The Best Movies of 2007
· Zodiac- Spooky, interesting, good acting, the scene in the basement scared the hell out of me. Of all the movies I saw this year, Zodiac was the most "complete" film I saw
· Black Snake Moan- The BLUES- on celluloid. Underrated movie because no one could get past Ricci's scantily clad performance- but since when wasn't the blues sexy?
· Hot Fuzz- From the kids that brought us Shaun of the Dead- this action movie send-up was better than any of the actual big budget movies that came out this year. And it has a priest with a machine gun- what else could you ask for?
· I'm Not Here- Reinvents the Biopic. For such an arty film, infinitely watchable, interesting take on the Bob Dylan Legend. Even Cate Blanchett works even though she's doing the most obvious "impression" of Dylan- which works because she's playing him during the "amphetamine daze" days- and isn't every junkie a parody of themselves?
· I Am Legend- Fraught with weaknesses on its face- The more time that passes the richer the allegory becomes in my mind. Cancer as Communism, Cure as Al Queda, Will Smith as the US and the dog as the innocent bystander.
· The Simpsons- Finally, on the big screen and as chock full of gags as the best of the TV episodes.
· The Bourne Ultimatum- Genius trilogy- action the way it should be done and seldom is.
· Superbad/Knocked Up- Both movies by Judd Apatow made me laugh until I nearly peed.
· Harry Potter- A franchise that manages to get better each movie. The horrible woman that play Umbridge deserves an Oscar- just looking at her makes you want to punch her in the nose. Hrmph indeed.
· Ratatouie- A great movie about a foodie rat- who woulda thought? Brad Bird is a genius with a visual style that just makes you shake your head with its richness.
· Dan in Real Life- FINALLY a love story where people I'm supposed to care about don't cheat on their spouses- I can't stand the "romantic comedies" where you're supposed to excuse the main characters infidelity just because their spouse is portrayed as a lout.
· The Last Mimzy- A kid's movie for smart kids- FINALLY!
· 2nd Half of DeathProof- First half is boring even though Kurt Russel is clearly having a great time- the stunt work in the second half is some of the best I've ever seen in any movie ever- I don't know how the stuntwoman stayed on that car!
· Ocean's 13- Makes the list just for the scenes in the Mexican Dice Factory and the unforgettable line, "The nose plays"
· Sicko- Michael Moore, as usual, picking them up and knocking them down. Maybe a bit of an easy target considering the need to bring attention to less known problems.
· Talk To Me- I really like the way they portrayed the riots after MLK's assassination- Don Cheadle was great.
Movies I have not seen- and would probably make the list:
· Darjeeling Limited
· Assasination of Jesse James
· Michael Clayton
· No Country For Old Men
· Southland Tales
· King of Kong- A Fistful of Quarters
· The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
· The Wind That Shakes the Barley
Biggest Disappointments
The big budget movies just really sucked this year!!!
Spiderman 3
Transformers
Live Free or Die Hard
Pirates 3
Movie Trend That Freaks Me Out the Most
Torture Porn- Hostel, etc. I like a good horror movie- but torture as entertainment is a scary trend for a country that practices torture for real.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Battlestar Galactica Theory- Post Razor
Assumptions
· The "Old School Cylons" are the creators of the final 5
· The Old School Cylons were split off from the rest of the Cylons (as shown in Sodes and explained by Athena) for 40 years. During this time they were doing their own thing in their own time and they developed the final 5 and sent them out way earlier than the remaining "skin jobs" which is how Tye could be around for so long. The regular Cylons have stories of this "lost tribe of Cylons" but they don't know much about them- which explains the mystique the Cylons have of the final 5.
· It makes sense the "skin jobs" would call the Old School Cylons an "evolutionary dead end" if they are seen as being human-centric. (And especially if they really are human-centric)
· Lee is the last of the final 5 (A highly suspect thing to hang one's hat on- but still)
· The Final 5 aren't evil- they are protecting humanity for some "hybrid" purpose that hasn't happened yet but surely has something to do with earth. We know 4 of the Final 5 have worked pretty diligently to help humans along- the whole leadership of the occupation of New Caprica was from the Final 5, etc etc.
So, take these suppositions and add the line Starbuck says about the way Lee keeps "almost getting Starbuck killed" as discussed at the very end of Razor. What if he really is trying to "neutralize" Starbuck because he's a 5 and he knows at some subconscious level Starbuck actually is going to cause some horrible downfall of humanity. What if Lee's romance with her is another attempt at dragging her away from her destiny?
So when the Hybrid offers Kendra "forgiveness" he means that by telling humans about Starbuck she'll be warning the fleet of the danger Starbuck poses- which, while not as good as killing her- at least offers humanity a chance- thus giving Kendra salvation for the harm she's caused.
Assumptions
· The "Old School Cylons" are the creators of the final 5
· The Old School Cylons were split off from the rest of the Cylons (as shown in Sodes and explained by Athena) for 40 years. During this time they were doing their own thing in their own time and they developed the final 5 and sent them out way earlier than the remaining "skin jobs" which is how Tye could be around for so long. The regular Cylons have stories of this "lost tribe of Cylons" but they don't know much about them- which explains the mystique the Cylons have of the final 5.
· It makes sense the "skin jobs" would call the Old School Cylons an "evolutionary dead end" if they are seen as being human-centric. (And especially if they really are human-centric)
· Lee is the last of the final 5 (A highly suspect thing to hang one's hat on- but still)
· The Final 5 aren't evil- they are protecting humanity for some "hybrid" purpose that hasn't happened yet but surely has something to do with earth. We know 4 of the Final 5 have worked pretty diligently to help humans along- the whole leadership of the occupation of New Caprica was from the Final 5, etc etc.
