Oh the injustice, if only we could have seen it coming.
Seriously, there is an injustice and it is unexpected. In fact, psychics here in the U.S. should keep an eye out. The problem is not an astral or paranormal one but is a concern of law.
In the U.K. a law has been passed that required mediums, psychics and others in the paranormal pursuits that enhance or earn a living via this arena to have to label their communications with the public as 'only entertainment'.
There are millions if not billions that believe in some form of the paranormal. There have been documentations of mediums, psychics, fortune tellers and so on since before recorded time, and mentioned in tomes as revered as The Bible. Given all that, it is still looked upon with suspicious eyes and mistrust. This law is the next step on that path.
Even worse is the thought that if any one industry can be labeled for chastisement and ridicule then where does it end? Especially in an industry where the main purpose is the benefit and comfort of the general public?
Some would say, well that’s the U.K. America is different, we’re free. Of course that does not resolve one thing. England is free too.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
The Andromeda Strain – A&E telemovie review
A&E Television has stepped forward with a dramatic movie, highlighting its steps to join FX and Spike Television (among others) with unique programming that sets itself apart from broadcast television. In that aspect it has succeeded. The choice they have done this with is a remake of the Andromeda Strain.
For those unfamiliar, The Andromeda Strain is a book from 1969 and then a movie first done in 1971. It’s a tale of a virus that hits the earth via a meteorite. It devastates an entire remote town in the U.S. and a highly specialized team of scientists is organized to destroy or contain the virus. The only clue that the scientists have to work with is the fact that an old drunk and a baby are the only survivors of a town with a few hundred people.
While that is the basis of the remake there are significant changes. Some are quite good, others not as much. And most of the intensity of the film is destroyed in this 4-hour extended made-for-TV film.
I will note that I hate the current trend of re-visioned movies and programs that an idea starved Hollywood is rife with these days. In almost every re-visioning the effect is a sledgehammer to the original idea, seemingly made by someone who never saw the original and basically just read a Cliff note on the subject in question. This film is not a re-visioning because most of its first 2 hours are true to the original. Beyond that, it starts to deviate.
A&E’s version (AS) isn’t bad, though it’s incredibly too long. They took a 90 minute film and dragged it out as far as it could be taken. And you feel it. Add to this the addition of several storylines that are blatantly obvious in their political underpinnings and you get a story that is reaching for high moral ground and failing to be as entertaining as it could be. That is not to say the original was not political as well, it was just concise and not overburdened by it.
This version is weighed down with the baggage of an attack on the U.S. military’s stance on gays, distrust of the Government, international bioweapons development, environmental conservation, the Patriot Act, infidelity, and seedy journalism. That leaves out the questionable physics of a wormhole, the abilities of the Andromeda strain organism and a conspiracy theory. Oh, and a minor love story too, nearly forgot that.
There are huge plot holes in the storyline because of this expansion and focus on everything but the threat at hand. Add to that ok but not stellar acting (of Braugher, Benjamin Bratt, Rick Schroeder, Viola Davis, Daniel Dae Kim, Christa Miller. Competely useless were Eric McCormack, Ted Whittall, and the other background characters) and you have a watchable but not rewarding mix.
Problems of the movie include the origination of the Andromeda strain in the first place, time continuity, how the strain sample was recovered since it was capable of escaping it’s container, how the radiation in the mechanical shaft did not kill the lead scientist, how the scientist trapped with the released strain survived, why the baby and old man continued to survive, and how the strain took so long to start to spread since buzzards were present immediately after the outbreak, and the intelligence of an organism that is sulfur based without DNA that communicates with parts that are completely seperated.
Plus the cover-up which included the murder of Andre Braugher seems inconsistent and useless since the reporter with all the details escaped. Of course the dig at President Bush and his administration is hard to miss (though little is shown of a better Presidential choice). Also the inevitability of the U.S. Government causing the death of mankind because of a shadow organization seems consistent with the current stance of Hollywood’s anti-military stance.
I could go on, but you get the point.
Like I said the movie is ok. It might have been far better had they stuck to the issue at hand, a mystery disease of extraterrestrial origin. The attacks on non-liberal ideas and Presidents (unless you think the connection of underwater mining being run by the fictional President’s corporate election backers is just coincidental) really just makes the other shortcomings too big and long.
If you want to rejoice in the horrors of global warming I-told-you-so, or paranoia over the government listening to everything you do, I’m sure this is on your must see list along with JFK and Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. Otherwise, skip this unless you are really bored or are stuck in Binghamton New York.
For those unfamiliar, The Andromeda Strain is a book from 1969 and then a movie first done in 1971. It’s a tale of a virus that hits the earth via a meteorite. It devastates an entire remote town in the U.S. and a highly specialized team of scientists is organized to destroy or contain the virus. The only clue that the scientists have to work with is the fact that an old drunk and a baby are the only survivors of a town with a few hundred people.
While that is the basis of the remake there are significant changes. Some are quite good, others not as much. And most of the intensity of the film is destroyed in this 4-hour extended made-for-TV film.
I will note that I hate the current trend of re-visioned movies and programs that an idea starved Hollywood is rife with these days. In almost every re-visioning the effect is a sledgehammer to the original idea, seemingly made by someone who never saw the original and basically just read a Cliff note on the subject in question. This film is not a re-visioning because most of its first 2 hours are true to the original. Beyond that, it starts to deviate.
A&E’s version (AS) isn’t bad, though it’s incredibly too long. They took a 90 minute film and dragged it out as far as it could be taken. And you feel it. Add to this the addition of several storylines that are blatantly obvious in their political underpinnings and you get a story that is reaching for high moral ground and failing to be as entertaining as it could be. That is not to say the original was not political as well, it was just concise and not overburdened by it.
This version is weighed down with the baggage of an attack on the U.S. military’s stance on gays, distrust of the Government, international bioweapons development, environmental conservation, the Patriot Act, infidelity, and seedy journalism. That leaves out the questionable physics of a wormhole, the abilities of the Andromeda strain organism and a conspiracy theory. Oh, and a minor love story too, nearly forgot that.
There are huge plot holes in the storyline because of this expansion and focus on everything but the threat at hand. Add to that ok but not stellar acting (of Braugher, Benjamin Bratt, Rick Schroeder, Viola Davis, Daniel Dae Kim, Christa Miller. Competely useless were Eric McCormack, Ted Whittall, and the other background characters) and you have a watchable but not rewarding mix.
Problems of the movie include the origination of the Andromeda strain in the first place, time continuity, how the strain sample was recovered since it was capable of escaping it’s container, how the radiation in the mechanical shaft did not kill the lead scientist, how the scientist trapped with the released strain survived, why the baby and old man continued to survive, and how the strain took so long to start to spread since buzzards were present immediately after the outbreak, and the intelligence of an organism that is sulfur based without DNA that communicates with parts that are completely seperated.
Plus the cover-up which included the murder of Andre Braugher seems inconsistent and useless since the reporter with all the details escaped. Of course the dig at President Bush and his administration is hard to miss (though little is shown of a better Presidential choice). Also the inevitability of the U.S. Government causing the death of mankind because of a shadow organization seems consistent with the current stance of Hollywood’s anti-military stance.
I could go on, but you get the point.
Like I said the movie is ok. It might have been far better had they stuck to the issue at hand, a mystery disease of extraterrestrial origin. The attacks on non-liberal ideas and Presidents (unless you think the connection of underwater mining being run by the fictional President’s corporate election backers is just coincidental) really just makes the other shortcomings too big and long.
If you want to rejoice in the horrors of global warming I-told-you-so, or paranoia over the government listening to everything you do, I’m sure this is on your must see list along with JFK and Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. Otherwise, skip this unless you are really bored or are stuck in Binghamton New York.
Age of Conan - MMO review
I hope that everyone has enjoyed the Memorial Day holiday that is provided to us by those servicemen and women that have given up their lives for our freedom and comfort. As for me, this year the holiday was marred by news of the death of a friend, and another very good friend’s parent.
But let me not dwell on that. Let me discuss Age of Conan, the massively multiplayer online game (MMO). This is the latest major MMO to come out and was much anticipated. It’s based on the artwork and original storylines of Conan the Barbarian. I don’t mean the movie starring the Guvernator Arnold Schwarzenegger, but the original source that inspired the movies.
Like the source material the game is for adults, and very dark. When I say adult I mean just that. Bare breasted NPC characters and decapitating foes in battle are just a few of the things that make this game not suitable for kids. So don’t say you weren’t warned if you let your kids into the game.
Now I’m running the game on a modified older computer. With 2.5 RAM, and a Raedon 1600 Pro video card this is not the fastest computer out there. If you have similar configurations expect to drop several of the video options below the low default setting to garner a framerate of 10 -15 on average. And that’s with a cable connection.
But the graphics are very good even at this setting. And you can fight without much difficulty; though in an area with 5 or more characters fighting, expect to have problems.
The sound quality is nice. Though the voice track for quest givers really can’t be heard unless you max your volume, but then the background music will be staggering when you’re done. Other than this glitch the sound is good and not distracting from the game.
But how is the gameplay?
Addicting, like most good MMO’s. Conan starts you off with a simple storyline of a slave surviving a shipwreck and losing most of your memory and skills. The basic movements are straightforward, and reminiscent of all MMO’s. The GUI is similar to WoW and others in that the main skills are on the bottom of your screen. All the HUD boxes are of decent enough size to be seen and used but not obtrusive. There is no side skill bars but that really isn’t important (at least as far as level 25 that I can speak of).
One of the first major differences you will notice is that there are 3 directional buttons between the ability and fighting combo buttons in the skill bar. They are important and vital. Unlike any other MMO fighting is not just mashing button but it’s also about selecting direction of attack. Thus the arrows. And it makes a difference.
When facing an opponent you will be faced with shields surrounding the target. The more shields, the less damage and vise versa. Depending on your foe, and the level they have, as the battle goes on the shields shift – thus necessitating different combo attacks and style. Several targets will have similar styles in this defense, but the early game is pretty easy to lean and obvious. Questing and searching is easy enough, as is gaining new abilities and skills. Feats become available at level 10, and I’ll discuss that later.
The tutorial for the game is essentially the beginning section of the game. In this part you will be alone in the world during the daytime. You will have a NPC companion, but don’t count on her to do anything for you; she’s only there for looks at this point. Still you should have little difficulty getting through this section if you’ve played a MMO before. If you haven’t expect a couple of deaths before you get the hang of it. I doubt if it would take more than 5 unless you try to go Rambo about it.
Once this section is finished you will enter the game world, sort of. You will enter an area (at level 5, possibly 6 if you get lucky) that is the staging area for your character. A small island that you cannot escape (sort of) until you reach about level 20 is you are strictly soloing (which most seem to be doing). There are several fetch quests here, and more than a few kill X number of this guy quests. Leveling goes pretty fast up to about level 15.
One thing that is of note is that quests provide better experience than power killing in my opinion. In fact it’s hard to camp an area, though respawns are even-paced. There just are too many people in the zone to let you really hold a spot. And since the main quest areas are not instanced, be careful running too far into an area that seems extra empty. You may find that the respawns will set you beyond your capabilities quickly. And don’t expect a lot of help from passerbyers, most will leave you to your circumstances (and more than a few I noticed used my impending death to help them capture quest items).
I believe you have an option to skip the main portion of your progression in the staging area, called Tortage Island, but I have yet to take this option. And as I mentioned above this is not the main game, because you will need to pursue the night time option to advance your characters path off the island. And when you get to the end of that path, you will be given the option to go to the final stage. This is an instance, and enemies will not respawn (except in one section). But once you enter this stage there is no retreat. Any unfinished quests are unavailable, as is returning to the daytime zone, so keep that in mind.
Once this path is done you will be transported to the appropriate zone based on your nationality picked in character creation. In each you will find a few easy fetch quests, as well as several that will require you to travel to several zones far away. And at about 20 you can start to collect resources to be used for eventual crafting (which is only available at level 40+).
So what are the problems? Benefits?
There are many minor problems on the game. It’s very easy to flip or delete the directional arrows in the middle of a battle. That can be very problematic. The skill bar has plenty of space for the beginning levels, but could use more space after level 20ish. The trader is inaccessible, in Stygia at least. The bank is nowhere to be found. There are no guides to pint you towards any critical area (like a trainer or bank) though they do usually show up on the map – usually. The gem cutter crafter does not work if you don’t have gems in hand (hold onto the early gems you receive if this interests you). Space in your inventory is highly limited – just one bag – and I have yet to see an extra bag anywhere. All the weaving trainers are broken except for the one in Portia which is buggy.
