doesn't agree to appear before the commission, nor let his National Security Adviser testify. Then he agrees to give them ONE HOUR of his time, and let's the NSA testify. Then he says he'll only testify in concert with his Vice President.

NOW, they're saying that the testimony will be 1) private 2) not recorded (!), no transcriptions will be taken and finally 3) the President and Vice President will NOT BE UNDER OATH! Yahoo! News - Bush, Cheney Coached for 9/11 Questioning

This is the Sham of all Shams. Mr. President, you should truly be ashamed of yourself. What are you hiding? Why do you need to be "coached"? Why does your Vice President need to be there with you? WHY WON'T YOU GO ON RECORD? WHY WON'T YOU TESTIFY IN PUBLIC?

This is an outrage.

More later...
Paul

Military 'R' Us.

These are very strange days, indeed. A mysterious war in Iraq, famous athlete-turned-soldier killed in military action in Afghanistan, Israel assassinating opposition leaders, bombs going off in other countries, and the U.S. election mud-slinging in full swing.

With all that, Godspeed Pat Tillman. I didn't know you or anything about you until you were killed in action and the media decided to make you a hero. Thank you for your service; I'm only sorry your life and talent were wasted in what I think are fairly meaningless actions in Afghanistan; I hope you disagree with me.

As we get swept up in the inevitable media whirlwind about this young man's unfortunate demise, let us not forget those soldiers who were NOT professional athletes, but still volunteered to leave their families and communities to serve...and die. War is, without a doubt, hell.

My more conservative friends and others on the extreme right want to constantly remind us of the "fact" that we owe everything we have in America to the brave men and women who serve in the armed forces. I find that idea very sad. If it were true, it means that the sole reason America exists, and continues to exist, is because we have a strong successful army that protects us from a world of people who would otherwise control us and deny us our current lifestyles.

People want to "take" our freedom? Do we still believe this? Who are these people?

People want to "take" our land, our belongings, our "things"'; are we still equating material goods with freedom?

Yes, there are crazy, murderous people out there who want to kill Americans and westerners. They want to deprive us of life, remove us from this world...but not necessarily contain our right to pollute our own country...or curtail our right to hunt animals...or many, many other rights. They don't want us to exist at all. Lucky for us, they are a microscopically small minority, and they only matter because the media is coerced into (or is willingly) blowing them out of proportion.

As far as those "superpowers" that actually have armies....which of them wants to deprive Americans of their rights? China, our trillion-dollar trading partner? Crazy North Korea, the pimple on the butt of Southeast Asia? Of course not.

More later...
Paul

Some folks have guts.

Got to give it up to Gary Trudeau for bringing the War in Iraq home to the comics page in a realistic way: Yahoo! News - Doonesbury

Currently, the strip is showing how long time character BD, a college football coach and the strip's classic right-wing warhawk, has been ambushed in Iraq and had lost his leg. Not your normal funny papers storyline. Yet there's still humor and empathy to be found...this story is gonna get bigger.

More later...
Paul

Yeah, but...

So the big news today is the release of some of the testimony made by senior administration officials to the so-called 9/11 Panel. Yahoo! News - Rumsfeld Counters 9/11 Panel Findings

What I'm reading so far is a bunch of hoohah about Afghanistan and Al Quaida. What about New York City? It seems that the panel is digging into the lapse in critical intelligence that led up to the tragedy. I wonder if they're ever going to address the issue of the slow response to the attacks while they were actually happening? Like, why NORAD was unprepared to intercept relatively slow-moving airliners? Why did it take so long to scramble fighter jets, and why did they send them from bases far from the target areas? And why did Bush insist on staying in the elementary school classroom AFTER he was notified of the attacks, instead of acting like the Commander in Chief that he is and taking responsibility for our Nation's immediate response?

Yeah, like they'll ever answer THOSE questions...

More later...
Paul

A Tale of Two Films.

First, “The Passion of the Christ.”

I finally went to see this one, and it has taken me a few days to gather some coherent thoughts to write about it. I assume that if you’re reading this, you’ve probably already seen the film, or by this time you’ve decided that you’re NOT going to see it. So please forgive me, as I intend to give a few plot points away in this essay.

Of course, even if you are only remotely religious, you already KNOW the story of Jesus’ crucifixion, so it’s not like I’m blowing any “surprise” endings. But this film, like many other films based on true events, is built on the filmmaker’s interpretation of the events, and it’s the little details that make the story come to life, so to speak. Unfortunately, it is Mel Gibson’s interpretation that I have the most problems with.

Actually, truth be told, the biggest problem for me is the limited scope of the film. It is literally the last day of the life of Jesus the Christ, and by focusing on that one fateful day, Mel and his co-writer give very short shrift to the rest of Jesus’ rather significant life. If you are Christian, you know that Jesus did a lot of very amazing things in his short 33-year life, but Mel has seen fit to leave that part of the story to other filmmakers. So “The Passion” is basically two hours of watching a man get brutally beaten and murdered, and we’re barely shown WHY Jesus is hated so much by his captors. Because of that, this is a deeply flawed film.