So, take these suppositions and add the line Starbuck says about the way Lee keeps "almost getting Starbuck killed" as discussed at the very end of Razor. What if he really is trying to "neutralize" Starbuck because he's a 5 and he knows at some subconscious level Starbuck actually is going to cause some horrible downfall of humanity. What if Lee's romance with her is another attempt at dragging her away from her destiny?
So when the Hybrid offers Kendra "forgiveness" he means that by telling humans about Starbuck she'll be warning the fleet of the danger Starbuck poses- which, while not as good as killing her- at least offers humanity a chance- thus giving Kendra salvation for the harm she's caused.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Beowulf- The World of Cinema Changes Forever
As a film, Robert Zemekis's new film Beowulf is okay- maybe even a little bad. The CGI on the human characters still suffers from the "Polar Express" syndrome- instead of life-like they come across as a bit stiff and creepy and the entire film is just Talk, Fight Grendal, Naked Angelina Jolie, Talk, Fight Dragon, credits.
Still, as I sat in the theatre Friday night I could only think one thing- I'm watching the 21st century's Citizen Kane. Not because of the plot- or even because of the CGI in general. No, Beowulf is a massively important movie because of the leap forward it represents in immersive 3-D. And yes, I am fully aware of and willing to wallow in the irony of using one of the world's oldest stories as the vehicle for an unprecedented technological breakthrough.
I know IMAX has been making these 3-D movies for a while now and this summer's Harry Potter's finale was in 3-D too. But in these cases the 3-D hasn't been all that different from what they did when I was a kid. The best example was the Creature from the Black Lagoon. It was broadcast on TV and you would wear glasses you bought with a Slurpee at the 7-11.
The thing that marked these films as 3-D was a clunky process where you were basically dealing with 3 layers of field. The foreground, mid ground, and background. The foreground would be used for things suddenly sticking out at you (popular in such movies as Jaws 3-D) the mid-ground is where all the actual movement takes place, and the background was static. Even this summer's Harry Potter basically stuck to this mode- although they were able to stretch out the mid-ground by using the stark black, silver, and blue color palette of the Ministry of Magic.
Beowulf is entirely different. In Beowulf, there are many more layers visible. Instead of just 3 layers of 3D- they're now able to create a full depth of field so that when you are looking into the mead-house- you are looking INTO the mead-house- each layer of tables has a 3-D appearance, all of the cups and plates and people in the room also have a 3-D appearance. There is genuine depth of field- something that has eluded every other 3D presentation I've ever seen.
But that's not all- in addition to creating these unprecedented number of visual layers, Zemekis's team has also managed to get the characters to move between these layers with stunning fluidity- especially considering the newness of this technology. The battle scenes show off this aspect the best- and indeed- the film glories in them. There are five or six shots where Grendel takes a hapless soldier and hurls him from the background into the foreground- just to see the effect at work. The dragon fight at the climax also features stunning examples of such transitions.
Beowulf is good enough that you can begin to see the potential of such a technology. More than anything it makes my mouth salivate for James Cameron's Avatar and the first time Pixar steps into the realm of digital 3D.
Sure there are flaws to the process visible in Beowulf- characters occasionally "ghosted" out where you could see thin translucent phantoms on the screen- and some of the transitions were clumsy- but overall it looked fantastic. I think in 50 years we'll look back on Beowulf in the way they look back on Citizen Kane or Birth of a Nation - both of which were remarkable technical achievements- despite one being a tad boring and the other being an atrocious racist screed- but still they are recognized as milestones that- once passed- you can never come back from.
Hail Beowulf- the first film in an all new generation of cinema.
As a film, Robert Zemekis's new film Beowulf is okay- maybe even a little bad. The CGI on the human characters still suffers from the "Polar Express" syndrome- instead of life-like they come across as a bit stiff and creepy and the entire film is just Talk, Fight Grendal, Naked Angelina Jolie, Talk, Fight Dragon, credits.
Still, as I sat in the theatre Friday night I could only think one thing- I'm watching the 21st century's Citizen Kane. Not because of the plot- or even because of the CGI in general. No, Beowulf is a massively important movie because of the leap forward it represents in immersive 3-D. And yes, I am fully aware of and willing to wallow in the irony of using one of the world's oldest stories as the vehicle for an unprecedented technological breakthrough.
I know IMAX has been making these 3-D movies for a while now and this summer's Harry Potter's finale was in 3-D too. But in these cases the 3-D hasn't been all that different from what they did when I was a kid. The best example was the Creature from the Black Lagoon. It was broadcast on TV and you would wear glasses you bought with a Slurpee at the 7-11.
The thing that marked these films as 3-D was a clunky process where you were basically dealing with 3 layers of field. The foreground, mid ground, and background. The foreground would be used for things suddenly sticking out at you (popular in such movies as Jaws 3-D) the mid-ground is where all the actual movement takes place, and the background was static. Even this summer's Harry Potter basically stuck to this mode- although they were able to stretch out the mid-ground by using the stark black, silver, and blue color palette of the Ministry of Magic.
Beowulf is entirely different. In Beowulf, there are many more layers visible. Instead of just 3 layers of 3D- they're now able to create a full depth of field so that when you are looking into the mead-house- you are looking INTO the mead-house- each layer of tables has a 3-D appearance, all of the cups and plates and people in the room also have a 3-D appearance. There is genuine depth of field- something that has eluded every other 3D presentation I've ever seen.
But that's not all- in addition to creating these unprecedented number of visual layers, Zemekis's team has also managed to get the characters to move between these layers with stunning fluidity- especially considering the newness of this technology. The battle scenes show off this aspect the best- and indeed- the film glories in them. There are five or six shots where Grendel takes a hapless soldier and hurls him from the background into the foreground- just to see the effect at work. The dragon fight at the climax also features stunning examples of such transitions.
Beowulf is good enough that you can begin to see the potential of such a technology. More than anything it makes my mouth salivate for James Cameron's Avatar and the first time Pixar steps into the realm of digital 3D.
