Star Wars revelation...

When Vader tells Tarkin that Princess Leia'a resistance to the mind probe is impressive in Star Wars, it didn't strike me as anything big. After finding out in Return of the Jedi that Leia is Luke's sister and their father is Darth Vader, it makes perfect sense because the Force is strong in Vader and his family.

I just thought of this the other night at home and thought it was cool...

A good man...

In spite of the MSM, I think that Donald Rumsfeld was a good Secretary of Defense. He set out to change the Petagon and was fought at every turn by the establishment. I was glad to see that in his final days, his ideas were still on the cutting edge:


Rumsfeld memo:
Nov. 6, 2006
SUBJECT: Iraq — Illustrative New Courses of Action
The situation in Iraq has been evolving, and U.S. forces have adjusted, over time, from major combat operations to counterterrorism, to counterinsurgency, to dealing with death squads and sectarian violence. In my view it is time for a major adjustment. Clearly, what U.S. forces are currently doing in Iraq is not working well enough or fast enough. Following is a range of options:

ILLUSTRATIVE OPTIONS
Above the Line: (Many of these options could and, in a number of cases, should be done in combination with others)
¶Publicly announce a set of benchmarks agreed to by the Iraqi Government and the U.S. — political, economic and security goals — to chart a path ahead for the Iraqi government and Iraqi people (to get them moving) and for the U.S. public (to reassure them that progress can and is being made).
¶Significantly increase U.S. trainers and embeds, and transfer more U.S. equipment to Iraqi Security forces (ISF), to further accelerate their capabilities by refocusing the assignment of some significant portion of the U.S. troops currently in Iraq.
¶Initiate a reverse embeds program, like the Korean Katusas, by putting one or more Iraqi soldiers with every U.S. and possibly Coalition squad, to improve our units’ language capabilities and cultural awareness and to give the Iraqis experience and training with professional U.S. troops.
¶Aggressively beef up the Iraqi MOD and MOI, and other Iraqi ministries critical to the success of the ISF — the Iraqi Ministries of Finance, Planning, Health, Criminal Justice, Prisons, etc. — by reaching out to U.S. military retirees and Reserve/National Guard volunteers (i.e., give up on trying to get other USG Departments to do it.)
¶Conduct an accelerated draw-down of U.S. bases. We have already reduced from 110 to 55 bases. Plan to get down to 10 to 15 bases by April 2007, and to 5 bases by July 2007.
¶Retain high-end SOF capability and necessary support structure to target Al Qaeda, death squads, and Iranians in Iraq, while drawing down all other Coalition forces, except those necessary to provide certain key enablers for the ISF.
¶Initiate an approach where U.S. forces provide security only for those provinces or cities that openly request U.S. help and that actively cooperate, with the stipulation being that unless they cooperate fully, U.S. forces would leave their province.
¶Stop rewarding bad behavior, as was done in Fallujah when they pushed in reconstruction funds, and start rewarding good behavior. Put our reconstruction efforts in those parts of Iraq that are behaving, and invest and create havens of opportunity to reward them for their good behavior. As the old saying goes, "If you want more of something, reward it; if you want less of something, penalize it." No more reconstruction assistance in areas where there is violence.
¶Position substantial U.S. forces near the Iranian and Syrian borders to reduce infiltration and, importantly, reduce Iranian influence on the Iraqi Government.
¶Withdraw U.S. forces from vulnerable positions — cities, patrolling, etc. — and move U.S. forces to a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) status, operating from within Iraq and Kuwait, to be available when Iraqi security forces need assistance.
¶Begin modest withdrawals of U.S. and Coalition forces (start "taking our hand off the bicycle seat"), so Iraqis know they have to pull up their socks, step up and take responsibility for their country.
¶Provide money to key political and religious leaders (as Saddam Hussein did), to get them to help us get through this difficult period.
¶Initiate a massive program for unemployed youth. It would have to be run by U.S. forces, since no other organization could do it.
¶Announce that whatever new approach the U.S. decides on, the U.S. is doing so on a trial basis. This will give us the ability to readjust and move to another course, if necessary, and therefore not "lose."
¶Recast the U.S. military mission and the U.S. goals (how we talk about them) — go minimalist.
Below the Line (less attractive options):
¶Continue on the current path.
¶Move a large fraction of all U.S. Forces into Baghdad to attempt to control it.
¶Increase Brigade Combat Teams and U.S. forces in Iraq substantially.
¶Set a firm withdrawal date to leave. Declare that with Saddam gone and Iraq a sovereign nation, the Iraqi people can govern themselves. Tell Iran and Syria to stay out.
¶Assist in accelerating an aggressive federalism plan, moving towards three separate states — Sunni, Shia, and Kurd.
¶Try a Dayton-like process.

I also would LOVE to see the following suggestions taken as well:
http://www.blackfive.net/main/2006/12/a_modest_propos.html

Cosmo...

