The Iowa Men's Basketball team has managed to lose five players in the space of about forty-eight hours. All transferring out to other schools. One is so desperate, he's transferring to my former (and actually sort of current) school, MNSU-Mankato- down to Division II. Another (one of Iowa's top scorers this season) is heading back to Indiana State. When asked why: the pace of play was too slow. Not the Coach or nothin', but the 'pace of play.'
Call me stupid (not being a balla expert) but can't the players control the pace of play? If you want to play faster on the court, can't you just do it? (Come to think of it, you probably can and can't at the same time. It would probably depend on your Coach's style.) But the troubles of the Men's Team continue here at Iowa, with no end in sight... so, what to do?
Be patient. I think college basketball is succumbing to the lure of the pros. Seems like if you're a hot player one year, you think you're the cats ass and off to the pros you go. College ball is just a minor pit stop to better things. As a result, there's pressure on players and coaches to deliver results NOW. I reckon Lickliter's got one, maybe two more years to turn things around and if not, then out the door he goes. Never mind the fact that sometimes programs take TIME to build. Coach K didn't start at Duke winning titles right away... it took TIME.
Just wish that players and coaches and fans would be a little more patient, but I don't think they're going to be.
Where we'll go after the Night of Sharp Elbows... probably nowhere fast.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Hate Me Today
Tried to run. Didn't even get to Morningside. Leg cramp, pollen counts, asthma, felt like shit anyway.
Yeah, Saturday is going to go well.
Yeah, Saturday is going to go well.
Bracketology '09
Oh, the Madness. It starts today- in a couple of hours actually, so I think I'll just go ahead and post my usual justifications of my Bracket methodology and see how much they suck when all is said and done. Just for the general edification of the like two people who read this thing on a regular basis. So, take a deep breath:
My Pick: Louisville
My Final Four: Louisville, Memphis, Villanova, Syracuse
Regional Breakdowns: Generally speaking, I like the tournament field this year- and more importantly, I like the major players. The talking heads have made this the Year of the Big East- and I think they're right. It's nice to see new faces as the top seeds without the usual crew (UNC, Duke, Kentucky) being crowned as inevitable champions. I like it- there's the potential for new faces and some under the radar teams that could blow everyone away.
Midwest: This region is all Louisville. Across the board- but beware the Sweet 16- I think there's a probably showdown with Wake Forest coming and I worry about that. Deeply. I think if Louisville trips up anywhere, it's going to be there. Kansas and Sparty in the other Sweet 16 game and then Louisville takes out Sparty to get to the Final Four. Another interesting potential: WVU and Kansas- there could be potential for an upset there, but I'm going to stick with the Jayhawks.
West: The Upset Specials... Northern Iowa and Utah State. Northern Iowa because, well, someone's gotta represent for the Home Team- and Utah State because... well, just because I feel like it. Other than that, we're headed for a somewhat ho-hum, 1-2 showdown in this region. UCONN and Memphis- with Memphis taking it to the Final Four. As for Northern Iowa and Utah State- I think if they can get past their first round games, they've got long shots, but shots nonetheless to get to the Sweet 16- and I'd take UNI over Utah State if I had to pick between 'em.
East: Villanova and Pittsburgh! Villanova goes all the way- Minnesota and Xavier go to the Sweet 16- the Golden Gophers taking out Duke along the way. Again, to me a somewhat ho-hum region, but Villanova and Pitt should be a game for the ages. Touch wood I'll get to watch it-- but damn these work hours of mine!
South: Probably the most exciting region in the whole tournament, I think this one is wide open. Which is why I picked Syracuse to get through. I think they popped up on everyone's radar screens with that ridiculous 5OT win over UCONN and I think they could bust out and make some serious noise- potentially enough to get to the big show. But beware! There are minefields ahead... Oklahoma, Gonzaga and UNC. When Gonzaga takes on UNC- that's one I want to watch- and Oklahoma could also just tear through everyone. But I'm sticking with Syracuse.
And you know what, I think this is the year- this is the year that I might actually try and watch some of the basketball!
My Pick: Louisville
My Final Four: Louisville, Memphis, Villanova, Syracuse
Regional Breakdowns: Generally speaking, I like the tournament field this year- and more importantly, I like the major players. The talking heads have made this the Year of the Big East- and I think they're right. It's nice to see new faces as the top seeds without the usual crew (UNC, Duke, Kentucky) being crowned as inevitable champions. I like it- there's the potential for new faces and some under the radar teams that could blow everyone away.
Midwest: This region is all Louisville. Across the board- but beware the Sweet 16- I think there's a probably showdown with Wake Forest coming and I worry about that. Deeply. I think if Louisville trips up anywhere, it's going to be there. Kansas and Sparty in the other Sweet 16 game and then Louisville takes out Sparty to get to the Final Four. Another interesting potential: WVU and Kansas- there could be potential for an upset there, but I'm going to stick with the Jayhawks.
West: The Upset Specials... Northern Iowa and Utah State. Northern Iowa because, well, someone's gotta represent for the Home Team- and Utah State because... well, just because I feel like it. Other than that, we're headed for a somewhat ho-hum, 1-2 showdown in this region. UCONN and Memphis- with Memphis taking it to the Final Four. As for Northern Iowa and Utah State- I think if they can get past their first round games, they've got long shots, but shots nonetheless to get to the Sweet 16- and I'd take UNI over Utah State if I had to pick between 'em.
