Syriana

Where to begin? We originally went to see the new Jet Li flick that is playing here. After some confusion on the play times we opted to see "Syriana". It got good reviews (74% at rotten tomatoes), so we felt safe. 2 hours and 6 minutes of my life gone. 2 hours and 6 minutes of plot twists that have no logic (and in a few cases scientific fact), happening to paper characters (I have seen more fleshed out characters in a badly run RPG) that it is impossible to care about. 2 hours and 6 minutes of hearing how the United States is responsible for all the all violence in the Middle East. 2 hours and 6 minutes of being told that the world could be all rainbows and fluffy bunnies, but the United States won't let it be. I go to the movies to be entertained, not to be force fed someone else's world view. Unless you are a sado-masochist, or really believe Michael Moore is something other than a self-righteous idiot, avoid this movie like the plague. May God (or what ever patron diety you worship) have mercy on the souls of everyone involved in makeing this film.

Sadly enough, this movie still was less painful than "Dungeons & Dragons" or "Street Fighter the movie".

French riots

If you have been watching the news the last couple days, you have probably seen the riots in France. The reason for these riots, the French government passed a law that allowed employers to fire employees under 26 that had less then 2 years at their job. Up until now it was illegal for an employer to fire an employee. Illegal to fire an employee, man how bad of an idea is that? All that led to is people doing their jobs half-ass, when the did them at all. "I can't be fired so why work hard?" Now I don't believe that an employer should be able to fire someone for no reason, but if you don't do you job you should get the axe.

SNAFU

On my Previous post, messed up the code for my links. After much scratching of head and cursing figgured it out and corrected. Darn meddling kids and their links, in my day we had to write things down, and we liked it.

Too apathetic to come up with something original

Ok, I stole this from Primal, who stole it from Mia, who stole it from Scarbie Doll, who more than likely stole it from someone else. Ahh continuing the cycle.

Accent: depends on my current level of intoxication
Sober- none to speak of
Buzzed- southern drawl
smashed- redneck
pissed- loud redneck
pished- incoherent mutterings

Booze of choice: Rum, Barcardi

Chore I hate: Dusting, I was ok with it until I learned that 90% of dust is dead human skin.

Dog or Cat: Cat. Love the cat view of the universe "I am God's most perfect creation, and all other life forms are here to amuse or feed me."

Essential electronics: My computer, the all powerful preventer of boredom, provider of games and porn.

Favorite cologne/perfume: I wear Polo Black, love the smell of jasmine on a woman

Gold or silver: Silver, gold just isn't me.

Hometown: Insignificant speck of a town in Georgia. Currently in South Korea

Insomnia: From time to time

Kids: none known of

Living arrangements: Single, in a apartment that is way too big. (4 bedrooms is too much cleaning)

Most admired trait: Get lots of compliments on my eyes

Overnight hospital stays: once, when my grandfather was dying

Phobia(s): hospitals (see above)

Quote: "Any people who will trade their freedoms for security, deserve neither and will lose both" -Ben Franklin

Religion: raised Southern Baptist, spread out to just a general Christian.

Siblings: 2 younger half sisters (one 3 years younger, the other 21 years younger)

Time(s) I wake up: Weekdays 6:30 AM, and weekends are when I damn well please

Unusual skill(s)/Talent(s): I have a sense of direction that would do a homing pigeon proud. If I have ever been someplace I can find my way back to that place almost without fail.

Vegetable(s) that I refuse to eat: Squash, can't take the texture ICK!

Worst habit(s): I procrastinate way too much.

X-rays: Quite a few, 3 broken bones, yearly physical, and the dentist.

Yummiest food I make: A cheesecake with raspberry and chocolate topping that is to die for (or kill for, your choice).

Stupidity

I find the only trait in humanity that I am prejudiced against is stupidity. Sheer lack of common sense, I saw it today driving to work. A man on a bicycle cut infront of me (my bumper missed his back tire by less than 6 inches, as I slammed on brakes), then proceeded jet across the other 3 lanes of traffic to the median. Last week I had a nun step infront of my car, once again had to slam on brakes (not about to hit a nun, I hear their old man has quite a temper). Would it really kill people to pay attention to things around them (actually it would keep them from getting killed, and save me loads of cursing).

Stupidity should be painful, if not outright lethal.

Superheros

Well, Marvel and DC are trying to copyright the phrase "superhero". Am I the only one who thinks this is a bit messed up? The word has been in the english lexicon for decades. Guess the two biggest comic companies have teamed up, and want to squeeze out any smaller companies. If this copyright is allowed how long until other companies try the same? Could Ford copyright the word "automobile"? Could Lockheed Martin, or Boeing copyright the word "aircraft"? I know that those are extreme, but if "superhero" becomes copyrighted is a precedence not set?

