Wednesday Music Mix

It looks like it is going to be a wet one out their folks. Well wet at least for those of us in the Pacific Northwest. I realize that the east coast and most of the mid west is caught in a horrible cold snap or polar vortex or what ever. Either way it must suck. I am once again thankful that I live in the Pacific Northwest and Oregon.

Sweet Lady - Queen

Not one of their big hits but a good song nonetheless.

Well it seems that all of the Duck Dynasty hype has settled down. All that I can really say is that I am not at all surprised that there were little to no consequences for any of the parties involved other then an uptick in publicity and sales for all involved. In fact this is what I wrote on Facebook in response to a friend on Dec 19th,

"They won't move networks and in a week or so this will all blow over. If it doesn't they will continue to sell duck calls and dvd's from their website just like they did for years before the show was on. The family doesn't need A&E. I suspect that is why Phil felt the freedom to say what he really thought. Odds are that he signed a contract when he took the show with A&E and this kind of thing was already addressed and that is why Phil was punished."

The only thing that I would change is that I do not think Phil was punished. He did not and will not miss any filming so his suspension from the show did not affect anything.

Jaded - Operation Ivy

A great, great song.

But what I have found interesting lately is that articles are popping up with pictures of the Duck Dynasty sons before the show went on the air and 'gasp'. They didn't have beards and they weren't wearing camouflage. The writers of these articles are acting like they uncovered some sort of scandal and this just amuses me so much. It is a reality television show, of course it is fake. Dummies. Why is this a shock to anybody?

1st Movement (Jumping Biz) - ELO

Classic piece by ELO

That is all I am going to say about Duck Dynasty. I am just surprised that people are shocked that it is dramatized. The show is what it is. If you do not like it do not watch it. I have stopped watching it. I also do not watch or listen to things with Rush Limbaugh or Bill O'Reilly or Bill Mahar and rarely The Daily Show or anything on Fox News or CNN or MSNBC. I find the whole world to be less angry and fearful for me if I stick to reading my news as opposed to having it broadcast at me. What I mainly try to do is to avoid the echo chamber effect if at all possible and by and large I do a pretty good job of that.

Kisses Sweeter Than Wine - Jimmy Rogers

I like this song. It is just a nice pleasant song.

Now excuse me while I do some deep breathing and some deep cross nostril breathing. I have found both of those techniques to be very helpful when it comes to keeping myself calm and centered.

Empty Chairs At Empty Tables - Eddie Redmayne (Marius in Les Miserable)

This was a sad, sad song. But also very beautiful.

I am going to Portland today and that is always a good thing. I am visiting my friend Katy for coffee and that is always fun and the climax of the day is seeing 'The Big Lebowski' on the big screen with my buddy Travis and that is going to be epic. I am very excited about that.

Let's Get Retarded - Black Eyed Peas

I remember when this band was huge. I didn't remember owning any of them. blech

I am not thrilled at ending the mix today on that particular song. I wonder if I should roll the dice and see what comes up next? Nope I am going to stop at 6 today. Have a good one folks. I wish that we could all be as happy as this little girl in her cupcake costume.

Film Friday (Sucker Punch)

So I watched Sucker Punch this week thanks to the miracle of a little thing I like to call a bit torrent. SUCK ON THAT CORPORATE OVERLORDS!!!

Hipster Cat says only suckers pay box office prices for movies!!

Hey!! Back in your cage Hipster Cat your time will come!! So anyway, I watched Sucker Punch this week, the film directed by Zach Snyder who also directed "Dawn of the Dead", "300", "Watchman", Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, and is in pre production for "Man of Steel" which I think is a sequel to the Shaq film "Steel". Mr Snyder has also written "300" and wrote the screenplay / story for "Sucker Punch".

So where do I begin? Lets see if I can find you a synopsis for this film. Oh? Why thank you internet. Here we are courtesy of IMDB:

"A young girl is institutionalized by her abusive stepfather. Retreating to an alternative reality as a coping strategy, she envisions a plan which will help her escape from the mental facility."

Well that seems pretty simple doesn't it? I mean that sounds like a nice little movie. It may not be a feel good movie but it sounds like it could be kind of cerebral and may be a little bit like "Girl, Interrupted" . Why don't we take a look at the "Sucker Punch" trailer.



aaaaaaah what in the world was that? It doesn't look at all like the synopsis and I think saw a dragon and some sort of robomech and a samurai. That just doesn't even make any sense. I bet that once I actually see the film things will make a lot more sense. It is hard to tell what is going on from just the trailer and I do not like to jump to conclusions about important issues like popular culture.