In an attempt to bring the gospels to life, Mel and his co-writer felt the need to exercise a little artistic license and add even more drama to the proceedings. However, I was repulsed by their attempts to make “sense” of the story. For example, some of the gospels note that after betraying Jesus, the apostle Judas committed suicide. What the gospels DON’T do is describe the suicide, or Judas’ descent into suicidal depression. So Mel took a shot at it, and instead of showing a man racked with guilt and remorse for cowardly and greedily betraying his close friend, they showed Judas as a man tormented and tortured by demonic children (!), who chase him out of town and cause him to…what? Go crazy?

This was part of a disturbing trend that the filmmakers chose to follow. It was apparently not enough to depict the brutal last day of Jesus’ life, but they also wanted to show that Satan exists and was a part of the entire proceedings, always broodily watching from the sidelines. Satan (or the devil, if you prefer) was depicted as a hooded, eyebrow-less albino. For shock value, Mel showed a maggot slowly crawl in and out of Satan’s nose. Whoa, now THAT’S evil!

Strangely enough, when Jesus finally died, Satan was shown to be mourning…or at least he was very, very disappointed. But there were no overt explanations of what that was all about…only “true believers” need apply.

Another strange “artistic license” taking was one of the too-few flashbacks to Jesus’ life. In this particular flashback, Jesus was shown “inventing” the normal-height table…! Beg pardon? When he demonstrates this new-fangled thing to his mother, Mary even quips, “It’ll never catch on…” See, God has a sense of humor…or is that Mel? It was such a jolting bit that I never could really catch on to what the filmmaker was trying to say with it. One of the frustrating things about the Bible, at least to me, is that the gospels of Christ have nothing to say about Jesus’ life as a young adult. The Good Book tells the story of his birth, a few stories of him as a pre-teen, and then there’s NOTHING until he’s in his thirties. So I guess Mel thought there would be no harm in portraying the Christ as the inventor of the modern table. Who knew?

Then there’s the controversy: Does this movie portray Jews as the murderers of Jesus? Oh yeah it does. Sure, it was the sadistic Roman guards that beat the shit out of our man, and it was the Roman guards who nailed him to the cross, and it was even the Roman ruler Pontious Pilate who, albeit reluctantly, condemned Jesus to death. But the film clearly placed the blame on the shoulders of the high Jewish priests and their Klingon-like henchmen. But isn’t that the way it’s written in the Bible? Mel’s defense has always been that his film is true to the word. Personally, I don’t see how this particular issue is controversial…but then, I was raised Catholic.

However, if truth was what the filmmakers were really after, how did they end up casting very-Anglo-looking Jim Caviezel as Jesus? Why didn’t they go with an actor that actually looked like he might have grown up in Galilee, as opposed to Western Europe? I wasn’t surprised that Mel made the decision to have a Western, instead of Middle Eastern, Jesus. But Mel, you can’t have it both ways, bro. You can’t claim historical accuracy on one hand, then willfully distort the facts on the other.

Ultimately, there have been better movies made about the life of the Christ. “The Passion” was just a voyeuristic exercise in cinematic evangelism. And a damn bloody one at that.

Then yesterday I returned to the cinema and took in a truly enjoyable little film, “Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind”, Jim Carrey’s latest movie. This movie is a huge departure from the normal Carrey goofiness, and it was co-written by the fantastically inventive screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (“Adaptation”, “Being John Malkovich”).

This film is a treat for both the eyes and the mind. It is actually a romantic comedy, and a pretty funny one too, but it’s not like “When Harry met Sally”. It’s more like “Punch Drunk Love”, another great film that takes a normally goofy guy (that time Adam Sandler), and makes him ACT. Carrey did a great job anchoring a very challenging script, and making us care about his relationship with Clementine, a firebrand of a free spirit, wonderfully played by Kate Winslet.

Basically what happens in this film is that Joel (Carrey) discovers that there’s an obscure Doctor in New York City (well, somewhere on Long Island, actually) that is able to erase specific people and events from one’s memories. How Carrey makes this discovery, and what it means to his relationship with Clementine (among other people) is what makes this movie so much fun. And for me to describe any part of it is to give too much away. This is definitely one of those “oh, you just GOTTA see it!” type of movies, similar to “Memento” and “American Beauty”. There are plenty of plot twists and turns, and since the movie is dealing with memory (actually, memory LOSS), there are a lot of flashbacks (or what look like flashbacks…I can’t tell you any more than that)!

Accordingly, the visuals in this movie are extremely surreal and nothing short of fantastic. The special effects never seem gratuitous, and rarely intrude. They just do their not-so-easy job of depicting a life that is slowly losing some of it’s most cherished memories.

One of the best lines in this movie is an exchange between the Doctor and Joel, just before they begin the procedure. Joel asks if it’s a dangerous procedure and if there’s any chance that it will cause brain damage. The Doctor calmly replies, “Well, it actually IS brain damage…”!

