Zomgee

… a bit sensationalist. (Re: My review of I Am Legend)

In retrospect (or perhaps due to it slowly fading from memory) I Am Legend is not the near-perfect movie I said it was. The action wasn’t that intense and while I say that Will Smith’s acting was so good you almost didn’t think it was acting, you know he’s acting and you analyze him as an actor. I still stand by that it was the best movie I saw in theaters in 2007. Its a good thing that I saw it in December.

Why? Why am I downplaying or seemingly retracting what I said about I Am Legend? Why did I imply that it’s reign ended early in 2008?

Put simply, Cloverfield. (continue reading…)

Every Tuesday and Thursday I have a movie class, and on Tuesdays we watch a film. This past class we were in the middle of watching “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” which while a very good film it is also one that a modern generation could easily get bored through. Which since the class is full of discourteous college students it means that there is often whispering and laughing and other forms of carrying on that can be quite disruptive to someone actually trying to enjoy the movie. Really its quite a bit like a real movie theater.

Something different happened this past class, however. I was sitting behind the delinquents when I noticed that a message was being passed amongst them which was promptly followed by a laptop being produced and a website loaded. Three girls crowded around the screen and as soon as the page loaded the entire group let out a unanimous gasp. What could cause three obnoxious movie buffs to speak out in such a startled manner I wondered. I of course did what any curious person would do, I looked over their shoulder to read the headline on the news story they were reading. “Heath Ledger found Dead in Apartment”

It was somewhat surprising I guess, actors in their 20′s don’t often die, but really all I did was go, “huh,” then sit back and continue to watch Mr. Smith show the Senate that he can filibuster for 24 hours straight. It was by all accounts much more interesting than finding out about a dead actor. On further reflection I’m struck by two thoughts. a) Why should I be surprised? and b) Why should I care? To answer the first, I shouldn’t be surprised at all. With all the sex, drugs, and money that goes on in Hollywood its a wonder more actors and actresses don’t overdose on things or commit suicide or get killed by people that don’t like them. What makes Ledger any different from the rest of them – nothing – so I shouldn’t expect that he would have a different possible outcome. To answer the second question, well I suppose someone might care because they thought he was good looking or they enjoyed his movies or something, but since I’m not a member of his family and since he has really made no lasting good contribution to society I can’t really find a reason to care.

Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed “The Patriot” and “A Knight’s Tale” was mildly funny and while we’re on the topic of knights I do very much look forward to seeing him as Joker in “The Dark Knight” but since his only real critical acclaim was for being a gay cowboy, I’m really more inclined to be not interested in his work at all. Frankly, I can’t figure out what the whole fixation about dying celebrities is. There’s plenty of people dying in this world for far worse reasons than being famous and trying to fill a void in ones life with drugs and it seems to me we ought to worry more about those people than some B list actor like Heath Ledger.

These things are practically simulated manna. How could there be a better snack? Bite-size, ergonomically shaped morsels of crunchy goodness. Finger-licking is mandatory so grab a handful and don’t double dip your grubby mits. This snack can be an easy lesson on how some things can be “low in quantity” while yet consuming large portions, as quality is inversely proportionate to quantity. Some things become more precious when not shared and withheld from marginal amounts of the populace. Muddy Buddies® lack the ability to release precious quality when shared.

Prep Time:15 min
Start to Finish:15 min
Makes:18 servings (1/2 cup each)

Ingredients:
9 cups Chex® cereal (any variety)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preparation Directions:
1. Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
2. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, stir together chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Microwave uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.
Stove-Top Directions: Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside. In 1-quart saucepan, heat chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

“My job as a candidate for president is to speak the truth as I see it.” – John Edwards, Presidential candidate. [src]

How about just speaking the plain old truth – unmarred and untampered by any particular worldview?

So at work today, I found myself flipping through an issue of TIME magazine and thought I’d write about what I read (given the lacking amount of authoring coming from OhYo and HT). For those of you few people who don’t get TIME stocked upon your magazine racks at home, you might want to read that article before you continue to read this one.

Let me begin.

For any person, acknowledging the fact that the majority of people don’t mind the current government (but proclaim the opposite) and tell people that politicians run almost solely for their own ego- is quite a feat. It takes a person who is honest and quite bold to say that.

But think about it, it’s true. However, in his article, Michael Kinsley (the author, duh?) implies that this ambition is part of nature and almost.. excusable. To a degree, I agree with that, but there is so much more to the story. This idea of ambition being imparted upon graduates is not just about being the best you can be- it’s about helping society in how we act and the accomplishments we achieve. Frankly, we pervert that into being a solely self-seeking philosophy- get the best education we can, get the best job we can, get the best spouse we can, get the best car we can, have the most power we can… Granted, none of those things is inherently wrong, but it has become our society’s sole aim and focus (and when I say our society, I mean us).

I guess I don’t know where I’m going with this… As I read the article, I just got this sense of pardon from the author- like it was OK to have your ego stroked and strive only for self aggrandizement.

I’ve gotten a bit of backlash about my last post. People have called me negative, a “typical” Republican, etc. Don’t worry, I’m not “liberal bashing.” I apologize if you think so. While I don’t agree with the whole Democrat/Liberal party line, the Repubs have just as many problems when it comes to self-control and practicing some sense of morality. What I can’t stand, however, is this utter nonsense that politicians spew forth. Obama and Hillary arguing, Kerry backing Obama instead of Edwards (like his opinion really matters), Giuliani trying to sound moralistic when he’s had more wives/mistresses than Dick Cheney has had heart surgeries. I could go on about the bickering between Huckabee and Romney and allegations of campaign fund fraud, but I won’t.

The candidate who can rise to the level of being selfless in their ambition, humble about their accomplishments, and become more than just “the black guy”, “the woman”, “the POW”, “the mormon”, “the Christian”, or whatever their social sect might be- that person is who will be getting my vote.

I really need to stop writing about politics.