I'm sure by now, everyone already knows about Michael Richard's racist rant in the LA comedy club. And I'm assuming that those same people saw Richard's apology on Letterman the following night. Obviously, what Michael said was wrong, but I thought the move by his good pal Jerry was just as bad. Jerry's out promoting the 7th season of Seinfeld coming out at Christmas and doesn't want it's sale affected by Cosmo's rant. In the guise of "helping" a friend, Jerry has Michael on Letterman to apologize because he "cares". Sorry, but I don't buy it - the only reason Jerry had him on was to protect his DVD earnings. Some friend indeed.

Blue Wednesday

Well the Dems gave us Rep fans a whipping yesterday at the polls. Speaker Pelosi is a hard thing to say, much less imagine. I wonder what all the conspiracy nuts will say about election fraud after their side won. My guess is that election issues will be a non issue this time. It's not that the Republican's didn't deserve some of the beatings for sure (scandals, earmarks, do nothing, way too much spending, immigration, etc.), but it's never fun to lose.

The good news is that now all our problems will be solved since the Democrats are back in power now, right?

A penny for your thoughts...

Twice now in two weeks, I've been asked if I wanted my penny in change. Of course I want my penny, it's my money! Are these people insane? One even told me after I told her that I did indeed want my penny in change, that some people tell her they don't want the penny. I understand that the value of currency these days, but pennies still add up to dollars eventually. Is my experience one more step down the road for ignorance for folks who don't know how to save money?

The World Series vs. Sunday Night Football?

The game of baseball used to be the national pastime, but it's now moved over to the NFL (thank God). Too bad nobody told the morons who make the schedules for major league sports because last weekend, there was no Sunday Night game because they didn't want to offend baseball fans by putting anything against it to make them look bad. Thanks for making me actually talk to my family on a Sunday night! Ha-ha.

Slash's hands

Have you seen the new VW add with Slash? The close ups of his fingers are not pretty. I don't know if it's hard living, drugs, or just smoking, but something has seriously aged his hands.

Check it out for yourself: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Aqv9Z6W4nCY

Church design or maybe just the people?

The church we attend is pretty new truly beautiful. The only issue is that the location of Holy Water is in one big pool located next to the exit/entrance doors. Upon entering the church, access to the pool isn't hard at all because people are trickling into the service. The exiting is where the mass chaos begins.

Since there is only one location of the Holy Water, everyone moves towards the pool at once. Even without children, I found it difficult to make my way to the pool because rude people who had already dipped their finger are now trying to get out and don't even look at you as you patiently stand there waiting for an opening to the pool.

I wish that the designer(s) of the church had done what they used to do at all the old days and had Holy Water located in separate receptacles so that folks could hit it as they walk out the door. By having only one location, it's like a concert with people stampeding towards the pool.

The irony is that everyone in the church has just heard the service and should be feeling uplifted and kind towards one's fellow man, but suddenly changes or reverts back to what would appear to be selfish behavior once it's over.

I won't even go into what happens in the parking lot...

Drudge report

I love the Drudge report and check it out everyday to see what the world will be talking about at the water cooler. I also love the crazy stories that show up and one that made me laugh out loud last week read: Rogue squirrel attacking people in California. Classic!

Yet another reason the NFL is better that college football

Last week during the overtime between Denver and KC, Jim Nantz trotted out the college rule that in overtime, each team gets the ball so that everyone has a chance to score and the NFL should change their rule. Please! The rule is akin to what's happening all across the US unfortunately, as kids are being taught that no one should win a game because we're all winners. Yuck. My best buddy is a HUGE college fan and likes this rule, but I hate it because it takes away from a true defensive effort. If your team doesn't get the ball in overtime in the NFL, they know that in order to win they have to step it up and get a stop before the other team gets into field goal range. If the defense can't hold, they don't deserve to win in my book. Giving each team a chance to score is just plain ridiculous.

Are they serious?

There is now a law that folks are looking to pass that would mandate kids won't be allowed to ride up front in a car until they're 13 and will have to be in a booster seat until age 8. When I was a kid, I can vividly remember riding in the back of my Mom's Chevy Malibu with no seat belt and facing the wrong direction. Sure, there was the occasional moment of danger, like when I almost choked to death on, of all things, a Life Saver (another story for another day), but we never had any problems. I think that sometimes society tries to protect a little too much especially when it comes to kids. I still rage against the machine that my wife makes our daughter wear a helmet while riding her bicycle. At this rate, car seat of the future will all be equipped with air bags and take up even more room in the car. Unbelievable.

Observations...