“Eternal Sunshine” is a great movie, one that demands repeated viewing and will definitely be one to occupy a place in my growing DVD collection. I think it demands too much thinking for it to ever become a popular blockbuster, but for those who like to think before they laugh (and cry), this is the movie for you. And it was really nice to see a good movie again, especially after sitting through the (literal) torture that was “The Passion of the Christ”.

More later…
Paul

I swear I'm not inherently anti-Bush, but...

...the more he talks, it seems, the worse it gets. And this President has some of the finest speechwriters money can buy. Remember his address to the Nation after the attacks on 9/11? If they gave out Academy Awards for Presidential speeches, that one would have been sure to bring George the Oscar.

In stunning contrast, look at some of his words from his speech given today(Yahoo! News - Bush Marks First Anniversary of Iraq War), on the one-year anniversary of the start of the Iraq War:

"It is the interest of every country and the duty of every government to fight and destroy this threat to our people," the president said.

Now, is he REALLY saying that every other country has a duty to protect the American people? Isn't that what he means by "our people"? Or do his speechwriters not care about proper grammar? Damn, put the period after "threat" and call it a sentence.

Or how about this obfuscating gem:

"There is no neutral ground...no neutral ground...in the fight between civilization and terror, because there is no neutral ground between good and evil, freedom and slavery, and life and death," Bush said.

Since when was the so-called "war on terror" a "fight between civilization and terror"? Since when is warfare "civil"? And since it's apparently such an important term, what the heck does he mean by "neutral ground" anyway? Isn't he basically saying "if you ain't with us, you're against us?" Hell, he already said THAT a year ago...back when he was insisting that we were in imminent danger from Hussein's WMDs.

I guess he's saying "you're either civilized, or a terrorist"; "you're either good or evil"; one can only be free or enslaved. One can only be either alive or dead. Well that last one I can agree with, but there are certainly shades of gray for the other examples. Let's take a Boeing 757 for instance; it can be both good and evil, depending on who's doing the flying, right?

It may seem that I'm nitpicking the President's figures of speech, but hey, my original point is that he has the best screenwriters in the world on his payroll, and THIS is the best they can do?

Finally, how about this conundrum:

"The war on terror is not a figure of speech," he said. "It is an inescapable calling of our generation."

What the hell...? You mean this is an actual War? Well then, what are the objectives of this "War"? About a year ago, Bush said his intention was to rid the world of evil. No one in their right mind would set, and expect to achieve, such an absurd objective. If the presence of evil is good enough for God, who are we to try to eliminate it? He couldn't possibly be serious, could he?

In this "War", who and where are the combatants? How will we know if we are, in fact, achieving our objectives? These major questions have NEVER been addressed in any meaningful public forum or document. Someone must know the answers to these questions, right?

Look, as long as this administration continues to sell us an unwinnable war, they will also continue to resort to rhetoric like that sentence. And now he asserts that this "war" is "inescapable". Bush and his speechwriters must take their lines from the George Orwell guidebook to mass hypnotism. They believe that if they say it long enough, it will eventually be believed by the masses.

If we don't bounce this clown in November, we deserve him.

More later...
Paul

Take as much time as you need, Mr. President.

Can you believe that Bush told the 9/11 investigation committee that he would only give them ONE HOUR to question him about the events that happened that day? And only after pressure from his presidential opponent did he agree to give them more time: Bush Might Be Questioned Longer by 9/11 Commission

This is the President of the United States, right? The Commander in Chief. The man behind the wheel of the most powerful country on the planet, the man in charge on that fateful day...the same man who chose to read to a classroom full of children, rather than give orders to shoot down those hijacked aircraft BEFORE they could crash into the buildings.

Okay, no one knows what Bush was thinking when he was informed that the country was under attack...all we know is that he decided to stay with the children for a few more minutes. But that's what the commission is supposed to do: ask questions and find out WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED!

C'mon Mr. President. Take your time, you don't have to rush through this.

More later...
Paul

Stuff you didn’t know about Haiti.

“A number of U.S. firms, including commercial banks, telecommunications, airlines, oil and agribusiness companies, and U.S.-owned assembly plants are present in Haiti. “

And yet… “Haiti has been plagued for decades by extremely high unemployment and underemployment. The precipitous decline in urban assembly sector jobs, from a high of 80,000 in 1986 to fewer than 17,000 in 1994, exacerbated the scarcity of jobs.”

And this… “Haiti is a major transshipment point for South American narcotics, primarily cocaine, being sent to the United States. To counter this threat, the U.S. has taken a number of steps, including signing a counternarcotics letter of agreement with the Government of Haiti in May 2002, vetting and training the counternarcotics division of the Haitian National Police, providing material assistance and training to the Haitian Coast Guard for drug and migrant interdiction, and obtaining the expulsion of several traffickers under indictment in the United States.”

But… “Although Haiti did not meet counternarcotics certification criteria the past three years, the country was provided a waiver of any sanctions on grounds of vital national security interest (my emphasis).”