Sure there are flaws to the process visible in Beowulf- characters occasionally "ghosted" out where you could see thin translucent phantoms on the screen- and some of the transitions were clumsy- but overall it looked fantastic. I think in 50 years we'll look back on Beowulf in the way they look back on Citizen Kane or Birth of a Nation - both of which were remarkable technical achievements- despite one being a tad boring and the other being an atrocious racist screed- but still they are recognized as milestones that- once passed- you can never come back from.
Hail Beowulf- the first film in an all new generation of cinema.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
QUICK LOST THEORY AFTER PONDERING THE SEASON FINALE
About the references in the newspaper article Jack was holding in the finale and the Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. (WARNING: IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE DARK TOWER AND PLAN TO- PLEASE STOP READING- SPOILER ALERT!)
The very first shot in the first Season of Lost was of Jack's eye. Judging from the sudden "leap forward" in the timeline as well as the various references to altering timelines- is it possible the writers have just tipped their hats as to the final ending of the show?
In the Dark Tower Series, Roland goes through the entire adventure only to get flipped back to the beginning of the first book after it is revealed he cannot "win" the Tower without a horn that he actually lost before the narrative begins. The story of the Dark Tower is the story of Roland trying to improve/avoid/fix the mistakes of his past attempt and move closer to the goal of finally truly saving the Dark Tower. It is directly implied that Roland has been through the loop of the story told in the books several times and we, the readers, are only getting a single iteration. For instance, as the "reboot" occurs at the end of the last book, Roland's newest lifetime finds him in possession of the horn (the assumption being that he'd leared enough to come one step closer to a final resolution to his story).
I think Lost might be working on a simlilar track. Thus, it may turn out that Jack (or Kate- or really any of the characters) are trying to set the right combination of factors in motion so that everything "works out" in a way that prevents them all from looping back and starting over again? (In the Dark Tower, as in Lost, neither Roland, nor our Losties are aware this is what they are doing)
Will the last shot of Lost be the same as the first shot?
A close up of Jack's eye?
About the references in the newspaper article Jack was holding in the finale and the Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. (WARNING: IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE DARK TOWER AND PLAN TO- PLEASE STOP READING- SPOILER ALERT!)
The very first shot in the first Season of Lost was of Jack's eye. Judging from the sudden "leap forward" in the timeline as well as the various references to altering timelines- is it possible the writers have just tipped their hats as to the final ending of the show?
In the Dark Tower Series, Roland goes through the entire adventure only to get flipped back to the beginning of the first book after it is revealed he cannot "win" the Tower without a horn that he actually lost before the narrative begins. The story of the Dark Tower is the story of Roland trying to improve/avoid/fix the mistakes of his past attempt and move closer to the goal of finally truly saving the Dark Tower. It is directly implied that Roland has been through the loop of the story told in the books several times and we, the readers, are only getting a single iteration. For instance, as the "reboot" occurs at the end of the last book, Roland's newest lifetime finds him in possession of the horn (the assumption being that he'd leared enough to come one step closer to a final resolution to his story).
I think Lost might be working on a simlilar track. Thus, it may turn out that Jack (or Kate- or really any of the characters) are trying to set the right combination of factors in motion so that everything "works out" in a way that prevents them all from looping back and starting over again? (In the Dark Tower, as in Lost, neither Roland, nor our Losties are aware this is what they are doing)
Will the last shot of Lost be the same as the first shot?
A close up of Jack's eye?
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!
Finally, after waiting for far too long, an investigation is being launched into Karl Rove by an obscure governmental organization known as "The Office of the Special Counsel." And even better, it is being initiated not by the Democrats, but by a Bush Appointee!!
Slip that noose suckers!
Full Story Here
Basically, they'll be looking into a wide variety of Rove-related scandals including the US Attorney firings, and what makes me the happiest, Rove's "Republicans Forever" (my name- not his) campaign whereby political appointees and departments have been briefed about how to act in such a way as to further the Republican Agenda.
Have a nice time in jail Rovey.
Finally, after waiting for far too long, an investigation is being launched into Karl Rove by an obscure governmental organization known as "The Office of the Special Counsel." And even better, it is being initiated not by the Democrats, but by a Bush Appointee!!
Slip that noose suckers!
Full Story Here
Basically, they'll be looking into a wide variety of Rove-related scandals including the US Attorney firings, and what makes me the happiest, Rove's "Republicans Forever" (my name- not his) campaign whereby political appointees and departments have been briefed about how to act in such a way as to further the Republican Agenda.
Have a nice time in jail Rovey.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
SNAFU
A little information is a dangerous thing. As such, I don't claim to have any "unique" insight into warfighting, but I've read a few books on military history, and now that I'm a little over half way into the nearly 800 page history of the Iraq War called, Cobra 2- I have to say, if we were able to "win" the war in a couple of weeks after screwing up nearly every single aspect of every single stage of the non-civil war portion of the Iraq war, I would love to see how quickly we might've won if the equipment we were using actually worked or if the people in charge knew their asses from their elbows.
The subtitle of Cobra 2 should probably be called, "Yes, I know we spend BILLIONS of dollars every year on fancy military stuff, but it's almost all total shit." The entire book is just an endless cacophony of broken everything- broken tanks, broken helicopters, broken radios, and broken plans. Nothing works properly, nothing is where it is supposed to be, and I can't tell you how many times you read the phrase "XXXX had lost control of the battle and his troops." The other most popular phrase is "XXXX couldn't get a hold of XXXX by radio or by telephone." I know war is chaotic and requires constant adaptation on the ground, but I cannot believe that it is "normal" to have so much equipment failure not caused by direct fighting.
And that is another thing. The early insurgency should've been predictable. If not before the war- certainly by the second or third day of it. Most of the battles were against Saddam's Fedayin (Too lazy to look up proper spelling) and they were wearing civilian clothes and (for the most part) driving civilian vehicles. From this account, it is clear there was never a real "war" at all. It was a counter-insurgency against an occupying army from Day 1.
