As I have written in previous posts, I firmly believe that the powers that be are angling for a totalitarian government, one which will be warmly received by the republicans and tea party advocates. For them, their Christian dreams will be fully realized. For the rest of us, life will suck
In a clear sign of the disconnect, Goldman Sachs helped ruin the economy, perhaps more than any other (although JP Morgan and Bank Of America certainly helped). Somehow doing that by defrauding their clients isn't illegal. How you can commit fraud, lie about it and then have only a civil suit brought against them is ridiculous. These people should be in jail if not executed for their crimes. I do believe white collar crimes of this sort should be dealt with in the same way the murder and child molesters are prosecuted. See how many do it if their facing life in real bad prison or even the death penalty. But no charges are going to be filed, the executives are getting away scot free and we're the ones left holding the bag. Fuckers.
On the flip side, it has become apparent that Apple has the ability to sic police on whoever they feel like, regardless of whether a crime was committed or not. Apple's new I phone was recently lost and bought by a tech website. When they got they asked Apple if it was a prototype and did they want it back. They said it wasn't theirs. So they took it apart and reported on it. When Apple called back to sheepishly say it was prototype and could they have it back, the website obliged. Later, stormtroopers kicked in their door, dragged them off to jail for "theft," ransacked the house, confiscated computers, all the while Apple reps were busy searching the house. A clear case of fascism. The corporate state now can control the police to protect their goods, even when no crime has been committed. As I have personally witnessed, it is possible for someone to be thrown into jail for several years for no reason. Habeus Corpus won't protect you because it will take years to get a hearing. Then its a oops sorry, out you go with no legal recourse to sue because you technically got your day in court, albeit in direct opposition to that pesky Constitution that states the right to a speedy trial. Good luck with that.
We are losing more and more rights. Arizona recently passed a highly unconstituational law making being in their state illegally a crime. While I do not support illegal immigrants who should not be here, this law is too broadly written and will hinder people here legally. Plus the right to sue the cops for non enforcement is laughable. Its like suing the post office for losing your mail. Not gonna happen.
Other southern states are following suit making me wonder why we bothered fighting the civil war and maybe we should just let these idiots succeed once and for all. I'll be more than happy to have legal drugs, prostitution, free health care, equal rights and all the other things the Christian right demonizes.
Obama's recent appeasement of building more oil platforms came back to bite him in the ass this week with the coming destruction of miles of wetlands in Louisiana. Drill Baby Drill fuckers can go hang. Schmucks.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
The Dream Of A New Government
Having listened to the neo-con hijacked Tea Party movement, I am certain that no one in this country knows what forms of government are anymore. Cries of socialism equated with the Nazi's or Obamacare as a commie plot (they aren't) glut the airwaves, pushed along by know nothings like Glenn Beck. I literally watched him equate socialism with The Holocaust last week as I struggled to keep down my lunch. Socialism was a word stolen by the Nazis the same way they stole the swastika. The Nazis were fascist; a path we are rapidly heading towards with both party's support. Although I have to say I feel the Dems are on a slower path while the Repubs are hell bent for it. Mind you the final outcome is the same but anyone voting Republican is in fact a true traitor to this country. Votes for the democrats are not really any better but at least they are attempting to do something to fix the economy and Wall ST while the venomous Repubs are shooting down even the most common sense laws due to their inability to compromise. Incidentally this was started back in 92 when Bill Kristol of the Weekly Standard noted that agreeing with dems in any way leads to them winning. Disagree about everything and give them nothing. Except gridlock of course and a failed state. Sound familiar?
So what to do? As all other forms of government ahas failed I intend to invent a new one. Lets call it Altriusm or the Altruistic society. This form of government is represented by the people where paper ballots (or computers with a verified paper trail) are used to elect people democratically. The government's job is thus: to provide for its people a place to live, free health care, a decent salary, protection from crime, a diverse well funded (not over funded) military, a highly regulated Wall St with the elimination of many, many rules that work only to enrich the wealthy (more on that later), freedom of religion (to a point), freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, the right to abortion clinics, gay rights, six weeks paid vacation, the elimination of at will work laws, free college, free education, free day care, 7 personal/sick days and a maximum salary allowed of no more than 30% of what your lowest salary employee makes. FDR wanted to do this before he died but once he was gone, these ideas went with him. Which sucks because had he done this, the USA would be the most powerful country in the world by far with everyone modeling after us. We may not have had world peace but it would have been better than we have today.
Organized religion needs to be abolished in this new state with a new spirituality replacing these ancient outdated models. This new religion would believe in a higher power, one in which good deeds lead to a better self being and possible afterlife reward. Evil does need to be shunned, imprisoned, punished in the worst ways. We could start with most of Congress.
Unfortunately, most religious believers would fight tooth and nail against this which is too bad for them. Much like Plato's allegory of the Cave Shadows, some would have to be pulled kicking and screaming into the light. Only then, would world peace be available. Until we put a stop to this, out world is doomed.
Will continue more about the altruistic society and its workings in future posts.