Vital national security interest? Are we talking about the War on Terrorism or the War on Drugs?

Finally, this: “Foreign investment protection is provided by the Haitian Constitution of 1987, which permits expropriation of private property for public use or land reform with payment in advance. American firms enjoy free transfer of interest, dividends, profits, and other revenues stemming from their investments, and are guaranteed just compensation paid in advance of expropriation, as well as compensation in case of damages or losses caused by war, revolution, or insurrection (again, my emphasis. Wow!). The U.S. and Haiti have a bilateral agreement on investment guarantees that permits the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation to offer programs in Haiti. The two governments also signed a bilateral investment treaty in December 1983, but it was not ratified.”

Hmmm, and all this in a country with a 50% adult literacy rate, and a life expectancy of only 49 years!
(all information taken from the U.S. State Department website)

So, if this country were being run by a President we didn’t agree with, do you think there might be a remote possibility that we would…er… “request” his “resignation”?

More later…
Paul

Why is Haiti important now?

I have no idea. Is it because it's relatively close to the U.S.? Why do we care enough about what's going on there to send our troops there. And then this happens: Yahoo! News - Aristide Tells U.S. Contacts He Was Abducted.

The President of a sovereign nation tells a U.S. congressman and a U.S. citizen that the U.S. military has abducted his family and flown them across an ocean (!) against their will. U.S. spokespersons deny this, saying the Haitian president signed a letter of resignation. Even if true, why was he flown to Africa? Why not just bring him to the U.S.?

What the heck is going on? Why is the U.S. military involved? Of what importance is this small island nation to the U.S.?

There's got to be more later, but why should we even care?
Paul

Don’t give them the easy way out.

Tomorrow, California voters head to the polls to vote on some of the silliest propositions ever proposed. Euphemistically numbered (or not) Props 55, 56, 57 and 58, they’re basically asking the citizens of California to give the government the opportunity to INCREASE our already crippling budget deficit.

55: requests voter approval for the state to borrow $12.3 BILLION, to be paid back over 30 years. 30 years! No one is even talking about how much interest that will really cost. This money is supposed to be used to fund school construction and renovation. Hello? What happened to the current education budget? Did it get used for something else?

56: reduces the number of voters in the Legislature needed to pass a budget, from a two-thirds majority to only 55 percent. Aren’t we paying them to be present and vote? Why would we lower this requirement?

57: requests voter approval for the state to borrow $15 BILLION, to be paid back in 9 to 14 years. This money will be used to reduce the state’s deficit. How much interest does $15 billion generate? Oh, about another $6.5 billion. That’s nearly 50%! What a screaming deal…for the creditor. By the way, using bonds to pay for the deficit has been ILLEGAL in California since California became a state.

58: prohibits most (but not ALL) future bonds from being issued after Prop 57. As Arnold said so many times over the weekend in those unwatchable TV ads: “Prop 57 lets us refinance the deficit one more time; Prop 58 means we tear up the ‘credit card’”.

Dude, tear it up anyway, BEFORE we take on more debt.

Sorry Arnold, but you’re gonna have to go to Plan B, as far as I’m concerned. Get your braintrust working on other alternatives, like say….raising taxes and cutting spending. I’m voting NO, NO, NO and NO.

More later…
Paul

It’s “SchwarzeNEGGER”.

It’s one day before the California Primaries, and this past weekend was filled with televised political commentaries about this, that and the other. And all weekend long I had to endure people mispronouncing the governor’s name. It’s as if some people have been waiting for an excuse to let the word “nigger” back in their vocabulary, and now they have a chance to let it fly.

Look people, it’s “SchwarzeNEGGER”, and it sounds like “beggar”, not “bigger”. “Negger”, not “nigger”. Stop being lazy with your mouths and say it right.

More later…
Paul

This guy is cruising for a bruising.

Keeping in mind the fact that the Federal Reserve is a PRIVATE entity that does not answer to the U.S. Government in ANY way, what do you think about this gem:Yahoo! News - Greenspan: U.S. May Need to Trim Retiree Benefits

Soooooo, how in heck does this guy get the nerve to say this stuff? He wants to raise the retirement age AND reduce future benefits? Look, for the most part, if we're age 40 or younger, there's NO WAY we'll ever see any decent Social Security benefits when we reach so-called "retirement age". The problem is this: if we won't benefit from SS, WHY should we PAY INTO IT?

If these fools keep talking this madness, they're going to see a revolt the likes of which have not been seen in this country since the days of the Revolutionary War.

More later...
Paul

Miracle on Film.

So I’ve seen a few films lately, but I haven’t written much about them. I don’t know why; maybe because they didn’t move me all that much. That is, until last night’s movie.

Last week I saw “The Cooler”, which is actually a very entertaining film, a love story really, that demonstrates how love can conquer all problems. It stars William Macy as a guy who’s such a loser that he’s actually employed by a Las Vegas casino to “cool off” gamblers when they get on hot streaks. This guy’s luck is so bad that it literally rubs off! All he has to do is stand next to you, and no matter what game you’re playing…blackjack, craps, slots…you’ll lose. But when he falls in love, all bets are off….sorry, I couldn’t help myself!