The other aspect the book focuses on, planning and intelligence, also shakes out to be a comedy of errors. There's so much wrong I don't even want to get into it. Bottom line, this book should be required reading for anyone interested in the war- and interested in why it went so badly. Even at the point I'm at, half way in, it is clear that Rumsfeld is a total jackass who probably deserves jail for gross incompetence, if not war crimes.
Oh yeah, and the one other thing this book makes crystal clear- they were going to find an excuse to go to war in Iraq from the first day of Bush's presidency. If it wasn't 9-11 it would've been something else. At this point, I really cannot take anyone who says otherwise seriously, too many people speak on record in this book to deny this simple, yet massively damning fact.
A little information is a dangerous thing. As such, I don't claim to have any "unique" insight into warfighting, but I've read a few books on military history, and now that I'm a little over half way into the nearly 800 page history of the Iraq War called, Cobra 2- I have to say, if we were able to "win" the war in a couple of weeks after screwing up nearly every single aspect of every single stage of the non-civil war portion of the Iraq war, I would love to see how quickly we might've won if the equipment we were using actually worked or if the people in charge knew their asses from their elbows.
The subtitle of Cobra 2 should probably be called, "Yes, I know we spend BILLIONS of dollars every year on fancy military stuff, but it's almost all total shit." The entire book is just an endless cacophony of broken everything- broken tanks, broken helicopters, broken radios, and broken plans. Nothing works properly, nothing is where it is supposed to be, and I can't tell you how many times you read the phrase "XXXX had lost control of the battle and his troops." The other most popular phrase is "XXXX couldn't get a hold of XXXX by radio or by telephone." I know war is chaotic and requires constant adaptation on the ground, but I cannot believe that it is "normal" to have so much equipment failure not caused by direct fighting.
And that is another thing. The early insurgency should've been predictable. If not before the war- certainly by the second or third day of it. Most of the battles were against Saddam's Fedayin (Too lazy to look up proper spelling) and they were wearing civilian clothes and (for the most part) driving civilian vehicles. From this account, it is clear there was never a real "war" at all. It was a counter-insurgency against an occupying army from Day 1.
The other aspect the book focuses on, planning and intelligence, also shakes out to be a comedy of errors. There's so much wrong I don't even want to get into it. Bottom line, this book should be required reading for anyone interested in the war- and interested in why it went so badly. Even at the point I'm at, half way in, it is clear that Rumsfeld is a total jackass who probably deserves jail for gross incompetence, if not war crimes.
Oh yeah, and the one other thing this book makes crystal clear- they were going to find an excuse to go to war in Iraq from the first day of Bush's presidency. If it wasn't 9-11 it would've been something else. At this point, I really cannot take anyone who says otherwise seriously, too many people speak on record in this book to deny this simple, yet massively damning fact.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
DON IMUS- WHY HATING HIM SADLY MEANS YOU HAVE TO SUPPORT HIM
What is happening to Don Imus is wrong. Up front, I admit, I have never listened to him, never watched him, don't care about him, and I was appalled at the stupidity and truly obnoxious character of his comments.
However, anyone who claims to be progressive should be appalled by the recent developments. Until MSNBC fired him from his TV simulcast (which I have never watched) I wasn't really paying attention. Then they fired him and I was shocked. If they want to slap him on the wrist for PR reasons, I understand, even if I don't agree. But you can't fire the guy for doing what he is paid to do- comment on the world around him. If you don’t like those comments (and I for one do not like his comments at all) THEN DON'T LISTEN.
What has happened to Americans that they keep needing to have this explained to them?
This is a free speech issue.
We have this thing in America. It's called free speech. It means you can say anything you want whenever you want. For example, I can say, I think George Bush is a fucking idiot. I have that right. You can say I'm a fucking idiot for thinking George Bush is a fucking idiot. You have that right too. Indeed, I would fight for your right to call me a fucking idiot.
It seems one of the thorniest issues for people to wrap their heads around is the fact that people who say things that piss you off are the first one's who's speech should be protected. In this vein, it's fine to say that Imus is a dick for what he said, but firing him for being a dick is UNACCEPTABLE in a free country. This man used WORDS. Not actions, words. When the President says things that are stupid, people actually die. Imus is a "shock jock" what he says has exactly ZERO effect on the real world. He said something stupid- not in the context of news reporting, but in his commentary on a show that is (ostensibly), meant to be funny. Now he's out of a job for saying the same dumbass kind of thing that might've garnered universal laughter if it was said by Dave Chappelle.
Imus has the right to say what he wants and we have the right not to listen. If people are turned off by him, and his ratings plummet- THEN you can fire him. That's fair. But more and more we seem to be turning to the police state mentality that says if you say anything I disagree with I will ruin your life. Normally, I often agree with the stuff that Sharpton gets upset about- police brutality, etc. But this time, he's wrong.
Return Don Imus to MSNBC so that I can continue to not watch him. Hopefully no one else will want to either and this problem can be resolved fairly.
Or maybe it'll be you on TV being censored next.
What is happening to Don Imus is wrong. Up front, I admit, I have never listened to him, never watched him, don't care about him, and I was appalled at the stupidity and truly obnoxious character of his comments.
However, anyone who claims to be progressive should be appalled by the recent developments. Until MSNBC fired him from his TV simulcast (which I have never watched) I wasn't really paying attention. Then they fired him and I was shocked. If they want to slap him on the wrist for PR reasons, I understand, even if I don't agree. But you can't fire the guy for doing what he is paid to do- comment on the world around him. If you don’t like those comments (and I for one do not like his comments at all) THEN DON'T LISTEN.
What has happened to Americans that they keep needing to have this explained to them?