Kinda funny superheros defend the innocent and their rights, and the comic companies are doing the opposite.

On a lighter note, How many superheros does New York need? Just watched Fantastic four, between them the X-Men, and Spiderman that should be the safest city in the world.

Firearms

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

Simple little sentence, but one that is always in the middle of a firestorm. The extremists on each side always fire the same tired rhetoric:

What about the children?

When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns!

I own firearms and have been target shooting since a early age, so as you guess I lean more towards the pro-gun side. I do not see the need to own a .50 caliber fully automatic machine gun with napalm spewing attachment, if you do find the need for one more power to you. I do think that everyone should be taught basic firearm safety, and that if you commit a crime with a deadly weapon you should be hammered by the law. Accidents happen with firearms, and people get hurt and sometimes killed. Accidents also happen with cars, planes, skateboards, cheerleading, bowling (don't ask me how), slinkies, legos, bathing, and many other things with the same results. Crimes are committed with firearms. Crimes are also committed with cars, planes, skateboards....you get the idea.

Outlawing firearms will not cause crime to magically disappear(Canada, England, Australia, and other countries proved that). Arming every citizen will also not cause crime to disappear (but does cause it to drop, a town in north Georgia proved that). If you want accidents with firearms to be less common, educate people about how to handle them safely. If you want crimes committed with firearms to decrease, make examples of some criminals. Owning a firearm does not make you a rabid vigilante (if you go looking for trouble, you will find it, and deserve what you find), or invincible (at under 20 feet a knife will take a gun 9 times out of 10). I have seen people so stupid, they should not be allowed to own a firearm (of course I have also seen people too stupid to be allowed to breed). I don't get assault weapon laws, assault weapons account for less than 1% of weapons used in crimes. If a bayonet can be mounted on a weapon, it is a assault weapon, because it can be used as a spear (God forbid it be used as a gun).

Just my 2 cent worth.

A Discworld Movie

So after hearing the rumor of Sam Rami doing a "Wee Free Men" movie, I started thinking on who I would want to play the Discworld characters. Here is what I have so far:

Mustrum Ridcully - John Rhys-Davies
Rincewind - Steve Buscemi (look at him in "Airheads" and tell me that's not the spitting image)
Carrot Ironfoundersson - Sean Astin
Angua - Scarlett Johansson
Cecil "Nobby" Nobbs - Kevin J. O'Connor (little bootlicking henchman from "The Mummy")
Havelock Ventinari - Alan Rickman
Foul Ole Ron - Gary Busey
Granny Weatherwax - Maggie Smith (Harry Potter movies)
Susan Sto Helit- Sophia Myles (Underworld)
Albert - David Bradley (Harry Potter movies)
Greebo - Oded Fehr (The Mummy)
Cohen the barbarian - Jack Palance
Death (voice of) - James Earl Jones (Christopher Lee did do a great job in the animated movies tho)

Still have a lot to go, will update sooner or later.

Slow day

How can a slow day at work pass like the 100 years war, and a week on vacation pass in the blink of an eye? I think boredom must change the perspective of time passing. It also causes the mind to work in strange and dangerous ways.

While watching the second hand of my watch move today I have discovered:

10 new ways to kill a mime (3 of them involve a rabid poodle and a tube of crazy glue)

2 new fuel sources (both ended up being impossible since neither weasels nor pygmy rhinos have opposable thumbs)

that it is possible to be bored enough for your hair to hurt

and finally

If a tree falls on a Frenchman in a forest, no one cares

Racism

From Websters
1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.

2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

I don't get it, to dislike someone because they are different. A friend of mine (Primal Scream) made the statement "Why hate someone because of the color of their skin? Get to know them and you will find much better reasons to hate them." Gotta admit that is true, assholes come in all colors.

I also don't get how racism seems to only go one way. Portland, Maine is resisting the donation of a bronze statue to go outside a baseball stadium because they too many "White folks on pedestals". To me this statement and thought process is racist. By the definition of the word it is racism. To the politically correct crowd it is not. Had the statement been said replacing "white" with "any other race", all hell would have been let loose. Where is the media frenzy, where are the angry mobs calling for legal action and the statement maker to be fired?

The whole don't offend anyone mentality gets on my nerves. When I was in the Persian Gulf during Iraqi Freedom, sailors were told they could no longer write on bombs being dropped. So it is ok to blow someone to componet atoms, but you can not insult them while you do it. Sports teams are put under fire if someone feels their mascot or name is offensive. A soccer team in Texas was forced to change their name from "1836" (the year Texas won independence from Mexico) to the "Dynamos". This was done because someone of Hispanic decent "may" find it offensive. Isn't "Cinco de mayo" the celebration of Mexico getting independence from France? What about all the poor French descended people (sarcasm) ?