A bigger problem is the feats tree and armor/weapon upgrades. At level 10 you get a feat tree with several options. Some are general and some are class specific. You may note that there are effects mentioned in feat descriptions, but you can’t find out information on them. There are really incomplete answers on the feats as well.
This works hand in hand with the gear. There is no explanation of what is better a high quality low level item or a higher level low quality item. In fact there is no way to really see the difference in one item or another. Armor for example tells you nothing about its total damage it will absorb. Just that it has X additional benefits. So a high quality low level item, like a blue (high quality) chest plate, may or may not be equal or worse than a white or green (low quality) item 2x it’s level. The weapons are a bit more descriptive since they give damage output, but it’s still not overly clear.
The game manual that came with the game is very light on information. The same can be said of the in-game manual. And the chat box channels are odd to me.
Now with these annoying problems you might think I find the game unappealing. That would be untrue. I have played one character to level 25, 7, 5, and 5. I enjoy several of the areas, except the Purple swamp which is just too dark to be real useful for anything.
Overall it’s a good MMO, but it’s not WoW. But also unlike WoW it’s not overly crowded anywhere.
Is this better than Vanguard, yes. Better than Pirates, absolutely! Does it beat Lord of the Rings, yes. Will you enjoy the game and feel good about the money you spent – so far I have to say yes. Hopefully some of the bugs I mentioned, and a couple of broken quests, will all be fixed soon. The game is less than a month old so may fixes are bound to be on the horizon.
I say it’s worth the time you will invest in it. Now how I feel in 3 months is another question. Especially when Warhammer is be out about then. So we will see.
But let me not dwell on that. Let me discuss Age of Conan, the massively multiplayer online game (MMO). This is the latest major MMO to come out and was much anticipated. It’s based on the artwork and original storylines of Conan the Barbarian. I don’t mean the movie starring the Guvernator Arnold Schwarzenegger, but the original source that inspired the movies.
Like the source material the game is for adults, and very dark. When I say adult I mean just that. Bare breasted NPC characters and decapitating foes in battle are just a few of the things that make this game not suitable for kids. So don’t say you weren’t warned if you let your kids into the game.
Now I’m running the game on a modified older computer. With 2.5 RAM, and a Raedon 1600 Pro video card this is not the fastest computer out there. If you have similar configurations expect to drop several of the video options below the low default setting to garner a framerate of 10 -15 on average. And that’s with a cable connection.
But the graphics are very good even at this setting. And you can fight without much difficulty; though in an area with 5 or more characters fighting, expect to have problems.
The sound quality is nice. Though the voice track for quest givers really can’t be heard unless you max your volume, but then the background music will be staggering when you’re done. Other than this glitch the sound is good and not distracting from the game.
But how is the gameplay?
Addicting, like most good MMO’s. Conan starts you off with a simple storyline of a slave surviving a shipwreck and losing most of your memory and skills. The basic movements are straightforward, and reminiscent of all MMO’s. The GUI is similar to WoW and others in that the main skills are on the bottom of your screen. All the HUD boxes are of decent enough size to be seen and used but not obtrusive. There is no side skill bars but that really isn’t important (at least as far as level 25 that I can speak of).
One of the first major differences you will notice is that there are 3 directional buttons between the ability and fighting combo buttons in the skill bar. They are important and vital. Unlike any other MMO fighting is not just mashing button but it’s also about selecting direction of attack. Thus the arrows. And it makes a difference.
When facing an opponent you will be faced with shields surrounding the target. The more shields, the less damage and vise versa. Depending on your foe, and the level they have, as the battle goes on the shields shift – thus necessitating different combo attacks and style. Several targets will have similar styles in this defense, but the early game is pretty easy to lean and obvious. Questing and searching is easy enough, as is gaining new abilities and skills. Feats become available at level 10, and I’ll discuss that later.
The tutorial for the game is essentially the beginning section of the game. In this part you will be alone in the world during the daytime. You will have a NPC companion, but don’t count on her to do anything for you; she’s only there for looks at this point. Still you should have little difficulty getting through this section if you’ve played a MMO before. If you haven’t expect a couple of deaths before you get the hang of it. I doubt if it would take more than 5 unless you try to go Rambo about it.
Once this section is finished you will enter the game world, sort of. You will enter an area (at level 5, possibly 6 if you get lucky) that is the staging area for your character. A small island that you cannot escape (sort of) until you reach about level 20 is you are strictly soloing (which most seem to be doing). There are several fetch quests here, and more than a few kill X number of this guy quests. Leveling goes pretty fast up to about level 15.
One thing that is of note is that quests provide better experience than power killing in my opinion. In fact it’s hard to camp an area, though respawns are even-paced. There just are too many people in the zone to let you really hold a spot. And since the main quest areas are not instanced, be careful running too far into an area that seems extra empty. You may find that the respawns will set you beyond your capabilities quickly. And don’t expect a lot of help from passerbyers, most will leave you to your circumstances (and more than a few I noticed used my impending death to help them capture quest items).
I believe you have an option to skip the main portion of your progression in the staging area, called Tortage Island, but I have yet to take this option. And as I mentioned above this is not the main game, because you will need to pursue the night time option to advance your characters path off the island. And when you get to the end of that path, you will be given the option to go to the final stage. This is an instance, and enemies will not respawn (except in one section). But once you enter this stage there is no retreat. Any unfinished quests are unavailable, as is returning to the daytime zone, so keep that in mind.
Once this path is done you will be transported to the appropriate zone based on your nationality picked in character creation. In each you will find a few easy fetch quests, as well as several that will require you to travel to several zones far away. And at about 20 you can start to collect resources to be used for eventual crafting (which is only available at level 40+).
So what are the problems? Benefits?
There are many minor problems on the game. It’s very easy to flip or delete the directional arrows in the middle of a battle. That can be very problematic. The skill bar has plenty of space for the beginning levels, but could use more space after level 20ish. The trader is inaccessible, in Stygia at least. The bank is nowhere to be found. There are no guides to pint you towards any critical area (like a trainer or bank) though they do usually show up on the map – usually. The gem cutter crafter does not work if you don’t have gems in hand (hold onto the early gems you receive if this interests you). Space in your inventory is highly limited – just one bag – and I have yet to see an extra bag anywhere. All the weaving trainers are broken except for the one in Portia which is buggy.
A bigger problem is the feats tree and armor/weapon upgrades. At level 10 you get a feat tree with several options. Some are general and some are class specific. You may note that there are effects mentioned in feat descriptions, but you can’t find out information on them. There are really incomplete answers on the feats as well.
This works hand in hand with the gear. There is no explanation of what is better a high quality low level item or a higher level low quality item. In fact there is no way to really see the difference in one item or another. Armor for example tells you nothing about its total damage it will absorb. Just that it has X additional benefits. So a high quality low level item, like a blue (high quality) chest plate, may or may not be equal or worse than a white or green (low quality) item 2x it’s level. The weapons are a bit more descriptive since they give damage output, but it’s still not overly clear.
The game manual that came with the game is very light on information. The same can be said of the in-game manual. And the chat box channels are odd to me.
Now with these annoying problems you might think I find the game unappealing. That would be untrue. I have played one character to level 25, 7, 5, and 5. I enjoy several of the areas, except the Purple swamp which is just too dark to be real useful for anything.
Overall it’s a good MMO, but it’s not WoW. But also unlike WoW it’s not overly crowded anywhere.
Is this better than Vanguard, yes. Better than Pirates, absolutely! Does it beat Lord of the Rings, yes. Will you enjoy the game and feel good about the money you spent – so far I have to say yes. Hopefully some of the bugs I mentioned, and a couple of broken quests, will all be fixed soon. The game is less than a month old so may fixes are bound to be on the horizon.
I say it’s worth the time you will invest in it. Now how I feel in 3 months is another question. Especially when Warhammer is be out about then. So we will see.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Reactions to Spike Lee on Iwo Jima
Now a few of you may have been wondering why I have been quiet of late. Well the first reason is that I had a cracked tooth, that I finally went and got removed. Thankfully it was in the back of my mouth. The other reason is far more important. I was waiting. Waiting for what? The comments in response to Spike Lee.
Spike Lee recently commented, correctly, that in the multiple movies discussing WWII virtually none (and definitely none that come to mind for me) include even a background scene that includes a single African American.
This is a fact, as is the reality that many Black men fought at Iwo Jima, along with over in Europe and the Pacific throughout all of WWII. Oh, let me correct myself. There were a couple of movies documenting the attack on Pearl Harbor that had one Black man, a cook and Naval hero. But those movies just had him.
Amazingly, if you were to go by movies that involve WWII, you would find few that ever acknowledge African Americans in any war in America. Yet we have been in every conflict and war that America has ever had including the American Revolution. And there were many in WWII – just ask any bomber crew that was escorted by the Tuskegee Airmen (the only fighter escort to my knowledge to have never lost a single Bomber).
So when Spike Lee brings up this fact, that other Black figures mentioned when the movies came out, what kind of response do you expect? How will everyone react to the honest facts of the sacrifices African Americans made alongside White?
and of course the reaction by Clint Eastwood himself.
So in every version of this story I see a couple of common threads. One is that Spike is after money and publicity. It’s true that he is presenting his movie about the all black army unit in Italy right now. Of course this will affect the movies ability to make money. But it’s also true that in the past many African Americans have made comment about the portrayal of Blacks in EVERY conflict America has ever engaged in. The news just wasn’t covered, but in this case they had too since it relates to a film that is in Cannes now, and the world media is coverung his comments too.
Another common thought is racism. Either Clint Eastwood, Spike Lee, or both are racist for what they did and said. Such are the comments of others. I in fact believe neither is racist, though the issue is racial. There were 900 African Americans in the battle at Iwo Jima. That may not be many compared to the total, but it is enough to portray at least one or two somewhere in the background of a battle scene to pay some tribute to the lives lost in WWII by men who could not ride in the front seat of a bus back home.
Acknowledgement does not have to have a starring role, but it does have involvement. That’s not racist, just racial and true.
Of course there are those that want to lump any film made by a Black director into the themes attributed to Spike Lee. It’s part of the expression of anger I see in the comments and reporting. It comes off as ?‘How dare you point out that the media and America in general, have completely ignored African Americans defending the nation. Don’t you know that you aren’t supposed to exist – you have seen Friends, Will & Grace, Cheers, Dallas, and so on. Just be quiet and leave things alone, and we’ll let you have the Moesha, Sanford & Son, Cosby Show. Now be quiet.’
How about this. Black Americans have actively helped to build this nation at every turn. From the early plantations, buildings, and roads built by slaves, to every war and conflict, thru segregations and up to today African Americans have been involved with the growth of America. In fact I believe that it can be said that without Blacks America would not exist as it does today, if at all. So a little acknowledgement seems like a small thing to receive. Especially for those that fought for the freedoms they knew they would not receive but hoped their children might.
But according to the need to make these comments an attack, or by the comments seeking to find justification it saeems that acknolwedgement is too much. America just can’t accept Blacks history in America. Not the true full history anyway.
Kind of makes you wonder about Senator Obama’s chances doesn’t it. Makes you wonder about a lot of things, I hope. And once you are done thinking, what will you do next?
Spike Lee recently commented, correctly, that in the multiple movies discussing WWII virtually none (and definitely none that come to mind for me) include even a background scene that includes a single African American.
"Clint Eastwood made two films about Iwo Jima that ran for more than four hours total, and there was not one Negro actor on the screen”
This is a fact, as is the reality that many Black men fought at Iwo Jima, along with over in Europe and the Pacific throughout all of WWII. Oh, let me correct myself. There were a couple of movies documenting the attack on Pearl Harbor that had one Black man, a cook and Naval hero. But those movies just had him.
Amazingly, if you were to go by movies that involve WWII, you would find few that ever acknowledge African Americans in any war in America. Yet we have been in every conflict and war that America has ever had including the American Revolution. And there were many in WWII – just ask any bomber crew that was escorted by the Tuskegee Airmen (the only fighter escort to my knowledge to have never lost a single Bomber).
So when Spike Lee brings up this fact, that other Black figures mentioned when the movies came out, what kind of response do you expect? How will everyone react to the honest facts of the sacrifices African Americans made alongside White?