The short concise answer to the question of whether or not the actual full movie made more sense then the trailer is this...nooooope. Not at all. I am really unable to explain my feelings about this movie. The story is interesting. The visuals are well done. But the core of it is that a young woman is nearly raped and her younger sister is raped and in the aftermath of the incident the older sister ends up in an insane asylum for girls. While she is in the asylum she takes herself to some sort of fantasy 1930's kind of prison/whorehouse but that isn't enough for the director. When the lead character "baby" yes that is her name. When she dances men are hypnotized by her and then she goes into a second fantasy world. So then we have a fantasy within a fantasy. Which is really just silly and one of the many reasons why I thought "Inception" was just dumb.

But back to Sucker Punch. At the core the story is pretty harrowing one but this film, whatever the reason and my money is on the studio, was afraid to take us to that place. The movie is PG-13. There is no profanity, there is no nudity, and if there is any blood it is very little. Now, I grant you that not every movie needs to have these things to be a good movie. But this is a story that could have been much like "Requiem For A Dream" a harrowing film that actually hurts to watch but is so amazingly done that you have to respect it for its honest look at how horrible drug abuse is and how it can wreck your life.

Instead this film is more like "Requiem For a Dream" for the "Twilight" generation and that my friends does not make for a good movie. It is soft and weak and afraid to takes its audience to a dark place that may just slap them in the face and say WAKE THE F UP!!! Which is horrible, because that is what this movie desperately wants to do. It shows its card in the final dialogue of the movie.

"who honors those we love for the very life we live
who sends monsters to kill us and at the same time sings that we'll ever die
who teaches us what's real and how to laugh at lies
who decides why we live and what we'll die to defend
who chains us and who holds the key that can set us free
it's you
you have all the weapons you need
now fight"

Sadly what came before did not do this justice and as far as I am concerned that means that Sucker Punch was a miss. It missed high, wide and not very handsome. There was so much potential in it to be something great. Something amazing like "Fight Club" was and instead it became a film for fan boys and Japanese businessmen and that is a sad, sad thing.

Film Friday For April 8, 2011

The number one film in America today is a little CGI film called 'Hop'. I really know nothing about it. I did not find the trailer for it all that amusing. But I guess it is working as a kids movie. Maybe this is a good time of year for kids films? Lets hop into...(That was not intended) Lets climb into the time machine and find out.

April 8, 1982: Porky's Rated R
April 8, 1983: Tootsie. Rated PG
April 8, 1984: Police Academy. Rated R
April 8, 1985: Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment. Rated PG13
April 8, 1986: Police Academy 3: Back in Training. Rated PG
April 8, 1987: Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol. Rated PG
April 8, 1988: Beetlejuice. Rated PG
April 8, 1989: Major League. Rated R
April 8, 1990: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Rated PG
April 8, 1991: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II. Rated PG
April 8, 1992: Basic Instinct. Rated R
April 8, 1993: Cop and a Half. Rated PG
April 8, 1994: D2: The Mighty Ducks. Rated PG
April 8, 1995: Bad Boys. Rated R
April 8, 1996: Primal Fear. Rated R
April 8, 1997: Liar Liar. Rated PG13
April 8, 1998: Lost in Space. Rated PG13
April 8, 1999: The Matrix. Rated R
April 8, 2000: Rules of Engagement. Rated R
April 8, 2001: Spy Kids. Rated PG
April 8, 2002: Panic Room. Rated R
April 8, 2003: Phone Booth. Rated R
April 8, 2004: Hellboy. Rated R
April 8, 2005: Sahara. Rated. PG13
April 8, 2006: Ice Age 2: The Meltdown. Rated PG
April 8, 2007: Blades of Glory. Rated PG
April 8, 2008: 21. Rated R
April 8, 2009: Fast and Furious. Rated PG13
April 8, 2010: Clash of the Titans. Rated PG13
April 8, 2011: Hop. Rated PG

So there you are. Now I realize that this is a pretty long and some of you might find it boring list. I actually found it kind of fascinating. I have seen every movie on this list except for two of them. I will give out bonus points to a reader who can guess which two in the comments list. I will also give out bonus points if anyone can tell what movie on this list I think is the best one.

