Vox

A Slight Vindication

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:32:01 -0800

David Edelstein, reviewing The Dark Knight:

Even if the death of Heath Ledger hadn't already draped it in a funeral shroud, this sequel (now being rereleased) would be a morbid affair. Christopher Nolan's tense, realistic style is a shock-but then the novelty wears off and the lack of imagination, visual and otherwise, turns into a drag.

That's even harsher than my critique

(His response to those angered by his original review)

Have A Coke & A Smile

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 23:27:49 -0800

From New York Magazine:

The New Ad Campaign: Why Pepsi Loves the President

Last fall, Pepsi announced that its namesake brand would no longer be handled in the U.S. by BBDO Worldwide, its ad agency for nearly 50 years. The company would be going to the firm TBWA/Chiat/Day for a radical overhaul. How does one go about rethinking a household brand that

Feeling It

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 07:58:42 -0800

Just in an Adele mood tonight

Telegraphing Their Hits

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 20:28:06 -0800

In New York Magazine I find this quote from Jason Furman, Obama's chief economic policy adviser during the campaign & transition. (BTW: NY Mag dubs him "The New Brainiac")

He spends his days in the transition office, hammering out the details of Obama's massive stimulus plan."It's infrastructure. It's health care. It's energy. It's food stamps. It's everything.," he says wearily. And what if the $800 billion injection doesn't work? "Please don't worry," says Furman, cheerful as ever. "I don't want you to worry. The reality is, we can always come back a year later and do more"

Yes, folks, doesn't matter that it has already grown up over a TRILLION dollars - they can just come back next year and take more. He is partially right about what's in it, though. He said, "It's everything" - what he should have said was, "it's everything except anything that might result in creating jobs or economic opportunities" Instead, it seems to be a way for him to enact the programs the left has been clammering for (such as government run health care programs) under cover of these "troubling financial times"

Really, $300 million to fund STD research may result in a stimulus, but it certainly won't be economic.

UPDATE: Remember that Robert Reich said of the stimulus bill, "we need to make sure we are doing the most social good. We don't want jobs going to people who are already highly skilled. We don't want the jobs going to white male construction workers." So, apparently, if there are any jobs to be found, you are out of luck. . . unless you are non-skilled, non-white & somehow represent a "social good".

She'll Be Back...?

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 04:30:15 -0800

Iowahawk Saves The World

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:52:07 -0800

...One misunderstood dictator at a time. Who knew they were simply forerunners of the current "green" craze?

4. Crush a Third World Economic Development Movement. One of the most pressing threats facing our environment is rising income in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. A generation ago these proud little dark people were happily frolicking in the rain forest, foraging for organic foods amid the wonders of nature. Today, corrupted by wealth, they are demanding environmentally hazardous consumer goods like cars and air conditioning and malaria medicine. You can do your part to stop this dangerous consumerism trend by supporting environmentally progressive leaders like Hugo Chavez and Robert Mugabe, and their programs for sustainable low-impact ecolabor camps.

Read the whole post for more genius ways you (and by you I mean any of you who may be Hollywood elites - or wannabes) can save the planet from certain ruin.

Sadly, only #9 comes close to addressing a real threat to our way of life - more Tom Cruise movies.

Things I've Done

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:38:12 -0800

Meme stolen from Michael-Deibler.com

January 23, 1991

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 09:43:37 -0800

Today would be my daughters 18th birthday.

The rest of this post is just TMI.

I keep trying to keep busy, I try to think of other things . . . though I know I can't avoid the truth, and the feelings, I am doing my best to focus elsewhere. Still, the calendar is there. Still, friends and family keep reminding me.

Thanks for your kind thoughts, I know your hearts are truly in the right place. I just don't like being constantly reminded - and constantly forced to deal with it and converse about it. I don't want to have to say "Thanks" for bringing up the fact that my daughter died. I don't want to have to tell you "I'm fine" because I don't really know that that is true right now. I don't know how I feel - I just know I don't feel like having a dialog about something that is still painful.

So, please, I love you and I know you love me. We all grieve in our own way, in our own time, and with our own degree of social interaction. I just would ask that you let ME set my agenda for dealing with this every year.

Change? You Can't Handle The Change

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 03:19:56 -0800

Jon Stewart has found a way to keep himself busily employed, despite the current era of hopey-changeness - and it's good to see someone who isn't afraid to give a ribbing to The One.

See for yourself - Changefest '09

(Hat Tip, TCHOTP)

Out of It

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 19:38:11 -0800

I got home from work last night and laid down on the couch....and woke up about 6 hours later. I knew I was mentally exhausted, but I thought that was a bit ridiculous.

I stayed up for about 90 minutes, but found I was still quite tired. 12:30 certainly isn't an unreasonably early time to go to bed so off I went. I thought I would be quite refreshed and ready to go after all that sleep, so I set my alarm for 7:30.