Spike Lee courts controversy by criticizing Clint Eastwood – title of article in LA Times
“Last time I looked there weren't any blacks in the flag-raising picture. I believe that was due to a policy called segregation which Spike Lee apparently has never heard of…” – comment by John Reece
“Hey Spike, why don't you do a movie about white people?” – comment by techie
“Hey spike, how come "boyz In the Hood" didn't have a single white or hispanic character. there are white people living is south central LA, and hispanics are the majority now, but i didn't see you whine about that. Racists come in all skin colors and you are one, spike lee, and that comes from me, a black man !” – comment by nick
“Undoubtedly, Lee will soon be demanding that one of the flag raisers be portrayed as a black man. Never mind that it was actually five white guys and a Pima Indian.
Maybe we should start complaining about Lee under-representing whites in his movies if he is so concerned about proper proportions.” – E. Burke comment
“Spike Lee launched a bitter attack on Clint Eastwood yesterday, condemning his failure to include a single African-American soldier in his films about the Battle of Iwo Jima.” – Times Online article’s first line
“Eastwood's film is historically acurate, 70,000 US Soldiers landed on Iwo Jima 900 were black, and in all black units. My Father served on the USS Indiana in WWII and told me the only black sailors on board served in the officers mess. Better than being a snipe where my father served.” – comment by Peter Stella
and of course the reaction by Clint Eastwood himself.
“Asked twice by The Times to respond to Lee’s criticism, Eastwood stared out into the audience as the compere refused to accept a question that did not relate to L’Échange. Later, his spokeswoman also declined to comment.”
So in every version of this story I see a couple of common threads. One is that Spike is after money and publicity. It’s true that he is presenting his movie about the all black army unit in Italy right now. Of course this will affect the movies ability to make money. But it’s also true that in the past many African Americans have made comment about the portrayal of Blacks in EVERY conflict America has ever engaged in. The news just wasn’t covered, but in this case they had too since it relates to a film that is in Cannes now, and the world media is coverung his comments too.
Another common thought is racism. Either Clint Eastwood, Spike Lee, or both are racist for what they did and said. Such are the comments of others. I in fact believe neither is racist, though the issue is racial. There were 900 African Americans in the battle at Iwo Jima. That may not be many compared to the total, but it is enough to portray at least one or two somewhere in the background of a battle scene to pay some tribute to the lives lost in WWII by men who could not ride in the front seat of a bus back home.
Acknowledgement does not have to have a starring role, but it does have involvement. That’s not racist, just racial and true.
Of course there are those that want to lump any film made by a Black director into the themes attributed to Spike Lee. It’s part of the expression of anger I see in the comments and reporting. It comes off as ?‘How dare you point out that the media and America in general, have completely ignored African Americans defending the nation. Don’t you know that you aren’t supposed to exist – you have seen Friends, Will & Grace, Cheers, Dallas, and so on. Just be quiet and leave things alone, and we’ll let you have the Moesha, Sanford & Son, Cosby Show. Now be quiet.’
How about this. Black Americans have actively helped to build this nation at every turn. From the early plantations, buildings, and roads built by slaves, to every war and conflict, thru segregations and up to today African Americans have been involved with the growth of America. In fact I believe that it can be said that without Blacks America would not exist as it does today, if at all. So a little acknowledgement seems like a small thing to receive. Especially for those that fought for the freedoms they knew they would not receive but hoped their children might.
But according to the need to make these comments an attack, or by the comments seeking to find justification it saeems that acknolwedgement is too much. America just can’t accept Blacks history in America. Not the true full history anyway.
Kind of makes you wonder about Senator Obama’s chances doesn’t it. Makes you wonder about a lot of things, I hope. And once you are done thinking, what will you do next?
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Woodworking for Wii
In America one of the biggest concerns that few are speaking about is the loss of creativity in our students. Cutbacks in school funding across the nation has caused the end of band, art and shop programs. Add to this failure to stimulate the minds and hands of our youth the invasive predominance to play video games over other social or creative activities and the future innovators in America look scares and bleak.
Of course this is hardly an event that is isolated to America alone. Across Europe and in England similar combinations of obsessive game play and re-orienting of curricular schedules is becoming the norm, though in far lesser degrees. But unlike in America some educators and creative competitions are not giving up the ghost yet.
This is something that I think we need to pay attention to. One of the best solutions I’ve heard in some time hails from Britain. It is a combination of providing the youth with a creative spirit and feeding their need to be digital.
In Neath and Port Talbot there is the Fitchett and Woollacott Student Woodworking Competition. This competition is open to teenagers from 11 to 18 that have made woodworking projects.
Teachers are able to submit the handicraft of the labor of these nimble minds, and the students are the one that can gain the double bonus of winning. The winners’ school will be the recipient of specialized woodworking tools to further enhance their creative outlet, and those of future generations. But that is not the only prize. The winning students will also gain something as grand as being acknowledged for their efforts. They stand to win a popular and oh so must have iPod or Wii gaming console.
I love this idea. The children are getting what they want while gaining something far more important and life changing in the process. This is the kind of stimulus our children in America need. It’s the kind of education that America must have, and in a decade or less will be screaming for. So let’s be proactive.
No Child Left Behind is a failure. Rote memorization is fantastic for zombies and robots, but does nothing for the inventive spirit that has led America to lead the world in technology and economics, to say nothing of freedom. Britain has given America many things over the years, from items to intangible ideas. I think this idea is just one more that I feel we need to integrate.
Do you agree? Is this the kind of education you want your child to get? Or can you improve on the Brits?
Of course this is hardly an event that is isolated to America alone. Across Europe and in England similar combinations of obsessive game play and re-orienting of curricular schedules is becoming the norm, though in far lesser degrees. But unlike in America some educators and creative competitions are not giving up the ghost yet.
This is something that I think we need to pay attention to. One of the best solutions I’ve heard in some time hails from Britain. It is a combination of providing the youth with a creative spirit and feeding their need to be digital.
In Neath and Port Talbot there is the Fitchett and Woollacott Student Woodworking Competition. This competition is open to teenagers from 11 to 18 that have made woodworking projects.
Teachers are able to submit the handicraft of the labor of these nimble minds, and the students are the one that can gain the double bonus of winning. The winners’ school will be the recipient of specialized woodworking tools to further enhance their creative outlet, and those of future generations. But that is not the only prize. The winning students will also gain something as grand as being acknowledged for their efforts. They stand to win a popular and oh so must have iPod or Wii gaming console.
I love this idea. The children are getting what they want while gaining something far more important and life changing in the process. This is the kind of stimulus our children in America need. It’s the kind of education that America must have, and in a decade or less will be screaming for. So let’s be proactive.
No Child Left Behind is a failure. Rote memorization is fantastic for zombies and robots, but does nothing for the inventive spirit that has led America to lead the world in technology and economics, to say nothing of freedom. Britain has given America many things over the years, from items to intangible ideas. I think this idea is just one more that I feel we need to integrate.
Do you agree? Is this the kind of education you want your child to get? Or can you improve on the Brits?
Monday, May 19, 2008
Philadelphia: Justice for 1 in 5 fair for police
So here is a key thing to consider when it comes to how law enforcement in America reacts to a blatant and violent reaction caught on tape. In Philadelphia there were 19 police officers involved in an attack against 3 Black men. I spoke about this here Police overkill: not a movie, Philadelphia
Now I have long said that this is more than an isolated event. I have mentioned that this is a national policy, in at least that under duress the rules are bendable. And I noted that the offenders tend to be forgiven or barely touched by their actions. That is exactly what I perceive to be happening now.
Of all the officers involved, 4 will get fired. Additionally 1 will be demoted and 3 will be suspended. That’s it.
Look at the video in my previous post. Of all the officers involved I see none that are trying to stop any of the police brutality that occurred. Not a single police officer is being stopped as they kick and beat on the 3 men lying on the ground and surrounded by multiple officers each. In what way are they not complicit?
If I were to stand by and watch several African Americans beat a White American and it was video taped, I would be charged with conspiracy to commit a crime. I would be attacked by the media for not doing something to stop the obvious violence and overkill occurring. Yet officers of the law are not held to that same standard. Why?
But there is something else that is happening, and it is as critical as the actions of the police. It’s the reporting and words’ being used to describe what has happened.
On Yahoo you can read this statement right now
That sentence, the last in the article, is powerful. It implies that the manhunt for the criminal that killed an officer involved these men. That their actions were motivated by the belief these men were involved in that shooting in some way. That is the only purpose of this sentence. Especially since earlier in the article is clearly states that the police alleged these men were suspects in an unrelated shooting, which occurred the same night as the video.
That last statement, that I have heard cable news reporter repeat in some form, is the beginning of a defense of any potential charges on the officers. It is the seed of a subliminal excuse for all that read this. And it will become more prominent as the case moves forward. This always happens.
Is it a big deal? Yes, because a potential jury will hear this defense of the officers perhaps dozens of times. The fact that credible authorities, major media of multiple formats, have said this over and over means it must be true. Because anything the media says is thought to always be true. And this is the thought process being embedded. This is one reason that a jury could find Rodney King’s assailants innocent of any charge. It’s why the Sean Bell murderers were found innocent, thought the official police story on events changed dramatically.
Add to that the fact that the major media is trying very hard to prevent the average person from connecting how law enforcement acts on a regular basis. At least once every year the national media reports on an event where police officers use unwarranted extreme violence against African Americans – usually males. That’s at least once a year for probably decades now. But they are unconnected. And it’s never racial.
I feel that is a lie. It’s racial because it’s something that happens to only people of color. You have never heard of, nor has it ever happened that, a White male was shot 20, 30, 40, 50+ times in front of their home. You have never heard, or seen 5 or 10 or 15 officers beating on subdued White suspects. Because of this it is racial. And it’s connected.
We need to break this mindset in the law enforcement of this nation. We need to remove the permissive environment that exists allowing people of color to be victims of acts that would never be tolerated if done to White Americans. The statue of Justice is said to be blindfolded because Justice has no bias, But the more I pay attention I tend to believe she is blindfolded to not see the abuse and injustice being enacted in this nation – just as she remained blind to slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, and the various disparities found in inner cities as opposed to everywhere else.
Now I have long said that this is more than an isolated event. I have mentioned that this is a national policy, in at least that under duress the rules are bendable. And I noted that the offenders tend to be forgiven or barely touched by their actions. That is exactly what I perceive to be happening now.
Of all the officers involved, 4 will get fired. Additionally 1 will be demoted and 3 will be suspended. That’s it.
Look at the video in my previous post. Of all the officers involved I see none that are trying to stop any of the police brutality that occurred. Not a single police officer is being stopped as they kick and beat on the 3 men lying on the ground and surrounded by multiple officers each. In what way are they not complicit?
If I were to stand by and watch several African Americans beat a White American and it was video taped, I would be charged with conspiracy to commit a crime. I would be attacked by the media for not doing something to stop the obvious violence and overkill occurring. Yet officers of the law are not held to that same standard. Why?
But there is something else that is happening, and it is as critical as the actions of the police. It’s the reporting and words’ being used to describe what has happened.
On Yahoo you can read this statement right now
“The beating occurred at the same time police were conducting an intense manhunt for a suspect in the slaying two days earlier of Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, but Ramsey said Monday that there was no indication that any of the officers thought the suspect was among the three men in the car.”
That sentence, the last in the article, is powerful. It implies that the manhunt for the criminal that killed an officer involved these men. That their actions were motivated by the belief these men were involved in that shooting in some way. That is the only purpose of this sentence. Especially since earlier in the article is clearly states that the police alleged these men were suspects in an unrelated shooting, which occurred the same night as the video.
That last statement, that I have heard cable news reporter repeat in some form, is the beginning of a defense of any potential charges on the officers. It is the seed of a subliminal excuse for all that read this. And it will become more prominent as the case moves forward. This always happens.
Is it a big deal? Yes, because a potential jury will hear this defense of the officers perhaps dozens of times. The fact that credible authorities, major media of multiple formats, have said this over and over means it must be true. Because anything the media says is thought to always be true. And this is the thought process being embedded. This is one reason that a jury could find Rodney King’s assailants innocent of any charge. It’s why the Sean Bell murderers were found innocent, thought the official police story on events changed dramatically.
Add to that the fact that the major media is trying very hard to prevent the average person from connecting how law enforcement acts on a regular basis. At least once every year the national media reports on an event where police officers use unwarranted extreme violence against African Americans – usually males. That’s at least once a year for probably decades now. But they are unconnected. And it’s never racial.