So what to do? As all other forms of government ahas failed I intend to invent a new one. Lets call it Altriusm or the Altruistic society. This form of government is represented by the people where paper ballots (or computers with a verified paper trail) are used to elect people democratically. The government's job is thus: to provide for its people a place to live, free health care, a decent salary, protection from crime, a diverse well funded (not over funded) military, a highly regulated Wall St with the elimination of many, many rules that work only to enrich the wealthy (more on that later), freedom of religion (to a point), freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, the right to abortion clinics, gay rights, six weeks paid vacation, the elimination of at will work laws, free college, free education, free day care, 7 personal/sick days and a maximum salary allowed of no more than 30% of what your lowest salary employee makes. FDR wanted to do this before he died but once he was gone, these ideas went with him. Which sucks because had he done this, the USA would be the most powerful country in the world by far with everyone modeling after us. We may not have had world peace but it would have been better than we have today.
Organized religion needs to be abolished in this new state with a new spirituality replacing these ancient outdated models. This new religion would believe in a higher power, one in which good deeds lead to a better self being and possible afterlife reward. Evil does need to be shunned, imprisoned, punished in the worst ways. We could start with most of Congress.
Unfortunately, most religious believers would fight tooth and nail against this which is too bad for them. Much like Plato's allegory of the Cave Shadows, some would have to be pulled kicking and screaming into the light. Only then, would world peace be available. Until we put a stop to this, out world is doomed.
Will continue more about the altruistic society and its workings in future posts.
Monday, April 26, 2010
The Blind Side Opens My Eyes
Poor Sandra Bullock. Last year two of the three movies she did proved to be critical and box office hits. The Proposal was a laugh riot and All About Steve was a giant misfire but the Blind Side proved to be so popular and well done that she won the Oscar over Meryl Streep for her uncanny performance as Julia Childs in the fun but uneven Julie and Julia. Then came all the crap about Jesse James sleeping with Bombshell "Nazi" Mcgee and a slew of other bikers chicks that would have turned off Tiger Woods. This did not win him any friends as you basically screwed over America's Sweetheart. Way to go. Hopefully she'll divorce this loser and find her way to a man who would take care of her. I'd throw my hat in the ring but first, she wouldn't have anything to do with me and two, I'm taken. And unlike her scummy husband, I don't cheat.
But all that aside, The Blind Side is a terrific, touching movie about a woman taking in a black kid who has no where else to go. She a white upper class republican. He's from the inner city. Culture clash times a thousand. Bullock is brilliant as Leigh Anne Touhy, a nicer version of her tough as nails Margret character from the Proposal, and shines throughout. Newcomer Quinton Aaron is great at the hapless Michael, giving a introverted person real emotion and depth.
Some have called this movie racist saying that the movie suggest all black people need a white master to cure all their ills. That is missing the point of the movie. The fact that Michale was black was incidental. They took him in not because of his race but in spite of it. They did it because it was the Christian thing to do, something most Christians give nothing but lip service to. It also accurately shows the real problems that come from living in the inner city. As a middle class white guy I have no personal experience from living in such conditions but my job in films brought me to the worst areas of Hartford, CT where I was the only white guy for miles. As I could drop a few names to anyone approaching me I was left alone but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't have a death wish. The projects look just like they do in this movie and are a struggle to get out for anyone.
A highly enjoyable movie for anyone and everyone. A must see.
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
But all that aside, The Blind Side is a terrific, touching movie about a woman taking in a black kid who has no where else to go. She a white upper class republican. He's from the inner city. Culture clash times a thousand. Bullock is brilliant as Leigh Anne Touhy, a nicer version of her tough as nails Margret character from the Proposal, and shines throughout. Newcomer Quinton Aaron is great at the hapless Michael, giving a introverted person real emotion and depth.
Some have called this movie racist saying that the movie suggest all black people need a white master to cure all their ills. That is missing the point of the movie. The fact that Michale was black was incidental. They took him in not because of his race but in spite of it. They did it because it was the Christian thing to do, something most Christians give nothing but lip service to. It also accurately shows the real problems that come from living in the inner city. As a middle class white guy I have no personal experience from living in such conditions but my job in films brought me to the worst areas of Hartford, CT where I was the only white guy for miles. As I could drop a few names to anyone approaching me I was left alone but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't have a death wish. The projects look just like they do in this movie and are a struggle to get out for anyone.
A highly enjoyable movie for anyone and everyone. A must see.
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Anthrax Case Closed Says FBI: Experts Say Otherwise
As everyone remembers, back in the fall of 2001, right after 9/11, anthrax started killing people off around the country and appearing in such places as NBC news and the offices of several liberal Senators. As someone who has studied virology, pathogens, AIDS research and bioterriost scenarios, I can say I do have some expertise in the field. In a slightly unrelated topic I would like to tell everyone that I have seen the disaster plan for a pathogen epidemic in CT and can say with 100% accuracy that it is pure crap. It won't work. Their plan relies on volunteers who may be too sick or unwilling to show up in which the whole plan falls apart. The guy in change of the whole thing acknowledged as much but said the state had no real authority to make people show up for work. Swell.
The anthrax killer has been caught, the FBI reported recently, identifying Bruce E Irvins as the culprit. The fact that he had committed suicide seemed very convenient and according to colleagues, it was. Free from his FBI imposed gag order, Dr Henry S Heine has come forward to say the FBI is full of shit once again. Appearing before a hearing by the National Academy of Sciences, Heine's reported that the extra 34 hours of time Irvins spent in the anthrax room was not enough time to weaponize the spores to such a degree as he did. Heine along with several other microbiologists said at least 8000 hours would have been needed. See any problem with that number? The FBI at first refused to believe the anthrax was weaponized, saying any garden variety terrorist could have done this. Only after many, many scientists came forward to prove them wrong did they change their position. Just like now. The Federal Bureau of Incompetence strikes again.