This is a free speech issue.
We have this thing in America. It's called free speech. It means you can say anything you want whenever you want. For example, I can say, I think George Bush is a fucking idiot. I have that right. You can say I'm a fucking idiot for thinking George Bush is a fucking idiot. You have that right too. Indeed, I would fight for your right to call me a fucking idiot.
It seems one of the thorniest issues for people to wrap their heads around is the fact that people who say things that piss you off are the first one's who's speech should be protected. In this vein, it's fine to say that Imus is a dick for what he said, but firing him for being a dick is UNACCEPTABLE in a free country. This man used WORDS. Not actions, words. When the President says things that are stupid, people actually die. Imus is a "shock jock" what he says has exactly ZERO effect on the real world. He said something stupid- not in the context of news reporting, but in his commentary on a show that is (ostensibly), meant to be funny. Now he's out of a job for saying the same dumbass kind of thing that might've garnered universal laughter if it was said by Dave Chappelle.
Imus has the right to say what he wants and we have the right not to listen. If people are turned off by him, and his ratings plummet- THEN you can fire him. That's fair. But more and more we seem to be turning to the police state mentality that says if you say anything I disagree with I will ruin your life. Normally, I often agree with the stuff that Sharpton gets upset about- police brutality, etc. But this time, he's wrong.
Return Don Imus to MSNBC so that I can continue to not watch him. Hopefully no one else will want to either and this problem can be resolved fairly.
Or maybe it'll be you on TV being censored next.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
BRILLIANT
I'm doing some research for the latest novel in the "Incarnations of the Americas" series, and I came across this fantastic culture jamming video. These guys, known as The Yes Men, do all kinds of stuff, but this one is particularly good.
One of the guys is posing as a spokesman for Dow Chemical, who owns Union Carbide, the company responsible for the Bhopal Disaster.
And yes, the new book has decided to force itself out of my head even though I've been half-heartedly been trying to work on the business end of publishing. And yes, culture jamming plays a role in the early chapters of the book. This one in particular is going to be fun because it is, essentially, the origin story of a character from Exodus Enisode, Ron Lowell.
I'm doing some research for the latest novel in the "Incarnations of the Americas" series, and I came across this fantastic culture jamming video. These guys, known as The Yes Men, do all kinds of stuff, but this one is particularly good.
One of the guys is posing as a spokesman for Dow Chemical, who owns Union Carbide, the company responsible for the Bhopal Disaster.
And yes, the new book has decided to force itself out of my head even though I've been half-heartedly been trying to work on the business end of publishing. And yes, culture jamming plays a role in the early chapters of the book. This one in particular is going to be fun because it is, essentially, the origin story of a character from Exodus Enisode, Ron Lowell.
Friday, April 06, 2007
This might be the weirdest news story I've ever read- Seriously. (I don't want to say anymore about it.)
Click HERE to read the story.
Hints: It involves Slobodan Milosevic- and Vampires.
Intruiged?
Click HERE to read the story.
Hints: It involves Slobodan Milosevic- and Vampires.
Intruiged?
Monday, April 02, 2007
Dr. Strangelove Throws in the Towel- Sort of...
Henry Kissenger has declared that military victory in Iraq, is, at this point, impossible.
Of course he also says that we cannot pull out- or there will be chaos. Does anyone in this country except John McCain really think Iraq isn't in chaos now? Can he really be serious? I love that McCain went out on a walking tour of Baghdad. In body armor, in armored vehicles under "heavy guard." Now THAT is safe!!
Henry Kissenger has declared that military victory in Iraq, is, at this point, impossible.
Of course he also says that we cannot pull out- or there will be chaos. Does anyone in this country except John McCain really think Iraq isn't in chaos now? Can he really be serious? I love that McCain went out on a walking tour of Baghdad. In body armor, in armored vehicles under "heavy guard." Now THAT is safe!!
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Go See My Video!!
SEE IT HERE
If you are a fan of Battlestar Galactica (the new series, not the one with Daggut) they are having a video contest (that I have no real hopes of winning) that Vickei and I made a video for. I don't know if its funny for non-fans, but check it out HERE.
My video is called "For Love- Or Toaster" and as lame as it probably sounds, I'm pretty excited to have something I made with a big Sci-Fi Logo written across the top. As a sci-fi writer it gives me a certain amount of nerd pride. Hope you enjoy!!
SEE IT HERE
If you are a fan of Battlestar Galactica (the new series, not the one with Daggut) they are having a video contest (that I have no real hopes of winning) that Vickei and I made a video for. I don't know if its funny for non-fans, but check it out HERE.
My video is called "For Love- Or Toaster" and as lame as it probably sounds, I'm pretty excited to have something I made with a big Sci-Fi Logo written across the top. As a sci-fi writer it gives me a certain amount of nerd pride. Hope you enjoy!!
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Fire the Shrub
Bush spoke today, refusing to allow his employees to testify under oath.
Unless he plans to have them lie- there's no reason to allow an interview and not allow them to speak under oath. Called it a fishing expedition. What an asshole.
The gauntlet has been thown.
The irony of the fact he'll go to court over this, the same branch of government he's being accused of "fixing" politically- and then will say, see, they said we're cool.
I really, really, really really, reaalllyyy hope the pansy ass democrats finally grow a spine, pick up the gauntlet and whack him upside the head with it. At this point it is plain, either Bush is the King of America, answerable to no one, or we should all just drop this silly pretence of democracy and admit we now live in a one-branch governmental bureaucratic dictatorship.
Watch the News Conference
It's true, US Attorneys no longer serve at the pleasure of the President.
Guess what assface.
You serve at the pleasure of us.
30% approval or less.
WE DON'T APPROVE!!!!!!
Bush spoke today, refusing to allow his employees to testify under oath.
Unless he plans to have them lie- there's no reason to allow an interview and not allow them to speak under oath. Called it a fishing expedition. What an asshole.