I feel that is a lie. It’s racial because it’s something that happens to only people of color. You have never heard of, nor has it ever happened that, a White male was shot 20, 30, 40, 50+ times in front of their home. You have never heard, or seen 5 or 10 or 15 officers beating on subdued White suspects. Because of this it is racial. And it’s connected.
We need to break this mindset in the law enforcement of this nation. We need to remove the permissive environment that exists allowing people of color to be victims of acts that would never be tolerated if done to White Americans. The statue of Justice is said to be blindfolded because Justice has no bias, But the more I pay attention I tend to believe she is blindfolded to not see the abuse and injustice being enacted in this nation – just as she remained blind to slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, and the various disparities found in inner cities as opposed to everywhere else.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The collectibles in the attic
Everyone knows that stamps and coins are collectibles. Every so often any one of us has looked up an odd coin that we found in a pocket while doing laundry or stuffed in the sofa. Some may go through old letters of a family member when moving from one house to another and thought about looking up this or that stamp. It’s obvious and known that these are potentially valuable items. Baseball cards are perhaps the best know must check items. But there are so many more.
The world has changed in many ways over the last 4 decades alone. Technology has improved and the culture has changed. Thus many items are now considered valuable that once were worthless (or at least to a mom cleaning up a cluttered house). I know that firsthand even way back in the 1980’s when I lost my first comic book collection to my mother’s spring cleaning effort. I won’t even say how much that collection was worth, simply that it included a couple hundred of the earliest Spiderman, X-Men (including #4), Hulk and other issues.
But for the sake of younger more modern collectors I took a look at video games, books, cell phones and the like.
In looking at video games most are older than the current youth generation. In fact I’m sure most kids under 20 probably have never seen the game consoles that play these games. Still I’m sure that in more than a few closets or attics there lies these gems waiting to hit eBay. The best item to find is quite rare, in fact only 26 exist but they are out there. It’s the Nintendo World Championships: Gold Edition, worth at least $10,000 each. This game for the NES console is 18 years old, and in terms of gaming the equal of dinosaurs. But if your mom runs across a gold colored cartridge game, check it out before she throws it out.
Going even further back in time, the equivalent to maybe the first amoebas or protozoa’s, is the Atari 2600. I doubt that most under 30 even have heard of this game console, let alone played on one. But if you are an old gamer like myself, and a bit of a packrat, you may find a dusty copy of Air Raid. Now if you are so lucky as to find this, you may expect to get about $3,500. And this is not the game Air Raider’s, also for the Atari 2600 but nowhere near as rare or valuable. If you have a blue Atari cartridge game, that plays similar to Space Invaders if you have a TV that can play it, then I suggest you investigate it a bit.
Going into a different direction is something I never consider would be worth anything. Children’s picture books. We’ve all had them, we’ve all read them. More than a few of us may have even chewed on them. And if in your family these books have survived from child to child, you may have a windfall. If you can part with them.
There are several dozen books of some value. And it’s understood that many of these books will not be in pristine condition as they are for children (though values for an original in very good or better condition can double its base price). I’ll just mention 3 of my favorites, which I recall reading as a child some 35+ years ago. (My mother must have had excellent taste since each of these is in the top 15, two in the top 10.
The Story of Babar. A great book, first made in 1933. Current value $2,200 to $3,800.
The next 2 are in the top 10 and are favorites of mine. I very distinctly recall reading, and re-reading, the first of the 2:
The 500 Hats Of Bartholomew Cubbins. Made by the genius of children’s books, and memorable – at least to me. Dr. Seuss made an indelible mark on generations, and still counting. That mark is reflected in the value of this book. $3,800 to $6,200.
And my most favored book of childhood (and among my top books as an adult). I can still recite 75% of the entire book, word for word. Sounds odd I suppose, but if you are feeling depressed or stressed try reciting it. You may be surprised by how much you recall and how you feel afterwards. Written by the great Dr. Seuss in 1960. Green Eggs And Ham, $2,800 to $4,800.
Now there are numerous other items that are collectible today. I can’t possible cover them all. From collectible card games, cell phones, DVD’s, miniature figurines (ie. Warhammer 40,000), printers, pocket watches, ties and on.
Suffice to say, the next time you want to throw out that ancient doodad in the attic, check it out first. You may be surprised at what you have.
The world has changed in many ways over the last 4 decades alone. Technology has improved and the culture has changed. Thus many items are now considered valuable that once were worthless (or at least to a mom cleaning up a cluttered house). I know that firsthand even way back in the 1980’s when I lost my first comic book collection to my mother’s spring cleaning effort. I won’t even say how much that collection was worth, simply that it included a couple hundred of the earliest Spiderman, X-Men (including #4), Hulk and other issues.
But for the sake of younger more modern collectors I took a look at video games, books, cell phones and the like.
In looking at video games most are older than the current youth generation. In fact I’m sure most kids under 20 probably have never seen the game consoles that play these games. Still I’m sure that in more than a few closets or attics there lies these gems waiting to hit eBay. The best item to find is quite rare, in fact only 26 exist but they are out there. It’s the Nintendo World Championships: Gold Edition, worth at least $10,000 each. This game for the NES console is 18 years old, and in terms of gaming the equal of dinosaurs. But if your mom runs across a gold colored cartridge game, check it out before she throws it out.
Going even further back in time, the equivalent to maybe the first amoebas or protozoa’s, is the Atari 2600. I doubt that most under 30 even have heard of this game console, let alone played on one. But if you are an old gamer like myself, and a bit of a packrat, you may find a dusty copy of Air Raid. Now if you are so lucky as to find this, you may expect to get about $3,500. And this is not the game Air Raider’s, also for the Atari 2600 but nowhere near as rare or valuable. If you have a blue Atari cartridge game, that plays similar to Space Invaders if you have a TV that can play it, then I suggest you investigate it a bit.
Going into a different direction is something I never consider would be worth anything. Children’s picture books. We’ve all had them, we’ve all read them. More than a few of us may have even chewed on them. And if in your family these books have survived from child to child, you may have a windfall. If you can part with them.
There are several dozen books of some value. And it’s understood that many of these books will not be in pristine condition as they are for children (though values for an original in very good or better condition can double its base price). I’ll just mention 3 of my favorites, which I recall reading as a child some 35+ years ago. (My mother must have had excellent taste since each of these is in the top 15, two in the top 10.
The Story of Babar. A great book, first made in 1933. Current value $2,200 to $3,800.
The next 2 are in the top 10 and are favorites of mine. I very distinctly recall reading, and re-reading, the first of the 2:
The 500 Hats Of Bartholomew Cubbins. Made by the genius of children’s books, and memorable – at least to me. Dr. Seuss made an indelible mark on generations, and still counting. That mark is reflected in the value of this book. $3,800 to $6,200.
And my most favored book of childhood (and among my top books as an adult). I can still recite 75% of the entire book, word for word. Sounds odd I suppose, but if you are feeling depressed or stressed try reciting it. You may be surprised by how much you recall and how you feel afterwards. Written by the great Dr. Seuss in 1960. Green Eggs And Ham, $2,800 to $4,800.
Now there are numerous other items that are collectible today. I can’t possible cover them all. From collectible card games, cell phones, DVD’s, miniature figurines (ie. Warhammer 40,000), printers, pocket watches, ties and on.
Suffice to say, the next time you want to throw out that ancient doodad in the attic, check it out first. You may be surprised at what you have.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Repost: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BARACK
Repost from VASS, my political site. You can also find information on the Presidential race and politics there.
Ok, I saw this in a clip on Fox News coverage of the West Virginia Primary. I knew I wanted to see it in full. Once I saw it I had to provide it for you my readers.
Enjoy, and may the force be with you.
Ok, I saw this in a clip on Fox News coverage of the West Virginia Primary. I knew I wanted to see it in full. Once I saw it I had to provide it for you my readers.
Enjoy, and may the force be with you.
Avoiding Vitamin D may hinder health
With the spring and summer seasons upon us, millions are resupplying their shelves with sunblock and in the process may be increasing their chances of cancer. Surprised? I’m not in principle though the exact danger is different than I thought it might be.
For decades there have been advertisements and various reports that have stated that exposure to the sun is dangerous. Skin cancer is one of the fears many have, and ever so many are concerned about sunburns and getting just the right shade of tan. For all those concerns various degrees of lotions blocking the rays of the sun have been developed. And not a single thought was given to the obvious negative of avoiding what nature provides everyday.
I have to mention the obvious ludicrous nature of all this. Billions are spent every year in trips and lotions and suntan machines to attain a ‘healthy’ color. Essentially every dollar is being spent to go from pale to a shade of black because it’s considered a better look. Yet in America, and other nations, actually being Black – of whatever natural shade - is a negative for many and carries harsh stereotypes. You have to note the absurdity of the situation.
But as I was saying, all these lotions and activities to avoid the natural and life-giving sunlight has the effect of reducing the vitamin D received in our bodies. Few ever considered this to be a danger and international standards view 200 to 600 units of Vitamin D to be sufficient. That is until now.
Health Canada and the Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board are now investigating the link between deficient levels of vitamin D and cancer, heart disease, and multiple sclerosis. It’s already known that increased levels of Vitamin D (below 2000 units) can lead to improved muscle strength, lesser fracture rates and prevention of some types of cancers. But Dr. Michael Holick, professor of medicine at Boston University, feels that most are unaware of what damage may be done in blocking the best and natual source of the essential vitamin.
Some of the key points Dr. Holick has maded in a recent lecture include:
Vitamin D deficiency is more common than previously thought and some groups are at higher risk. Thirty percent to 50 percent of African-Americans are estimated to have low levels of vitamin D because their skin pigment blocks vitamin D production. Obese people tend to sequester vitamin D in their fat so blood levels can be low.
Most of us need 1,000 IU of vitamin D a day; both vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol, which is added to milk) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol, which is found in some supplements) can maintain healthy blood levels.
Vitamin D is crucial for bone health because it allows our bodies to absorb calcium.
Foods are a poor source of vitamin D, but exposure to small amounts of sunlight (5 to 15 minutes) twice a week is enough for most people to make vitamin D.
It would seem that most of us, even African Americans like myself, need to get out in that sunlight a bit more. So the next time you are going out you might want to not use that SPF 500 but instead just go out and let nature take its course. You’ll help keep yourself healthy and get a natural look, all while saving a bit of money. It doesn’t get easier than that.
For decades there have been advertisements and various reports that have stated that exposure to the sun is dangerous. Skin cancer is one of the fears many have, and ever so many are concerned about sunburns and getting just the right shade of tan. For all those concerns various degrees of lotions blocking the rays of the sun have been developed. And not a single thought was given to the obvious negative of avoiding what nature provides everyday.
I have to mention the obvious ludicrous nature of all this. Billions are spent every year in trips and lotions and suntan machines to attain a ‘healthy’ color. Essentially every dollar is being spent to go from pale to a shade of black because it’s considered a better look. Yet in America, and other nations, actually being Black – of whatever natural shade - is a negative for many and carries harsh stereotypes. You have to note the absurdity of the situation.
But as I was saying, all these lotions and activities to avoid the natural and life-giving sunlight has the effect of reducing the vitamin D received in our bodies. Few ever considered this to be a danger and international standards view 200 to 600 units of Vitamin D to be sufficient. That is until now.
Health Canada and the Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board are now investigating the link between deficient levels of vitamin D and cancer, heart disease, and multiple sclerosis. It’s already known that increased levels of Vitamin D (below 2000 units) can lead to improved muscle strength, lesser fracture rates and prevention of some types of cancers. But Dr. Michael Holick, professor of medicine at Boston University, feels that most are unaware of what damage may be done in blocking the best and natual source of the essential vitamin.
Some of the key points Dr. Holick has maded in a recent lecture include:
It would seem that most of us, even African Americans like myself, need to get out in that sunlight a bit more. So the next time you are going out you might want to not use that SPF 500 but instead just go out and let nature take its course. You’ll help keep yourself healthy and get a natural look, all while saving a bit of money. It doesn’t get easier than that.
Toddler power beats drug ring
Criminals these days must deal with many factors, especially if they are involved in drugs. Sniffing dogs, DEA, INTERPOL, detectives, narcotics officers, informants and more are just a few of the hurdles they must outwit or avoid. But for those that can clear all these hurdles, there is one more defender of the law that they have to be prepared for. Toddlers.