But back to what I found interesting. This list has 30 films on it. Of that 30 there are 0 films rated G. There are 11 films rated PG. There are 6 films rated PG13. Which leaves us with 12 films rated R. So the films are pretty equally spread out amongst the different ratings possibilities.

I was actually surprised by the number of sequels on this list. The four year run of Police Academy films actually made me a little ill. These are not good movies. I mean I think it is almost impossible to find a way to enjoy them ironically. I want to punch 14 yr old Lance in the face for having enjoyed them. If I could go back in time I would meet myself at the Hollywood Video and just slap the VHS tape out of my hand and then I would hit myself right between the eyes. Here is the trailer.



They made four more of these films and the other were not even rated R. The lousy script and acting aside. It doesn't even look like it was filmed by professionals. I am amazed at how bad it looks. Would you like to know how much money it made? It was in the theaters for 14 weeks and grossed $77,743,244. That is in domestic dollars people!!!! The actual domestic total gross which is calculated differently then the other was $81,198,894. So it is not a surprise that they made several sequels. How many you ask?

There have been seven!!! That is right seven!!! The total amount of money made for these and I am sure it is still rising with DVD and cable showings is $239,643,235. They made seven of these films in ten years. So think about that when you wonder why Hollywood continues to make crappy movies. We as consumers encourage it by going to see them. Though I wonder if the internet as it exists today existed back then if this movie would have made as much money. I do not think it would have.

6-17-2010 Thursday (Glenn Beck & Soccer)

I want to write something really witty and pithy here but I am not feeling it today. That concerns me a little bit because I like writing but if I need to be all worked up about it then I am not sure it is very healthy for me to be writing.

I would really like to get fired up over the that fact Glenn Beck is just being a bozo about the World Cup.

“It doesn't matter how you try to sell it to us, it doesn't matter how many celebrities you get, it doesn't matter how many bars open early, it doesn't matter how many beer commercials they run, we don't want the World Cup, we don't like the World Cup, we don't like soccer, we want nothing to do with it.”

But, I mean it is Glenn Beck and I honestly think that he doesn't have a filter. He just seems to riff on the radio and I am not even sure if he writes anything down. His commentary on Soccer is much like his commentary on most things in the world and America. I just do not think he gets it. I hope one day that I could have a radio or television show and just say things to get people fired up. I would really enjoy the amount of money that I could make from such an endeavor. There are lots of things that I know absolutely nothing about but I would not let that stop me.

I will have my voice be heard!! Now, who wants to pay me?

3-22-2010 (Monday)

man·date
   /ˈmændeɪt/ Show Spelled [man-deyt] Show IPA noun, verb,-dat·ed, -dat·ing.
–noun
1.
a command or authorization to act in a particular way on a public issue given by the electorate to its representative: The president had a clear mandate to end the war.
2.
a command from a superior court or official to a lower one.
3.
an authoritative order or command: a royal mandate.
4.
(in the League of Nations) a commission given to a nation to administer the government and affairs of a former Turkish territory or German colony.
5.
a mandated territory or colony.
6.
Roman Catholic Church. an order issued by the pope, esp. one commanding the preferment of a certain person to a benefice.
7.
Roman and Civil Law. a contract by which one engages gratuitously to perform services for another.
8.
(in modern civil law) any contract by which a person undertakes to perform services for another.
9.
Roman Law. an order or decree by the emperor, esp. to governors of provinces.

"Mandate." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 22 Mar. 2010. .

There was a rather large event this weekend. One that generated a lot of heat on both sides of the political aisle. That issue was the reformation of health care. Now I am waiting to see what this all means in the long term. It seems that for the majority of those against it this heralds the beginning of "Socialism" in America and the end of our great nation. Those who are in favor of this seem to feel that this is evidence that "change" can happen and that America will finally have the health care system that they should.

I am not here to debate either of those points. Though if my readers want to, please feel free to do so in the comments section. What I would like to talk about is the word "Mandate". As I listened to and read and watched things pertaining to the Health Care debate of the last year. It seemed that one of the biggest objections for those opposed to it was that health insurance would be mandated. Now I live in Oregon and in Oregon car insurance is mandated.