The gauntlet has been thown.
The irony of the fact he'll go to court over this, the same branch of government he's being accused of "fixing" politically- and then will say, see, they said we're cool.
I really, really, really really, reaalllyyy hope the pansy ass democrats finally grow a spine, pick up the gauntlet and whack him upside the head with it. At this point it is plain, either Bush is the King of America, answerable to no one, or we should all just drop this silly pretence of democracy and admit we now live in a one-branch governmental bureaucratic dictatorship.
Watch the News Conference
It's true, US Attorneys no longer serve at the pleasure of the President.
Guess what assface.
You serve at the pleasure of us.
30% approval or less.
WE DON'T APPROVE!!!!!!
Monday, March 12, 2007
FOX SUCKS- ROLLCALL
A nice listing of examples of why Fox News should be called, "Fox- The News Station for Morons."
A nice listing of examples of why Fox News should be called, "Fox- The News Station for Morons."
Friday, March 09, 2007
Shocking- The FBI Overreaching! Ann Coulter manages to shove her foot further down her own throat.
As linked a couple of days ago, Ann "I'd like to call you Cunter" Coulter has trying to extricate herself from the shitpile she ended up in when she publicly felt the need to refer to Jon Edwards as a faggot. She says, hey, using the term "faggot" isn't a derogatory slander of gay people. It's just meant as "wussy" as if, equating a derogatory term for gays and the definition "wussy" wasn't homophobic at all- which it clearly is.
A distinction she clearly doesn't get.
Also, she's tried to clarify that she wasn't calling Jon Edwards a faggot- that if you look closely at her words, she wasn't calling him anything. Which is true- technically. But that one reminds of Talladega Nights, where Ricky Bobby says, "I said, 'with all due respect' before insulting someone- as if that phrase "I would call him X" served the purpose to say anything. So she didn't call Jon Edwards a faggot- she just wanted to- terrific. Using that logic, I wouldn’t be remiss in saying, "I'd like to call you a stupid money grubbing whore who'll say any fucking thing to get some press because I'm a lonely bitch shitheel with no soul and only the vaguest hint of an intellect- but I won't because it's not nice."
Also, The FBI is up to it's old tricks. Why does America feel more like the 70's everyday?
Some highlights:
The Justice Department's inspector general looked at the FBI's use of national security letters (NSLs), in which agents demand personal and business information about individuals -- such as financial, phone, and Internet records -- without court orders. Civil libertarians have slammed the practice.
In "many instances," it said, the FBI "improperly obtained telephone toll billing records and subscriber information from three telephone companies pursuant to more than 700 'exigent letters' signed by personnel in the FBI's Counterterrorism Division without first issuing NSLs. ... These actions were compounded by the fact that the FBI sometimes used these exigent letters in nonemergency situations."
As linked a couple of days ago, Ann "I'd like to call you Cunter" Coulter has trying to extricate herself from the shitpile she ended up in when she publicly felt the need to refer to Jon Edwards as a faggot. She says, hey, using the term "faggot" isn't a derogatory slander of gay people. It's just meant as "wussy" as if, equating a derogatory term for gays and the definition "wussy" wasn't homophobic at all- which it clearly is.
A distinction she clearly doesn't get.
Also, she's tried to clarify that she wasn't calling Jon Edwards a faggot- that if you look closely at her words, she wasn't calling him anything. Which is true- technically. But that one reminds of Talladega Nights, where Ricky Bobby says, "I said, 'with all due respect' before insulting someone- as if that phrase "I would call him X" served the purpose to say anything. So she didn't call Jon Edwards a faggot- she just wanted to- terrific. Using that logic, I wouldn’t be remiss in saying, "I'd like to call you a stupid money grubbing whore who'll say any fucking thing to get some press because I'm a lonely bitch shitheel with no soul and only the vaguest hint of an intellect- but I won't because it's not nice."
Also, The FBI is up to it's old tricks. Why does America feel more like the 70's everyday?
Some highlights:
The Justice Department's inspector general looked at the FBI's use of national security letters (NSLs), in which agents demand personal and business information about individuals -- such as financial, phone, and Internet records -- without court orders. Civil libertarians have slammed the practice.
In "many instances," it said, the FBI "improperly obtained telephone toll billing records and subscriber information from three telephone companies pursuant to more than 700 'exigent letters' signed by personnel in the FBI's Counterterrorism Division without first issuing NSLs. ... These actions were compounded by the fact that the FBI sometimes used these exigent letters in nonemergency situations."
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Oh This Is Too Good!
Well, it's been a rough couple of days if you are a right wing moron wacko. All of this would be really fun if it wasn't for the wars still raging because of these same idjits.
1) Scooter "The Leak" Libby is convicted on 4 of 5 counts. Nice. Cheney's next, until then, I just feel like Scooter is sucking the drain pipe for the whole administration.
2) Ann "Cunter" Coulter talks about faggots. It's not so much that she feels the need to talk this way in public- I mean, big surprise, she's a homophobic jackass- it's more about (for me) the assholes that buy this chick's books and watch her on TV and how they reveal themselves for the jackasses they are as well.
3) And finally, and most deliciously, the guy who's been on all the right wing talk shows this week, Cpl. Matt Sanchez, is an ex-porn star. Which again, I don't care if the guy's a porn star, but I bet all the conservo-monkeys that have been lapping up his complaints, are once again facing what is surely, for them, a fairly ironic state of affairs. (Not that they can understand complicated concepts like irony.)
Well, it's been a rough couple of days if you are a right wing moron wacko. All of this would be really fun if it wasn't for the wars still raging because of these same idjits.
1) Scooter "The Leak" Libby is convicted on 4 of 5 counts. Nice. Cheney's next, until then, I just feel like Scooter is sucking the drain pipe for the whole administration.