One of the best parts of this film is Alex Baldwin’s portrayal of an old-school casino boss. He was fantastic!

So “The Cooler” was good, but it wasn’t “last night’s movie.”

Then I saw “The Dreamers”, Bernardo Bertolucci’s latest cinematic effort. This is an NC17 rated look at three young adults in Paris in the late ‘60’s, as they….well, as they romp around naked for the most part. An interesting movie for sure, and great gutsy performances by the young unknowns as they bared all…but what was it about? I still don’t know. There were aspects of incest, but to what end I have no idea. If anyone has any idea what Bertolucci was trying to say, please let me know.

So “The Dreamers” was fun to watch, but confusing. And it also wasn’t “last night’s movie.”

I attended “last night’s movie” with a group of friends and business associates who usually don’t have the time to do such frivolous things as go to movies. But when they DO got to see a film, it’s usually an inspirational, positive-message-type of movie. So when they suggested we get together and catch of viewing of “Miracle”, I jumped at the chance, even though I had no interest in seeing the movie until they mentioned it. I guess it really does matter who you see films with.

“Miracle”, of course, is the dramatized re-telling of the story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey team, and their “miraculous” gold medal run in the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York. For those that don’t recall, back in those days the Olympic teams were still made up of amateur athletes…these were college players, not professionals…and the best team in the world was from the Soviet Union, a group of older men who had dominated the sport like no other team for at least 15 years up to that point.

In other words, there was no way in Hell that the U.S. team was supposed to beat them. Of course, what would an inspirational movie be if the underdog didn’t overcome the impossible odds and triumph? One of my movie-going friends joked afterwards “I knew what was going to happen, but I didn’t want to spoil the surprise for you!” Heck, EVERYBODY knows what the outcome will be (or was), but what we DIDN’T know was the story behind the story. And it’s one heck of a story.

Kurt Russell really impressed me as the gruff coach of the team. He’s the only name star in the film, and he’s all that’s needed. I have no idea where they got a bunch of skating actors to play the team, but they must have been real hockey players, and they did just fine with the acting.

Unless you are hopelessly cynical, this is a movie that will make you smile and clap and cheer and even cry. It is a FANTASTIC piece of inspirational material, proving that even the best can be beaten by the ones with the most heart. It showcases the values of determination, persistence, hard work and belief in oneself. The buildup to the showdown was edited perfectly, and even though we all know how it ends, the movie STILL has you sitting on the edge of your seat during the showdown.

“Miracle” is a great movie. Treat yourself to it, and take some youngsters with you. Today’s kids need to see this stuff.

More later…
Paul

Happy Birthday, Cortina!!

You're everything I always wanted in a sister! Enjoy your day!

Constitutional Discrimination?

Ya know, I really don't go around looking for things to complain about with regards to our "President", but he's a thought-provoking kind of guy, you have to admit. Now, in a blatantly political attempt to corral his religious right vote, he goes and does this: Yahoo! News - Bush Endorses Amendment Banning Gay Marriage.

There really is no separation of church and state, is there?

Is marriage a religious issue, a spiritual issue or a legal issue? In my mind, marriage begins when two people decide to commit the rest of their lives to each other, with the express intent of becoming a family. To me, marriage isn't about ownership rights, tax advantage (or disadvantages), income-sharing arrangements, census results. As far as I'm concerned, there is no particularly "correct" marriage ceremony; you can get married in a courthouse, your friend's house, or a house of worship; you can jump over a broom, step on a glass, wade in the surf, WHATEVER MAKES YOU HAPPY...IT'S YOUR MARRIAGE!

But when the government steps in to limit WHO you can marry, methinks the government goes too far.

You don't have to support any so-called "gay agenda" to realize that banning gay marriage is simple, blatant discrimination based on sexual preference. Writing this type of discrimination into the Constitution of the United States of America in the 21st Century is criminal. It opens the door wide for even more discriminatory amendments.

Let people be people. Let humans be humans. If you're opposed to gay marriages, fine, DON'T MARRY ANY GAY PERSON! But to make it illegal for one human to make a marriage commitment to another human is to ignore a very simple fact of life: we're all in this together, no matter our age, sex, economic status, race, creed, ethnic background, political belief or sexual orientation. We have been told to love each other as we love ourselves. Why don't we do that?

More later...
Paul

Happy Birthday, Rusty!

You're the best-est best friend a guy could ever have.

Paul

More proof that Bush is brain-dead.

The "edumacation" president is at it again. He's come up with his perfect solution for preventing unwanted teenage pregnancies and the spread of STD's among teens: Bush Advocates Abstinence-Only Education.
Here's a man who listens to the experts...and then ignores what they recommend.