While on my morning walk, I pasted by a house that I do almost everyday. The truck that is normally parked on the street in front of the home had a trailer hooked up. On the trailer, there were two black and white big jet skis with names on the back. The names...read...get ready...GOOSE and MAVERICK. No, I'm not kidding. Too funny. On top of all of it, the owner is also a Raiders' fan. I laughed until I cried and then just felt sad for the guy and whoever is "GOOSE". If I see the jet skis out again, I'll take a picture of it for everyone to enjoy.

Arnold and Phil

The story goes like this: the LA Times releases a story about a recorded conversation of Arnold and some top aides. During said conversation, the discussion about an Assemblywoman's ethnicity is brought up. Arnold says, "Maybe Cuban. You get that Latino blood mixed with the Black blood and it's hot! (I'm paraphrasing here)" The funny thing is the Assemblywoman in question, her name escapes me, has NO PROBLEM with what Arnold said. Of course, the politically correct crowd instantly begins shouting from the mountaintop about how horrible Arnold is and this is an outrage. Fast forward to how the LA Times obtained the tape. Turns out that the tape came from the staff of Arnold's opponent, Phil Angelidies (sp). According to Phil's press secretary, the 4 hour recording was publicly available on Arnold's website. In reality, to find the recording the staffer had to play a different file and then go back to search for a root directory where he/she found the file. It was obviously not meant for public consupmtion, but since the staffer didn't actually hack into the system, they won't be prosecuted. If a Republican had done this in California, the press would have swarmed down upon him and his staff, but for Phil, it's just buried in the story. Typical.

Clooney to address the UN...I'm not kidding

Again another Hollywood idiot will address the ineffective UN about Darfaur. I'm all for stopping the genocide in Darfaur, but I find it hypocritical that George would urge the UN to police the world when they would obviously need the US to intervene which is what we did in Iraq and yet he was outraged that we went there. Classic.

Fire Department & Emergency Services

I had the pleasure of seeing all the first responders in action the other day. My wife had chest pains at 0330 and after consulting all our medical reference materials decided to call 911 (not to worry dear reader - my wife is fine and it wasn't a heart attack - more to come, but right now it may have been some esophagus reflux that can mimic heart attack symptoms). As my wife was telling the 911 operator what the emergency was, she told me to turn on our outside light and open the front door so the firefighters knew which home had the emergency. It took the fire department maybe 2 minutes to arrive (amazing). The ambulance followed maybe a minute behind the fire truck (again, amazing). The paramedic worked quickly and decided to transport my wife to the hospital, which is when I began to worry. Both the firefighters and ambulance crew were professional and efficient throughout the event. After having my Mother drive over to watch the kids if I couldn't get back in time, I drove the hospital. I found my wife in room one of the ER. She said that it wasn't a heart attack and they were running some tests, but she appeared to be fine. Thank God. I can't begin to tell you the thoughts that were racing through my head on the drive to the hospital, but it was crazy. Thankfully, everything is fine and my wife feels back to her old self.

I just wanted to say how impressed I was in all of our First Responders. I'm also glad to know that we live so close to a Fire Department! The whole event made me regret not following my dream of being a firefighter (another story). My hat is off to those folks in the emergency services.

Rewarding Stupidity

Nothing grinds my gears more that people who reward stupidity. Today while I was waiting for my drink at Starbucks, a lady went to grab her drink that was ready. When she picked it up, she remarked, "I ordered a Tall." She in fact did have a Tall drink. The worker informed her that her drink was the correct size and the lady then said, "But I wanted the biggest one." The worker told her that it would cost more and the lady stood near the person working the cash register rather than getting back in line (there were only two people in line). By the time the worker had remade both her drinks to the largest size, Venti, she told the lady they were ready. The lady said that she hadn't paid for the drinks yet and the worker then told her not to worry about it. What the hell? Let me get this straight, if you screw up your order and want the larger and more expensive size, all you have to do is say you didn't know. Got it.

Now, for those who are not familiar with Starbucks and their wacky sizing, it goes like this: small = Tall, medium = Grande, and large = Venti. I can understand the confusion, but there is a freaking display with all the names and the actual cup sizes right there before you place your order.

I don't have a problem with the lady making a mistake, but to be rewarded for a mistake is utterly insane.

Israel vs. Hezbollah thoughts...

How stupid does Hezbollah feel after grabbing those Israeli soldiers? They've succeeded in bringing hell down on them now and I must say that I can't blame Israel. Hezbollah started this latest conflict and I'm fine with Israel taking the war to them. Israel is isolated in the region with nothing but other countries ready to wipe them off the map. Hopefully, the force that Israel has responded with will deter others from helping the morons who grabbed the soldiers.

Today the Vatican denounced Israel's response to the kidnappings. Then they added they also denounce the kidnappings in the first place. Strange that the Vatican didn't issue a statement about the kidnappings last week, but had no problem jumping on Israel when they went in to get their boys back. While I disagree with the Vatican's response, I hope that next time they are a little more prompt with their statements regarding the first aggression.