Yes toddlers. To be more specific, in England there is 3 year old Kian Parlour, who recently cause an international drug ring to be found and closed. In a somewhat Clouseu-ish act, little Kian was able to do what no one else was.
As it turns out, Kian’s parents were holding onto several packages for their neighbors who were away on a vacation. This is nothing strange as like many neighbors the Parlour’s were doing this and had had it done for them while they were away. But Kian saw the packages stacked in the hallway and decided he needed to see what was inside. Once the packages were opened he presented the prize to his mother, who realized they were drugs and not candy. A quick call to the police and the neighbors’ holiday was at an end.
In total 640,000 pills of diazepam were found, all shipped from Sri Lanka. The neighbors were sentenced to 3 ½ and 2 ½ years individually. And roughly $57,000 worth of drugs were removed from the streets of England. All due to perhaps the youngest sleuth of all.
Yes toddlers. To be more specific, in England there is 3 year old Kian Parlour, who recently cause an international drug ring to be found and closed. In a somewhat Clouseu-ish act, little Kian was able to do what no one else was.
As it turns out, Kian’s parents were holding onto several packages for their neighbors who were away on a vacation. This is nothing strange as like many neighbors the Parlour’s were doing this and had had it done for them while they were away. But Kian saw the packages stacked in the hallway and decided he needed to see what was inside. Once the packages were opened he presented the prize to his mother, who realized they were drugs and not candy. A quick call to the police and the neighbors’ holiday was at an end.
In total 640,000 pills of diazepam were found, all shipped from Sri Lanka. The neighbors were sentenced to 3 ½ and 2 ½ years individually. And roughly $57,000 worth of drugs were removed from the streets of England. All due to perhaps the youngest sleuth of all.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Pregnant? Chocolate may prevent complications
Here is something sure to bring joy to millions of pregnant women across the world, though I’m sure some super fitness freaks will be against it. Research has been done that suggests that chocolate is good for pregnant women. Yes chocolate.
Now this doesn’t mean that every pregnant woman out there should have their man run to the local store and buy out all the candy bars, though I’m sure more than a few will have cravings for such. But if a woman consumes at least 5 servings of chocolate a week, especially dark chocolate, during her 3rd trimester then her odds of getting preeclampsia is 40% less than women that didn’t consume chocolate.
Now this is not perfect data. The research has only been done based on 2,291 women in Sri Lanka. Results in the rest of the world have yet to be investigated, and the study so far is quite small. But every little bit of good is great.
Of course there are other benefits to chocolate besides its potential reduction in preeclampsia cases. It has been found to stimulate the heart, relax smooth muscle and dilate blood vessels. All of these things are positives in and of themselves. There is no question that these effects are positive in most pregnant women. And for the fathers (and everyone else) there is the good news that chocolate, especially dark chocolate has been used to treat chest pain, high blood pressure, and hardening of the arteries.
All that and it works great on a sweet tooth too. Ok, so now all the guys can make that run to the local store.
Now this doesn’t mean that every pregnant woman out there should have their man run to the local store and buy out all the candy bars, though I’m sure more than a few will have cravings for such. But if a woman consumes at least 5 servings of chocolate a week, especially dark chocolate, during her 3rd trimester then her odds of getting preeclampsia is 40% less than women that didn’t consume chocolate.
Now this is not perfect data. The research has only been done based on 2,291 women in Sri Lanka. Results in the rest of the world have yet to be investigated, and the study so far is quite small. But every little bit of good is great.
Of course there are other benefits to chocolate besides its potential reduction in preeclampsia cases. It has been found to stimulate the heart, relax smooth muscle and dilate blood vessels. All of these things are positives in and of themselves. There is no question that these effects are positive in most pregnant women. And for the fathers (and everyone else) there is the good news that chocolate, especially dark chocolate has been used to treat chest pain, high blood pressure, and hardening of the arteries.
All that and it works great on a sweet tooth too. Ok, so now all the guys can make that run to the local store.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Witold Woyda, Olympic champion dead at 68
The fencing world has taken a serious blow today as news is out about the death of Witold Woyda. Mr. Woyda was an Olympic champion competing in 4 Olympics and won a bronze, a silver, as well as 2 gold medals.
While that is a massive feat and worth of praise for any athlete, there is another important fact to consider. Mr. Woyda was only 5’7” and weighed 140 lbs at the time. His use of quickness, superb coordination and aggressive tactics allowed him to take on opponents with superior reach, which normally would provide them with an advantage.
Mr. Woyda’s accomplishments did not end with the 1972 Olympics (where he was a respectively old 33). He earned a law degree from the University of Warsaw, and did graduate work in NYU’s law school for international law. He then went on to become a civil court judge.
Mr. Woyda is survived by a wife, ex-wife, 2 daughters, a step-daughter, and 2 grand-children.
Mr. Woyda was only 68, and died of lung cancer.
While that is a massive feat and worth of praise for any athlete, there is another important fact to consider. Mr. Woyda was only 5’7” and weighed 140 lbs at the time. His use of quickness, superb coordination and aggressive tactics allowed him to take on opponents with superior reach, which normally would provide them with an advantage.
Mr. Woyda’s accomplishments did not end with the 1972 Olympics (where he was a respectively old 33). He earned a law degree from the University of Warsaw, and did graduate work in NYU’s law school for international law. He then went on to become a civil court judge.
Mr. Woyda is survived by a wife, ex-wife, 2 daughters, a step-daughter, and 2 grand-children.
Mr. Woyda was only 68, and died of lung cancer.
The world of trading and collectible cards
The world of trading cards has certainly come along quite a ways since 1887. For many years the only trading cards were the baseball cards that would come with a stick of gum. Fans of one particular team or another would amass huge collections of cards, and mothers across the nation would throw them away every spring cleaning. But a few managed to keep their cards, and grew to value other cards that would complete a collection or detail the career path of a favorite player. From this simple beginning grew the sports trading cards industry in earnest.
And then in the 1990’s a new idea came out that really shook up the industry. Collectible tradable cards. The first in this line of ideas was Magic: The Gathering. The game system featured easy play, in depth strategy, and numerous cards with original artwork that could be combined in numerous ways under dozens of strategies. The game was a hit with kids and adults, outselling many other games of skill and chance.
Adding to the playability and trading of the game is the fact that expansions were designed for the game and individual cards were made with different degrees of rarity. As an example cards such as the extremely rare Black Lotus were printed in scant quantities, while land cards were common and in massive quantities. Thus several dozen cards became quite valuable in the secondary markets, and as expansions were made and some cards discontinued trading became very active.
While other cards systems have come and gone since Magic: The Gathering (MTG) – this one system remains the leader in the market. Other game systems with popularity include games based on cartoon programs – Naruto, Pokemon, Digimon, movies and television shows – Highlander, and various sci fi themes – Net Runner, Doom Trooper, Jyhad, Vampire: The Masquerade and so on.
How popular are some of these cards? Well I can say from my own personal experience of selling some of my own MTG cards on eBay that most cards sell for about $1 each. But I do have cards that have been around almost from the beginning (started my collection back when I broke my leg in a motorcycle accident and had nothing else to do). Several of these individual cards are worth between $5 - $130.
So the next time spring cleaning comes around, and you run into a trading card or two, I suggest you check eBay first. [And if you really are interested you can always check out what I am offering under Mvass68 on eBay.]
And then in the 1990’s a new idea came out that really shook up the industry. Collectible tradable cards. The first in this line of ideas was Magic: The Gathering. The game system featured easy play, in depth strategy, and numerous cards with original artwork that could be combined in numerous ways under dozens of strategies. The game was a hit with kids and adults, outselling many other games of skill and chance.
Adding to the playability and trading of the game is the fact that expansions were designed for the game and individual cards were made with different degrees of rarity. As an example cards such as the extremely rare Black Lotus were printed in scant quantities, while land cards were common and in massive quantities. Thus several dozen cards became quite valuable in the secondary markets, and as expansions were made and some cards discontinued trading became very active.
While other cards systems have come and gone since Magic: The Gathering (MTG) – this one system remains the leader in the market. Other game systems with popularity include games based on cartoon programs – Naruto, Pokemon, Digimon, movies and television shows – Highlander, and various sci fi themes – Net Runner, Doom Trooper, Jyhad, Vampire: The Masquerade and so on.
How popular are some of these cards? Well I can say from my own personal experience of selling some of my own MTG cards on eBay that most cards sell for about $1 each. But I do have cards that have been around almost from the beginning (started my collection back when I broke my leg in a motorcycle accident and had nothing else to do). Several of these individual cards are worth between $5 - $130.
So the next time spring cleaning comes around, and you run into a trading card or two, I suggest you check eBay first. [And if you really are interested you can always check out what I am offering under Mvass68 on eBay.]
Interview with Creation Network owner Mark Lewkowicz
From time to time I like to interview some of the successful people that are involved with entertainment and related industries. In this interview I decided to look closer to home. I chose Mark Lewkowicz, owner of Creation Network. Many of my readers, and anyone who has visited my online store, are familiar with the work Mark does, as he is the graphic artist I use for all my artwork. You can find Mark's website at http://www.creationnetwork.com/
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Broward County, Florida just northwest of Fort Lauderdale. I have lived here for 37 years. I love it.
One question that some of my readers from across the country and world may wonder about is what is it like to live in Florida, since it tend to be hit by Hurricanes often?
I have been in Florida for 37 years and have only been hit by one hurricane. It is a daunting thing, but most anywhere you live you deal with tornadoes, earthquakes, ice storms, sink holes. If I worried about it, I would never get out of bed. The weather and year-round opportunities in Florida far outweigh the risk of hurricane for me.
What was your family like?
My family consists of Mom and Dad and two older sisters. I had a good family life growing up. We had some tough times financially, but as a child I never noticed. Played sports, went camping with the family. I had a lot of great memories growing up.
Was education a focus for your family?
I cannot say that education was a high priority for my family. Good values and hard work were stressed more than education.
How important is education for your kids? What about extra-curricular activities (ie. art, band, acting)?
I have put a bigger impact on education for my two daughters. They are both very talented volleyball players and I believe that they can get a nice scholarship to college. But, you have to keep up your grades. We monitor that very closely.
How did you become an artist?
When I was a child I used to do what a lot of kids did. I drew pictures and was fascinated with comic books. I used to draw super heroes and such. I kept it up and got better and better. When I was in high school, a teach of mine said "What is it that you do well that gives you pleasure." I thought about that long and hard. I truly loved to draw. He said that if you do what you love, the success will come. He let me out of his science class and arranged for me to have special art training with the art teachers. They set up a special program just for me and it turbo-charged my love for art.
Did you go to school or college for design?
Yes I did. I went to a community college for a couple of semesters. Then I realized that I wasn't getting the art training I needed. It felt like 13th grade to me. I was working as a graphic artist at the time for a local newspaper and considered going on full time with them. Instead, I went to the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. There I got intensive art training in several subjects including: life drawing, perspective, photography, art history, marketing and more. I graduated at the top of my class and was ready to put my training to the test.
Do you think everyone should go to college?
People may not like this answer, but I do not think that college is for everyone. I believe that there are talented people who are entrepreneurs that can go right into business and make a fine living. There are many self made people that have never had a formal education. In business, you learn by experience. For some people, the sooner they start, the sooner they are successful.
Is education important or real world experience?
To a certain extent - yes. You need to be educated in order to comprehend. But I believe that if you educate yourself in how to deal with people and communication skills, that is more important. I read "How To Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie and it changed my life.
What did you do after school?
I was promoted to assistant art director at the newspaper I worked with. Soon after that, some of the people at that newspaper left and started another paper nearby. They asked me to be the art director for that paper. I accepted and within 2 years, we became 5 newspapers and a print shop. I ran the whole operation. It was a blast. I was young and working very hard and loved every minute of it.
Why did you start your own company? Why graphic design?
While I was the art director for the newspaper, I was doing freelance work. The freelance work became so lucrative, that I was making more than my salary as the art director. I then came up with a concept to start an agency called Creation Network. I would bring together talented people who could do anything a client needed that has to do with art.
A lot of my readers wonder how difficult owning a business can be. Was your business an instant success?
Not at first. As a matter of fact, at one time I was 2 weeks away from going out of business. I landed a large client and things took off from there. That was over 19 years ago. I still run Creation Network today.
So what kind of graphic design work do you do?
I no longer do full service agency work or media buying. I do strictly graphic design work for people. I do: logos, brochures, package design, ads, mailers, postcards and more. Anything that can be printed, I can design.