2) Ann "Cunter" Coulter talks about faggots. It's not so much that she feels the need to talk this way in public- I mean, big surprise, she's a homophobic jackass- it's more about (for me) the assholes that buy this chick's books and watch her on TV and how they reveal themselves for the jackasses they are as well.
3) And finally, and most deliciously, the guy who's been on all the right wing talk shows this week, Cpl. Matt Sanchez, is an ex-porn star. Which again, I don't care if the guy's a porn star, but I bet all the conservo-monkeys that have been lapping up his complaints, are once again facing what is surely, for them, a fairly ironic state of affairs. (Not that they can understand complicated concepts like irony.)
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Keith Olbermann Gives Condi a History Lesson-
Yet again, Keith Olbermann has taken the administration to the woodshed and told them what's what. In this edition, Keith explains to Condi:
1) Why she is a disingenuous moron- bordering on criminally dumb
2) Why she is terribly, horribly lacking in a basic understanding of some of the most massive events in US history (A small thing known as WWII). This is particularly sad considering she's supposed to have a Doctorate in History.
Watch/Read the comment: HERE
Yet again, Keith Olbermann has taken the administration to the woodshed and told them what's what. In this edition, Keith explains to Condi:
1) Why she is a disingenuous moron- bordering on criminally dumb
2) Why she is terribly, horribly lacking in a basic understanding of some of the most massive events in US history (A small thing known as WWII). This is particularly sad considering she's supposed to have a Doctorate in History.
Watch/Read the comment: HERE
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Lost- My Theory as to what's happening to Desmond
This theory comes after viewing the Desmond-Centric Episode "Flashes Before Your Eyes"
I think Desmond keeps getting caught in a series of time loops- and what we saw in the episode was him jumping from one loop to another by finally exercising his free will over the fate he'd accepted up to that point.
Loop 1
Over and over Desmond lived the loop between waking up after falling in his apartment, meeting with Mr. Widmore, deciding not to marry her, joining the military, joining the yacht race, ending up on the island, meeting the Losties and turning the key.
This loop went on for who knows how many repetitions- until he finally decided he was going to change things and ask Penny to marry him.
Transition from Loop 1 to Loop 2:
This transition starts when Desmond meets the weirdo-woman in the ring store. I think on all other occasions of the loop, Desmond almost buys the ring and then decides not to. By trying to actually buy the ring he "breaks" the loop. Maybe this has happened before- the fact the woman is there to push him back on his familiar track seems to indicate it has. But from this point onward- we know Desmond isn't going to just keep spinning his wheels in the rut he's created for himself.
After meeting the woman however, Desmond has fooled himself into thinking he's still stuck. Then, when he is in the bar the second time and he sees his soccer precognition coming true- he decides he can in fact change things. His last words before the altercation starts are exactly that- "There's still time for me to change things" Then he gets whacked in the head and his consciousness skips out of Loop 1 and pops into Loop 2.
Loop 2
Loop 2 starts with Desmond post hatch explosion and goes to some as yet revealed point in the future- probably Charlie's death. In Loop 2 new things are in the works that have never happened before (Or at least haven't happened outside of what I think is now a second loop). Penny actually finding Desmond may be part of this loop- or maybe she won't be able to actually find him again until he successfully negotiates his way through Loop 2 in the same way he couldn’t experience Loop 2 until he did Loop 1 correctly.
Why Desmond is seeing the future:
Loop 2 has probably happened to Desmond a few times and so he's saved Charlie before several times in the same way and he gets flashes of it just like he got flashes of the future when he was in Loop 1. Under this theory, every time Charlie dies- Desmond hops back to the part where he's naked next to the hatch and tries again.
But since the point of this whole plot line is to illustrate the fate vs. free will argument. I figure Desmond is going to have to keep pulling Charlie's butt out of the fire until he can click into a new Loop 3- or stop the time looping entirely.
This theory comes after viewing the Desmond-Centric Episode "Flashes Before Your Eyes"
I think Desmond keeps getting caught in a series of time loops- and what we saw in the episode was him jumping from one loop to another by finally exercising his free will over the fate he'd accepted up to that point.
Loop 1
Over and over Desmond lived the loop between waking up after falling in his apartment, meeting with Mr. Widmore, deciding not to marry her, joining the military, joining the yacht race, ending up on the island, meeting the Losties and turning the key.
This loop went on for who knows how many repetitions- until he finally decided he was going to change things and ask Penny to marry him.
Transition from Loop 1 to Loop 2:
This transition starts when Desmond meets the weirdo-woman in the ring store. I think on all other occasions of the loop, Desmond almost buys the ring and then decides not to. By trying to actually buy the ring he "breaks" the loop. Maybe this has happened before- the fact the woman is there to push him back on his familiar track seems to indicate it has. But from this point onward- we know Desmond isn't going to just keep spinning his wheels in the rut he's created for himself.
After meeting the woman however, Desmond has fooled himself into thinking he's still stuck. Then, when he is in the bar the second time and he sees his soccer precognition coming true- he decides he can in fact change things. His last words before the altercation starts are exactly that- "There's still time for me to change things" Then he gets whacked in the head and his consciousness skips out of Loop 1 and pops into Loop 2.
Loop 2
Loop 2 starts with Desmond post hatch explosion and goes to some as yet revealed point in the future- probably Charlie's death. In Loop 2 new things are in the works that have never happened before (Or at least haven't happened outside of what I think is now a second loop). Penny actually finding Desmond may be part of this loop- or maybe she won't be able to actually find him again until he successfully negotiates his way through Loop 2 in the same way he couldn’t experience Loop 2 until he did Loop 1 correctly.
Why Desmond is seeing the future:
Loop 2 has probably happened to Desmond a few times and so he's saved Charlie before several times in the same way and he gets flashes of it just like he got flashes of the future when he was in Loop 1. Under this theory, every time Charlie dies- Desmond hops back to the part where he's naked next to the hatch and tries again.