There was also a blog entry I read that postulated a frightening theory. What if the axis of evil that GW mentioned is working in concert with this latest effort? Apparently, Lebanon is a puppet state of Syria, Syria is a puppet state of Iran and Iran and North Korea are good buddies. I sincerely hope that all the countries are not working together, but it remains a possibility that we may need to deal with on a much larger scale.

Big Ben - me stupid, that unpossible

For those who have been living in a cave, Big Ben was in a motorcycle accident a few weeks ago and he wasn't wearing a helmet. There is no law in PA requiring riders to wear a helmet but being QB of an NFL team who just won the Superbowl, perhaps Ben should have put one on before jumping on his crotch rocket. At first, I simply prayed that he was okay and not dead. Once Ben came out of surgery, the news was too good to be true. Aside from some new hardware, titanium plates in his face, he would make a full recovery and experienced no brain damage. I was happy that a) he was alive and well, b) he could continue to lead my beloved Steelers this season, and c) everyone was able to walk away from the accident. The problem I have is that someone who is paid an unbelievable amount of money to play a kid's game, is the face of an NFL franchise, is responsible to his employers, his team, and his fans would be so reckless in his off the field behavior. I'm not trying to say that NFL players should live in a bubble, but reasonable precautions can be taken while still under contract. Terry Bradshaw said it best, "Ride those things when you retire."

AVP in Sacramento

Went to the AVP event in Sacramento on Friday. What a great event. One of the things I love the most about the AVP is how accessible the players are to the fans. Not only do you run into the players in between matches, but a good deal of games are on the outer courts where you can stand within a few feet of the action. Too cool. I went on one of the two qualifiying days and it was probably better than coming on one of the big days on the weekend becuase the crowd wasn't bad at all. It felt like old homecoming week as I was reunited with a ton of folks I've played volleyball with in the past. I even ran into some friends who had come all the way from San Diego for the event. I was also able to watch most of the action from the MVP section after a friend had worked his way onto the stage. The best part of the day was getting to talk to some of the players in person. It was surreal watching Karch play against Fonoi while Misty May was standing right next to our group. Great day.

Talking while doing business

Ladies...you may want to skip this post. What is it with guys wanting to talk while using the urinal? Maybe it's me, but I can't think of a time when I feel less like talking than while going to the bathroom. I often use the stall if I see some jackal who I know will say something brilliant if I saddle up next to them at an adjacent urinal. The unfortunate encounter happened today when in mid-stream, this hammerhead who works near me starts chatting me up and all I can think of is hurry up and finish to get the hell out of there.

Great endings...

I just finished the latest Harry Potter novel, The Half-Blood Prince, and man did it have a great ending. Never saw it coming and it floored me completely. I love when a book or movie or story has a good ending. All too often writes take the easy way out and wrap everything up nice and tight for that good feeling at the end. I'm not saying that every story should end with some twist or question, but it's nice to see it done if it's done right. What's even better is when the great ending is done so skillfully by a deft writer and JK is that for sure.

More immigration fun!

Just a few more thoughts on the immigration story...

The bill recently passed in the Senate grants amnesty to 10 million illegal aliens. Huh? What? Are you kidding me?

And just when I thought I couldn't be any more surprised, I see that Arny met with Vincente Fox and asked if he could get Mexico to make the border tunnels illegal. First, does that mean that the tunnels are legal now? Second, Vincente then shows how cooperative we really are by saying that he would consider making the tunnels illegals?!?

What kind of world am I living in? Why didn't the Terminator just backhand him right there?

Smoking and exercise - a great combination

Funny thing happened the other day. I was on my morning walk and a lady approached on my side of sidewalk with a dog on a leash. After I stepped onto the street (yes, I'm quite the gentleman) to let her pass on the sidewalk, she smiled and went past. It was approximately three seconds until I caught the nauseating aroma of cigarette smoke. I looked back and sure enough, she was happily puffing away on a cancer stick. I love the fact that she's out taking the dog for a walk and getting some exercise, but still takes the time to insure that she negates all that by smoking. What a wonderful world!

NSA flap

Wow, I'm shocked...the NSA is doing their job. I'm not too worried over hear about the USA Today story that broke yesterday. The funny thing about the story is that the NY Times already had the story months before, but no one seemed to freak out back then. I also found it funny that a poll said that 60% + of folks were not concerned either.

I'm no fan of government intrusion, but isn't it speaking out of both sides of one's mouth if you chastise an administration that didn't connect the dots before 9/11 and then tell them to stop trying to connect the dots and shut down the NSA program?

Thanks for NOT thinking of others...