East: Villanova and Pittsburgh! Villanova goes all the way- Minnesota and Xavier go to the Sweet 16- the Golden Gophers taking out Duke along the way. Again, to me a somewhat ho-hum region, but Villanova and Pitt should be a game for the ages. Touch wood I'll get to watch it-- but damn these work hours of mine!
South: Probably the most exciting region in the whole tournament, I think this one is wide open. Which is why I picked Syracuse to get through. I think they popped up on everyone's radar screens with that ridiculous 5OT win over UCONN and I think they could bust out and make some serious noise- potentially enough to get to the big show. But beware! There are minefields ahead... Oklahoma, Gonzaga and UNC. When Gonzaga takes on UNC- that's one I want to watch- and Oklahoma could also just tear through everyone. But I'm sticking with Syracuse.
And you know what, I think this is the year- this is the year that I might actually try and watch some of the basketball!
Freakin' Sweet
I almost forgot about this book- but do YOU remember 'Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs'? Come on- everyone remembers that book... well, somehow, someway, they've managed to turn it into a movie- and more importantly, a 3D movie with something that actually looks like a plot.
I'm not sure whether to marvel at the creativity of Hollywood or be horrified at the potential for total disaster and destruction of childhood memories for a certain generation of Americans.
I'm not sure whether to marvel at the creativity of Hollywood or be horrified at the potential for total disaster and destruction of childhood memories for a certain generation of Americans.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The New Dora
Dora the Explorer is all growing up... and people aren't happy about it- and really, I can sort of see why. Why does she need to be all jazzed up? Why? What was wrong with her? Why do you take a perfectly good cartoon character and mess it up?
I don't know. See for yourselves.
I don't know. See for yourselves.
Sad
Natasha Richardson, wife of Liam Neeson- daughter of Vanessa Redgrave is apparently brain dead after a skiing accident in Canada. The family is reportedly being gathered and a statement is expected later today. There was some initial confusion with reports that she wasn't brain dead last night- but apparently those reports have been dialed back today.
Either way, to me this is just incredible sad. She was getting a ski lesson on a beginner's hill- where helmets are not required when she fell and then a few hours later started to feel sick. It sounds like the ski instructors followed procedure and recommended she see a doctor-- and now this. Make you wonder just what exactly happened, given the fact that by all reports she walked away from the fall and didn't start feeling sick until hours later.
Sad nonetheless- the family is in my thoughts today.
Either way, to me this is just incredible sad. She was getting a ski lesson on a beginner's hill- where helmets are not required when she fell and then a few hours later started to feel sick. It sounds like the ski instructors followed procedure and recommended she see a doctor-- and now this. Make you wonder just what exactly happened, given the fact that by all reports she walked away from the fall and didn't start feeling sick until hours later.
Sad nonetheless- the family is in my thoughts today.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
A.I. Gee Whiz...
There's an easy solution to this AIG mess: pass a law saying that if you need help from the government you can get it, but you lose ALL your bonuses. The government- and indeed the taxpayer shouldn't be in the habit of REWARDING FAILURE. And if you need a government loan- then YOU F---ED UP, DUDE.
Congress should have done this damn thing right the FIRST time, but it's probably too late now. Unless you can pass the above law and make it retroactive. That'd be cool.
And hopefully Jon Stewart kneecaps this Santelli idiot too. This IS A BIG DEAL, doucheturd. IT'S MY MONEY! (And the taxpayers money- which means we have a right to be pissed off when our money is used to reward failure and incompetence.)
Congress should have done this damn thing right the FIRST time, but it's probably too late now. Unless you can pass the above law and make it retroactive. That'd be cool.
And hopefully Jon Stewart kneecaps this Santelli idiot too. This IS A BIG DEAL, doucheturd. IT'S MY MONEY! (And the taxpayers money- which means we have a right to be pissed off when our money is used to reward failure and incompetence.)
Monday, March 16, 2009
Pissed OFF.
The President is bracing for 'a bailout backlash.' Reaaaaaaaaaally? They just started now? Where have they been? What are they doing? Is oxygen finally reaching the critical parts of their collective brains?
Yes, people are pissed.
Hopefully, people are recognizing that our political elites and the financial elites are more concerned about their own interests than ours. As voters, we may have the right to participate in a facade of democracy every four years- but let's not fool ourselves. We as individuals don't have power. We as individuals don't even have access. For that, we need money. And individual Americans by and large don't have it.
What's resulting is a growing gap between our political and financial elites and the needs of real Americans. Washington is waaaaay over there and we're all here getting hosed in various shapes, ways and forms- and it seems like no one cares. My general sentiment is: fire everyone and start over. I certainly wouldn't trust Congress to make the necessary political reforms to bring the government closer to the people and further away from special interests and corporate money- a Constitutional Convention would be drastic, but I think it's a notion worth exploring. If the PEOPLE decide that nothing needs to change (if it ain't broken, don't fix it) then fine. But I think- and I think there's a growing number of people out there who agree with me- that it IS broken and the more time goes by, the more drastic the solutions are going to have to be.
The latest outrage: the AIG bonuses, well, what did you expect? I don't buy this bullshit that they were 'legally obligated' to hand out bonuses. Maybe, technically they were- in that case, Congress dropped the ball and should have had it engraven in stone, written in freakin' blood on that legislation: NO BONUSES!