But, when 7:30 came around, I didn't. I was barely able to finally drag myself out of bed at 9:00. If you are keeping track, that is over 14 hours of sleep...and I am still in a fog. I really hope I am not coming down with something, this is the wrong week for me to be out of it.

Maybe my subconscious is just trying to skip today.

So Sue Me

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:25:03 -0800

Heath Ledger won The Golden Globe which reminds me of something. I'm sure this will get me no end of flaming comments, but here goes....

I saw The Dark Knight, and it was fine. It was a Batman movie, it was enjoyable - but it was nothing near what the hype suggested it would be.

* I can't stand Katie Holmes. I think her acting is just fine, but her personal life has rendered her nearly intolerable. However, replacing her with Maggie Gyllenhaal was ridiculous. Gyllenhaal was nowhere near appealing enough to have us believing the major characters were both in love with her. Holmes is much more attractive physically and as Rachel Dawes.

* Christian Bale is one of my favorite actors, ever since his appearance in Empire of the Sun. He is a performer who you can count on to deliver a quality performance, and in Batman Begins, I think he did. For some reason, this time out, he decided to adopt an odd verbal style. While in the suit, he was nearly unintelligible. His first foray as Batman was great, this time I wanted to smack him upside the head and yell, "spit it out!"

* And, this will really get me in trouble, Heath Ledger . . . not that great. Much like his performance in Brokeback Mountain, where he did a poor imitation of Karl Childers, Ledger relies on affectation rather than acting. It is tragic that he died, but that doesn't make his performance better - it makes it poignant and sad, but not better. I didn't feel anything for this Joker but confusion - as to whether it would have gotten anywhere near the positive press if Ledger hadn't died. I have nothing against the guy, but seriously, if you watch that performance objectively, does it truly deserve to effusive praise that has been heaped upon it?

All in all, The Dark Knight was full up to the brim with overacting. The early Batman films were big, cartoony movies - overacting fit. These latest films seemed to be aiming at more grown-up, more serious - the performances should be tailored to fit.

In the words of another comic book hero, "Flame on"

Holding Pattern

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 15:23:40 -0800

The reason Twitter works so well for me - I am a procrastinator. Typing an entire blog post takes some time, typing 140 character takes none. I do have many ideas that I always intend to explore - but rarely do. I found a solution, of sorts, in Twitter. I created an account specifically to tweet things I want to write about - it has grown to also include things I intend to read.
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Now, even if I never get to it, at least I can look back and know what a lazy, procrastinating sometimes blogger I am.

I have included it in my sidebar widget, and you can feel free to follow it if you like (though it will probably be mostly boring and I won't follow you back from that account)

Widget from JazzyChad at TweetGrid

AZ Blogger Meet-up/Shoot 'em Up

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:27:50 -0800

I have been slacking on posting this, and now it is the middle of the night so I am just going to steal it word for word from ExLg:

Rio Salado Sportsman's Club, 1pm, Pistol Bay 3.

Check in and pay ($5) at the main range first.

Bring eye protection and ear protection. (This is a MUST).

If you don't have a firearm, don't worry, just bring your own ammo (I have a 9mm and a couple of .22's I can loan out).

Hope to see you there!

Update:

Jim Neff of Generations Firearm Training will be there to give pointers and help steady our aim. Thanks for coming out, Jim!

Hope to see lots of you out there.

Customer Service "Don't"

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 22:14:23 -0800

Received an email this morning from my doctor's office:

Blah Blah Blah Physicians has sent you a secure communication. Because we value our confidential relationship with you, this message is only available to be viewed through our secure online patient portal. To access the portal and view this communication, please go . . .

Followed by instruction about what part of the website to visit and entering my login & password, etc.

Of course, I rarely log in to that account so I forgot my login and password. Have to answer a bunch of questions for them to send my login ID. Got that. Have to answer a bunch more questions to get them to reset my password. Got that.

Have to answer more questions to reset & change the password. Then I have to login. Then I click on my messages folder, and have to log in again.

Then I get my message which says:

We would like to wish you and your family a very Happy New Year.
Thank you very much and we look forward to seeing you at your next visit.

As much as I appreciate the thought...why the F#%@ didn't you just say that in the original email?!? It isn't like there is anything requiring a "secure" messaging system. No personal data. Nothing.

It's Time Again

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:55:42 -0800

To show your support

"Snakes on a Train" *

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 20:42:11 -0800

Barack Obama and the HopeyChange Express

The decision by Senator Obama to travel to his inauguration on a train has been popping up intermittently in the news. The trip, beginning on January 17th in Philadelphia, will include stops in Wilmington, DE and Baltimore, MD before finally arriving in D.C.

To resurrect an old phrase - symbolism over substance. Obama seems to see himself as the reincarnation of several of our most beloved presidents (in this case Lincoln) and is trying to re-institute some of the policies of our most prosperity averse leaders.