I was treated to some fun exposure to illness when a young girl in church was being held by her Mother as she hacked without covering her mouth. Now, me personally, would not have brought one of my sick children into a church to spread the disease. Perhaps, I'm paranoid (just ask my wife), but I was pissed not only that she was there and sick, but that her parents didn't even make an attempt to ask her to at least cover her mouth. I was bobbing and weaving until my wife shot me a look of horror. I was simply trying to avoid getting sick and then infecting my family. After a while, the sick little girl began to cover her mouth and I thanked her for that. Am I crazy?

What the hell?

Why is it that some people feel the need to brush their teeth in the bathroom at work? I understand that hygiene is important, but do you really need to brush at work? The funny thing is that for these tools that want to make sure their mouth is clean are asking for trouble if they use their toothbrush at work. I read that when a toilet is flushed, the spray containing all the fecal bacteria can shoot up and be dispersed up to 12 feet. Basically, these moronic people are bushing their teeth with other people's ass matter. Sweet.

NFL Draft Day

Ah, I was filled with joy on Saturday as I tuned into the 2006 NFL Draft coverage on ESPN. My son, Dave, and I sat all day watching the draft unfold. Our beloved Steelers traded with the NY Giants to move up in the draft and grab Santonio Holmes-WR on their first pick. Brilliant move since we recently lost Randle El to the Redskins. One quick side note, I already am SICK of the Under Armor ad, Click-Clack. Stop already. Please. The Steelers also grabbed the following folks: Anthony Smith-S, Willie Reid-RS, Willie Colon-OT, Orien Harris-DT, Omar Jacobs-QB, Charles Davis-TE, Marvin Phillip-C, and Cedric Humes-RB.

I cannot WAIT for the season to get here. Go Steelers!

Movie review: Requiem for a Dream

Cool, but disturbing movie about three, well - four, drug addicts. It reminded me of the crank movie, Spun, in the quick cuts and weird visual effects. Superb acting from all the leads: Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Ellen Burnstyn, and even Marlon Wayans. The guy who wrote/directed this movie also did the other avant garde movie, Pie (the mathematics symbol). Pie was a tad too strange for my tastes, but Requiem was good. Although exercise caution when viewing because a good deal of the images are pretty shocking.

Movie review: Hotel Rwanda

Totally depressing movie about a horrible place, but completely engrossing. Africa is one place I have no desire to visit and the movie gave me one more reason to leave it off my vacation's list. Don Cheadle gives an Oscar worthy performance and we even get to see one of the great screamers, Nick Nolte too. I felt for the folks in Rwanda and hope the unfortunate souls in Darfur can escape a similar situation that is happening right now. I can understand why world superpowers don't want to jump into every conflict that happens since it could mean a never ending occupation of some sort, but it's a tough pill to swallow for those caught behind enemy lines. I just hope that the people of the totalitarian states rise up against the oppressors and create a democracy for their country.

Too cool

Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, gave every fan in attendance on "Fan Appreciation Night" a free American Airlines ticket! Now that's the way you do it!

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/04/20/mavericks.plane.tickets.ap/

Great post - a MUST READ

For those that don't already know, I'm a big supporter of the war in Iraq and recommend reading the Mudville Gazette site (http://www.mudvillegazette.com/) daily to get the real scoop from the folks with boots on the ground.

There are great stories and posts all the time, but this one was especially moving: http://abountifullife.blogspot.com/2006/04/coin-its-smaller-aircraft-with-only.html.

All I can say is "thank you" to all those who serve. I have a good deal of regret in my life and one right at the top is not enlisting. I have a family now and one of our children has Down Syndrome, so I thought joining up now would put a great undue strain on our family. I only hope I can relate my gratitude to my country to my daughter Gabrielle and inspire her to join and give something back to our country that has given all of us so much.

Global Warming panic...

I've always been skeptical about the whole global warming theory as any right thinking American would be when told that we are hurting the fragile environment. I believe that the theory is vastly overstated and extremely egotistical to think that we are changing the climate. The Earth has been around a long time and I seriously doubt that we can do any real damage by driving an SUV. I'm currently reading Michael Crichton's State of Fear, great book, and it's full of researched material that he uses to back up his plotline. I understand that the book is a work of fiction, but it's pretty clear that the author did a good deal of research to disprove a number of the popular theories.

Funny that I should come across an article linked to the Drudge Report this morning that backs up Crichton's book and my belief: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/04/09/do0907.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/04/09/ixworld.html

It shall be interesting to see who's right at least in my lifetime...

More on the immigration issue...

Two more follow up items about the immigration issue - on the Drudge Report this morning was this ludicrous story about banning red, white, and blue in school: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/8439483/detail.html. The school claimed that they didn't just ban the good old US of A's colors, but all nationalities colors since students were using them to taunt each other. How about correcting the behavior instead? Too much to ask?