I don't think they're a good idea anyway. How do you justify that? Your company is on the rocks, so you give people bonuses? Aren't they supposed to be merit based? You know a REWARD for doing something good?? It's like giving Captain Smith of the Titanic an extra 10 grand, because he steered the boat into an iceberg. Just doesn't make sense.
Fire 'em all. Bankers, politicians, all of 'em.
Start over.
Yes, people are pissed.
Hopefully, people are recognizing that our political elites and the financial elites are more concerned about their own interests than ours. As voters, we may have the right to participate in a facade of democracy every four years- but let's not fool ourselves. We as individuals don't have power. We as individuals don't even have access. For that, we need money. And individual Americans by and large don't have it.
What's resulting is a growing gap between our political and financial elites and the needs of real Americans. Washington is waaaaay over there and we're all here getting hosed in various shapes, ways and forms- and it seems like no one cares. My general sentiment is: fire everyone and start over. I certainly wouldn't trust Congress to make the necessary political reforms to bring the government closer to the people and further away from special interests and corporate money- a Constitutional Convention would be drastic, but I think it's a notion worth exploring. If the PEOPLE decide that nothing needs to change (if it ain't broken, don't fix it) then fine. But I think- and I think there's a growing number of people out there who agree with me- that it IS broken and the more time goes by, the more drastic the solutions are going to have to be.
The latest outrage: the AIG bonuses, well, what did you expect? I don't buy this bullshit that they were 'legally obligated' to hand out bonuses. Maybe, technically they were- in that case, Congress dropped the ball and should have had it engraven in stone, written in freakin' blood on that legislation: NO BONUSES!
I don't think they're a good idea anyway. How do you justify that? Your company is on the rocks, so you give people bonuses? Aren't they supposed to be merit based? You know a REWARD for doing something good?? It's like giving Captain Smith of the Titanic an extra 10 grand, because he steered the boat into an iceberg. Just doesn't make sense.
Fire 'em all. Bankers, politicians, all of 'em.
Start over.
Silver
Actor and longtime political activist Ron Silver died over the weekend of cancer... him, I liked- and in my universe he certainly matters a great deal more than Don Imus. He was somewhat 'infamous' if you can call it that, from going from a typical Hollywood liberal- if there is such a thing, to a stalwart Republican after the 9-11 attacks.
He was awesome on 'The West Wing' where his character, master political consultant Bruno Gianelli also undergoes a similar metamorphosis, supporting and running President Bartlett's (Democrat) campaign in Season 4 and trying to help Alan Alda's campaign (GOP) by the end of the show. He was a great actor- and whatever you think about his politics, it seemed to me that there was a solid foundation of principle underneath his beliefs.
Principle and conviction-- two things we could use more of in this country.
He will be missed.
He was awesome on 'The West Wing' where his character, master political consultant Bruno Gianelli also undergoes a similar metamorphosis, supporting and running President Bartlett's (Democrat) campaign in Season 4 and trying to help Alan Alda's campaign (GOP) by the end of the show. He was a great actor- and whatever you think about his politics, it seemed to me that there was a solid foundation of principle underneath his beliefs.
Principle and conviction-- two things we could use more of in this country.
He will be missed.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Bad Day
Well, certain fundamental truths are being revealed to me: first is that The Real World on MTV has absolutely NO BASIS in the ACTUAL real world. The ACTUAL real world sucks balls- but we knew this already.
Second: I hate jumping through hoops just for a job. I just want to apply for something and get it. I am an impatient fool and I have this nagging suspicion that I am going to be a book smart guy who will always and forever be 'almost, but not quite good enough.' The truly depressing thing is that I think I really wanted to escape academia and have a real life. To get a job, house, pop out a kid or two and just not be in school. I thought it would be good for me- but I had no idea it was going to be so damn hard. Granted, the economy sucks- and even in the best of times, it takes time to find the right job. This is supposed to be the shitty, character building part of life, but I have the wrong degree(s), the wrong skill set and I've just put myself into a huge mess of my own making. And at a certain point, it's just too damn expensive to go back and clean it up. I'm stuck: useless degree, no skill set and the depressing reality that I too, will struggle along until I finally give up and go back to school for a PhD.
I have a job deadline coming up Tuesday. It was a job, oddly enough, that I really, really, really wanted and thought I could at least get a call for. But they get 10,000 resumes a month and found mine wanting. Probably didn't go to the right school or something. Snotty elitists. Now I know what being stood up feels like.
I hate that I have to take a damn PT test just to get an interview to become a cop. That shit, I'm starting to get tired of. Some of the people giving those tests haven't seen their toes in 20 years, yet I have to jump through hoops. It doesn't seem right to me somehow and it's tiresome. I'm going to drive all the way to Webster City just to fail another damn test. And probably do the same thing next week. Yippee! I'm going to spend the next year and a half running my ass and for no discernable affect whatsoever.
But such is life. And I'll continue, I'll put my shoulder to the grindstone, because what else can you do.