Heine also reported that Irvin was fragile guy, that the constant pressure by the FBI may have been what led to his suicide, not an admission of guilt. Soon after his death, Heine wondered if they would pin it on him now that he was dead. They next day Kapow, there is is. Irvin guilty.
Also mentioned is the fact this anthrax was some of the most highly weaponized anthrax ever seen. Not only could Irvins not have done this in such a short period of time, but the amount of materials needed would have been noticeable to everyone there. 26 gallons of materials would have been needed. I'm pretty sure that even the densest of individuals would notice such a hefty supply missing in such a short period of time. Irvins also didn't have the necessary equipment to keep such a large amount of anthrax more contaminating everything in the room where it was being processed. The list goes on and on. It's bull.
Just another set of lies told to us, apparently with the full cooperation of the FBI. The true story will never come out but know that its looks unlikely that Irvins would do it. As Irvins was also a devoted left winger, it seems odd he would target left wing apparatuses like NBC news or liberal senators. I think it was more likely that this was false flag operation gone wrong (not in its execution but in the traceable materials they used. There is no doubt the anthrax originated from Fort Detrick). But at least you know the truth out there in cyberspace. Will post more info as I head it.
The anthrax killer has been caught, the FBI reported recently, identifying Bruce E Irvins as the culprit. The fact that he had committed suicide seemed very convenient and according to colleagues, it was. Free from his FBI imposed gag order, Dr Henry S Heine has come forward to say the FBI is full of shit once again. Appearing before a hearing by the National Academy of Sciences, Heine's reported that the extra 34 hours of time Irvins spent in the anthrax room was not enough time to weaponize the spores to such a degree as he did. Heine along with several other microbiologists said at least 8000 hours would have been needed. See any problem with that number? The FBI at first refused to believe the anthrax was weaponized, saying any garden variety terrorist could have done this. Only after many, many scientists came forward to prove them wrong did they change their position. Just like now. The Federal Bureau of Incompetence strikes again.
Heine also reported that Irvin was fragile guy, that the constant pressure by the FBI may have been what led to his suicide, not an admission of guilt. Soon after his death, Heine wondered if they would pin it on him now that he was dead. They next day Kapow, there is is. Irvin guilty.
Also mentioned is the fact this anthrax was some of the most highly weaponized anthrax ever seen. Not only could Irvins not have done this in such a short period of time, but the amount of materials needed would have been noticeable to everyone there. 26 gallons of materials would have been needed. I'm pretty sure that even the densest of individuals would notice such a hefty supply missing in such a short period of time. Irvins also didn't have the necessary equipment to keep such a large amount of anthrax more contaminating everything in the room where it was being processed. The list goes on and on. It's bull.
Just another set of lies told to us, apparently with the full cooperation of the FBI. The true story will never come out but know that its looks unlikely that Irvins would do it. As Irvins was also a devoted left winger, it seems odd he would target left wing apparatuses like NBC news or liberal senators. I think it was more likely that this was false flag operation gone wrong (not in its execution but in the traceable materials they used. There is no doubt the anthrax originated from Fort Detrick). But at least you know the truth out there in cyberspace. Will post more info as I head it.
The Losers are Winners (but not at the box office)
Yet another film I really enjoyed that had flubbed badly out of the gate. Tanking hard at this weekend's box office of a purported nine million, The Losers follows in the heels of the riotously funny Hot Tub Time Machine failure.
Based on DC comic that I've never heard of (I'm more of a Marvel guy myself), The Losers proves to be fun, albeit forgettable, film. The plot is a strictly paint by numbers good guys screwed over, want revenge, mayhem ensues, the end. I don't have any problem with this scenario as long as the payoff of big explosions, shootouts and fist fights are fun and exciting. And in this movie, they are. Jeffrey Dean Morgan coming red red hot from Watchmen gives a good grizzled performance as Clay head of the team, the Losers. His men Jensen (Chris Evans), Rogue (Idris Elba), Pooch (Columbus Short), and Cougar (Oscar Jaenady) round out the team and together join Aisha (Zoe Saldana) in a revenge killing versus uber boring villain Max, Jason Patrick. I hate Jason Patrick. I always have. He is easily one of the worst actors ever. His performance in this film will not change your mind otherwise. But it's not entirely his fault. The part is really badly written. Considering one of the films writers is now working on the Spider Man reboot, this does not fill me with confidence. I have no idea who he actually was here, some sort of rouge CIA agent I guess. It never really is explained well and the Mcguffin of the film, a snuke, is a terrible name for a weapon of mass destruction. Anyone who save the 24 parody on South Park will chuckle every time they mention it on screen.
