Thursday, February 26, 2009

You ain't nothin' but a Slumdog
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal makes a mockery of himself, GOP

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal had a transparent message he wanted to deliver after Barack Obama's brilliant address to the joint session of Congress -- I want to be your next Commander-in-Chief in 2012. His road to Hell might've been paved with good intentions, but he looked and acted like a complete jackass. Let's start with those forceful smiles. The average person knows he's not happy to represent a clueless political party. Second, it's easy to use government as a scapegoat when you don't have any concrete solutions. He spent this time using broad strokes to commend the American people and bash government. Third, the only health care reform his party could accomplish is catering even more to the insurance companies. Finally, invoking the response to Hurricane Katrina and government is the worst thing he could've done. That was the most reprehensible inaction our federal government ever did in our nation's history. Chris Matthews shouldn't have to explain why he muttered "Oh, God" while Jindal moseyed around the corner to face the cameras. Jindal looked like a fool and should be shamed. Here is desperation at its finest:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAXvnJ972RE

Monday, February 23, 2009

Your Reaction

A picture is worth a thousand words is a common cliche. I want to get your reaction to one of my favorite tracks off Radiohead's In Rainbows album. Frame by frame you see a story unfolding. This is a compelling video that isn't as narrowly interpreted as you might perceive per the message at the end. This song has some great melodic hooks and really hones in on Thom Yorke's great vocal range. Read and examine the lyrics and perhaps a second viewing might change your perspective.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdrCalO5BDs

Monday, February 16, 2009

The Purity of seeing the world through a child and Look Out! Here comes Jimmy Justice

I'm reminded of the great poetic works of William Wordsworth. His writings focused on how life comes at us full circle. Naturally, we're born with a blank slate. We learn through the innocence of not knowing what is good and bad and safety versus danger. Eventually, our experiences corrupt who we were at that stage of childhood purity. Wordsworth emphasized how we should look at the child to learn through our experiences. Based on a short story by F. Scott Fitgerald and adapted for a screenplay, this is essentially how I perceived the theme of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

There have been few films in my lifetime that have made me cry and this was one of them. It's an epic emotional tale seen and told through one man's experiences. The audience might be immersed with the man's unnatural phenomenon, but one should observe how he approaches everything with no pretentions. He absorbs what is presented to him with a blank slate. So, I think this song by VNV Nation is symbolic on the rest of us and the rest of the characters in this film:

Secluded Spaces

It seems so long ago now
That I was sitting here
Taking in everything
Taking in everything
I stopped to look around me
As far as I could see
Across this precious land
Shadows painted by the sun

I don't think I remember
How long I waited here
Watching everything
Watching everything
My thoughts began to wander
Then I realized
Every moment I had lived
Everything that I had seen
Pass like this moment now
Pass like this moment now

Its clear to me as now
Is the moment when I knew
That I can let go
Its time to let it go
With it came the feeling
Strange I'd waited for it
I think all my life

A thousand words brace for it
From my very soul
I didn't feel alone
I didn't feel alone
I didn't feel alone
I didn't feel alone

Here comes Jimmy Justice

MSNBC did a profile series on "Video Vigilantes." One videotaped public safety officials' abuses and another on prostitution. Jimmy Justice cracked me up. His no-nonsense, combative approach had me hysterically laughing. Here are some of his encounters on display:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyACkTTn8Ho&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=052S1yg-zR0&feature=channel_page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf-tcjc87hw&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJMITfyd3I8&feature=channel

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

The Inside on Daily Dirty Talk

Shiva' Me Timba-Land. By now, I'm sure many of you have seen and heard the Chirstian Bale meltdown while shooting a scene last July for Terminator: Salvation. I seriously believe everyone was tuckered out, since these guys have a limited budget and on time constraints to finish production. However, I will appease all my McCarthy, anti-Hollywood Angry Right friends (why do they always say in Congress, "I'd like to yield the rest of my time to the distinguished gentleman from Mississippi?" I'd say I'd like to yield my time to the idiot from Mississippi who will spend 15 minutes bitching about problems and presenting no solutions to them.).