You know, I really don't think he TRULY believes the things that he lets escape from his own mouth. I think he says just what he thinks his voters want to hear. Not that his voters really matter...if he finds himself behind in the vote count in November, he'll just have the Supreme Court install him again.

Shame on us if we let this happen.

More later...
Paul

Houston, we have a problem.

Talk about dumb. Talk about not thinking. Talk about selfish, self-conscious, self-promoting silliness. What were they thinking?

In an obvious attempt to outshine the now-infamous Britney/Madonna "kiss", Justin Timberlake exposed one of Janet Jackson's breasts...not only on national television, but during the Superbowl, the most watched tv broadcast in the world! Now, I'm no prude and I think the human body is beautiful and should be celebrated, but last night's cynical display only appeals to the worst. Innocent? Get real.

My biggest problem with it is the denial. All parties involved say they had no idea it was going to happen. Someone should go to jail just for lying so brazenly. OF COURSE it was planned; lil' Timberlake doesn't have enough strength in his hands to tear a leather bustier, or whatever the heck it was she was wearing. Look at the photos: the damn bra had tear off snaps! Janet and Justin at the Superbowl. Isn't it obvious that she wanted to flash that hideous nipple ring all along?

See, in an enlightened society, she would have come out naked anyway, and no one would have minded. In our current, still pretty much puritanical society, during our yearly beer and pizza party that we call the Superbowl, well...well, CHILDREN are watching, fer chrissakes! Keep your clothes on and finish the damn song...we want to watch the rest of the game.

It wasn't that long ago that Janet could get by on her music. Looks like she's going the way of her sister, LaToya...wonder when she'll appear in Penthouse...

More later...
Paul

Godspeed, Jason.

It's always sad when a youngster suddenly dies, for whatever reason. We hate to see a life full of promise cut short before its prime. Yet at the same time, you have to kind of smile when someone passes away engaged in doing something they love. When you hear about the retired gentleman who has a quiet heart attack on a golf course, you have to admit that if you have to go (and we all do), it's best to go doing something that has meaning to you. I believe that to be the case with this young gentleman from Riverside, California, who died this past Saturday at a supercross race in San Diego, the first fatality ever for the sport: AMA Press Release on Jason Ciarletta.

My deepest condolences go out to his family. Jason, say hi to God for me.

More later...
Paul

Hollywood Giveth and Hollywood Taketh Away.

Life is funny. A week ago, I saw a movie that literally took my breath away and restored my faith in cinema. Then this weekend, against my better judgement and ignoring the warnings of those in the know, I went to see another film. That one brutally reminded me of all that is wrong with this thing we call Hollywood.

First, the good film: “21 Grams”. I went to see this one with some close friends at a little art house in Encino on a Saturday night. The place was packed front to back, and I think the average age of the patrons had to be in the mid-to-late 30’s. It was a tiny theater (I overheard one guy say “my TV is bigger than that screen!”), but the audience was knowledgeable and appreciative. More to the point, however, is that the movie was so engaging that the theater itself quickly shrank in significance. I was transported into the story; I was no longer in Encino.

Now for the bad film: “Torque”. I checked this one out on a whim after work one day, catching an early evening discount showing in Glendale. I went in expecting the worst and was surprised that it was even worse than I expected. This film was screened in a very large theater. The screen had to be 100 feet wide, and the joint had something like 500 seats. Yet there were maybe 6 people in the place. Oh well, room to stretch out…

“21 Grams” featured everything one might want in a movie: a compelling storyline that progresses in an unpredictable fashion; attractive young actors at the top of their game; a risk-taking director that actually has something to say besides “show me the money”. And Hollywood (and by “Hollywood” I mean the major studios that control American cinema) saw fit to shunt this fine film off to the netherlands of little bitty art houses, to duke it out with all of the other so-called “independent” films. One wonderful fact of life is that good films somehow seem to find their audiences, if given half a chance.

“Torque” was jam-packed with all of the ingredients that any formula action film should have: lots of action, lots of gratuitous cheesecake (and beefcake), lots of special effects, and little to no plot. Let me make it plain here: this movie sucked. This was one of the dumbest movies I have ever seen, and that includes “Biker Boyz” and “Bad Boys 1 & 2”, and that’s saying A LOT.

You’re not going to see this, so I’m gonna give it away right now: Here’s what it was about: NOTHING.

This guy comes into some hick town in the desert…apparently he’s been away. Whatever. He looks up this chick he left behind. So what. Some people are pissed at him. He’s wanted by the FBI. The chick stays mad at him for about 30 seconds. Some people fight. One guy gets killed. A few chase scenes, a few shootouts. The guy and the chick ride off into the sunset (literally!) The end.

I was pissed that I even paid the evening discount price for this garbage.

I’m not going to give away “21 Grams” because I think most film lovers should see this flick. I will tell you that Sean Penn and Naomi Watts and Benicio Del Toro do FANTASTIC jobs and make this film most watchable. Sean and Naomi have great chemistry together, especially considering the twists of the plot. The basic story is this: Sean is a Math professor with a bad heart. He’s on the transplant waiting list, and it’s looking like he won’t make it. Naomi is a happily married mother of two beautiful girls. Benicio is an ex-con on the mend who apparently has trouble driving his big 4x4 truck. ‘Nuff said.