What type of clients do you have?
I do not have any large, big name clients. Most of my clients are business people who need one time graphic design work. Some clients are larger and I do artwork for them consistently. I specialize in people who do not have the budget for a large graphic design firm, but need expert graphics at a reasonable price.
What was the most fun graphic you have ever made? The most odd/memorable?
I truly enjoy doing cartoon work. I once drew a robotic crawfish for a robotics company in Louisiana. That was quite unique.
For those that are wondering, where is your office?
I am located in Coral Springs, Florida. I work from home. I have a dedicated office and usually work Monday through Friday 8 AM-4 PM. This allows me to spend a lot of time with my family and come and go as I please.
Since this is an election year, and many feel it's an important election, what are your top concerns for any future president?
I am truly concerned with oil prices and our dependency on oil in general. We need to start tapping into our own natural resources AND alternative resources. I am also concerned with our world wide reputation. We have a lot of repairing to do with our image and how we deal with foreign countries.
How important is the Iraq War to you?
Wow, that is a powerful question. I have been a little removed from that situation. I do not know anyone who has been affected by it directly. I believe that it may be an impossible battle that can never be won. The Iraqi people need to get their own country under control and we need to get out.
I thank Mark for the interview, and I hope it - like all my interviews - will inspire and help all of my readers, their friends, and co-workers.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Broward County, Florida just northwest of Fort Lauderdale. I have lived here for 37 years. I love it.
One question that some of my readers from across the country and world may wonder about is what is it like to live in Florida, since it tend to be hit by Hurricanes often?
I have been in Florida for 37 years and have only been hit by one hurricane. It is a daunting thing, but most anywhere you live you deal with tornadoes, earthquakes, ice storms, sink holes. If I worried about it, I would never get out of bed. The weather and year-round opportunities in Florida far outweigh the risk of hurricane for me.
What was your family like?
My family consists of Mom and Dad and two older sisters. I had a good family life growing up. We had some tough times financially, but as a child I never noticed. Played sports, went camping with the family. I had a lot of great memories growing up.
Was education a focus for your family?
I cannot say that education was a high priority for my family. Good values and hard work were stressed more than education.
How important is education for your kids? What about extra-curricular activities (ie. art, band, acting)?
I have put a bigger impact on education for my two daughters. They are both very talented volleyball players and I believe that they can get a nice scholarship to college. But, you have to keep up your grades. We monitor that very closely.
How did you become an artist?
When I was a child I used to do what a lot of kids did. I drew pictures and was fascinated with comic books. I used to draw super heroes and such. I kept it up and got better and better. When I was in high school, a teach of mine said "What is it that you do well that gives you pleasure." I thought about that long and hard. I truly loved to draw. He said that if you do what you love, the success will come. He let me out of his science class and arranged for me to have special art training with the art teachers. They set up a special program just for me and it turbo-charged my love for art.
Did you go to school or college for design?
Yes I did. I went to a community college for a couple of semesters. Then I realized that I wasn't getting the art training I needed. It felt like 13th grade to me. I was working as a graphic artist at the time for a local newspaper and considered going on full time with them. Instead, I went to the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. There I got intensive art training in several subjects including: life drawing, perspective, photography, art history, marketing and more. I graduated at the top of my class and was ready to put my training to the test.
Do you think everyone should go to college?
People may not like this answer, but I do not think that college is for everyone. I believe that there are talented people who are entrepreneurs that can go right into business and make a fine living. There are many self made people that have never had a formal education. In business, you learn by experience. For some people, the sooner they start, the sooner they are successful.
Is education important or real world experience?
To a certain extent - yes. You need to be educated in order to comprehend. But I believe that if you educate yourself in how to deal with people and communication skills, that is more important. I read "How To Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie and it changed my life.
What did you do after school?
I was promoted to assistant art director at the newspaper I worked with. Soon after that, some of the people at that newspaper left and started another paper nearby. They asked me to be the art director for that paper. I accepted and within 2 years, we became 5 newspapers and a print shop. I ran the whole operation. It was a blast. I was young and working very hard and loved every minute of it.
Why did you start your own company? Why graphic design?
While I was the art director for the newspaper, I was doing freelance work. The freelance work became so lucrative, that I was making more than my salary as the art director. I then came up with a concept to start an agency called Creation Network. I would bring together talented people who could do anything a client needed that has to do with art.
A lot of my readers wonder how difficult owning a business can be. Was your business an instant success?
Not at first. As a matter of fact, at one time I was 2 weeks away from going out of business. I landed a large client and things took off from there. That was over 19 years ago. I still run Creation Network today.
So what kind of graphic design work do you do?
I no longer do full service agency work or media buying. I do strictly graphic design work for people. I do: logos, brochures, package design, ads, mailers, postcards and more. Anything that can be printed, I can design.
What type of clients do you have?
I do not have any large, big name clients. Most of my clients are business people who need one time graphic design work. Some clients are larger and I do artwork for them consistently. I specialize in people who do not have the budget for a large graphic design firm, but need expert graphics at a reasonable price.
What was the most fun graphic you have ever made? The most odd/memorable?
I truly enjoy doing cartoon work. I once drew a robotic crawfish for a robotics company in Louisiana. That was quite unique.
For those that are wondering, where is your office?
I am located in Coral Springs, Florida. I work from home. I have a dedicated office and usually work Monday through Friday 8 AM-4 PM. This allows me to spend a lot of time with my family and come and go as I please.
Since this is an election year, and many feel it's an important election, what are your top concerns for any future president?
I am truly concerned with oil prices and our dependency on oil in general. We need to start tapping into our own natural resources AND alternative resources. I am also concerned with our world wide reputation. We have a lot of repairing to do with our image and how we deal with foreign countries.
How important is the Iraq War to you?
Wow, that is a powerful question. I have been a little removed from that situation. I do not know anyone who has been affected by it directly. I believe that it may be an impossible battle that can never be won. The Iraqi people need to get their own country under control and we need to get out.
I thank Mark for the interview, and I hope it - like all my interviews - will inspire and help all of my readers, their friends, and co-workers.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Try this with an Xbox360 or PS3
Ok, so I got into a Futbol video kick for a bit. There are some really good ones out there. Inparticular there is this one. Now this is going to be a short post.
American kids may have the money and access to a Playstation 3 or an Xbox 360, but I want you to do this one with either system.
‘nuf said.
American kids may have the money and access to a Playstation 3 or an Xbox 360, but I want you to do this one with either system.
‘nuf said.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Introducing the history of Brazil's Golden Age
So I was running thru the web on a few of my more favored subjects when I ran across an interesting article by Zachary Ball, whom I presume is a fan of the Brazilian national futbol (soccer) team. And he has every reason, as do millions across the world, to favor this team above all others in the international arena. Having read the article I have to say that Americans should read this to get a sense of the passion and history of the game that we just can’t play.
Now most Americans are probably more familiar with a few names that are globally renowned. If I mention David Beckham some might think of the L.A. Galaxy – not realizing he is a superstar due to England and Spain performances. Others may recall Ronaldo without connection to his years for Brazil. Very few can identify (some can’t even pronounce) Ronaldinho – one of my favorites in recent years. The boy can play.
But most Americans just don’t get this beautiful game. But if the game were more stylized like the following video, they might watch a minute or so
Sadly they miss the real beauty in the game and the rich history that exists. And it’s that rich history that Mr. Ball reflects on. The fact that Brazil is the best in international soccer and that they have been for far longer than most remember. For longer than most any other nation in the world.
Instead of discussing the current greats of the game, or even focusing on just the stars, Mr. Ball goes into the history of the team and their Golden Age. Starting with the birth of international futbol and leading up to “three greatest minutes in the history of futbol” and then on to legends including Pele, Hilderaldo Bellini, Valdir Pereira, Jair Ventura Filho, Carlos Alberto up to 1970. He provides the reason why this nation has won more World Cups than any other nation, and in fact several combined.
For those that follow futbol, it’s a wonderful summary of the greatest sport on earth. To those that are unfamiliar (that means Americans) it’s a wonderful introduction and an introduction to some of the greatest names known in the world.
Let me finish with this. Mr. Ball, you did well. [article found at http://bleacherreport.com/articles/21523-The-Golden-Age-of-Brazilian-Futbol-1958-1970-050508]
Now most Americans are probably more familiar with a few names that are globally renowned. If I mention David Beckham some might think of the L.A. Galaxy – not realizing he is a superstar due to England and Spain performances. Others may recall Ronaldo without connection to his years for Brazil. Very few can identify (some can’t even pronounce) Ronaldinho – one of my favorites in recent years. The boy can play.
But most Americans just don’t get this beautiful game. But if the game were more stylized like the following video, they might watch a minute or so
Sadly they miss the real beauty in the game and the rich history that exists. And it’s that rich history that Mr. Ball reflects on. The fact that Brazil is the best in international soccer and that they have been for far longer than most remember. For longer than most any other nation in the world.
Instead of discussing the current greats of the game, or even focusing on just the stars, Mr. Ball goes into the history of the team and their Golden Age. Starting with the birth of international futbol and leading up to “three greatest minutes in the history of futbol” and then on to legends including Pele, Hilderaldo Bellini, Valdir Pereira, Jair Ventura Filho, Carlos Alberto up to 1970. He provides the reason why this nation has won more World Cups than any other nation, and in fact several combined.
For those that follow futbol, it’s a wonderful summary of the greatest sport on earth. To those that are unfamiliar (that means Americans) it’s a wonderful introduction and an introduction to some of the greatest names known in the world.
Let me finish with this. Mr. Ball, you did well. [article found at http://bleacherreport.com/articles/21523-The-Golden-Age-of-Brazilian-Futbol-1958-1970-050508]
Thought for the new motorcycle converts
With the warmer weather hitting the nation, the seasonal flux of new and occasional motorcycle riders is in stride. But in this year a new trend is also coming to fore. New motorcycle riders that converted from cars, trucks and SUV’s due to the increased cost of gas. Already record numbers of motorcycles are hitting the roads.
This says nothing of places like California, Texas, the mid-west, and other locations around the nation with pleasant weather conditions and good roads. Considering that gasoline will continue higher, with some pundits targeting a top price of $7 per gallon by next year, converts to motorcycles may become a trend of unforeseen levels.
But that isn’t entirely a good thing.
As a former rider myself, one thing is consistent in every state of the nation. Drivers in cars and other 4-wheel vehicles are as much, if not more, dangerous to those on 2 wheels as every other issue combined. So for all those new motorcycle riders I want to mention a couple of things to keep in mind.
Car drivers tend to change lanes and make turns without ever using blinkers or hand signals. It’s one of the bigger problems. They just turn and assume everyone will know what they are doing. They don’t take into account the stopping distance of a motorcycle, nor the potential danger in having to serve out of the way.
Car drivers don’t look for or recognize motorcycles. It’s almost like you are invisible. I can recall a couple of times when a guy with his wife and kids drove up along side me on a highway in the same lane. I was on the left side of the lane to avoid the oil on the highway, and to allow drivers ahead of me the ability to see me in their mirror. I wasn’t turning or swerving in the lane. So he thought the extra space was just meant for him to drive along side me, maybe a foot way. My comments changed his mind, thankfully, but had anything had caused my bike to move over I’d have been the one hurt.
Infrequent rain in some areas brings up lots of oil on the road. This happens a lot in California, especially in the Los Angeles area. The first rains of the spring/summer season brings up lots of oil from the traffic and makes for slicker roads, especially if you are in the center of the lane.
Car drivers invariably never get your speed right. As such they will turn or cross in front of you, or pull out, just in time to hit you or cause you to swerve. See the change lanes section above.
So if you are a new motorcycle driver I would suggest getting lessons. Take a defensive driving course. Wear bright reflective clothing. Keep an eye out on what cars ahead of you are doing, not just the one in front of you but 2 or 3 cars up.
Given these things I’m sure you will love the freedom and virtual feeling of flying that a motorcycle provides even more than the gas you will save. Just drive safe and please don’t try to impress anyone on the road.
As I was once told by an older biker named Preacher out by Fallbrook California,
And I’m sure other experienced motorcyclists out there have a few thoughts and tips for new drivers as well. Please leave a comment to help the newbies out. It’s one road out there and we all can enjoy it together.
“Motorcycle registrations in Minnesota are at an all time high, up 89% in the last 10 years. Local instructors have had to double motorcycle training courses to accommodate the increase.”