But much like an episode of Bones or NCIS, it's not so much the plot that drives the story but the characters and here is where the film shines. Chris Evans steals the show with his hilarious performance as Comm Expert Jensen. He is electric every time he is one screen which is about 75 percent of the movie. When he's actually off the screen a little too long you start to notice, which is not a good sign for the lead. Zoe Saldana looks great in this movie and I liked her mysterious character Aishia, although that plot twist most will see coming a mile away. The rest of the team was serviceable with only the mostly silent sniper Cougar making a surprisingly strong first appearance on American screens. The directing by Syvian White was quite good from a guy who's previous films were a dance movie I've never seen and a sequel to an awful horror film, I Know What You Did Last Summer. He got the one that had none of the original cast and was even more banal than you can imagine. So Kudos to him for making a decent film. Too bad no one's going to see it.
3 out of 5 stars
Based on DC comic that I've never heard of (I'm more of a Marvel guy myself), The Losers proves to be fun, albeit forgettable, film. The plot is a strictly paint by numbers good guys screwed over, want revenge, mayhem ensues, the end. I don't have any problem with this scenario as long as the payoff of big explosions, shootouts and fist fights are fun and exciting. And in this movie, they are. Jeffrey Dean Morgan coming red red hot from Watchmen gives a good grizzled performance as Clay head of the team, the Losers. His men Jensen (Chris Evans), Rogue (Idris Elba), Pooch (Columbus Short), and Cougar (Oscar Jaenady) round out the team and together join Aisha (Zoe Saldana) in a revenge killing versus uber boring villain Max, Jason Patrick. I hate Jason Patrick. I always have. He is easily one of the worst actors ever. His performance in this film will not change your mind otherwise. But it's not entirely his fault. The part is really badly written. Considering one of the films writers is now working on the Spider Man reboot, this does not fill me with confidence. I have no idea who he actually was here, some sort of rouge CIA agent I guess. It never really is explained well and the Mcguffin of the film, a snuke, is a terrible name for a weapon of mass destruction. Anyone who save the 24 parody on South Park will chuckle every time they mention it on screen.
But much like an episode of Bones or NCIS, it's not so much the plot that drives the story but the characters and here is where the film shines. Chris Evans steals the show with his hilarious performance as Comm Expert Jensen. He is electric every time he is one screen which is about 75 percent of the movie. When he's actually off the screen a little too long you start to notice, which is not a good sign for the lead. Zoe Saldana looks great in this movie and I liked her mysterious character Aishia, although that plot twist most will see coming a mile away. The rest of the team was serviceable with only the mostly silent sniper Cougar making a surprisingly strong first appearance on American screens. The directing by Syvian White was quite good from a guy who's previous films were a dance movie I've never seen and a sequel to an awful horror film, I Know What You Did Last Summer. He got the one that had none of the original cast and was even more banal than you can imagine. So Kudos to him for making a decent film. Too bad no one's going to see it.
3 out of 5 stars
Thursday, April 22, 2010
South Park Takes A Dive for Mohommed
Everyone who knows me, expects to be hit with my disdian for orginazed religion. Jews have shown a perpensity to outright racism to any non-jew to such a degree that it's really shocking. Watch Morgan Spurlock's Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden to see Othodox Jews literally chase him away from a holy site. Add that to an almost certain, albeit understandable hatred toward the Palestianin people, and nonstop building of settlements in disputed areas and you get a solid mix of superiortity and arragance about their beliefs. A recent Isralei court awarded two Muslims a 8000$settlement for racism during a trip on EL al airlines, so there is some progress being made, which I would expect from a progressive country like Isreal.
The Catholic Church on the other hand is in a free fall of horrific descent that made lead to radical changes being made. Every day a new sex scandal emerges (let that sink in for aminute) usually involving small boys. Authors Richard Dawkins and Chris Hutchinson are trying to find a way get around the immunity clause that protects heads of state to have him arrested for crimes against hunanity. You'd think a guy who was once a Nazi would have that be the worst thing about him but no, Pope Joey Ratz has also condemned millions to die of AIDS and countless children to be molested. That next conclave for Pope better be damned sure who they nominate next. This guy's a disaster.
Which leaves me with the Muslim's this week for protesting by means of veiled death threats to Trey Parker and Matt Stone for this week heavily censored South Park. Jeers to Comedy Central for bowing down to these threats instead of telling them to cram it with onions. Radical site RevolutionMuslim.com made veiled threats against the two, going so far as to showing where they lived in Colorado. So in response I am extending my own fatawa against this site. Site founder Abu Talhah el Amrikee should be tracked, found and then have someone explain to him why this is bad idea in whatever way they see fit. I'm not condoning violence but if he were to have an "accident" I wouldn't lose any sleep. Assholes like this need to be stopped. They should be arrested. More than liely the FBI already has moles within their orginaztion but as to why they haven't been arrested yet is beyond me. These guys are dangerous. No more censorship. No more coddleing. It's time to make a stand for our freedom and our country which we are losing bit by bit because we refuse to stand up to these monsters. Fuck em. Incidently, if any muslim finds this post offensive, good. If you want me I'm armed. At all times. Come find me. I dare you.
The Catholic Church on the other hand is in a free fall of horrific descent that made lead to radical changes being made. Every day a new sex scandal emerges (let that sink in for aminute) usually involving small boys. Authors Richard Dawkins and Chris Hutchinson are trying to find a way get around the immunity clause that protects heads of state to have him arrested for crimes against hunanity. You'd think a guy who was once a Nazi would have that be the worst thing about him but no, Pope Joey Ratz has also condemned millions to die of AIDS and countless children to be molested. That next conclave for Pope better be damned sure who they nominate next. This guy's a disaster.