Second: I hate jumping through hoops just for a job. I just want to apply for something and get it. I am an impatient fool and I have this nagging suspicion that I am going to be a book smart guy who will always and forever be 'almost, but not quite good enough.' The truly depressing thing is that I think I really wanted to escape academia and have a real life. To get a job, house, pop out a kid or two and just not be in school. I thought it would be good for me- but I had no idea it was going to be so damn hard. Granted, the economy sucks- and even in the best of times, it takes time to find the right job. This is supposed to be the shitty, character building part of life, but I have the wrong degree(s), the wrong skill set and I've just put myself into a huge mess of my own making. And at a certain point, it's just too damn expensive to go back and clean it up. I'm stuck: useless degree, no skill set and the depressing reality that I too, will struggle along until I finally give up and go back to school for a PhD.
I have a job deadline coming up Tuesday. It was a job, oddly enough, that I really, really, really wanted and thought I could at least get a call for. But they get 10,000 resumes a month and found mine wanting. Probably didn't go to the right school or something. Snotty elitists. Now I know what being stood up feels like.
I hate that I have to take a damn PT test just to get an interview to become a cop. That shit, I'm starting to get tired of. Some of the people giving those tests haven't seen their toes in 20 years, yet I have to jump through hoops. It doesn't seem right to me somehow and it's tiresome. I'm going to drive all the way to Webster City just to fail another damn test. And probably do the same thing next week. Yippee! I'm going to spend the next year and a half running my ass and for no discernable affect whatsoever.
But such is life. And I'll continue, I'll put my shoulder to the grindstone, because what else can you do.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Monday Blues
Can I Do it?
Is it possible?
What am I going to do with my life?
The weekend was great. Fun, followed by a lazy beautiful Sunday and then... this. A gray Monday with the realization that it's back to reality. Back, back, back to reality and wondering if there's anything better- anything fun anything I can really get passionate about out there.
Sure, I set my cap for the cop thing. Sure, I passed the written test, but I have the physical test left:
29 push-ups
38 sit-ups.
Both in one minutes. That, I should have in the bag.
12.51 Mile and a half run.
This worries me. It's start to worry me more and more- I try running sometimes and it's beautiful. I run like the wind and I'm covered in sweat and anything seems possible. Other times, my chest tightens like a drum, I can't breathe and my legs ache with pain and feel like they just don't want to move. I can't find a consistent balance. I could do this if it was just a mile- but it's the extra half that's the killer.
16.5 inch sit and reach.
This killed me the last time around. I got to 14 inches... not bad, but short of the mark. I guess all I can do is stretch and stretch and stretch and hope for the best.
No obstacles will stand in the way of your success this month.
Got that in a fortune cookie yesterday. Hope like hell it's true.
Is it possible?
What am I going to do with my life?
The weekend was great. Fun, followed by a lazy beautiful Sunday and then... this. A gray Monday with the realization that it's back to reality. Back, back, back to reality and wondering if there's anything better- anything fun anything I can really get passionate about out there.
Sure, I set my cap for the cop thing. Sure, I passed the written test, but I have the physical test left:
29 push-ups
38 sit-ups.
Both in one minutes. That, I should have in the bag.
12.51 Mile and a half run.
This worries me. It's start to worry me more and more- I try running sometimes and it's beautiful. I run like the wind and I'm covered in sweat and anything seems possible. Other times, my chest tightens like a drum, I can't breathe and my legs ache with pain and feel like they just don't want to move. I can't find a consistent balance. I could do this if it was just a mile- but it's the extra half that's the killer.
16.5 inch sit and reach.
This killed me the last time around. I got to 14 inches... not bad, but short of the mark. I guess all I can do is stretch and stretch and stretch and hope for the best.
No obstacles will stand in the way of your success this month.
Got that in a fortune cookie yesterday. Hope like hell it's true.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Watchmen
Watchmen was one my most anticipated movies of the past year or so- I have been counting the days faithfully, reading every scrap of material I could find online, watching the previews over and over again. I was curious and I was fascinated: could they do this- could they turn this dense, complex graphic novel into a good movie?
I remember being curious about Watchmen a long time ago. Time Magazine did a list of the 100 Most Influential Novels of the 20th Century and there it was- the only graphic novel to make the list. How, I wondered at the time, hadn't I heard about this? So, I got a copy and began to read it. I took me two or three tries to get through it, but once I had, I could see why it had made the list. As a rule, the comic genre (or graphic novel genre, whichever you prefer) hasn't really been known for delving into complexities or stopping to really debate the 'whys and wherefores' of just what makes superheroes tick- Watchmen not only takes this notion as a starting point, but delves further, deconstructing the whole notion of what it means to be a superhero to begin with.
What results is, quite frankly, mind-blowing.
But how do you turn this into a movie? Can you? Many, many people have said 'no' but incredibly enough, they pulled it off- and the movie is as mind-blowing as the book. While I was watching the movie, I was waiting to see just what each scene would look like translated into film, but upon further reflection, the sheer power of the movie itself is masterful. Jackie Earle Haley owns his role as Rohrshach, the uncompromising vigilante who borders on the edge of insanity throughout the picture. Patrick Wilson also rips out a great performance as the former superhero 'Nightowl' struggling to come to terms with a life that is so pale and meaningless it renders him literally impotent. Zack Snyder retains much of the structure of the novel, flipping into flashbacks and backstory, between characters- refusing to compromise the complexity of the original source material. It makes it a challenging movie to watch, but I think it's to Snyder's credit that he doesn't want to dumb things down for his audience.