I'd love to take Bale out for dinner. Here's how I think it would go down. Bale would be very particular about what he orders, say poached salmon that he demands to be lightly sauteed. I'd excuse myself and say I need to go to the restroom when I approach our waiter. I'd tell him to sautee the hell out of that salmon and slip him a 20. Bale would then go on a vicious tirade, "I said lightly sauteed." The waiter interjects by saying, "Yes, I'm sorry sir. I'll be more than happy to get you another one." Bale barks back, "Oh, you already f***ed this one up and I've waited for 45 minutes. I don't have time for you and won't be coming back here."

If I had a small child, I'd simply say that Batman is trying to save Gotham City when asked why he's yelling and you hear so many bleeps. Bale might be a nice guy who has some anger management issues and once again, he could've been stressed out after a long day. O.k. In case you've missed it, here's a heavily edited remix clip with Barbara Streisand interjecting?:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82WCj8AbfsE

I know Valentine's Day is approaching. Everyone's minds seems to be on the economy and the stimulus package. Here's my gift to the single women out there. I'll drop trou and show you my stimulus package between my legs. In all seriousness, this is another silly holiday that emphasizes consumerism. Couples should be celebrating their unions together 365, 24/7.

Anyone still wondering why my beautiful face isn't on here, don't worry. It's on the way with one of my friends who has the camera phone that can upload the pic. Patience is a virtue. Before parting, Rupert Murdoch seemed to out himself, how he handles his phony News Corp., and all his suboridnates. The way Fox Noise reports the news it wouldn't surprise me if this was a Freudian slip.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#29061993

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Some of my favorite cover songs

I've never been a fan of cover bands. While in college, I saw a few and even after a good buzz settled from a pitcher or two from beer, I used to say, "Man, they killed that song." There are a few exceptions. I don't mind when bands take time out to cover some great songs from the past. Here are a few I like. Obviously, if you've read any past entries or via profile, you know one of these bands is one of my all-time favorites.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecgSFef4ov4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc8hzb0daK8

Friday, February 6, 2009

Watching Republicans make excuses and Harvey Milk still is ahead of our time

This week, I've watched Republicans debate, well, about nothing. I've seen some on the Senate floor debate literally spend 15 minutes talking about absolutely nothing. News outlets have it right. Republicans are bitching about spending in this bill and argue we should just give all this money in the form of tax cuts to the American people. The average American knows more about how to use it than we in Congress do. That sounds enticing, but how did tax cuts work the first time?

Oklahoma Republican Sen. Coburn is one of those who offers little substance. He provided an amendment that strips away Community Development Block Grants. I have several problems with this. Thinking back to my days as a pion journalist, the one main attraction for a community was its recreation facilities. Literally, everyone I spoke to who attended a baseball tournament from out-of-state said this facility offered the best baseball fields of any other they visited.

On the flipside, I understand Coburn's argument. The communities will just waste away the money on useless projects that don't stimulate the economy. O.k. What problems are we facing right now? Obesity rates and juvenile delinquency are rapidly rising. So, I think this small portion of a large pot is conducive for the quality of life in communities. Ask military brats who lived in Germany what they thought about it. I'm willing to bet you they won't complain to you about a lack of recreation and things to do.

The Democratic Senator from Hawaii and forgive me for not remembering his name, argued about the provision in this bill. If you strip away any construction on swimming pools, then you intentionally or unintentionally take away pools for Veterans, those at Trauma Centers, and those used for Coast Guard training. It seems to me Republicans are more concerned about their interests ONCE AGAIN, then those the American people voted on back in November. Finally, I'm for much more spending to get this economy going again. The concessions made for Republicans have too much for short-term in the form of tax cuts. Rome wasn't built overnight and neither will more efficient energy grids if we don't start somewhere.