This says nothing of places like California, Texas, the mid-west, and other locations around the nation with pleasant weather conditions and good roads. Considering that gasoline will continue higher, with some pundits targeting a top price of $7 per gallon by next year, converts to motorcycles may become a trend of unforeseen levels.
But that isn’t entirely a good thing.
As a former rider myself, one thing is consistent in every state of the nation. Drivers in cars and other 4-wheel vehicles are as much, if not more, dangerous to those on 2 wheels as every other issue combined. So for all those new motorcycle riders I want to mention a couple of things to keep in mind.
Car drivers tend to change lanes and make turns without ever using blinkers or hand signals. It’s one of the bigger problems. They just turn and assume everyone will know what they are doing. They don’t take into account the stopping distance of a motorcycle, nor the potential danger in having to serve out of the way.
Car drivers don’t look for or recognize motorcycles. It’s almost like you are invisible. I can recall a couple of times when a guy with his wife and kids drove up along side me on a highway in the same lane. I was on the left side of the lane to avoid the oil on the highway, and to allow drivers ahead of me the ability to see me in their mirror. I wasn’t turning or swerving in the lane. So he thought the extra space was just meant for him to drive along side me, maybe a foot way. My comments changed his mind, thankfully, but had anything had caused my bike to move over I’d have been the one hurt.
Infrequent rain in some areas brings up lots of oil on the road. This happens a lot in California, especially in the Los Angeles area. The first rains of the spring/summer season brings up lots of oil from the traffic and makes for slicker roads, especially if you are in the center of the lane.
Car drivers invariably never get your speed right. As such they will turn or cross in front of you, or pull out, just in time to hit you or cause you to swerve. See the change lanes section above.
So if you are a new motorcycle driver I would suggest getting lessons. Take a defensive driving course. Wear bright reflective clothing. Keep an eye out on what cars ahead of you are doing, not just the one in front of you but 2 or 3 cars up.
Given these things I’m sure you will love the freedom and virtual feeling of flying that a motorcycle provides even more than the gas you will save. Just drive safe and please don’t try to impress anyone on the road.
As I was once told by an older biker named Preacher out by Fallbrook California,
“No need to impress them. They are in the car looking up and out at us. They want to be us. So why drive faster or crazy?”
And I’m sure other experienced motorcyclists out there have a few thoughts and tips for new drivers as well. Please leave a comment to help the newbies out. It’s one road out there and we all can enjoy it together.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
R Kelly trial to start, or will it?
“5 years and counting. What might that refer to? Could it be the Iraq war? It could also be the amount of time since R Kelly was supposed to go to trial for the alleged rape of a minor…”
“Will R Kelly finally go to court and stand trial for his actions – and will the family of the girl that was raped still be working for him?”
I made those comments back in September 2007. Now in May 2008 with 2 days to go before the start of the trial, another delay looms, and the media still isn’t paying attention. I cannot describe how angy this makes me. A rumored and widely acknowledged pedophile is running around free and evading the law and the news media can’t be bothered.
The media makes me sick in cases like this. Wesley Snipes is an entertainer, and Black, so no time was wasted in painting him as a felony criminal – even after he was found innocent of all but the least significant charges. OJ Simpson can’t walk across the street without a news crew documenting it (as they virtually have for over a decade) – and he was found innocent. Rev. Wright had 35 years of religious service and work for the equality and imporvement of quality of life wiped out by five 10 second polispeak soundbites – and he wasn’t running for an elected position.
But when it comes to real crimes the major news media has it’s head stuck up it’s collective a**. The Jena 6 case was ignored for months. The Megan Williams case was granted all of 30 seconds and will never be uttered again. Sean Bell was discussed form the cops perspective, without ever mentioning the conflicts in their stories, and pushed to a corner as quickly as possible. Now the actions of 15 cops in Philadelphia is set to be accepted as merely a slight over reaction among a small group of officers – completely obfuscating the connection to and growing trend of excessive police brutality to people of color nearly exclusively.
And we can add R Kelly, a pedophile whos targets are near-pubescent girls. The daughters, neices, and sisters in the Black community that are supposed to be protected by the law and the community. Yet the news media can’t be bothered to know anything about this case, because Britney Spears cut her hair, Amy Winehouse is a crackhead that got arrested again, and Paris Hilton is a spoiled rich brat who was arrested for violating the law and is placed into entertainment events because she has too much money to offend.
Of course how can we blame the major news media. African Americans regularly support this vile and disgusting man every time he has a concert or makes a record. Grown women still swoon to his words and gyrations on music videos, actively ignoring the fact that were they standing in front of him naked he would prefer a clothed 13 year old next to them. What makes him any less dispicable than the Mormons in Texas?
And not a single complaint has come from the major news media about the judge’s running of the case.
“Vincent M. Gaughan, a Cook County circuit court judge… essential goal, according to one of his orders: "To preserve the dignity of the court and the integrity of the proceedings." That's an especially powerful, ironic argument, given widespread concern that Kelly is receiving preferential treatment because of his celebrity status.”
The media has been consistent in complaining that Black entertainers get treated preferentially by the legal system. They point to OJ, Wesley Snipes (who was sentanced beyond any parity according to all experts in such matters), and numerous rappers like Snoop Dogg. Yet they can’t seem to be able to see R Kelly or the fact they are giving him a pass that is underserved or justified. And many African Americans laud this as a positive.
Of course R Kelly hasn’t been taking this vacation from the law lightly. He’s used the time to lay low, keeping out of the direct spotlight – letting potential jurors only know about his records and not his deeds. He’s employed the father of his victim, paying cash to keep his a** out of jail and possibly buying testimonies in the process (isn’t that called inciting perjury – and a crime in itself?).
I once quoted
“As Huey states in one episode, [I paraphrase]
“America has done a multitude of injustice to Blacks, but that does not mean everything is an injustice, or that this makes every African American a hero.”
The fact that R Kelly can sing a song, is Black, and entertainer and has some money does not make him a hero. The fact that video tape proves he is a pedophile does make him a criminal and in need of imprisonment in my view. And the news media ignoring this case makes the injustice to African Americans no less palpable than when the media ignored Jena, Megan Williams, Sean Bell, or ignored the innocence of Wesley Snipes.
The major news media has a position and it seems to be clear. It could be said as:
- If a Black is popular and well off – find something to take them down. Crush their lives if possible. (Stories on Michael Jordan gambling on golf games, stories claiming Tiger Woods' wife was in a porno, searching for infidelities in Bill Cosby’s life or others, and so on).
- If they are guilty, or even suspected of a crime against a White, convict them at every turn (Wesley Snipes, OJ Simpson, and on).
- If they are committing, or suspected of, a crime against themselves or African Americans. Spin it as positive as possible. Publicize it as often as possible. And if it has no positive edge, ignore it. (R Kelly, Snoop Dogg and more)
- If they are the victim of a crime – only if commited by a White – ignore it. If it can’t be ignored then blame the African American and support the White (Duke rape case, Megan Williams) but never allow guilt to be a fact.
- And for any other case not covered, just look for the most negative portrayal of any person of color as possible, or avoid the issue. (How many Amber Alerts have you seen on the news for Black children? How about in the past year?)
So I have to wonder if R Kelly will ever get into a courtroom. Or if the media will cover it if he does. Or is the victim in the case (who is now 23 and thus won’t look as obviously a victim as she would have 5+ years ago) going to have her short past used as a weapon against her.
What would you bet?
Police overkill: not a movie, Philadelphia
On Monday night, WTXF news helicopter took video images of 15 police officers.
Those swarming individuals weren’t gang members, though at a glance you would assume they were.
What happened?
According to police they witnessed the car in question pull up and a man stepped out shooting at an individual. The man with the gun then ran away on foot. The car with 3 Black men seen in the video was followed and the video tells the rest of the story.
We have yet to hear the version of events from the African Americans that were in the car, though they all have been charged with attempted murder.
Facts so far?
Beyond the video there are none yet. There is nothing to back up the police allegation that there was a shooting. There is no information about a 4th man. There is no information about all the police involved chasing after the man that had the gun and was on foot. The 4th man is at large according to all news on the event so far.
Does all this sound familiar? The name you may be recalling is Sean Bell.
Like in the Sean Bell case we have police keeping surveillance of a crime area. Again an alleged 4th individual is supposed to have had a gun. Yet again the person with the gun is gone like mist in the sunlight. And again police officers (in this case a multitude of them) are incapable of capturing the most dangerous of the alleged criminals.
Like Rodney King, the men once pulled out of the car, are assaulted with extreme prejudice. Not one man in this video is shown resisting. As if they could considering the numbers involved.
Like Sean Bell the officers involved are in the process of being removed from duty on the street. Note that they are not being suspended, or fired, or not working. They just are being reassigned (which could mean that they are still on the streets, just in a different area).
Also, if this had not been caught on tape by a news helicopter, would any of this made the news? Would anyone have believed the men if there was no tape of the events? What is more believable, police officers or alleged murderers, without video?
How many students in San Diego were beaten by multiple officers when they were arrested? 0 out of 100. How many police abused the 2 blonde bank robbers in Atlanta? None, especially since they found the girls while they were casually getting their hair done and discussing the robbery. [The women got 1 yr probation; the Black men got 10 years in jail.] How many officers assaulted, en masse, a White alleged criminal – not putting up a fight – in numbers approaching 5-1, in the past year? 5 years? 10?
When I hear people say that this is not a Black and White issue I have to ask, How is it not? When I hear people say that law enforcement is fair, I have to ask Where are the Whites being treated in the same manner? When I hear people say this is not systemic I have to ask, What part of the nation has not had a similar type of event in the past year or 2?
I spoke about the problem that exists in America I said
And then I asked in another post
I still have the same insights, and the same questions. What will it take to change either thought I have?
Those swarming individuals weren’t gang members, though at a glance you would assume they were.
What happened?
According to police they witnessed the car in question pull up and a man stepped out shooting at an individual. The man with the gun then ran away on foot. The car with 3 Black men seen in the video was followed and the video tells the rest of the story.
We have yet to hear the version of events from the African Americans that were in the car, though they all have been charged with attempted murder.
Facts so far?
Beyond the video there are none yet. There is nothing to back up the police allegation that there was a shooting. There is no information about a 4th man. There is no information about all the police involved chasing after the man that had the gun and was on foot. The 4th man is at large according to all news on the event so far.
Does all this sound familiar? The name you may be recalling is Sean Bell.
Like in the Sean Bell case we have police keeping surveillance of a crime area. Again an alleged 4th individual is supposed to have had a gun. Yet again the person with the gun is gone like mist in the sunlight. And again police officers (in this case a multitude of them) are incapable of capturing the most dangerous of the alleged criminals.
Like Rodney King, the men once pulled out of the car, are assaulted with extreme prejudice. Not one man in this video is shown resisting. As if they could considering the numbers involved.
Like Sean Bell the officers involved are in the process of being removed from duty on the street. Note that they are not being suspended, or fired, or not working. They just are being reassigned (which could mean that they are still on the streets, just in a different area).
Also, if this had not been caught on tape by a news helicopter, would any of this made the news? Would anyone have believed the men if there was no tape of the events? What is more believable, police officers or alleged murderers, without video?
How many students in San Diego were beaten by multiple officers when they were arrested? 0 out of 100. How many police abused the 2 blonde bank robbers in Atlanta? None, especially since they found the girls while they were casually getting their hair done and discussing the robbery. [The women got 1 yr probation; the Black men got 10 years in jail.] How many officers assaulted, en masse, a White alleged criminal – not putting up a fight – in numbers approaching 5-1, in the past year? 5 years? 10?
When I hear people say that this is not a Black and White issue I have to ask, How is it not? When I hear people say that law enforcement is fair, I have to ask Where are the Whites being treated in the same manner? When I hear people say this is not systemic I have to ask, What part of the nation has not had a similar type of event in the past year or 2?
I spoke about the problem that exists in America I said
“Black men assaulted by the police, with extreme and unjustifiable force, with officers that walked away from the incidents (crimes) without penalty. Nothing like the even hand of justice in America.”
And then I asked in another post
“What did we do after the Rodney King trial and riots? What did we do after Amidou Diallo was murdered. What have we done after the media circus that was the coverage of Wesley Snipes vs the IRS (which he basically won – though you probably never heard the major news media mention that part)? What has happened after the rape torture and kidnapping of Megan Williams? What have we done about Congress (Democrat and Republican led) and the Presidency’s inaction in Darfur?”
