2003 March » radical wacko

I’m full of email fowards today. Here is one on how to deal with your local neighboor peacenik:

Along with this war, many of us will encounter “Peace Activists” who will try and convince us that we must refrain from retaliating against the ones who terrorized us all on September 11, 2001, and those who support terror. These activists may be alone or in a gathering…..most of us don’t know how to react to them. When you come upon one of these people, or one of their rallies, here are the proper rules of etiquette:
1. Listen politely while this person explains their views. Strike up a conversation if necessary and look very interested in their ideas. They will tell you how revenge is immoral, and that by attacking the people who did this to us, we will only bring on more violence. They will probably use many arguments, ranging from political to religious to humanitarian.
2. In the middle of their remarks, without any warning, punch them in the nose.
3. When the person gets up off of the ground, they will be very angry and they may try to hit you, so be careful.
4. Very quickly and calmly remind the person that violence only brings about more violence and remind them of their stand on this matter. Tell them if they are really committed to a nonviolent approach to undeserved attacks, they will turn the other cheek and negotiate a solution. Tell them they must lead by example if they really believe what they are saying.
5. Most of them will think for a moment and then agree that you are correct.
6. As soon as they do that, hit them again. Only this time hit them much harder. Square in the nose.
7. Repeat steps 2-6 until the desired results are obtained and the idiot realizes how stupid an argument he/she is making.
8. There is no difference in an individual attacking an unsuspecting victim or a group of terrorists attacking a nation of people. It is unacceptable and must be dealt with. Perhaps at a high cost.
We owe our military a huge debt for what they are about to do for us and our children. We must support them and our leaders at times like these. We ave no choice. We either strike back, VERY HARD, or we will keep getting hit in the nose.
Lesson over, class dismissed.

OK, now this one is really funny!!!! (Requires Qucktime)

Here is some great new software!!!!

And another joke for all you beer drinkers:

There was a beer convention a while back and after meetings all day the
presidents of three large beer companies decided to go out for a drink.
They settled in at the bar and the bartender asked them what they would like.
The president of Budweiser said, “I’ll have a Bud, the King of Beers.”
The president of Coors said, “I’ll have a Coors, the beer with Mile High
Taste.”
The president of Guinness said, “I’ll have a Pepsi.”
The bartender looked at him with a puzzled expression on his face. “A
Pepsi? Don’t you want a beer?”
He replied, “No, I won’t have a beer if no one else is having one.”

Ah, so someone appears ready to bring this one up publicly! A top politician in Indonesia has demanded that Bush and Blair be tried as war criminals. I always love it when these beggar countries who scrounge off the scraps of the United States start to bite the hand that feeds them. I have one question for this noble politician: do you still expect to receive the billions of dollars in foreign aid that primary gets drained from U.S. taxpayers? I think I know the answer . . . You sir are practicing irony without a licence!

Are these fictitious numbers Mr. Moore?

While not exactly a crime on the level of Hanoi Jane, Arnett’s comments on Iraqi television smell pretty rank. I have two questions for Mr. Arnett:

1) Why in God’s name did you accept an interview on Iraqi television knowing full well that none of your journalistic “rights” would be respected?
2) Don’t you think giving propaganda information to one side or the other definitely breaks your precious objectivity?

Thank God we won’t have to see your reports any more!

More Information.

Here’s a one liner I heard for all you Okies out there:

What do you call a Pallbearer at an Oklahoman’s funeral?

Karaoke!

Rating:

This movie is excellent. This movie is also excruciating. This raw and edgy filmmaking that makes you laugh and wince at the same time. While watching this movie, you have this desire to escape the situation but can’t help but to see what happens next.

This is the story of Roger (Campbell Scott), an advertising writer with an incomparable wit and abundant ego. Roger is that type of guy that we all know (and secretly think we want to be). He can talk his way into (and out of) any situation and into any woman’s bedroom. At least, we men think he can. However, after being dumped by his boss/lover Joyce (Isabella Rossellini) and a visit from his lovelorn nephew Nick (Jesse Eisenberg), Roger’s bachelor lifestyle turns into a nightmare.

This is above all else, a conversation film. With little in the way of external plot devices, this movie relies on the dialog of the script and the performances of its actors to succeed. In this aspect, this movie soars above any movie I’ve seen this year. The script, written by the debut director Dylan Kidd, flows along and breakneck speed delivering line after line of witty, hard-hitting and cynical dialog and the performances of these lines keep you enthralled with the film.

Campbell Scott (Long Time Companion, Singles, Big Night) escapes from his usual charming characters and takes on the role of Roger with relish. This is truly great acting. There is no pretense or use of cheap theatrical tricks in this performance. He can bridge the contradictions of a charming smile and a soul of hate with out missing a beat. This is without a doubt his best performance to date.

Young actor Jesse Eisenberg plays the 16-year-old nephew Nick superbly. The terror in his eyes during his long night of sexual discovery is perfect. His fumbling words and nervous body language is well executed and very believable. There is a scene in a bedroom with a very drunk and available woman where he particularly distinguishes himself. He, like Campbell Scott is able to show the characters inner conflicts, fighting between sexual desire and moral rectitude.

The female side of the cast is equally good. Isabella Rossellini (Immortal Beloved, Big Night) continues to prove her acting might as the tough and sexually free employer. Surprisingly, Elizabeth Berkley (Showgirls) shows that she actually can act leaving me to believe she just has bad judgment in her choice of parts. Finally, Jennifer Beals (Flashdance) is wonderfully desirable and human.

The film making style is definitely hard-core art school. Shot almost entirely on hand held cameras, this film has a definite documentary feel. The lighting is natural and the attention to detail is astounding. Keep a close eye of the short tight shots of hands and feet. They draw you into the characters internal workings. Occasionally, the shots can seem a bit contrived, but none of them takes away from the story.

There is very little to criticize about this film, but this is not a perfect film and for only one reason. The ending to this film seems tacked on to give some unneeded resolution to the long night in which this film primarily takes place. It feels like it was added after some unfavorable initial screenings and if so proves why committee based filmmaking is a horrible idea.

However, despite the film’s sole flaw, this film is driven by the classic Roger. The character of Roger may be one of the hardest to classify. Simply put, this man is an asshole of the first order. I would be hard pressed to find any redeeming qualities about this man at all. However, despite the fact that everything he says and does is despicable, you still like him. The reason you like him is that the only reason he is an asshole is that everything he says is a little too close to the mark. He sees the hypocrisy of the world of love and relishes in it. He says everything that you know to be true but would never admit. He knows not only the rules of the game but also that it is a game and accepts all of the consequences of it. I can say with great confidence, that this is truly one of the best characters in modern film.

This is hard film to watch, but a great work of art.

It’s been a movie filled weekend. Here is one you cannot miss. Read my review of the astounding Roger Dodger!