Another thought is about Mexico re-taking California: http://latino.sscnet.ucla.edu/research/docs/struggle/aztlan.htm. Yes, there are some folks who think that the US should give back what it "stole" from Mexico. If these idiots really think they have a chance, I say bring it on. I believe we would unleash hell as my man Russell Crowe so aptly said on Mexico and then erect a wall that would make the old East Berlin wall look as if it was made out of Lincoln Logs. Heck, if it comes to that, we should push all the way down and turn Mexico into new resort states. I'm sure Florida would appreciate it, ha-ha.

Movie reviews: History of Violence and Street Smart

Both really good movies. History is a great dark drama with superb acting throughout. Really great story. Street Smart is a great throwback to the movies of the 80's starring two great actors: Morgan Freeman and the late Christopher Reeve. Reeve plays a magazine writer who wants to write a piece about a real pimp, Freeman. I won't spoil the plot, but it's well worth picking up.

On a side note, it's cool that everyone remembers Reeve from Superman, but that diminishes his acting chops in other great movies like Deathtrap. I highly recommend picking up Deathtrap because it's one of my favorite dramas and highly entertaining.

What happened to Han Solo?

FORD: 'I HATE THE INTERNET'

One more reason I hate Harrison Ford. This guy can't just be happy with his freaking great life and being an icon to all those Star Wars fans. Here's a carpenter who was pissed that all these other young actors were going into read for Star Wars and he was given the chance of a lifetime. Anytime you see an interview and someone dares to bring up Star Wars, the guy gets mad that he's famous for that movie and not the other films he's done. Wa, wa freaking wa. Shut up Ford and try being happy that you've made your living off of a film that you constantly put down.

Oh, and lose the earring old man. No one's buying it and it makes you look even more creepy especially since you're dating a girl young enough to be your daughter.

Immigration

How funny were the protest marches over the weekend in regards to illegal immigration? How can anyone protest that illegal immigration is a good thing and should continue to be swept under the carpet? Is this the bizzaro world? There is a reason it's called illegal folks. I have no problem with legal immigration, but doing anything less than deporting the illegal immigrants is rewarding bad behavior. As for those who say we simply can't do it since there are too many illegal immigrants here already, I offer the same suggestion that was successfully used by those minutemen on the border. I'd gladly volunteer a weekend or two or three to the INS and help catch and return those who are here illegally. I would also like to see the employers of the illegal immigrants punished harshly as well since they are the true enablers of the current process. Lastly, can we please please please end all government sponsored printing of US documents in any language other than English? I must say that my man Michael Savage said it best when it comes to what should be priorities in our country: borders, language, & culture.

Liberal media...

I love how the left always claims there is no liberal media...um, yeah.

The picture on the left is from an ABC honcho who now claims to be mortified about his blackberry message got out.

Was he mortified that the message got out or that he said it and showed his obvious bias?

Give them back!

Absolutely unbelievable! These peace idiots that were SAVED by the military and blames them for being kidnapped. I say give them back.

http://www.pulse24.com/News/Top_Story/20060323-005/page.asp

Great speech

Tony Blair's first of three speeches is absolutely brilliant: http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page9224.asp

It's a long speech, but extremely well reasoned.

More fallout from the Danish cartoons

I've already written about the whole uproar over the Danish cartoons and Islam, but now they've gone and attacked one of my favorite childhood toys in an attempt to garner hatred of Denmark, the Lego. Yes, Lego, according to that do nothing bunch of idiots at the UN, represents racism since it's Denmark's most famous company and that's where the cartoons came from. What the hell? Lego had NOTHING to do with the cartoons in the first place and now the UN has targeted them as a symbol of intolerance. I just don't get it. Once again the UN has shown it's ignorance to the world. I only wish that US would withdraw from the UN and kick them out of the country for good or at least give the speech Chappelle gave in my favorite bit from his show called "Black Bush". Classic stuff.

Movie reviews...lots to catch up on

The Cave - same as the legendary review of Shark Sandwich - sh!t sandwich

16 Blocks - cool movie - both Willis and Def give great performances that are a refreshing break from the usual cop/bad guy picture and David Morse is becoming quite the go to bad guy these days.

Fun with Dick and Jane - should have been called, let's make a half a$$ed movie that's not funny with big name actors and then throw in over-the-top jabs at corporate America - subtlety is not a word found in the writers' vocabulary.

Million Dollar Baby - great acting, directing, and writing - horrible situation and a discussion movie for the ages. hard to talk about since i don't believe in euthanasia under any circumstance, but it gives an improbable situation to force the question.

Girl Next Door - Great documentary about the adult business. Really a sad story and probably not an exception to the rule for most folks in the business.

About Schmidt - Wonderful acting from the cast and sharp writing. Jack is great in this one. Great focus on what life amounts to in the end.