Which leaves me with the Muslim's this week for protesting by means of veiled death threats to Trey Parker and Matt Stone for this week heavily censored South Park. Jeers to Comedy Central for bowing down to these threats instead of telling them to cram it with onions. Radical site RevolutionMuslim.com made veiled threats against the two, going so far as to showing where they lived in Colorado. So in response I am extending my own fatawa against this site. Site founder Abu Talhah el Amrikee should be tracked, found and then have someone explain to him why this is bad idea in whatever way they see fit. I'm not condoning violence but if he were to have an "accident" I wouldn't lose any sleep. Assholes like this need to be stopped. They should be arrested. More than liely the FBI already has moles within their orginaztion but as to why they haven't been arrested yet is beyond me. These guys are dangerous. No more censorship. No more coddleing. It's time to make a stand for our freedom and our country which we are losing bit by bit because we refuse to stand up to these monsters. Fuck em. Incidently, if any muslim finds this post offensive, good. If you want me I'm armed. At all times. Come find me. I dare you.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Mass Effect 2: RPG in space rocks
A few years back came a revolutionary game called Mass Effect. It combined RPG and shooters to create a truly unique outer space adventure. As John Shepard, you could recruit others to fight against the Gek, a mech species bent on world destruction. Like any other RPG, you had worlds to explore, cities for side quests and plenty of new items to drool over. It was a lot of fun.
Now comes the new one with a different feel to it in which most of it works and some falls flat. Your still Shepard only now your fighting a group called the Collectors who have taken colonists and done god knows what with them. The game play is astonishing. Much improved over the last game, it borrows heavily from Gears of War (that's a good thing) for duck and shoot gameplay. The AI is slightly better although your companions still have a tendency to wander in front of you when your shooting.
The cities are more compact which allows for quicker exploration but fewer side missions. Building your character and NPC's are vital to survival and allow for some cool biotics (spells) like slow time, freeze enemies, and my favorite, create a battle bot. This thing is shaped like a large marble but deals death in the highest settings. I wish there had been more places to explore but it was fun with what was had.
The biggest disappointment was in space exploration. It was boring as hell. The last game had you actually landing on planets and exploring them in a badly controlled dune buggy. Instead of fixing the controls, they eliminated the buggy completely and had you explore from the ship. This meant hours of scanning the surface for needed materials or anomalies for landing sites which were few and far between. Yawn. Exploration in this game was much more of a chore than the last one and I hope when the third one comes out they fix this awful part of the game.
But that was really the only problem with the game. The story is great, the last bad guy is WAY better than the horrible ending of the last one. In Mass Effect, the big bad at the end can be taken down with a single shot. WHEEEE. This one had a large half metal, half human reaver that was very difficult to kill and a lot of fun to take down.
All in all, its a great game. Characters you grow to like are offed, others betray you if you don't win their loyalty. Just like in real life. I for one can't wait for part 3
4 out 5 stars
Now comes the new one with a different feel to it in which most of it works and some falls flat. Your still Shepard only now your fighting a group called the Collectors who have taken colonists and done god knows what with them. The game play is astonishing. Much improved over the last game, it borrows heavily from Gears of War (that's a good thing) for duck and shoot gameplay. The AI is slightly better although your companions still have a tendency to wander in front of you when your shooting.
The cities are more compact which allows for quicker exploration but fewer side missions. Building your character and NPC's are vital to survival and allow for some cool biotics (spells) like slow time, freeze enemies, and my favorite, create a battle bot. This thing is shaped like a large marble but deals death in the highest settings. I wish there had been more places to explore but it was fun with what was had.
The biggest disappointment was in space exploration. It was boring as hell. The last game had you actually landing on planets and exploring them in a badly controlled dune buggy. Instead of fixing the controls, they eliminated the buggy completely and had you explore from the ship. This meant hours of scanning the surface for needed materials or anomalies for landing sites which were few and far between. Yawn. Exploration in this game was much more of a chore than the last one and I hope when the third one comes out they fix this awful part of the game.
But that was really the only problem with the game. The story is great, the last bad guy is WAY better than the horrible ending of the last one. In Mass Effect, the big bad at the end can be taken down with a single shot. WHEEEE. This one had a large half metal, half human reaver that was very difficult to kill and a lot of fun to take down.