Is it the greatest superhero movie of all time? That crown gets passed around a lot- X-Men 2 had it for awhile, but then The Dark Knight showed up and Watchmen might just take the crown on points merely for the sheer achievement of bringing such a graphic novel to the silver screen in one piece. I'd be happy to tell you that in every way Watchmen is a superior film to The Dark Knight, but that just wouldn't be true- it does have a few weaknesses that hold it back from true, titanic greatness:
Firstly, the ending: this has been controversial for months now. They got rid of the squid! Personally, I thought the squid was a bit odd to begin with and I think had it been retained for the movie, everyone else would have thought that too. Snyder made a good call and sewed together a logical ending that worked for me- but it also just comes across as a little too neat. Which flies in the face of nearly everything you see in the rest of the movie.
Secondly, the antagonist: (won't give it away) they fail to develop him on the level that they develop every other character. He seems flat and lacks depth, which makes his motivations just a little bit of a stretch to get behind. We don't get enough context with him and I thought it made the ending of the movie just a little bit weak.
But everything else was incredible. The details, the creation of this alternative 1985 that Watchmen is set in. Truly, one of the great movies so far this year- not that it'll get Oscars or anything (what genre movie ever does- for anything but special effects) it was worth watching for the nerd and the geek crowd such as myself (and they're going to go and see it anyway) but I think it also has something for people who merely love movies- and it for sure has something for all those long-suffering wives and girlfriends that had no idea they were with such giant dorks. Dr. Manhattan's glowing blue penis.
Yes, that's right. There's a glowing blue penis in this movie. And it has the most male nudity I've ever seen in a movie before. There are butts and penises everywhere in this movie and most of them are well sculpted. (There's also a boobie or two as well)
And that, to me, makes for a good formula: great nerdy movie, great movie in general, and there's a glowing blue penis.
Something for everyone.
I remember being curious about Watchmen a long time ago. Time Magazine did a list of the 100 Most Influential Novels of the 20th Century and there it was- the only graphic novel to make the list. How, I wondered at the time, hadn't I heard about this? So, I got a copy and began to read it. I took me two or three tries to get through it, but once I had, I could see why it had made the list. As a rule, the comic genre (or graphic novel genre, whichever you prefer) hasn't really been known for delving into complexities or stopping to really debate the 'whys and wherefores' of just what makes superheroes tick- Watchmen not only takes this notion as a starting point, but delves further, deconstructing the whole notion of what it means to be a superhero to begin with.
What results is, quite frankly, mind-blowing.
But how do you turn this into a movie? Can you? Many, many people have said 'no' but incredibly enough, they pulled it off- and the movie is as mind-blowing as the book. While I was watching the movie, I was waiting to see just what each scene would look like translated into film, but upon further reflection, the sheer power of the movie itself is masterful. Jackie Earle Haley owns his role as Rohrshach, the uncompromising vigilante who borders on the edge of insanity throughout the picture. Patrick Wilson also rips out a great performance as the former superhero 'Nightowl' struggling to come to terms with a life that is so pale and meaningless it renders him literally impotent. Zack Snyder retains much of the structure of the novel, flipping into flashbacks and backstory, between characters- refusing to compromise the complexity of the original source material. It makes it a challenging movie to watch, but I think it's to Snyder's credit that he doesn't want to dumb things down for his audience.
Is it the greatest superhero movie of all time? That crown gets passed around a lot- X-Men 2 had it for awhile, but then The Dark Knight showed up and Watchmen might just take the crown on points merely for the sheer achievement of bringing such a graphic novel to the silver screen in one piece. I'd be happy to tell you that in every way Watchmen is a superior film to The Dark Knight, but that just wouldn't be true- it does have a few weaknesses that hold it back from true, titanic greatness:
Firstly, the ending: this has been controversial for months now. They got rid of the squid! Personally, I thought the squid was a bit odd to begin with and I think had it been retained for the movie, everyone else would have thought that too. Snyder made a good call and sewed together a logical ending that worked for me- but it also just comes across as a little too neat. Which flies in the face of nearly everything you see in the rest of the movie.
Secondly, the antagonist: (won't give it away) they fail to develop him on the level that they develop every other character. He seems flat and lacks depth, which makes his motivations just a little bit of a stretch to get behind. We don't get enough context with him and I thought it made the ending of the movie just a little bit weak.
But everything else was incredible. The details, the creation of this alternative 1985 that Watchmen is set in. Truly, one of the great movies so far this year- not that it'll get Oscars or anything (what genre movie ever does- for anything but special effects) it was worth watching for the nerd and the geek crowd such as myself (and they're going to go and see it anyway) but I think it also has something for people who merely love movies- and it for sure has something for all those long-suffering wives and girlfriends that had no idea they were with such giant dorks. Dr. Manhattan's glowing blue penis.
Yes, that's right. There's a glowing blue penis in this movie. And it has the most male nudity I've ever seen in a movie before. There are butts and penises everywhere in this movie and most of them are well sculpted. (There's also a boobie or two as well)
And that, to me, makes for a good formula: great nerdy movie, great movie in general, and there's a glowing blue penis.
Something for everyone.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Who Is Nhoj Tlag?
There a lot of talk about Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand's dense, paperweight of a book out there in the conservative blogosphere. Rumors of rich people 'going Galt' and general predictions that Atlas will indeed shrug and it'll all come crashing down around everyone's ears...
But if you actually read the book, you'll understand that people are getting it backwards (as people often do):
In the book, rich (productive and self-made) people stop producing because the government is expropriating all their wealth and the fruits of their creative industry. In my mind (hence why John Galt is spelled backwards in the post title) what we have going on now is the opposite entirely.
