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
Monday, January 26, 2004
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
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
Friday, January 16, 2004
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
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
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
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
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
Monday, January 12, 2004
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
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
Monday, January 05, 2004
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
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
Sunday, January 04, 2004
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
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
Monday, December 29, 2003
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
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
Monday, December 15, 2003
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
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
Thursday, December 11, 2003
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
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
Wednesday, December 03, 2003
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
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
Tuesday, December 02, 2003
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
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
Monday, November 24, 2003
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
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
Friday, November 21, 2003
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
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
Sunday, November 09, 2003
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
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
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
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
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
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
Thursday, October 02, 2003
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
"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
Monday, September 08, 2003
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
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
Wednesday, August 27, 2003
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 - 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.
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