Coolest sidewalk art ever...

http://www.impactlab.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=7567

Movie review: Doogal

What a piece of crap! It's definitely no Toy Story or Finding Nemo here, just another in a long line of uninspired tripe from Hollywood. The only redeeming quality was the animation, which was decent. More than half of the jokes were directed at the adults in the audience which seems pointless if your target audience is the young skulls full of mush sitting in the theatre seats. I'd be fine if NONE of the jokes were aimed at things only an adult would find funny. That means you Jimmy Fallon - you talentless tripe. Fallon voices the rabbit who plays guitar and is a hippie. Little Fallon had such classic one-liners that referred back to Pulp Fiction and Lord of the Rings. One nice surprise was John Stewart as the bad guy - very well done.

Oscar roundup

Watched the Oscars last night and thought I'd let the world know what I thought:

-I generally like John Stewart, but thought he was less than exemplary at the Oscars. Some of the political jokes worked and I especially liked the slander ad spoofs, but all too often the whole telecast appeared disjointed and odd.

-Clooney, what an ass. I like the guy as an actor and obviously differ with him on politics, but his speech was horrible for two reasons: #1 he completely dissed the other nominees when he claimed that art should not be judged...okay then asshat, why show up at all or why not just give it away on stage or call everyone up to experience it. Stupid. #2 he took his swipe at the rest of America by claiming that he's happy he's out of touch or the mainstream because it's Hollywood that really changes things in this country for the better...Um...I don't think so you pompous ass - but way to go by continuing the separation from the rest of the sane folks who share the planet with you.

-Reese, great classy speech. Loved her performance in Walk the Line and appreciated her thoughtful words during her acceptance speech.

-Crash wins best picture. Like the movie, but felt as if the racist theme was a bludgeon to the head instead of masterfully woven into the story. The acting was first class, but the writing was too heavyhanded.

-Overall, I'd give the Oscars a C+ for the night.

Movie review: Walk the Line

Great film! I'd give it 4 out of 5 starts. I only recently began listening to the late great Johnny Cash after Rick Rubin stripped down his sound and just had him record with just a guitar. Too cool. Joaquin Phoenix did a masterful job in filling the shoes of the Man in Black and Reese was a dream as June. Great story and well acted, not to mention filled with great music.

The Port issue

A good deal has already been said about the UAE port deal and I have read some of the theories on both sides of the issue. A good assessment comes from one of my favorite blogs, Powerline, http://powerlineblog.com/archives/013265.php and offers some interesting thoughts on the issue.

One funny fact was that UAE is already coming and going at JFK in NY and has been for sometime now. For all those worried about the ports should also be questioning the airport security as well if that is truly their concern. My thought is that the left and those on the right who are worried about re-election this year are attempting to get on the "right" side of the issue to couch themselves as concerned about US security.

I don't pretend to understand the whole issue, but there appears to be more than meets the eye.

Movie review: Flightplan & The Island

Flightplan - 2 stars and that's being generous! I love Jodie Foster and like most of her work (Nell being the exception - although to be fair, I've never seen the whole movie), but this one was a stinker. The whole first hour is like pulling teeth before it even sniffs becoming interesting, which lasts for about 15 minutes before moving onto to utterly ridiculous and silly.

The Island - I liked this one. Decent story with great acting from both the principles and role players. I'd give it 4 stars. It doesn't hurt that Scarlett Johannasen is the female lead either gentlemen.

Contract

Is it just me, or do both Ryan Seacrest and Jeff Probst have a deal with Satan? These are two of the luckiest people in the world. Two no talent hacks who were lucky enough to be a hosts on reality shows that have sent their careers to the stratosphere. Ryan Seacrest is clearly the more evil of the two and has guest hosted for both Dick Clark and Larry King. Larry King? Are you kidding me? I know that King is just a frog with suspenders, but he is an icon in our time and for Seacrest to guest host is a tragedy. I can only hope their fall is just around the corner.

Update 03-14-2006 Now Seacrest is dating Teri Hatcher...see?

Danish dust up

I must preface this post with the following: I'm kind of talking out of my a$$ on the issue, but have done some reading.

I love the double standard here. The Arabs can mock and constantly degrade Judaism and Christianity, but if someone in Denmark even draws a cartoon of the prophet Mohammed, they have the right to kill that person? Am I missing something here? Does that sound rational? So much for the religion of peace. Until the Arabs clean up their own press when it comes to bashing the Jews and Christians, they have no ground to stand on in my book.

Movie review: Bend it like Beckham

Pretty good film - funny, but not ha-ha funny. 4 stars.

Super Bowl Champions!

Congratulations Pittsburgh! I didn't want to jinx anything after the last few games, but this one was great! I've been waiting for our beloved Steelers to win the big one since that horrible day in 1995. After a shaky start, the Steelers rebounded and won the game. What a day indeed!

Something funny happened on the way home...

Last night the family went to it's first sign language class and the real fun began on the ride home.