In the book, the government is expropriating all this wealth ostensibly to 'redistribute the wealth' and 'spread it around.' To 'feed the nation' in other words- but our current situation is the opposite: the rich AND the government (our political and monied elites being increasingly one in the same) are taking the people's wealth and misusing it to protect their own power base.
If anyone needs to 'Go Galt' it's not the rich- they're taking- it's the ordinary people who are seeing no tangible benefits from all this bloated spending (at least thus far) and it is all of us that need to 'Go Galt.' Then let's see how long Washington and New York can last.
But if you actually read the book, you'll understand that people are getting it backwards (as people often do):
In the book, rich (productive and self-made) people stop producing because the government is expropriating all their wealth and the fruits of their creative industry. In my mind (hence why John Galt is spelled backwards in the post title) what we have going on now is the opposite entirely.
In the book, the government is expropriating all this wealth ostensibly to 'redistribute the wealth' and 'spread it around.' To 'feed the nation' in other words- but our current situation is the opposite: the rich AND the government (our political and monied elites being increasingly one in the same) are taking the people's wealth and misusing it to protect their own power base.
If anyone needs to 'Go Galt' it's not the rich- they're taking- it's the ordinary people who are seeing no tangible benefits from all this bloated spending (at least thus far) and it is all of us that need to 'Go Galt.' Then let's see how long Washington and New York can last.
Sing The Blues
Growing up, my parents infected me with their musical tastes- or almost all of them, anyway. I'll never have my Dad's obsessive love of Pink Floyd- and I still don't understand my mother's love of Jethro Tull or weird, obscure British groups from the 70s like Wishbone Ash. But there are certain things I do remember:
Listening to Pink Floyd's Pulse (the live album) on every single vacation we went on. That was Dad's driving music-- he did throw in Led Zeppelin every now and again, but Pulse always came first.
Mom and UB40. Mom loved operas (something she had picked up from her mother) as a kid, I couldn't understand that. I never understood what they were saying and I didn't like classic music. Now, much to my horror, I'm starting to realize how beautiful some of that music actually is (Death Scene from Madame Butterfly, Carmen... argh...) But one album she used to play all the time was UB40s Labour of Love. I didn't realize this until later, but I think it's a cover album of reggae classics they put together- Red, Red Wine- Cherry Oh Baby, Johnny Too Bad... for some reason it stuck in my head and I love it.
And of course, Derek and the Dominoes. When I was young and foolish, I used to think that the unplugged version of 'Layla' which was polluting the radiowaves of my early 90s youth was the coolest song ever. It was slow, blues filled jam and it just sounded good. My parents couldn't stand the unplugged version and I never knew exactly why until I started seriously listening to Derek and the Dominoes.
The unplugged version, sucks. When some crappy music magazine released a list of the 100 Best Guitar Hooks of all time, I was shocked, in fact, offended that Layla didn't make the Top 5- instead, Guns and Roses 'Sweet Child of Mine' took top honors, which to me was idiotic. Not true at all- Layla wins, hands down.
Then of course, you watch too many Vh1 specials and you learn what the song is actually about. Clapton had (at the time) a thing for George Harrison's wife (true story!) who divorced Harrison and married him two years later. Whether you think about Harrison's wife or just unrequited love in general (which is what I think the song is more universally about) I think the original captures the pain and the ache of that feeling better than the pale, crap Unplugged version of it does. The guitar hook is kick ass and although the last half of the song seems to drag on forever, at the end of the day, to me, anyway, it's totally worth it. 'Layla' ranks right up there with 'Stairway' as some of the best almost 10 minute songs EVER.
But the amazing thing is: the whole album- 'Layla and Assorted Love Songs' is actually incredible. The guitar work, the whole bluesy feel to it- I just put the whole damn album onto my iTunes. And it rocks- everyone should own it- if not listen to it at least once.
Listening to Pink Floyd's Pulse (the live album) on every single vacation we went on. That was Dad's driving music-- he did throw in Led Zeppelin every now and again, but Pulse always came first.
Mom and UB40. Mom loved operas (something she had picked up from her mother) as a kid, I couldn't understand that. I never understood what they were saying and I didn't like classic music. Now, much to my horror, I'm starting to realize how beautiful some of that music actually is (Death Scene from Madame Butterfly, Carmen... argh...) But one album she used to play all the time was UB40s Labour of Love. I didn't realize this until later, but I think it's a cover album of reggae classics they put together- Red, Red Wine- Cherry Oh Baby, Johnny Too Bad... for some reason it stuck in my head and I love it.
And of course, Derek and the Dominoes. When I was young and foolish, I used to think that the unplugged version of 'Layla' which was polluting the radiowaves of my early 90s youth was the coolest song ever. It was slow, blues filled jam and it just sounded good. My parents couldn't stand the unplugged version and I never knew exactly why until I started seriously listening to Derek and the Dominoes.
The unplugged version, sucks. When some crappy music magazine released a list of the 100 Best Guitar Hooks of all time, I was shocked, in fact, offended that Layla didn't make the Top 5- instead, Guns and Roses 'Sweet Child of Mine' took top honors, which to me was idiotic. Not true at all- Layla wins, hands down.