'Milk'

This was another stirring biopic, but Sean Penn's performance wasn't as captivating as Phillip Seymour Hoffman's portrayal as Truman Capote. However, they're two different films and this takes nothing away from Penn. This biopic focuses on a gay man who struggles to find his purpose in life. For most of it, he hides his homosexuality and witnesses atrocities to the gay community.

Once settled in San Fransisco, he and his partner set up a small business. Naturally, some don't greet them with open arms. Milk becomes increasingly active with those in and around his business. His bold actions lead him to pursuing a life in politics.

Waves of resistance from bigot-ridden groups are who Milk fights. He tells those in the gay community to "come out of the closet and let your voices be heard." His famous opening before gatherers was, "My name is Harvey Milk and I'm here to recruit you." Interspersed with archival footage and compelling events in this film, this is another one I highly recommend. You'll understand why there should be more Harvey Milks out there today resisting discrimination laws like California's Prop 8.

There's a great website I found when traveling the blogosphere. We exchanged an e-mail one time when I had some questions leading up to California's Supreme Court ruling gay marriage is legal. Unlike myself, she was born and raised in Georgia and lived in Newt Gingrich's area. She covers City Hall there and breaks down complex government rules, ordinances, and statutes to their simplest forms. Basically, she knows her shit. You can see how San Fransisco has evolved or devolved since Harvey Milk worked as a Supervisor by checking out thesweetmelissa.com. Guys, she looks good too!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

The other tragic September 11th you might not know about

Well, it's another week my company laid our small crew off. Sales are absolutely horrendous and production has flatlined at our primary account. I had to kid when I said to a few colleagues, "You mean I have to go down to that unemployment office and deal with those scuzzy scumbags?" There were two things I've decided to do on my week off: re-read portions of Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine and watch two films I've put off for so long, Good Night, and Good Luck and Syriana. After reviewing Klein's accounts and viewing Syriana, this all hits at the heart of what I'm so fervently against -- GREED.

Here are some excerpts Klein recounts from Sept. 11, 1973:

General Augusto Pinochet and his supporters consistently referred to the events of September 11, 1973, not as a coup d' etat but as "a war." Santiago (Chile) certainly looked like a war zone: tanks fired as they rolled down the boulevards, and government buildings were under air assault by fighter jets. But there was something strange about this war. It had only one side.

From the start, Pinochet had complete control of the army, navy, marines and police. Meanwhile, President Salvador Allende had refused to organize his supporters into armed defense leagues, so he had no army of his own. The only resistance came from the presidential palace, La Moneda, and the rooftops around it, where Allende and his inner circle made a valiant effort to defend the seat of democracy. It was hardly a fair fight: though there were just thirty-six Allende supporters inside, the military launched twenty-four rockets into the palace. (p. 75)

Note: This was also spearheaded by Milton Friedman who persuaded Pinochet to adopt "pure capitalism" and President Richard Nixon's Secretary of State Henry Kissinger who also supported Pinochet's overthrow to open up American companies to operate in Chile and its increasing efforts to adopt free trade. Chilean students who studied at a Catholic University in their home country had transferred to the United States to adopt Friedman's "pure capitalist" theories. Some studied at McGill University in Chicago (also the institution that conducted torture lab experiments on unsuspecting volunteers) and the University of California at Berkley. They were dubbed the "Chicago Boys" and "Berkley Boys." Thousands who were Allende supporters were promptly taken to football stadiums and executed on Sept. 11, 1973.

The Aftermath

In 1974, inflation reached 375 percent -- the highest rate in the world and almost twice the top level under Allende. (p. 79)

Immediately after Friedman's visit, Pinochet fired his economic minister and handed the job to Sergio de Castro, whom he later promoted to finance minister. De Castro stacked the government with his fellow Chicago Boys, appointing one of them to head the central bank. (p. 74)