All in all, its a great game. Characters you grow to like are offed, others betray you if you don't win their loyalty. Just like in real life. I for one can't wait for part 3
4 out 5 stars
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The government: WTF
In a new poll by the Pew Center, 4 out 5 people don't trust the government. That is an amazingly high number and one that spells trouble for everyone here. Distrust at this level is at record highs with a majority finally realizing that both the dems and republicans are both worthless. Not from the tea party it seems though which for all tense and purpose appears to be the fringe wing of the R party. At one such recent rally an organizer was booed off the stage when he pleaded with the crowd not to support Sarah Palin. They responded that dems were worse, that she felt their pain. Right. She's a high heeled demagogue who could be the worst leader of a country ever. I said it. WORSE THAN HITLER. Why you ask could she be worse than Hitler? Because Hitler may have been clinically insane but he wasn't stupid. She is brainless and could possibly blunder us into an all out nuclear war or total economic collapse. This woman CANNOT be allowed to become president no matter what the cost. She is way too dangerous. Anyone you know who admires her should be beaten within an inch of their life with a stick (I'm being facetious here. NO violence should be done against anyone, including Palin. However a good shun might be a good start). So who are these idiots in the tea party? According to some news outlets, white, older and better off. In other words racist (we want out country back is code for we want a white guy to tell us what to do), pissed because they have to pay more in taxes (no wait they pay less. Fox news strikes again for the disinformation war), and that their taxes to go to projects they don't support (more closet racism). They hate big government but support libraries, schools, the police, the military, the firemman; all the stuff they like but give free lunches to poor kids and watch the venom fly. You can't have it both ways. Either you want smaller government with less services or you want big government to "socialize" their tax dollars.
I watched Glenn Beck for a few minutes last night before my brain forced to watch something more educational like Lost or America's Next Top Model. In it, he used his famous blackboard to convince people that socialists were akin to Nazis as they called themselves socialists. They weren't. They were fascist. They just hijacked the name like they did the swastika which was actually a Sanskrit symbol used to ward off evil. Just because I call myself King John doesn't make it so. Socialism has it problems, but it also allows the people to get what they pay for in taxes. Ask anyone in socialized countries what they think of their government and no way do 4 out 5 people there not trust them. Why? Because they get things like free health care, livable wages, nice places to live, six weeks paid vacation, sick days, paid maternity leave for both parents, free education including college. Yes their taxes are high but in the end they live better than we do. So shut the Fuck up about socialism you fat crying bastard. I hope your blackboard falls on you one day.
At least he's not swayed by the lunatic fringe who claim the Holocaust never happened or that Obama wasn't born in this country. His birth certificate is on line for all to see. It's not a fraud as confirmed by multiple, non-biased organizations such as Factchecker. His college transcripts aren't released because NO politician releases them. I don't see you hammering Palin for her shoddy school grades. Or McCain. Or everybody else. It just isn't done. Get over it. And for the Holocaust deniers out there, I'm fairly positive Treblinka existed, Yes I know ground probing radar found nothing. But as an anthropologist, you are forgetting one of the cardinal rules. Absence of proof is not proof of absence. There is enough documentation, including that by former prison guards and the commandant, that it was there.
Obama gets a big shout out this week for extending unemployment benefits, although I am so confused as to how all this works. No article adequately explains including the MA unemployment website. Awesome. At least for those out of work the checks will keep coming. For how long is anyone's guess. And I still don't know about the Goldman Sachs ponzi scheme or the new regulation bank bill as contradictions abound on both sides. But as the Republicans are dead set against it, I figure it might be worth something. More research will be needed on this subject before opinion can be weighed but for the moment it seems like a good idea.
In a quick entertainment news, James Bond 23 has been put on hold indefinitely (and possibly the Hobbit) as MGM woes have hit critical mass. Here's hoping another company will come to the rescue.
I watched Glenn Beck for a few minutes last night before my brain forced to watch something more educational like Lost or America's Next Top Model. In it, he used his famous blackboard to convince people that socialists were akin to Nazis as they called themselves socialists. They weren't. They were fascist. They just hijacked the name like they did the swastika which was actually a Sanskrit symbol used to ward off evil. Just because I call myself King John doesn't make it so. Socialism has it problems, but it also allows the people to get what they pay for in taxes. Ask anyone in socialized countries what they think of their government and no way do 4 out 5 people there not trust them. Why? Because they get things like free health care, livable wages, nice places to live, six weeks paid vacation, sick days, paid maternity leave for both parents, free education including college. Yes their taxes are high but in the end they live better than we do. So shut the Fuck up about socialism you fat crying bastard. I hope your blackboard falls on you one day.
At least he's not swayed by the lunatic fringe who claim the Holocaust never happened or that Obama wasn't born in this country. His birth certificate is on line for all to see. It's not a fraud as confirmed by multiple, non-biased organizations such as Factchecker. His college transcripts aren't released because NO politician releases them. I don't see you hammering Palin for her shoddy school grades. Or McCain. Or everybody else. It just isn't done. Get over it. And for the Holocaust deniers out there, I'm fairly positive Treblinka existed, Yes I know ground probing radar found nothing. But as an anthropologist, you are forgetting one of the cardinal rules. Absence of proof is not proof of absence. There is enough documentation, including that by former prison guards and the commandant, that it was there.
Obama gets a big shout out this week for extending unemployment benefits, although I am so confused as to how all this works. No article adequately explains including the MA unemployment website. Awesome. At least for those out of work the checks will keep coming. For how long is anyone's guess. And I still don't know about the Goldman Sachs ponzi scheme or the new regulation bank bill as contradictions abound on both sides. But as the Republicans are dead set against it, I figure it might be worth something. More research will be needed on this subject before opinion can be weighed but for the moment it seems like a good idea.