"Oregon's mandatory insurance law ORS 806.010 requires every driver to insure their vehicle. The minimum liability insurance a driver must have is:

Type Amount
Bodily injury and property damage liability

$25,000 per person;
$50,000 per crash for bodily injury to others; and
$20,000 per crash for damage to the property of others

State law also requires every motor vehicle liability policy to provide:

Type Amount
Personal Injury Protection (for reasonable and necessary medical, dental and other expenses one year after a crash)

$15,000 per person
Uninsured Motorist Coverage

$25,000 per person;
$50,000 per crash for bodily injury

You must certify that you have this insurance each time you register a motor vehicle, or when you buy a light vehicle trip permit. You must also certify that you will comply with Oregon's motor vehicle insurance requirements as long as a vehicle is registered in your name, or for the duration of the permit.

Some motor vehicles are exempt from financial responsibility requirements. Those exemptions can be found in ORS 806.020."

Also in Oregon if you drive a motorcycle you must wear a helmet another mandatory law. Now one of the core ways that both of these laws were put into practice was the idea that uninsured motorists and helmetless drivers raise the cost for the rest of us if we mandate these things then the cost will eventually be kept lower. Now I was not around for the debate on those and I am not sure if that has been the case or not. But I wonder if the fight for mandating car insurance was a heated as the fight has been for health care. Now I know that in the case of car insurance the federal government has left it up to each state to decide the laws on car insurance. I believe that car insurance is mandated in each state. So I wonder what makes health insurance different then car insurance in this case. Is it strictly because cars are a machine and there isn't the emotional connect?

I know several states are already moving to file cases against a federal mandate for health insurance. I do not have a problem with that. I think states should have the ability to make their own laws. If New York wants to ban the use of table salt and they vote it through okay. That is how it works. Sometimes things will get voted on that we do not like but ideally then they can be revisited and changed. I did not mean to get sidetracked on that.

My main question is this one. What is the difference between mandating car insurance vs mandating health insurance? Are both equally bad? Would it be okay if each state was doing it on it's own? Is the problem that the Fed has mandated it and that goes against the Constitution? I really want to know what is the difference?

2-10-10 (Wednesday)

It is Wednesday morning and it is the middle of the work week. I hope everybody is having a good one so far. Things have been going pretty well so far. I have just been working and trying to stay busy. I mentioned on Monday that I haven't been able to work up any righteous indignation to allow me better blogging and one of my friends said she didn't realize that you needed righteous indignation to blog.

Well I thought about it and while I may not need it. It certainly makes it easier for me to get the words out when I am upset about something even if it is a silly of an issue as James Cameron and that fact that he steals ideas for his films and doesn't give credit to his victims. The funny thing is that just writing that down just now has got me a little bit fired up. See that is all it takes for me. I am going to control myself and not go off on a rant about Cameron and his actions as well as the movie business in general and how the overall stupidity of the movie going public is what allows criminals like Cameron to stay in business while younger and perhaps newer more creative voices are being left out in the cold.

See! Look at that. I said I wasn't going to and then I couldn't help myself. It is just sad. I do not know James Cameron personally. I doubt I will ever meet him and I am sure that he cries himself to sleep at night on his bed stuffed with $100 bills at the idea that I am upset with him. But I do not care. All I care about is getting out here on on stump and letting loose with a few good broadsides.

I think that is how I few myself. I am the captain of the ship of reason and sail about upon the seas of lunacy and idiocy. "Sharing" my wisdom with others. By "sharing" I mean lots of chest pounding and screaming and since it is my ship there is usually a show tune or two followed by some fancy dancing. I like my crew to be multi-talented. Ummmm, never mind about that last part lets just pretend that I never said it. "Hey, Jackson, put away those tap shoes!"

So, where were we? Oh yes, I travel around visa vie the Internets and tell everyone else what they are doing wrong and how I can fix them. For me to be able to do such a thing I have to be surly and dissatisfied otherwise I just can't work up the energy level I need to really get things fired up. That being said there maybe up days and down days where I didn't read or listen to something that really ticks me off. So please bear with me and keep checking in because I hope to continue blogging I am just not totally sure what form it is going to take on any give day.

That phrase reminded me of the movie "Any Given Sunday". As most of my friends know already I hate Oliver Stone and the only good work he ever did was writing the screenplay for "Conan the Barbarian" that is all nothing he has done ever since has any merit or well have any merit and "Any Given Sunday" was a prime example of his hackitude. That is all for now.