"An era can be said to end when its basic illusions are exhausted." - Arthur Miller

Thursday, August 26, 2004

No increase in gas price?

Am I the only one who found it strange that two weeks or so ago it was announced that barrels of oil reached record heights..yet gas prices in the states barely budged a penny? Normally the announcement alone is enough to drive the cost up, usually on the very same day. They usually don't even bother to wait till that more expensive oil comes to that station. ($2+ a gallon about three months ago would be a recent example.) Yet this time no increase in cost. For maybe the first time ever. Close to an election. An who has Saudi connections and would benefit least from a sudden hike in gas prices?

Just find it interesting.

Monday, August 23, 2004

Overtime Rules change

Here is an example of how the Bush Admin is using the silly Vietnam stuff to distract everyone from stuff that DOES effect you, Bush acolyte or not.

Where you aware that overtime rules have changed? And not for the better. That this change was supported by major corporations (now that should scare you) and pushed by the Bush Admin?

If that isn't a clear indication that Bush cares NOTHING about anyone that isn't rich or able to funnel money to him and his buddies I don't know what will. What really is shameful is the press is too imcompetent to make it a HUGE issue of this election. It makes it pretty clear, you ain't rich, you don't matter to Bush except as the stupid sheep to trick so can get re-elected so can really help his buddies. You think corporations run the US gov't you ain't seen nothing yet if Bush gets elected.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/employment/2004-08-23-overtime-now_x.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/columnist/strauss/2004-08-23-overtime_x.htm

Saturday, August 14, 2004

Aliens vs. Predator

Alien vs. Predator seems like an idiot proof concept to me. Take bad ass villain one and bad ass villain two, thrown in human cannon fodder, much chaos and action ensures. A toddler could nearly write this movie. Hell this concept is perfect for the typical movie writing formula of concept first, movie moment’s seconds, finally the story. Here concept is alien vs. predator, movie moments is much action occurs where two beat crap out of each other while the fodder dies, the story would be what ever takes you from action point to action point. Real simple. Idiot proof.

Sadly Alien vs. Predator (directed and written by Paul W.S. Anderson) is proof that nothing is idiot-proof. Somehow, someway, the director/writer screwed up this concept. The story is crap but who cares. The human fodder crap, but again who cares. One thing that sucks is 20 minutes was spent establishing the fodder. Time wasted away from the action. Here is the problem. What action? Where is the Alien vs. Predator? If looking for that, you are not going to find a whole lot. There are maybe two action sequences in this movie. One is a bad ass CGI flash back; the other was a decent sequence that quickly turned stupid.

Maybe you are thinking that at least get to see the Aliens and the Predator do their own bad ass things. Well, kind of, sometimes. Mostly the Predators come across as ugly humans. Another words they are incompetent. The Aliens act mostly Alien like except they sure do grow up fast and make use of the acid way to much. Also the Alien Queen…yeah suddenly here she is T-Rex size and acts just like one too. Basically Anderson stripped away all the coolness of these characters. They are pale shadows of the original creations. The only reason I can think this occurred is the usual Hollywood arrogance. In this case Anderson saw the movies as a kid like 15 years ago and declared himself expert. Through that haze of memory, a lot of decisions at least track. After all how bad ass can a Predator is is got beat up by Governor Schwarzenegger (thus incompetent) or that Alien Queen got killed by Weaver (thus the T-Rex Alien is born). It’s all I got as explanation because nothing else makes sense.

About the only good thing in this movie are the CGI moments. That’s the only time this movie was good when it was obvious some CGI team did the sequence instead of that retarded director. Also the Alien and Predator costumes etc are top notch. Those teams deserve a pat on the back.

Basically this movie is Joel Schumacher level fuck up. A franchise has been utterly demolished under this imbecile’s hand (how these incompetent directors continue to get work baffles me). I could go further but let’s put it this way; the Predator only killed one Alien. That’s it. The rest where just blown up. That alone should indicate how little “vs.” occurred in this movie.

Sunday, August 08, 2004

Illegal to Protest?

Bush Protestors Turned Away From Event

Aug 5, 2004 6:23 am US/Central
Mankato, Minn. (AP) Two young supporters of DFL congressional candidate Leigh Pomeroy were turned away from President Bush's quarry rally in Mankato yesterday.

Nick Burkhardt and Matt Klaber of Mankato initially were denied rally tickets after making unfavorable comments about the president while waiting in line for three hours. They later were given tickets, but when they got off the shuttle bus at the quarry they were told they couldn't go in.

They agreed to leave, but a Mankato West High School teacher who was accompanying them says he also was asked to leave when he tried to defend the boys.

Global geography teacher Jim Walz said he wanted to stay and was told by a Bush official that he would be arrested and escorted out if he made any attempt to protest during the rally.

Walz says if appearances by the President of the United States are treated as private political events, then cities are right to bill the campaign for the expenses of local law enforcement.

Source: http://wcco.com/siteSearch/local_story_218072505.html

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Sigh. It saddens me how much freedom people are willing to give up for "safety". Even sadder that people that should know better don't have a problem with it. It started with protest only areas (for safety of course ) now its spread to support agreements and risk of arrest for even COMMENTING negativily about the president. Sometimes slippery slope logic doesn't apply, but when it comes to rights, it does. As the Bush Administration has proven over and over and over and over again for the last 4 years. Seriously both sides of the aisle should have serious problems with this.

Not even allowed to comment negativily. I think thats sick and any candidate or person, even Bush acolytes, that doesn't condemn it is un-American and a traitor. Screw Bush's and Coulters definition, theirs is limited to the Republican party.

Friday, August 06, 2004

Legend of the Bloodninja

Funny site. Sure many have seen it but still worth reading.
http://www.adamchance.com/funny.htm

Never understood cybering. Maybe between people that know each other and will meet and be able to live the little online fantasy, but strangers doing it who will never ever meet. Just don't get it.

Thursday, August 05, 2004

The Village

Just got back from watching The Village. Was bored silly. Once again M. Night Schmalyan (schmalyn? bah can't spell it and too lazy to look) crafted a technically good movie that would be good for directing classes in college...but not a particularly interesting or even entertaining movie.

You have most of the ingredients, good cast, acting, plot, set and so forth. Its just the actually story itself is boring. Also the movie is just so damn sloooooooow. You thought Signs developed slowly...this one is practically glacial in pace.

As for the twist...its ok. Really not bad, more creative then what 99.9% of other Hollywood writers would have come up with...except you really just don't care. The problem is you really don't care about the characters and even if you did the twist effects them but doesn't really involve them personally. So you are "oh okay /shrug" instead of "ooh ahhh".

In the end though this movie suffers from the failure of room number one that any movie should aspire to - entertain the damn audience. This movie was simply boring.

My rating for this movie: wait for cable...better yet wait till free on network TV couple of years from now.

Tuesday, August 03, 2004

Intro

Hello, welcome to my erasend blog. First time done this stuff so could be a disaster but hopefully not. Couple of things. I tend to make alot of grammatical mistakes cause I frankly I am lazy. I just type what i am thinking that moment and post. Sadly that is probably a bad habit and am trying to break it with only so-so success.

The point of my blog is to spout about whatever I feel like. Can't guarentee it will mean a thing to anybody but hopefully those that read it will not feel like they wasted their time.

So anyway...welcome to erasend.