In a quick entertainment news, James Bond 23 has been put on hold indefinitely (and possibly the Hobbit) as MGM woes have hit critical mass. Here's hoping another company will come to the rescue.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Kick Ass Kicks Ass
As a kid I always wanted super powers. The ability to fly, to walk through walls, to move things with my mind. Now I want them for a different reason. To save the world, perhaps. But this movie touches on a central question that I always have had: Why has no one ever tried to really become one? Hill St Blues had a character played by now Adam Sadler director Dennis Dugan as just that kind of character. As expected he was killed trying to stop a crime. But as Kick Ass and the similar Woody Harrelson release Defendor, sanity is not in high quantity.
Aaron Johnson plays the title role of Dave/Kick Ass, a high school nobody who's tired of getting beat up and watching others do the same all around him. His morality and lack of common sense force to become the costumed Kick Ass. In his first attempt at bravery he gets stabbed and nearly dies. Most would call this a day. But now that Dave has lowered pain tolerances due to nerve damage, he tackles crime again and becomes an internet sensation. He attracts the attention of Crime boss Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong), his son Chris/Med mist (Chris Mintz-Plasse), Mindy/Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz) and her father Damon, Big Daddy (Nick Cage). He finds himself soon in way over his head as Frank wants Kick Ass dead for crimes committed by the much more violent Hit Girl and Big Daddy. Meanwhile, Chris devises a plot to get them out in the open by pretending to be a superhero himself called Red Mist. What follows is violent, funny, shocking and awesome all at once.
Much has been made about an 11 year old girl engaging in this level of violence. I had no problem with it. I've worked with kid actors in the past and they are surprisingly resistant. One flick I was worked on had a ten year old doing rails of coke off a strippers ass. I hear he's headed to college next year, drug free. 11 year olds, especially actors or that age, are usually more mature than their counterparts. They know its a movie and aren't likely to go on a killing spree anytime soon. As for other children, they shouldn't be seeing this movie anyways as its rated R. This is an adult film for adults. If you're under 13 you shouldn't be seeing any R rated movies anyway.
All in all, this is great satire of superhero movies. Nick Cage is on fire lately. His Adam West impression while being Big Daddy is a nice inside joke. Chloe Moritz is going to be a star. Her performance is powerful, touching and deadly. I loved it. Too bad the box office suffered due to Liongate's attempt at a greedy takeover of 100% of the film's profits at some theater locations in the south and Midwest. As a result, they may have lost out in as much as 10 million in additional sales. Genius. Along with Spirit airlines ill fated attempt to charge carry ons, this will go down as another incredible blunder by CEO's who apparently are retarded, high, drunk, stupid or all of the above. Maybe the next superhero will beat the tar around one of these stellar individuals.
4 out of 5 stars
Aaron Johnson plays the title role of Dave/Kick Ass, a high school nobody who's tired of getting beat up and watching others do the same all around him. His morality and lack of common sense force to become the costumed Kick Ass. In his first attempt at bravery he gets stabbed and nearly dies. Most would call this a day. But now that Dave has lowered pain tolerances due to nerve damage, he tackles crime again and becomes an internet sensation. He attracts the attention of Crime boss Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong), his son Chris/Med mist (Chris Mintz-Plasse), Mindy/Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz) and her father Damon, Big Daddy (Nick Cage). He finds himself soon in way over his head as Frank wants Kick Ass dead for crimes committed by the much more violent Hit Girl and Big Daddy. Meanwhile, Chris devises a plot to get them out in the open by pretending to be a superhero himself called Red Mist. What follows is violent, funny, shocking and awesome all at once.
Much has been made about an 11 year old girl engaging in this level of violence. I had no problem with it. I've worked with kid actors in the past and they are surprisingly resistant. One flick I was worked on had a ten year old doing rails of coke off a strippers ass. I hear he's headed to college next year, drug free. 11 year olds, especially actors or that age, are usually more mature than their counterparts. They know its a movie and aren't likely to go on a killing spree anytime soon. As for other children, they shouldn't be seeing this movie anyways as its rated R. This is an adult film for adults. If you're under 13 you shouldn't be seeing any R rated movies anyway.
All in all, this is great satire of superhero movies. Nick Cage is on fire lately. His Adam West impression while being Big Daddy is a nice inside joke. Chloe Moritz is going to be a star. Her performance is powerful, touching and deadly. I loved it. Too bad the box office suffered due to Liongate's attempt at a greedy takeover of 100% of the film's profits at some theater locations in the south and Midwest. As a result, they may have lost out in as much as 10 million in additional sales. Genius. Along with Spirit airlines ill fated attempt to charge carry ons, this will go down as another incredible blunder by CEO's who apparently are retarded, high, drunk, stupid or all of the above. Maybe the next superhero will beat the tar around one of these stellar individuals.