What’s really funny (in retrospect, of course) is that BOTH movies will move you to tears.

I’m not finished ragging on “Torque” (sounds like “Fork” as in “we got your money, hahaha….FORK YOU!”): action movies often require a certain suspension of belief on the part of the audience. In order to fully enjoy the movie, the viewer must be willing to engage in fantasy. “The Lord of the Rings” does not operate in our everyday universe, but we’re usually willing to go there with the filmmaker as long as there is SOME type of parallel with the reality that we live in. “Fork” is no different, but man, do they ask a lot of the viewer. Really, the movie insists that you are okay with the following concepts:

1) Speeding motorcycles generate shockwaves that can cause cars to spin out.
2) Motorcycles, in the hands of skilled operators, are able to stand on one wheel like horses, and pivot as the pilot desires.
3) San Bernadino Sherriffs will NOT immediately beat down belligerent black motorcycle gang members who give them attitude at the scene of a murder.
4) It’s okay to carry a loaded gun without a carry permit. Or, everyone has a carry permit.
5) If you abruptly abandon your longtime girlfriend and then come back 6 months later, she will not only take you back within 5 minutes, she’ll sleep with you in 15 minutes, even though you are wearing the same nasty leather pants and dirty t-shirt you were wearing when you left. In fact, those are all the clothes you own.
6) The FBI will allow a 28-year-old “special agent” to wear thrift store suits and Converse sneakers…and give him a Hummer H2 with custom wheels. Just because.
7) The same agent will kill (or attempt to kill) his partner over $1million worth of drugs.
8) The same agent will “forget” that his partner wears a bulletproof vest. Right.
9) It’s possible to ride a motorcycle at over 160 mph WITHOUT a helmet or goggles and STILL BE ABLE TO SEE.
10) People can have normal conversations while riding, even though they are wearing full-face helmets, their bikes have loud exhaust systems and people are shooting at them.
11) All black motorcycle gang members intrinsically hate all white people. Again, just because.

Just because WHAT? Just because this film was made by extremely lazy, opportunistic filmmakers who care not one whit about motorcycles or racial relations or even making a good movie. They just wanted to get paid. Voila.

Meanwhile, I don’t know the deal, but I would be willing to bet that Sean and Naomi and Benicio willingly cut their pay in order to make “21 Grams”. And it’s going to pay off for them in more ways than just filling their mutual funds. There’s talk of an Oscar for Ms. Watts. And that’s another column altogether.

More later…
Paul

Is this amazing or what?

D.C. United, a professional soccer team, selects a 14-year-old boy as the first pick in the Major Leage Soccer draft: Yahoo! News - Freddy Adu First Pick in MLS Draft.

Guess I'll be wearing a D.C. United jersey with the number 9 on it this spring.

I'm happy for the kid and his family, but I don't get how he qualifies to play a professional sport and he hasn't even finished high school! There's no question that the boy is qualified, but he's just a ...boy! His childhood is officially over. I hope he has good parental support, because the Michael Jackson story could serve as a warning to those who attempt to gain superstardom at such a tender age.

Good luck Freddy. Don't forget to have fun.

More later...
Paul

What can I do?

A former neighbor and friend of mine is a wonderful lady. She is so very proud that her son finally sold a script to Hollywood, and they actually made the movie. Unfortunately, this is the movie: Yahoo! Movies: My Baby's Daddy (2004)

Sooooooo, what should I say to her? I knew way back when she told me that Eddie Griffin was the star that there was a more than good chance that the resulting movie would be embarrasingly awful. But I feel an obligation of sorts to go see this thing, and then be nice to her about it, even if it turns my stomach and makes me run out of the theater, simultaneously wretching and screaming...which is not an easy thing to do, by the way.

I guess I should give the movie a chance, ignore the critics and just go see it with an open mind. But there's one review that I cannot forget: a guy said it would have been better if they just took your money, sat you down in the theater and flashed the word "Sucker" on the screen for two hours.

Ah, the things we do for friends...

More later...
Paul

What color are you?

You may not be the color you think you are. Check out this story: CBSNews.com: Air Passenger Code Plan In Motion

In the near future, if you get on a plane, someone will make a determination and mark you by your perceived "threat level". The big question is, what information will they use to make this judgement? Where will they get the info? And what happens if YOU happen to be classified as a "medium" threat? Will the flight attendants be instructed to look at you funny?

Another bad idea becomes reality. Will it ever end?

More later...
Paul

Yikes.

It's sometimes easy to forget that the U.S. Constitution does not extend to visitors: Yahoo! News - U.S. Begins Fingerprinting Foreign Visitors. But this new program is going to be a nightmare, at least from a bureaucratic standpoint.

What will be next? DNA samples from all tourists?

More later...
Paul

AMA Supercross, circa 2004.