Then of course, you watch too many Vh1 specials and you learn what the song is actually about. Clapton had (at the time) a thing for George Harrison's wife (true story!) who divorced Harrison and married him two years later. Whether you think about Harrison's wife or just unrequited love in general (which is what I think the song is more universally about) I think the original captures the pain and the ache of that feeling better than the pale, crap Unplugged version of it does. The guitar hook is kick ass and although the last half of the song seems to drag on forever, at the end of the day, to me, anyway, it's totally worth it. 'Layla' ranks right up there with 'Stairway' as some of the best almost 10 minute songs EVER.
But the amazing thing is: the whole album- 'Layla and Assorted Love Songs' is actually incredible. The guitar work, the whole bluesy feel to it- I just put the whole damn album onto my iTunes. And it rocks- everyone should own it- if not listen to it at least once.
Predictions
March 6, 2010: If the economy hasn't turned around, the Democrats can kiss Congress good-bye.
March 6, 2011: If the economy STILL hasn't turned around, President Obama should be a little nervous.
March 6, 2012: If the economy STILL hasn't turned around (or has gotten, heaven forbid, worse) then President Obama is going to be a one-term President.*
*All predictions subject to change and will probably be completely wrong. Prediction #3 is, of course, dependent on the GOP getting its collective shit together, which right now doesn't look likely. They can't even decide whose in charge and, to be frank, if Sarah Palin and Bobby Jindal are the best you've got, then you're in trouble. But as Harold Wilson (PM) said- 'A week is a long time in politics' and if a week is a long time in politics, 3 years or so is an eon. Political devotees are also making some noise about Mitt Romney, but I'll tell you right now: I don't care if we're in the worst Depression ever in 2012. If Mitt Romney is the alternative, I'm voting for Obama again.
March 6, 2011: If the economy STILL hasn't turned around, President Obama should be a little nervous.
March 6, 2012: If the economy STILL hasn't turned around (or has gotten, heaven forbid, worse) then President Obama is going to be a one-term President.*
*All predictions subject to change and will probably be completely wrong. Prediction #3 is, of course, dependent on the GOP getting its collective shit together, which right now doesn't look likely. They can't even decide whose in charge and, to be frank, if Sarah Palin and Bobby Jindal are the best you've got, then you're in trouble. But as Harold Wilson (PM) said- 'A week is a long time in politics' and if a week is a long time in politics, 3 years or so is an eon. Political devotees are also making some noise about Mitt Romney, but I'll tell you right now: I don't care if we're in the worst Depression ever in 2012. If Mitt Romney is the alternative, I'm voting for Obama again.
Come Smell Iowa
...read the headline on the very front page of the CR Gazette this morning. Apparently (and it's just occurred to me that I use that word WAY too much) that's what our noble Senator Harkin would like everyone to come and do. To the tune of $1.8 million in taxpayer money to fund a study going on outside of Ames aimed at controlling that scourge of the Midwest, that drives people away in droves- the smell of manure.
$1.8 million to try and stop the countryside smelling like poop? I thought that would have been obvious- just by a big-ass can of Febreeze and go to town. But that'll probably cost even more money. At the end of the day, what I think is this:
We're a farm state.
Farmers have livestock. (Some of them anyway)
And livestock poops.
Therefore, it's gonna smell sometimes. If you can't stand the smell, I suggest moving away from farms- or maybe breaking up big, huge, enormous corporate hog lots into smaller parcels.
Some other greatest hits from this festering turd of a spending bill:
I'm seriously wondering if we shouldn't just fire everyone and start over. It's obvious that the political class and the money-ed elites of the country are working in what essentially amounts to symbiosis. The rich (people and companies) can fund the campaigns of both parties- average Americans can't- and therefore, since money talks and heaven forfend that a majority of Congress do something useful for their constituents for once (some of them are awesome, but the majority is, in my mind, less than impressive lately. And that's me being extremely nice.) So the rich call the tune and our government dances. Where that leaves us middle class and piss poor people, I don't know, but it's sure as heck nowhere good.
For 233 years, we've chugged along and done fairly well for ourselves. We got through a Civil War (amazing leadership there) and been through two World Wars and fought the Cold War and let's face it, we've done good. But the government just doesn't seem to be working for the people anymore- it seems to be working for the people who can buy the access and throw the fundraisers to help Representative X out in the next campaign so they can line their warchest- and unfortunately, the people who have access are the rich and powerful- an exclusive minority in the country. And last time I checked, I thought democracy was supposed to be about MAJORITY rule.
That last paragraph may come across as incredibly naive and it probably is. People go out and vote. People get involved- at an incredible rate this past election. But the underlying problem is still there- you, me and your neighbor may participate in the democratic process whenever we get a chance, but in voting for President Obama or your Congressman the question in this day and age of America becomes this: does that vote buy you access? Influence? Because those are the REAL currency in Washington today- and pragmatically, they're always going to be. But we're moving too far into the pits of money and legalized bribery- and our democracy and government is increasingly frail as a result.
You check your cars out every 3,000 miles or so, take them into the shop, pop the hood and see how she's doing, right? Well, maybe it's time for a National Check-Up- an official one, so we can ask the question: how can we make our government better? How can we make our democracy better? The Founders wanted to 'form a more perfect union', but that isn't a static thing. It's not like we achieve Nirvana and then say 'ok, we're done- perfect union. Let's have a beer.' No, it's an every day, every year, every generation struggle- always wanting to know and figure out how we can make America better.