I still have the same insights, and the same questions. What will it take to change either thought I have?
Monday, May 05, 2008
Hints on the movies of 2009
So since I was recently talking about the start of the summer movie season I thought I might also mention a few movies that will be out in a year or so. Luckily there are 2 that should be interesting, though I’m not sure if that means a good movie or not.
The first is news that the sequel to The Lord of the Rings (in fact it’s actually a prequel and the first book about Middle Earth), The Hobbit will be directed by Guillermo Del Toro. He’s a great director and has a very unique vision. His movies are usually quite entertaining, and he gets a lot out of his actors.
As good as he is, and the bonus that he is one of the very few Hispanic/Latino directors in Hollywood, I have reservations. The bar was set extremely high by Peter Jackson’s version of Lord of the Rings. His ability to translate the words of J.R.R. Tolkien into the visual experience was remarkable and believable. I severely doubt anyone’s ability to duplicate that, even if Jackson were still at the helm.
Yet one positive for the film is that Sir Ian McKellan will be returning in his role as Gandalf the Grey. Well at least they are talking about the pay, so excluding the studio getting cheap, he’s in. Another bit of good news is that Peter Jackson will be producing the film.
Now what other people will be involved is unknown. There are many dwarves and men in this film. And of course there is who will be Bilbo – the original Hobbit on the go. And then there is a huge amount of work for the CGI team in trying to bring to life the central character of Smaug. And a return of Gollum.
The challenges will be daunting. But we will see once the trailers start appearing in about a year and a half or so.
In other movie news there is this other item.
The Terminator is back. But it won’t be the Guvernator on the screen. This time out the story will be advancing to new territory. Or more accurately traveling further into the post-nuclear Skynet controlled future.
In this new movie expect to see Christian Bale and Moon Bloodgood (that has to be a stage name – who would name their kid that?). I have no idea who Bloodgood is, but some may recognize the name from the television series Journeyman. I never saw that so it doesn’t help me. As for Bale, well he has done exceptionally well as the Dark Knight and several other movies so that gives me hope.
And of course there is the other side of the news. It’s a big negative too. The director at this moment is McG, the same person responsible for Charlie’s Angels. That was a horrible television show to movie creation. While it may have made money because of Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore (Carmen Diaz is just not cute and way too skinny) it was a miserable film. Be honest, you know it was.
Considering the news for the upcoming films in 2009 it’s anyone’s bet on what will be worth the time. Until that time there are a few good things to keep you entertained. As I’ve already mentioned, Iron Man is definitely the movie to see. The new Hulk film with Ed Norton looks appealing and should erase any memory of Ang Lee’s version. WANTED looks to be a major hit with Angelina Jolie, and Morgan Freeman.
The Take with John Leguizamo, Tyrese Gibson, and Rosie Perez sounds like it will make it straight to DVD – a shame since I like Leguizamo and think his ability as an entertainer is severely underestimated.
War, Inc. looks to be the first anti-war movie that will do well and be entertaining. Unlike every film so far that has been a poster-child for the ultra-liberal left wing loons (all 10 of them that collectively went to those films), this film uses humor and a well rounded cast. John Cusack leads the film in a role similar to his hitman in Grosse Point Blank (a really fun film). His sister Joan is also in a similar character. There is a bunch to say about this, but I will wait til I get the trailer. Oh, Ben Kingsley has a small role, and the scary part is so does Hillary Duff.
Of course Indiana Jones is going to be a hit. So far trailers look great and I have to imagine that Harrison Ford doesn’t need the money, and his reputation doesn’t need a flop, so it should be good if not very good.
I’d avoid Speed Racer, and Hellboy might be worth the cost. And the Love Guru seems like it will redeem Mike Meyers for doing The Cat in the Hat.
More on those movies and the rest soon.
The first is news that the sequel to The Lord of the Rings (in fact it’s actually a prequel and the first book about Middle Earth), The Hobbit will be directed by Guillermo Del Toro. He’s a great director and has a very unique vision. His movies are usually quite entertaining, and he gets a lot out of his actors.
As good as he is, and the bonus that he is one of the very few Hispanic/Latino directors in Hollywood, I have reservations. The bar was set extremely high by Peter Jackson’s version of Lord of the Rings. His ability to translate the words of J.R.R. Tolkien into the visual experience was remarkable and believable. I severely doubt anyone’s ability to duplicate that, even if Jackson were still at the helm.
Yet one positive for the film is that Sir Ian McKellan will be returning in his role as Gandalf the Grey. Well at least they are talking about the pay, so excluding the studio getting cheap, he’s in. Another bit of good news is that Peter Jackson will be producing the film.
Now what other people will be involved is unknown. There are many dwarves and men in this film. And of course there is who will be Bilbo – the original Hobbit on the go. And then there is a huge amount of work for the CGI team in trying to bring to life the central character of Smaug. And a return of Gollum.
The challenges will be daunting. But we will see once the trailers start appearing in about a year and a half or so.
In other movie news there is this other item.
The Terminator is back. But it won’t be the Guvernator on the screen. This time out the story will be advancing to new territory. Or more accurately traveling further into the post-nuclear Skynet controlled future.
In this new movie expect to see Christian Bale and Moon Bloodgood (that has to be a stage name – who would name their kid that?). I have no idea who Bloodgood is, but some may recognize the name from the television series Journeyman. I never saw that so it doesn’t help me. As for Bale, well he has done exceptionally well as the Dark Knight and several other movies so that gives me hope.
And of course there is the other side of the news. It’s a big negative too. The director at this moment is McG, the same person responsible for Charlie’s Angels. That was a horrible television show to movie creation. While it may have made money because of Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore (Carmen Diaz is just not cute and way too skinny) it was a miserable film. Be honest, you know it was.
Considering the news for the upcoming films in 2009 it’s anyone’s bet on what will be worth the time. Until that time there are a few good things to keep you entertained. As I’ve already mentioned, Iron Man is definitely the movie to see. The new Hulk film with Ed Norton looks appealing and should erase any memory of Ang Lee’s version. WANTED looks to be a major hit with Angelina Jolie, and Morgan Freeman.
The Take with John Leguizamo, Tyrese Gibson, and Rosie Perez sounds like it will make it straight to DVD – a shame since I like Leguizamo and think his ability as an entertainer is severely underestimated.
War, Inc. looks to be the first anti-war movie that will do well and be entertaining. Unlike every film so far that has been a poster-child for the ultra-liberal left wing loons (all 10 of them that collectively went to those films), this film uses humor and a well rounded cast. John Cusack leads the film in a role similar to his hitman in Grosse Point Blank (a really fun film). His sister Joan is also in a similar character. There is a bunch to say about this, but I will wait til I get the trailer. Oh, Ben Kingsley has a small role, and the scary part is so does Hillary Duff.
Of course Indiana Jones is going to be a hit. So far trailers look great and I have to imagine that Harrison Ford doesn’t need the money, and his reputation doesn’t need a flop, so it should be good if not very good.
I’d avoid Speed Racer, and Hellboy might be worth the cost. And the Love Guru seems like it will redeem Mike Meyers for doing The Cat in the Hat.
More on those movies and the rest soon.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Review Iron Man
I was wrong about Iron Man. The movie isn’t good. It’s a great movie, made all the better by Robert Downey Jr.’s acting and Jon Faverau’s directing vision. Seriously I think this film is the best in the superhero comic book to movie genre to date.
So why is it so good?
Well they stick greatly to the wealth of the storylines of the comicbook to start with. Tony Stark is a multi-billionaire genius with a penchant for women and liquor. He is a selfish, self-centered cad. And Downey embodies the character perfectly. You can easily relate to Stark’s wild lavish lifestyle of private jets with retractable stripper poles and stewardesses to match. You can also believe his staunch commitment to creating weapons for the protection of America.
At many points in the movie it’s the transition that gets you. Whether its physical, emotional or moral. And unlike failure films like the Ang Lee Hulk (thank god a superior version is about to come to the movies) the morale content is not spoon-fed to you, but allowed to develop in the movie.
Pacifists and ultra-liberals will enjoy the movie and take away an ant-war feel. Which isn’t exactly right. The goal is anti-abuse of the weapons needed to make the world better. And it’s about one man finding his own way to improve the world, growing beyond the shadow of his father.
The visuals in the film are spot on. The suit is believable and stylish. With just enough ostentation to fit a former billionaire will-o-wisp. Many feared this movie wouldn’t connect with moviegoers because you can’t see Downey behind the mask. Well several closeups ‘within the mask’ are more than enough to keep you in touch with the humanity of Stark, and his movements is the suits are anything but robotic.
And I think you just have to love the handy but bumbling helper robot of Stark’s. Never fear a fire when he is near. Though lighting a cigarette or falling down may also get the same result.
The supporting cast include Terrence Howard in a small but beneficial role of Randy Rhodes. He is the second closest person to Stark besides Pepper Potts. He is Stark’s longtime friend and military liason. He is also the man that may one day (in the movies) become the 2nd man in the iron suit – War Machine. Terrence Howard portrays a high ranking Air Force pilot with respect and authority.
Gwenneth Paltrow is the ever present and consistent Pepper Potts. Whether it’s “taking out the garbage” or blowing up the corporate office she is the woman you want. And Paltrow is very good at being dutiful. Thankfully her character gets about the same kind of emotional release as does Evey from V For Vendetta.
In terms of the music, well there is one song you just want to hear from the previews – but on that you will be disappointed. Otherwise the music, and sound is well done.
I’m trying hard not to give away anything more than the basics that you can see in a preview or from a casual perusal on Google of Iron Man. You want to see this film. I want to see it again. I want the DVD.
One of the best things about the film may be the fact that there just has to be a sequel, and Downey will be in it. Or perhaps that this one superhero is the only one that every single one of us could imagine being able to do, and having a hell of a rush doing it.
Expect crowds to see this film, unless you live in a small town like Binghamton and are in the theater at 4ish.
So why is it so good?
Well they stick greatly to the wealth of the storylines of the comicbook to start with. Tony Stark is a multi-billionaire genius with a penchant for women and liquor. He is a selfish, self-centered cad. And Downey embodies the character perfectly. You can easily relate to Stark’s wild lavish lifestyle of private jets with retractable stripper poles and stewardesses to match. You can also believe his staunch commitment to creating weapons for the protection of America.
At many points in the movie it’s the transition that gets you. Whether its physical, emotional or moral. And unlike failure films like the Ang Lee Hulk (thank god a superior version is about to come to the movies) the morale content is not spoon-fed to you, but allowed to develop in the movie.
Pacifists and ultra-liberals will enjoy the movie and take away an ant-war feel. Which isn’t exactly right. The goal is anti-abuse of the weapons needed to make the world better. And it’s about one man finding his own way to improve the world, growing beyond the shadow of his father.
The visuals in the film are spot on. The suit is believable and stylish. With just enough ostentation to fit a former billionaire will-o-wisp. Many feared this movie wouldn’t connect with moviegoers because you can’t see Downey behind the mask. Well several closeups ‘within the mask’ are more than enough to keep you in touch with the humanity of Stark, and his movements is the suits are anything but robotic.
And I think you just have to love the handy but bumbling helper robot of Stark’s. Never fear a fire when he is near. Though lighting a cigarette or falling down may also get the same result.
The supporting cast include Terrence Howard in a small but beneficial role of Randy Rhodes. He is the second closest person to Stark besides Pepper Potts. He is Stark’s longtime friend and military liason. He is also the man that may one day (in the movies) become the 2nd man in the iron suit – War Machine. Terrence Howard portrays a high ranking Air Force pilot with respect and authority.
Gwenneth Paltrow is the ever present and consistent Pepper Potts. Whether it’s “taking out the garbage” or blowing up the corporate office she is the woman you want. And Paltrow is very good at being dutiful. Thankfully her character gets about the same kind of emotional release as does Evey from V For Vendetta.
In terms of the music, well there is one song you just want to hear from the previews – but on that you will be disappointed. Otherwise the music, and sound is well done.
I’m trying hard not to give away anything more than the basics that you can see in a preview or from a casual perusal on Google of Iron Man. You want to see this film. I want to see it again. I want the DVD.
One of the best things about the film may be the fact that there just has to be a sequel, and Downey will be in it. Or perhaps that this one superhero is the only one that every single one of us could imagine being able to do, and having a hell of a rush doing it.
Expect crowds to see this film, unless you live in a small town like Binghamton and are in the theater at 4ish.
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