On Saturday night, January 3rd, I attended my seventh consecutive opening round of the AMA Supercross series. As a diehard motocross fan, I think it is a MUST to attend the first race of the indoor motocross season. This year, I cut my East Coast vacation short just to make sure I was back in California in time to make the short drive to Edison International field in Anaheim, California to see the world’s best supercross racers hit the track for the first time this year.

It was a great race. The current World Supercross Champion from Australia, Chad Reed, took the 250 cc Main event on his factory Yamaha, suprising many since he is just coming back from a recent shoulder injury. And the 125 cc Main was won by New Mexico’s Ivan Tedesco on a new Kawasaki 250 fourstroke. Yeah, for the uninitiated it will seem strange that a 250 would be allowed to compete in the 125 class, but that’s old news to MX fans, and I’m not even gonna get into it here. Google it if you need to know more.

So the folks at Clear Channel Entertainment, the promoters of the series, got my disposable entertainment dollar for another year, and once again I think they missed a few great opportunities to make a good event even better. If anyone cares, here’s a few things that bugged me about the event:

Spectator access to the stadium. I still don’t know why they only let spectators exit and re-enter the stadium through one gate. There are bag checkers and pat-down people at every entrance, so why do we have to herd around one gate to get back in? We spend a long day at the race, and the parking lot scene is part of the draw, with a large number of people having tailgate parties with their friends. How is security enhanced by limiting exit/re-entry to one gate? I think that stadium management is trying to make exit/re-entry too much of a hassle, in order to discourage tailgate parties and force people to pay for the overpriced stadium food and drinks. Dream on guys, it’ll only happen if you find a way to make it illegal to bring food and drinks into the parking lot.

Parking fees. Seems like they’re just getting higher and higher. Blame it on inflation if you want to, I think it’s just opportunism. $10 is starting to get extreme. Make people happy and cut it in half. We’ll be more willing to buy your souvenir yearbook if you can save us money on the parking.

The souvenir yearbook. Hey, I buy this every year, religiously. I buy it as a keepsake, something to look back at over the years. I also buy it to get a listing of the racers’ names and numbers (not phone numbers…bike numbers). But in recent years, they only list the top 100 racers. CCE, we need to get a current listing of ALL riders competing in the event, especially the three-digit pros who struggle in the qualifiers. A good portion of the audience shows up early enough to see these guys fight it out in the afternoon portion…at least you could tell us who they are. A simple one page print out, handed out with each souvenir yearbook, is all you need. Heck, charge a buck for it ($6 total for the package), and then dedicate 50 cents from each sale to a special top non-qualifiers purse. At the very least, tell the kids you employ to sell the damn things that they are NOT selling “programs” to the night’s event.

Non-creative use of downtime. Guys, hire a band or something. The KTM Junior supercross event is not enough. Give the audience something to see between races. The bullshit “interviews with sponsors” are not appreciated. The Mickey Thompson award presentation was surreal…and not in a good way.

The KTM Junior supercross. Sure, they’re cute and if I had a kid I’d want him or her to ride this event, but there’s too much time given to this mini-spectacle. I was quite surprised to see them ride the entire track (that in itself says something about the difficulty of the track), but I was NOT surprised to hear the interview questions of the winners. Like most in the stadium, I used that time to go take a leak. This little race doesn’t have to go away, but it doesn’t deserve the pressure of being the ONLY between race entertainment.

The monster truck “preview”. I get that it’s a business, and it’s another series promoted by CCE and they will actually be in the very same stadium next week and all of that jazz. But if you’re going to promote the event, the DO it. I found it interesting that the field officials used BULLDOZERS to block off sections of the track, to limit where the monster truck guy could drive. Tease. You could tell who the real motocross fans were in the crowd…they were yawning when the truck was pulling wheelies. The people cheering for the truck…more power to them. They can see more next week…after they shell out $10 for parking, of course.

Blah, blah, blah. The announcing was more subdued this year, much to the credit of the promoters. Same lame team, though. None of it mattered up in nosebleed; we couldn’t hear most if it, especially when there were bikes on the track. It just seemed strange that they would play music right before the start of each main, AND try to talk over the sound of the music and the revving engines. Maybe one of these days the organizers will figure out why people go to see races, and then re-format their announcing structure to support that.

Fourstroke noise. Now, this is not the promoter’s fault, but the sound of the 125 events have changed the nature of the game for the worse. Gone are the days of the “ring ding” and the sweet smell of “castor” oil. The little 250 thumpers are just as loud as their 450 big brothers, if not as “deep” in tone, and their interminable drone made me miss the sound of twostrokes. I actually found myself daydreaming of a twostroke-only class.

Wow, that’s actually not a bad list of gripes. The truth of the matter is that CCE is doing a pretty good job of putting on what is actually a very tough event. And the audience left the stadium smiling, which is really what it’s all about. It’s just SO CLOSE to perfection, that it’s a shame that they don’t go all the way. One day I hope they will. All I know is that I will be there.

More later…
Paul

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