And whether you're Democrat, Republican or Independent (like me) I think that's something we can all get behind. So it's been 233 years or so- let's call a Constitutional Convention and start asking the questions. The internet can open it up to everyone in the country who can get to a computer- and who knows- maybe we debate, we sit down and we think 'we're good to go'- and maybe that'll be the end of it. But something doesn't seem to be working as good as it used too, which sort of indicates, at least to me that we should pop the hood and check things out.
Just sayin'
$1.8 million to try and stop the countryside smelling like poop? I thought that would have been obvious- just by a big-ass can of Febreeze and go to town. But that'll probably cost even more money. At the end of the day, what I think is this:
We're a farm state.
Farmers have livestock. (Some of them anyway)
And livestock poops.
Therefore, it's gonna smell sometimes. If you can't stand the smell, I suggest moving away from farms- or maybe breaking up big, huge, enormous corporate hog lots into smaller parcels.
Some other greatest hits from this festering turd of a spending bill:
The appropriation for the manure research is contained in a $410 billion spending bill now making its way through Congress. Among other earmarks that have been criticized: tattoo removal for gang members in Los Angeles; Polynesian canoe rides in Hawaii; termite research in New Orleans; and the study of grape genetics in New York.
I'm seriously wondering if we shouldn't just fire everyone and start over. It's obvious that the political class and the money-ed elites of the country are working in what essentially amounts to symbiosis. The rich (people and companies) can fund the campaigns of both parties- average Americans can't- and therefore, since money talks and heaven forfend that a majority of Congress do something useful for their constituents for once (some of them are awesome, but the majority is, in my mind, less than impressive lately. And that's me being extremely nice.) So the rich call the tune and our government dances. Where that leaves us middle class and piss poor people, I don't know, but it's sure as heck nowhere good.
For 233 years, we've chugged along and done fairly well for ourselves. We got through a Civil War (amazing leadership there) and been through two World Wars and fought the Cold War and let's face it, we've done good. But the government just doesn't seem to be working for the people anymore- it seems to be working for the people who can buy the access and throw the fundraisers to help Representative X out in the next campaign so they can line their warchest- and unfortunately, the people who have access are the rich and powerful- an exclusive minority in the country. And last time I checked, I thought democracy was supposed to be about MAJORITY rule.
That last paragraph may come across as incredibly naive and it probably is. People go out and vote. People get involved- at an incredible rate this past election. But the underlying problem is still there- you, me and your neighbor may participate in the democratic process whenever we get a chance, but in voting for President Obama or your Congressman the question in this day and age of America becomes this: does that vote buy you access? Influence? Because those are the REAL currency in Washington today- and pragmatically, they're always going to be. But we're moving too far into the pits of money and legalized bribery- and our democracy and government is increasingly frail as a result.
You check your cars out every 3,000 miles or so, take them into the shop, pop the hood and see how she's doing, right? Well, maybe it's time for a National Check-Up- an official one, so we can ask the question: how can we make our government better? How can we make our democracy better? The Founders wanted to 'form a more perfect union', but that isn't a static thing. It's not like we achieve Nirvana and then say 'ok, we're done- perfect union. Let's have a beer.' No, it's an every day, every year, every generation struggle- always wanting to know and figure out how we can make America better.
And whether you're Democrat, Republican or Independent (like me) I think that's something we can all get behind. So it's been 233 years or so- let's call a Constitutional Convention and start asking the questions. The internet can open it up to everyone in the country who can get to a computer- and who knows- maybe we debate, we sit down and we think 'we're good to go'- and maybe that'll be the end of it. But something doesn't seem to be working as good as it used too, which sort of indicates, at least to me that we should pop the hood and check things out.
Just sayin'
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Loser
Apparently, CNBC Reporter Rick Santelli went off awhile ago at the administration- it was quite the rant, but I never got around to seeing it- until now. Here, courtesy of HuffPost.
Santelli doesn't want to pay for bad mortgages and doesn't think his fellow stock-traders should have to pay for mistakes that 'losers' made. Indeed, he's all about personal responsibility- the flip side of course being this:
Why should I have to pay for CEOs who want to keep their bonuses for running their banks into the ground? Why are these CEOs loaning bad loans to begin with? They got greedy and now they want a helping hand. Normal people, according to Santelli, don't deserve the help. Rich folks do.
Yeah, not so much- if we have to pay for their fuck-ups, then they can damn well help us regular folks out as well.
Santelli doesn't want to pay for bad mortgages and doesn't think his fellow stock-traders should have to pay for mistakes that 'losers' made. Indeed, he's all about personal responsibility- the flip side of course being this:
Why should I have to pay for CEOs who want to keep their bonuses for running their banks into the ground? Why are these CEOs loaning bad loans to begin with? They got greedy and now they want a helping hand. Normal people, according to Santelli, don't deserve the help. Rich folks do.
Yeah, not so much- if we have to pay for their fuck-ups, then they can damn well help us regular folks out as well.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Double You Tee Eff
AIG's getting a new $30 billion bailout.
So where's mine? Why won't my government spend some money on me for once? Help me out a little- me and a lot of other Americans who could use a hand. Spend money on people, not companies.
So where's mine? Why won't my government spend some money on me for once? Help me out a little- me and a lot of other Americans who could use a hand. Spend money on people, not companies.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)