inside man

***Spoilers***

I saw Inside Man earlier this week. I really enjoyed it. It's the first movie in a while that I thought looked good and was excited to see and it ended up being really good. I love movies. Especially when they are good :) This made up for the disaster of a movie that I watched with Mr. Guadspot last week, V for Vendetta. What a stinker.
I loved every minute of Inside Man. When it was over I sat puzzled as to why it was rated R. Sure, it had a few F words and I guess that is enough, but heck there are PG13's with that word in it so where is the difference? I guess it's in the numbers. Other than that one little problem there was only one other place that was objectionable and I think it was really the reason for the R rating. There is a scene where the main character, Dalton Russell, sits in the bank vault with the only child taken hostage. He has his mask off which he doesn't do for anyone else and the boy wasn't forced to where the jumpsuits like the other hostages. The boy has a PSP and Dalton starts talking with him about what is going on and then asks to see the boys PSP. We then see footage of an extremely violent video game for about a minute. I don't know if it is even a real game and I don't want to know. It was extremely violent and this boy treats it like he's walking down to the corner store for a lollipop. This scene seems insignificant taken in context with the bigger story in the film. However, to me it was one of the biggest statements this film makes. I know people that would brush that off just as cavalierly as the boy does in the movie, but I think there is a great amount of reality and truth to it. There are millions of children in this country having the same experience with violent video games as this child is in this movie. Yet, for the most part, our society is brushing it off as not a problem. There is a feeling that seems pervasive that these things don't affect our children. I think it is one of the biggest lies that Satan is pushing on us right now. It makes me sad to see people I know being duped by this way of thinking.
The final irony of this scene in the movie is that Dalton, the 'bad' guy holding hostages and robbing a bank actually seems to see a problem with this kids video game. Go figure.

Land of the Lost

If you're a fan of the TV show LOST you'll want to take a look at this music video. A little strange but something I had not seen before. I still like the Superbowl commercial "might as well face it you're addicted to LOST" better.

420? Did you know?

READ THIS and let me know if you knew what this was before you read the article.
I'll be honest. I didn't know. I'm not embarrassed that I didn't know. I'm actually quite happy that I didn't. However, with a teenage son and a daughter on the cusp of teenagicity I guess it's time for me to know about the things that could potentially trip them up. If you have a teen or pre-teen you should probably bone up on some of this stuff too.

peace out

BTW, at 4:20 today I will be helping my daughter with her homework and possibly be on my way to pick up my son from his after school play practice.

I hate purses

I know this will miff my little sister Raq . The queen mother of purses.
But, I have to say it. I've had enough. Maybe it's the crazy time starved 'hurry hurry' up culture I've been indoctrinated into, I don't know, but it has to stop! No, I don't have anything personal against purses. I don't even have some childhood trauma that makes me afraid of them or anything near that.
Here's the problem. I go somewhere to spend money and I want to drop my greenbacks take my widget and get the heck outta dodge. BUT NO! I have to stand behind some woman who has some ginormous purse and wait while she digs through it and digs through it and digs through it...you get the idea. I want to grab the damn thing and dump it on the floor and step over her as she scrambles to hide all her top secret materials as they roll through the checkout lane and hand the checker my 39 cents that I handily stuck my 'one hand' in my 'one pocket' to pull out and leave with my widget. Done. I'm on to my next stop so I can stand behind some other woman digging through her purse for five minutes and repeat the whole incident all over again. Argh! I know it's hopeless but I just had to vent

Bush and Jefferson

A lot of people out there (read liberals) would faint at the thought of using George W. Bush and Thomas Jefferson in the same sentence in a positive comparison. However, GWB has just passed James Monroe and is second only to TJ as the longest sitting president to never exercise his veto power. I don't follow politics closely enough to have known this about GWB before now. And, I don't know enough about politics to know if this is necessarily a good thing or not. Of course Washington politics are so muddied nowadays it's hard to tell the difference between good and bad and indifferent.READ MORE HERE.

iTunes validated

"Microsoft said Tuesday that Xbox Live has logged more than 10 million downloads, which it said was "faster than iTunes did when it launched" -- a reference to Apple Computer Inc.'s popular music download service."

Wow, Microsoft actually referring to an Apple product to validate one of it's own. It's getting a little cold in here, did hell just freeze over?

R.I.P. Common Sense

I don't normally pass along 'goofy' things I get in email but this one really hit home with me.
It is very tongue in cheek but there is a lot of truth in these words. Unfortunately.

Enjoy.

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Today we mourn the passing of an old friend, Common Sense. Common Sense lived a long life, but died in the United States from heart failure on the brink of the new millennium. No one really knows how old he was, since his birth records were lost long ago in bureaucratic red tape. He selflessly devoted his life to service in schools, hospitals, homes, and factories, helping folks get jobs done without fanfare and foolishness. For decades, petty rules, silly laws, and frivolous lawsuits held no power over Common Sense. He was credited with cultivating such valued lessons as to know when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, and that life isn't always fair. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn), reliable parenting strategies (the adults are in charge, not the kids), and it's ok to come in second. A veteran of the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, and the Technological Revolution, Common Sense survived cultural and educational trends including body piercing, and "new math". But his health declined when he became infected with the "If-it-only-helps-one-person-it's-worth-it" virus. In recent decades his waning strength proved no match for the ravages of well intentioned but overbearing regulations. He watched in pain as good people became ruled by self-seeking lawyers. His health rapidly deteriorated when schools endlessly implemented zero tolerance policies. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate, a teen suspended for taking a swig of mouthwash after lunch, and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student only worsened his condition. It declined even further when schools had to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student but could not inform the parent when a female student was pregnant or wanted an abortion. Common Sense lost his will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churchs became businesses, criminals received better treatment than victims, and federal judges stuck their noses in everything from the Boy Scouts to professional sports. When a woman, too stupid to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot was awarded a huge settlement, Common Sense threw in the towel.
As the end neared, Common Sense drifted in and out of logic but was kept informed of developments regarding questionable regulations such as those for low flow toilets, rocking chairs, stepladders and auto emissions.
Common Sense finally succumbed when, while the United States was fighting war on terrorism, a federal judge declared the Pledge of Allegiance to be unconstitutional.
 
Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason.
He is survived by two stepbrothers: My Rights , and Ima Whiner.
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

Have a baby, save the world

Whew! I suddenly feel a lot better about the future of the world. I read this article about modern demographics and I can breathe a lot easier now. In a nutshell, liberals aren't having families or are having single child families, ala Bill and Hillary Clinton (Chelsea), conservatives are having relatively larger families (Mormons & Catholics). The net result of this is that liberals are de-procreating themselves out of existence. Don't get it? Read the article. It seems so simple but it also seems to make a lot of sense. What do you think?

Ahhh Springtime

Ya gotta love springtime. It was so nice out today I thought I would take advantage of the warm weather. I can see for miles and miles and miles.

Are you an ASS?

Are you RED or BLUE?
My son sent me a link to this survey that will tell you where you fall on the political spectrum. It asked some interesting questions and I was a little taken aback at where I ended up and how accurate it was.
Share your results if you like.

I was a 'PRO GOVERNMENT CONSERVATIVE'

Withdrawal

I am seriously going to go into withdrawal here pretty quick.
The 2 TV shows that have kept me going through this dark cold winter are finishing up this week!
Battlestar Galactica has it's season finale Friday night. It's not expected back until OCTOBER!!!
The IT Crowd is done with after only 6 episodes but there is word that it was renewed for 8 more to start next year! Ahhh, don't know if I can wait that long. That was some stinking funny stuff.
I guess I'm going to have to go back to the books. I still have a Barnes & Noble gift card from Christmas. Anyone have any suggestions?

Amen...mostly

Here is an article about last nights debacle called "The Acadmey Awards". This guy writes about how totally ridiculous 'Crash' was. And how totally ridiculous it was for it to win Best Picture and Best Screenplay. I agree. Unfortunately this guy has drunk his own Kool Aid and believes that Brokeback Moutain was the best picture of the year last year. Pity. Actually, none of the 5 nominated rank anywhere near best picture in my opinion.
I didn't see every movie released in 2005 so I'm not a perfect judge. And, it is 'only my opinion'. In fact I only saw one of the 5 nominees. Crash. I saw it because friends said they liked it. It got a lot of buzz and I was curious. I saw it against my better judgement. I was wondering if it was supposed to be a comedy about half way through. That was when I realized it was pathetic and I began pitying it and all those who were/are fawning over it. I'm now wondering if the L.A. tourism bureau is going to sue the producers of the film. They should. If that is what LA is like I don't want to go anywhere near it. But, in fact I know it is not like that. I have spent many days and weeks there and I have never, not once had a serious racial altercation. And that includes a couple of times when family took me out looking for one!!!
Anyway, I've spent far too much energy on this topic. Oh, one last thing. My picks for 2005 best film nominees?

1. World's Fastest Indian
2. Cinderella Man
3. Just Like Heaven
4. Fever Pitch
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Now if these had been nominated I would have tuned in last night. As it is, I didn't and as it turns out I didn't miss a thing.
I was able to spend the 3.5 hours in loftier pursuits. I watched two movies with my family. I put in some time making the wife happy by watching 'Pride and Prejudice' (again). It worked, she is VERY happy ;) and the kids enjoyed 'Yours mine and ours'. Not a great film but we had some fun watching it together.

16 Blocks

Just returned from the Cineplex. I took in the new flick 16 Blocks. It's a Bruce Willis 'hide and go seek' thriller. I liked it. This time Bruce doesn't play the typical hotheaded brash tan hunk of a cop etc. He plays a depressed paunchy middleaged almost suicidal mediocre Manhattan cop. Of course he gets confronted with a choice. Does he go the way he always has and flow like water letting the bad cop element twist him into behaving badly or does he fight back and stand up for what is right DAMMIT! I'll let you guess, I don't wanna spoil it for you.
It was ENTERTAINING but not a great movie. Worth a trip to the cineplex for a matinee especially in lieu of what other film choices you have this weekend. Enjoy.

MS iPod Box

What would happen if Microsoft re-designed the iPod box? THIS.
Scary thing is, this is supposed to be funny and a joke and everything. Well, after working for the EVIL EMPIRE for several years, this really isn't that funny. It's closer to truth than a lot of people would like to admit.

(thanks to BM for the link)

Topsy Turvy

I guess I shouldn't be shocked by this.
A video game that is being marketed towards 'Christians' but has the violence of Grand Theft Auto. It is the first video game to be marketed based on the best selling Left Behind Series.
I for one am disgusted. People really do get some whacky ideas in their heads. It's as if the violence, blood and gore in this game is ok because you will be fighting the Antichrist and his followers. Hello? Am I the only one that thinks this is contradictory?
We must actually be close to the 'end' because I have a hard time imagining things getting more goofy than this.