However, my complaint has more to do with logistics. Specifically the miles and miles of track that will have to be secured by the Secret Service.

I was fortunate enough, during my ex's time at Dover AFB, to take a Secret Service tour at Andrews. Among the amazing equipment, and the absolutely stellar men and women in the SS, were great stories. Some scary, some funny - some ridiculous. Among the ridiculous were a lot about Jimmy Carter (no surprise there).

Tell me if this reminds you of anything:

Carter, wanting to be seen as a man of the people, and thinking the helicopter might be perceived as pretentious, insisted on traveling from Andrews to the White House via motorcade. Securing the route and the vehicles for the trip was more costly, in time and money, than simply hopping in Marine One for the short flight. The road closures required made life miserable for locals along the way - and the local law enforcement, as well.

In trying to be seen as a 'regular guy', Carter made life more difficult for a lot of regular guys..and cost the regular guy taxpayers more of their hard earned money.

In trying to milk this "historic moment", Barack Obama is creating an intensive logistical challenge. But what does that matter to a man so intent on glorifying himself? Clearly everything he does is about Obama, with very little thought about the country he was elected to lead.

So much of what Obama does reminds me of Carter. Perhaps one positive thing to remember is that the Carter years laid the groundwork for Reagan.

We could use another Reagan.

* Title stolen from DanDraney, 'cause it was much better than mine.

Eartha Kitt - R.I.P.

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 05:58:15 -0800

In honor of Eartha Kitt's passing and her considerable talent for performance, I have updated the RadioBlog.

There was much I disagreed with her on, but her intriguing voice, and her stage presence, were beyond dispute.

~ Listen ~

Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 03:42:14 -0800

Hope you found all you were hoping for under your tree.

Pick Your Battles

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 23:09:21 -0800

First silly battle - Caroline Kennedy

The big problem in New York is that Paterson may appoint Caroline Kennedy to Hillary Clinton's soon to be vacated seat. Obviously this is supposed to bother me, because the interwebs are overflowing with shock & indignation.

The problem is, I can't get too upset by the idea. It isn't as if there is a chance he'll appoint a Republican, let alone a conservative one. Am I supposed to be upset about her 'lack of experience'? It seems she has all the experience one needs for the position, which was originally intended for citizen legislators. I would prefer that representatives have some sort of work or business experience, but it is hardly necessary - or even indicative of success. She has a fine education, she has passion for her causes, she has had some success with her projects... Other than the fact that I completely disagree with her on almost everything, I can think of no reason why she shouldn't be considered. I actually prefer a candidate who hasn't spent their entire life plotting their political ascension, even though this one comes from a political family. She'll have to run again soon enough.

Really, of all the things the GOP could fret about - why choose an appointment that may not even happen, for a seat that has little to no chance of ever going to us? The only bit of irritation I can muster on this one is due to the hypocrisy considering the treatment Palin received - but Kennedy has been getting some of that, too, from her own side.

Next silly battle - NickRick Warren

This is a twofer, it seems to piss off the left and right equally. Why would Obama ask him to do the invocation? Perhaps because he is popular, perhaps because he is 'homey', perhaps because Obama no longer has a pastor of his own. No matter, the next President of the United States of America has asked him to pray at the inauguration - would you really expect him to say "No"?

Obviously, Warren will disagree with some of Obama's stances (as I am sure he would with McCain) but that doesn't prevent him from accepting, graciously, the invitation. I hope that Warren sees the office as worthy of respect, despite the Clinton years, and that he realizes the inauguration is for the entire nation. Why should I be upset that a man of God agreed to pray for the nation I love, and the new president. He needs to be prayed for.

Why should those on the right be bothered by this pick? How would it have served our cause for him to decline the invite?

I can see the upset by those on the left - Warren is anti-gay marriage, etc. But odds are, if you choose any pastor to speak, he is going to hold fairly standard views on those subjects. I can't imagine him stepping up to the mic and condemning those darn homosexuals to eternal damnation. Roll with it. Be like your beloved Obama and consider it a chance at 'unity'

How about those of us on the right try to focus on things that matter, things we can change, and things that will help the nation. Reducing the size of government. Encouraging a culture of life. Allowing personal success - and personal responsibility.

What we mustn't do is turn into spoon bangers like the loonies on the left.

UPDATE: Seriously people, when I have that big of a typo, would it kill ya' to let me know?

Christmas Cheer...

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 08:27:36 -0800

UPDATE: Since most everyone seems to be out of town, this has been put on ice. Hopefully we can get a better turnout on his next visit home.

....Perhaps with Christmas beer.

Expat AZ Blogger Geistbear (@geistbear) will be in town for the Holidays (or between them, anyway) and has suggested a get-together. Sounds like an awesome plan to me!

Sunday, Dec 28th
Sonora Brewhouse
322 E Camelback Road, Phoenix
3ish - ??

Can you make it?