Kathy, being the responsible parent, told me to ask Gaby if she needed to use the bathroom before we left. It was already 7:30 pm and I made the executive decision not to ask Gaby since I thought even if she didn't have to go, she'd start thinking about it during the ride home and then ask to go even if she really didn't have to go. We loaded up the car and began driving home on the pitch black back roads of Newcastle with rain pouring down. Just after passing the Newcastle exit, Gaby informs us that she has to go potty. For the uninitiated, the longest stretch of nothing happens just after the Newcastle exit up to the Loomis exit. I sped up, took the first exit, and headed into what appeared to be a gas station. Unfortunately, the gas station was being built along with an office complex adjacent to it. Gaby really has to go now, so I tell her to jump out and just go here since it's deserted and dark. Mom and Gaby got out and Gaby proceeded to ask why she had to go in a parking lot then peed on her pants due to poor aiming. I rolled down the passenger window to see how it was going. Mom stripped off the soiled pants and put Gaby back in pants-less but relieved. Kathy got back in the car and began to roll up her window when it got stuck half way up. We had thought the window problem was due to heat since it only seemed to happen during the 95+ degree summer days. Obviously our diagnosis of the window problem was wrong. The drive home was straight out of a comedy with Kathy desperately holding a baby blanket over the half closed window with rain and cold wind pouring into the car, Gaby telling us she's cold, the heat cranked up to full blast to try and counter the open window. Too funny.

Movie review: Firefly (tv) disc one

5 stars! Loved it! The lead guy resembles Han Solo, only a little more ruthless. The plot is that the captain and first mate fought together in some intergalactic war and were on the losing side. They pieced together a crew of great personalities and in the first episode, the subject is closely tied to the movie, Serenity. After that, it's basically a serial adventure with bits of history woven into each episode. Great sci-fi series and I can't wait to get the next disc.

Congratulations Palestine!

What the hell? Palestine just held elections and voted for...drum roll please...Hamas (http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/01/26/D8FCGM987.html)! For those who don't know, the primary goal for Hamas is the destruction of Israel. Nice going there folks, at least it's all out in the open now. I'm not saying that Palestine was wonderful and peaceful before the election, but to openly endorse the destruction of Israel is a first. Give yourselves a pat on the back people.

Movie reviews: Equilibrium & Fantastic Four

My mother-in-law was kind enough to give our family a year's subscription to Netflix and I thought I'd blog my thoughts about the movies I rent.

Equilibrium - one star

This movie was recommended by my buddy Kev and he thought it was money. I couldn't disagree more after seeing this piece of crap. Great actors, Christian Bale & Taye Diggs, but a cheap Matrix ripoff with the dark lighting and post apocalyptic scenario done before in 1984 and The Handmaiden's Tale. Even the cool action scenes couldn't save this horror show.

Fantastic Four - two stars

Decent movie, but nothing to write home about. Cool CGI and action scenes - but not enough meat in the story. The acting is so-so and the Thing's voice is complete crap.

OBL and the left

Wow is all I can say after reading the text from the Osama tape. How can anyone not infer from OBL's words that he's completely aligned with the left in this country? It almost sounds like Ted Kennedy sent over his talking points to OBL and he simply ran with them in this latest tape. It's patently obvious that the left's constant stream of cut and run is exactly what OBL wants. The fact that he even mentions a truce, yeah - I'm going to go ahead an not buy that one, shows how desperate he is and how we are winning the war over there. Great job OP: Iraqi Freedom and keep up the good work.

Republican corruption

I was saddened by the recent stories about the corruption surrounding Abermoff (sp) and his ilk. It's crazy that we all want the money out of politics, but it's not going to happen anytime soon. I hope the public throws out every congressman who did break the law no matter if they're in my party of choice or not. It's money that makes the wheels of government spin, but it also corrupts while spinning. I get mad at idiots who suggest that all political advertising should be paid for by the public. The idea sounds great a first, right? If the PACs can't fund the ads wouldn't that take money out of it? Yes and no. What would these people do in order to decide who can run? What if two million people want to run for Senator in California? Is there a Senator test they'll develop to see if candidates are qualified? Isn't that discrimination? I too hate all the money that fuels campaigns, but don't have any idea of how to remove it from the process.

I know I strayed from the topic at hand and I'm mad as hell at the folks from my party have given in to the dark side and hope they're given the stiffest penalties available and the party as a whole learns from their mistakes.

More random crap...

I'm adding to the people I hate list: the genius who has more than 10 items, yet gets into the line anyway and gets one over on "the man". I so wish the clerk would count the items before checking them out to make sure they don't exceed the 10 item limit. Stuff like that chaps my hide.

And another thing, when you make a product that requires tools to install, how about listing them on the OUTSIDE OF THE BOX? It may just help folks like me to from making two trips just to put in your product.

If you like comedy and music, check out Roger Allen Wade's All Likkered Up. Classic stuff