Freed of the naysayers, Pinochet and de Castro got to work stripping away the welfare state to arrive at their pure capitalist utopia. In 1975, they cut public spending by 27 percent in one blow -- and they kept cutting until, by 1980, it was half of what it had been under Allende. Even The Economist, a free-market cheerleader, called it "an orgy of self-mutilation." De Castro privatized almost five hundred state-owned companies and banks, practically giving many of them away, since the point was to get them as quickly as possible into their rightful place in the economic order. He took no pity on local companies and removed even more trade barriers; the result was the loss of 177,000 industrial jobs between 1973 and 1983. By the mid-eighties, manufacturing as a percentage of the economy dropped to levels last seen during the Second World War. (p. 82)

Pinochet held power for seventeen years, and during that time he changed political direction several times. The country's period of steady growth that is held up as proof of its miraculous success did not begin until the mid-eighties -- a full decade after the Chicago Boys implemented shock therapy and well after Pinochet was forced to make a radical course correction. That's because in 1982, despite its strict adherence to Chicago doctrine, Chile's economy crashed: its debt exploded, it faced hyperinflation once again and unemployment hit 30 percent -- ten times higher than it was under Allende. The main cause was the piranhas, the Enron-style financial houses that the Chicago Boys had freed from all regulation, had bought up the country's assets on borrowed money and run up an enormous debt of $14 billion. (p. 85)

Syriana

Ironically, this film provides narratives of a CIA agent, energy analyst, royal prince, attorney for a recently merged oil company, and two recently laid off Pakistani migrant workers. All of their work tended to intersect each other in an increasingly demanding time for oil addiction, deregulation, and privatization. Human lives were expendible in some circumstances to maximize the oil company's profits, even despite allegations the merger was illegally handled.

After watching this film, it reaffirmed that we have our own problems in our country spreading terrorism. Defense Secretary Robert Gates reports only 4 to 5 percent of those released from Gitmo have engaged in terrorist propaganda, debunking the mythical figure of 61 former detainees by ex-Vice President Dick Cheney. All these past and recent past actions are a wakeup call for how we need to treat the rest of the world. It's safe to say that many Muslims don't just simply hate the West for their religious and idealogical beliefs; they turn to radical Islamic schools and institutions when they've said enough is enough with being occupied by an American presence.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

My Super Bowl and 'Slumdog' tops my new rankings

From the Appalachian Mountains in the great state of North Carolina where it all began to the flat plains in Nebraska and ending in the sweltering heat and humidity of Georgia, I've had many fond memories of traveling to tennis tournaments. This is one sport I know. Sure, I stopped playing during my freshman year of college, but I obviously had the goal to one day make it to the highest level. After watching this year's Australian Open, these guys have the complete pedigree -- conditioning, uncanny footwork, blistering serves and groundstrokes, mentally unflappable, and impeccable shot selections. The first two listed, conditioning and footwork, are what separates the good players from the great.

I woke up after a great dream followed by a nightmare. Seriously, this was my first dream I had where I was in a threesome with two hotties. Very nice. It dramatically shifted when I found myself stuck or feeling imprisoned. I couldn't make it back home and was stuck with my dad's side of the family. There were some important tasks I had to attend to at home, and I needed to get back. My mind and body were numb. I couldn't do anything about my situation. So, I woke up around 6:45.

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer were in the middle of the third set. I was delighted (hear this word from executives a lot) to wake up in time to see the rest of this awesome match. Nadal is one of the best counterpunchers I've ever seen. He's able to track down the ball from the other side of the court and hit outright winners. Federer has a scorching serve with great placement and is a great all-court player. These guys played some unbelievable points.

Once again, Nadal prevailed over Federer. He denied Federer a record-tying 14th Grand Slam title and has won 13 out of their 19 meetings. Nadal has that one intangible to beat Federer at the baseline. If there's one thing Federer needs to do, it's attacking the net more frequently. Nadal is too good of a ball striker to play with him at the baseline. If Federer hits the ball deep and low with a slice, he could shorten the points. This also plays into why Nadal appears to be the fitter of the two.

Slumdog Millionaire

This is a definite must-see film. The cinematograpy was captivating in this coming-of-age tale of hardships and triumphs. There were some very intense moments in this. Overall, this was just a brilliant story complemented by great filmwork and all who contributed.