Lay down your burdens

Ok, I just finished watching the last 3 episodes of Battlestar Galatica season 2 (thanks to it being downloadable to the Ipod now). Did not see that turn of events coming, I mean wow. This is the only show that has literally had me on the edge of my seat. Nice show of how the characters act in the civilian life, Starbuck and Tigh hugging was unexpected to say the least.

Couple things kinda bugged me though, the way they found the ballot fraud. The man is in the second most powerful position in the colony, and in a future where they can make rampaging robotic monsters and space ships, they misspell his name. It's the future and they are using paper ballots? Baltar turning into a pill popping whore mongering dictator was a nice touch.

A nuclear warhead goes missing and no one notices? Even in today's military they are checked constantly, give one to a lab for research and you can better believe there would be some marines guarding it the whole time. I can't get though an airport with a zippo in my pocket, and I'm supposed to believe that Baltar managed to smuggle a nuke off a military craft, and onto another ship?

I love the show and think it's writers do a outstanding job, but little convinces like that just to make a easy tie up for the season do it injustice. It could be the geek in me coming out, or the fact that it's now one in the morning, so take this with a grain of salt.

couple random things

Reached a new personal low today. Looked outside, saw it was raining and my first thought was "Sweet, now my car is washed."

You know I really hate mimes.

It's funny that the best Mexican food I have had is in Korea (never had a churro before coming here). The best Korean food I found was in Italy. The best Italian food I have had was in France and the best French food was in Mexico.

Just had a Korean knock off of the V8 Drink. They add red beet to the mix, makes for a odd taste but would be damn tasty in a "bloody mary"

BBQ Cornnuts before bed

Never again, through the fevered restless night I was plagued with probably the oddest dream I have ever had. To start it out I was at my grandparents house in Georgia, taking a shower. I hear a knock on the door, instead of grabbing a towel I grab 2 of the old big vinyl records and use them to "cover up". I open the door to the bathroom (I have no idea how the record stayed on), instead of leading into the house it lead into the yard. On the front yard with a full camera crew was Oprah who preceded to interview me about the Iraqi war and various other topics. I much prefer it when my weird dreams involve myself 2 beautiful famous women and a hot tub full of jello.

A perfect moment

Ever have a perfect moment? I don't mean like finding some money, aching a test, or finally seducing Kira Knightly (a man can dream can't he?). I mean a truly once in your lifetime, makes everything in life snap into place, validates your existence type of moment. I look at the people around me every day and realize that most of them have not. They go through life without that one perfect moment, and I don't see how they can without snapping.

I can and hopefully will always remember mine. I keep it inside me and when I need to cope with whatever is about to overwhelm me, I bring it back to my mind and I am at peace. I was on the U.S.S. Leyte Gulf (CG 55) somewhere between Florida and Spain (kinda hard to be precise when all you can see is water). It was Sunday abit before sunrise, unable to sleep I went to the fantail and was sitting enjoying one of the rare moments of solitude you get on ship. We were dead stop and the sea was as smooth as glass, you could not tell where the sky began and the sea stopped. Staring east I watched as the sun slowly rose.

The whole world turned vivid shades of orange, red and magenta with the sun coming over the horizon. It grew from a small scarlet speck until it made a perfect circle with it's reflection in the water. That instance seemed to last a eternity, it was the one perfect moment in my life. Words, at least mine, can't express what happened to me then.

Aftermath

Well the drunken Tekken fest went off not too badly. Something about rum, video games, and fried chicken that makes for a decent time. On the down side drinking as usual leads me to do stupid things, least it was not a tattoo this time. Making out with someone you don't want to get involved with is never a good idea, luckily was sober enought to stop thing before they went too far. Fun fact: here in Korea it is highly illegal for an American man to promise marrige to a Korean woman to get sex, and then not marry her. Shows that the U.S. military has had a lasting effect on the culture :).

First entry

I know not the most creative title, but it is what it is.

Strange where the paths of life lead us. Here I sit in South Korea waiting for the work day to end so I can spend the evening playing Tekken and drinking with some South Korean Air Force personnel. Never really thought about strange that is, but long boring days can cause you to be a little reflective. Seems that target shooting with my father last Sunday, in Georgia was a lifetime ago.

Still other paths unwind and lead to places tinged with confusion and regret. Last night I spent the evening on a date with someone who I have absolutely no intrest in in the sake of politeness. This continues tonight as she comes with one of my coworkers and his girlfriend, for the drunken Tekken fest. Bit like a soap opera, the woman I want is impossible for me to have, and the one that wants me I am not intrested in.