But since the point of this whole plot line is to illustrate the fate vs. free will argument. I figure Desmond is going to have to keep pulling Charlie's butt out of the fire until he can click into a new Loop 3- or stop the time looping entirely.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Overhaul of www.williamhrdina.com
Whenever I finish a book I like to take a small hiatus, write a few short stories (I'm working on one about how cats and dogs are only interstellar creatures who inhabit the bodies of pets as a form of vacation and another story about a guy who discovers a group of middle-aged men that battle each other with clubs) and try to catch up on the "business" of trying to find a publisher for my writing. Since I understand the biggest difficulty in getting that first manuscript published is proving profitability- I do my best to maintain as big a profile on the web as I can manage without the use of cheating. (bots, etc.- not that I'm tech savvy enough to use them even if I had the inclination.)
In this vein, I spent the weekend overhauling my website www.williamhrdina.com a project I've been trying to get the time to accomplish for 8-9 months now. Please, go visit and take a look around. The old page was far too "busy." It was loaded with text and even I had a hard time finding things in the jumble as I went from offering just text stories, to the addition of art, then video, then audio short stories in addition to excerpts of all 6 novels without changing the format in a major way. Now every category has it's own page and I think it's much easier to use.
I still have to do a second overhaul draft on Exodus Enisode till it is in "try to find a publisher form"- so that excerpt won't bill up till April-May.
PS-
On a political note, I watched on TV this morning as the right wing noise machine again tried to hoist the old chesnut that Iraq had links to AlQueda at the exact same time they were using the administrations new "Proof" that Iran is helping the anti-occupation and civil war forces in Iraq. So see, since they didn't lie the last time, it proves they're not lying this time since they're not lying this time and therfore not lying the last time. You understand don't you?
Man, such assholes.
Whenever I finish a book I like to take a small hiatus, write a few short stories (I'm working on one about how cats and dogs are only interstellar creatures who inhabit the bodies of pets as a form of vacation and another story about a guy who discovers a group of middle-aged men that battle each other with clubs) and try to catch up on the "business" of trying to find a publisher for my writing. Since I understand the biggest difficulty in getting that first manuscript published is proving profitability- I do my best to maintain as big a profile on the web as I can manage without the use of cheating. (bots, etc.- not that I'm tech savvy enough to use them even if I had the inclination.)
In this vein, I spent the weekend overhauling my website www.williamhrdina.com a project I've been trying to get the time to accomplish for 8-9 months now. Please, go visit and take a look around. The old page was far too "busy." It was loaded with text and even I had a hard time finding things in the jumble as I went from offering just text stories, to the addition of art, then video, then audio short stories in addition to excerpts of all 6 novels without changing the format in a major way. Now every category has it's own page and I think it's much easier to use.
I still have to do a second overhaul draft on Exodus Enisode till it is in "try to find a publisher form"- so that excerpt won't bill up till April-May.
PS-
On a political note, I watched on TV this morning as the right wing noise machine again tried to hoist the old chesnut that Iraq had links to AlQueda at the exact same time they were using the administrations new "Proof" that Iran is helping the anti-occupation and civil war forces in Iraq. So see, since they didn't lie the last time, it proves they're not lying this time since they're not lying this time and therfore not lying the last time. You understand don't you?
Man, such assholes.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
EXODUS ENISODE FINISHED!
10 months after finishing The Music of Dreams I am happy to say I've just finished my 7th Novel, Exodus Enisode. I made a couple of video's about it, they can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=william+hrdina&search=Search
It's really terrific because this book is really a culmination of something I've been unconsciously working towards for a very long time. I've come to realize that, in a way, my novels are not totally unlike the Marvel Universe. By this, I mean I've slowly been creating the "Incarnations of the Americas" Universe. Except instead of using comic books, I'm using entire novels. Six novels (Rain, Ialtaboath, Portal, The Music of Dreams, The Clearing at the End of the Path and the still unwritten, Bang) that introduce characters who all stand up just fine on their own, but are then meshed together in Exodus Enisode. Sort of like when Spiderman and Batman show up in the same comic book together. I also see it as a novel television series in the sense you learn more about what is going on from the different complimentary storylines. I've also already had the seed ideas for the 2 novels that are going to stem out of Exodus Enisode- neither of which have a title yet- which means I have 3 more books to write (actually it'll probably be alot more than that before it's all through) along with 3 short stories I'm working on, a screenplay I plan on writing based on the comic book The Invisibles by Grant Morrison, and then there's the whole 9-to-5 job so I can eat thing. 2007 is going to be a busy year.
10 months after finishing The Music of Dreams I am happy to say I've just finished my 7th Novel, Exodus Enisode. I made a couple of video's about it, they can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=william+hrdina&search=Search
It's really terrific because this book is really a culmination of something I've been unconsciously working towards for a very long time. I've come to realize that, in a way, my novels are not totally unlike the Marvel Universe. By this, I mean I've slowly been creating the "Incarnations of the Americas" Universe. Except instead of using comic books, I'm using entire novels. Six novels (Rain, Ialtaboath, Portal, The Music of Dreams, The Clearing at the End of the Path and the still unwritten, Bang) that introduce characters who all stand up just fine on their own, but are then meshed together in Exodus Enisode. Sort of like when Spiderman and Batman show up in the same comic book together. I also see it as a novel television series in the sense you learn more about what is going on from the different complimentary storylines. I've also already had the seed ideas for the 2 novels that are going to stem out of Exodus Enisode- neither of which have a title yet- which means I have 3 more books to write (actually it'll probably be alot more than that before it's all through) along with 3 short stories I'm working on, a screenplay I plan on writing based on the comic book The Invisibles by Grant Morrison, and then there's the whole 9-to-5 job so I can eat thing. 2007 is going to be a busy year.
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