4 out of 5 stars
Thursday, April 15, 2010
More lies and the death of real news
It has become readily apparent that no news,(Internet, TV, print or radio) cannot even disguise their apparent bias. Drudge Report as of late has gone to the right wing well one too many times with idiotic stories about shortages of doctors (which have nothing to do with the current health care bill and everything with our broken system), global cooling (weather extremes are part of climate change), and how over half the country doesn't pay any taxes (a blatant falsehood). World Net Daily has become a ultra right wing website that borders on dangerous insanity at this point. Birthers rule the roost there and if that's what you'll hang your hat on I've got a nice rubber room for you. Idiots. Even progressive sites like Rense and What Really Happened have taken on a dangerous all conspiracy theories are right motto. The holocaust happened Rense. Get over it. Your "proof" is never accurate from your contributors and ample evidence exists as to what happened. I know people personally involved in Speilberg's Holocaust project, the result of which can be seen everyday at the Holocaust Museum in DC. While eyewitness testimony can be unreliable or even wrong, the sheer number of similar stories show that the Holocaust happened and millions died. Yes the number may be inflated but millions died regardless and its still too many and a genocide. Mike Revello of What Really Happened is a little too conspiracy minded for his own good with his near constant refusal to accept climate change. It's occurring. How do I know? I have eyes. Weather records, some of which have stood for hundreds of years, are being broken daily worldwide. That is not a normal statistical probability. Glaciers are disappearing and temperatures are soaring n the Arctic and Greenland. It may already be too late to do anything about it, at least according to top scientist James Lovelock of the Giai theory.
All these sites are still better than the cable news networks. Faux news is a corporate shill for the right, MSNBC is the corporate shill for the left and CNN is the corporate shill for corporations. If you watch any of these, believe nothing that is said about anything. Unless footage exists, don't buy it. These morons are channeling the anchor from Network to get even dumber people riled up to a point they are going to do something stupid. It's only a matter of time before someone takes a shot at the President or a member of Congress. And then what? Obama is still our best chance to get out of this mess. He's not a socialist (corporatist yes). The sooner we get back to rational discourse, the better we will all be.
All these sites are still better than the cable news networks. Faux news is a corporate shill for the right, MSNBC is the corporate shill for the left and CNN is the corporate shill for corporations. If you watch any of these, believe nothing that is said about anything. Unless footage exists, don't buy it. These morons are channeling the anchor from Network to get even dumber people riled up to a point they are going to do something stupid. It's only a matter of time before someone takes a shot at the President or a member of Congress. And then what? Obama is still our best chance to get out of this mess. He's not a socialist (corporatist yes). The sooner we get back to rational discourse, the better we will all be.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Jennifer's Body Stinks
A few years back came out a little movie called Juno. Critics and audiences went nuts about it, writer Diablo Cody won an oscar and Jason Reitman went on the be a big name, oscar nominated director and everyone was happy. Insert sarcasm here. Juno was one of the worst movies I've ever seen. EVER. Not only was it a badly written mess with dialogue so awful it was painful, but it made teen pregnancy cute and unrealistic and may have led to a rise in said practice nationwide (particularly here in Gloucester). In short, it was a disaster that in no way should have been nominated let alone won. Worse, Juno was actually a better movie than this garbage heap.
This was the worst movie I've seen in some time. Any future movie with stripper turned screenwriter (really?) Cody is a must miss. Her dialogue is so fake and off putting that it single handedly ruins any movie. That being said everything else about this movie was just as bad.
The plot could actually have been something. Jennifer, played well by hottie Megan Fox, is the only thing in this movie that didn't make we want to bash the TV in. Her character is idiotic but that's the writer's fault not hers and I think she does great with the little she had to work with. She gets possessed by a demon, eats boys, while her nerdy best friend Needy (Amanda Sieyfried) is wasted in a thankless role that grows more pointless by the moment. She's psychic for some unknown reason never explained. Eventually the big showdown between the two happens and no one cares.
The directing was god awful by Karyn Kusama who's only real credit was the equally awful Aeon Flux. Some one needs to stop her before she directs again. I don't think I could take another crap fest that she consistently delivers. During a sex scene between Needy and her boyfriend the director inter cuts between Jennifer and her latest victim. Painful to sit through. Pointless to watch.
In a horror film about a demon succubus, nudity is a MUST. Not in a gratuitous way but a demon that uses sex to kill you would think a few nude scenes would be effective. Her breasts could have been turned into eyes or tentacles or a million other cool things that this film had no intention of doing. One scene had Fox swimming naked for no reason. Any nudity? No. Then why this scene. UGH.
This film could have really been something with a different writer and director. It could been funny social satire. Instead it died a rotten stinking corpse. Avoid at all costs.
0 stars out of 5
This was the worst movie I've seen in some time. Any future movie with stripper turned screenwriter (really?) Cody is a must miss. Her dialogue is so fake and off putting that it single handedly ruins any movie. That being said everything else about this movie was just as bad.
The plot could actually have been something. Jennifer, played well by hottie Megan Fox, is the only thing in this movie that didn't make we want to bash the TV in. Her character is idiotic but that's the writer's fault not hers and I think she does great with the little she had to work with. She gets possessed by a demon, eats boys, while her nerdy best friend Needy (Amanda Sieyfried) is wasted in a thankless role that grows more pointless by the moment. She's psychic for some unknown reason never explained. Eventually the big showdown between the two happens and no one cares.
The directing was god awful by Karyn Kusama who's only real credit was the equally awful Aeon Flux. Some one needs to stop her before she directs again. I don't think I could take another crap fest that she consistently delivers. During a sex scene between Needy and her boyfriend the director inter cuts between Jennifer and her latest victim. Painful to sit through. Pointless to watch.
In a horror film about a demon succubus, nudity is a MUST. Not in a gratuitous way but a demon that uses sex to kill you would think a few nude scenes would be effective. Her breasts could have been turned into eyes or tentacles or a million other cool things that this film had no intention of doing. One scene had Fox swimming naked for no reason. Any nudity? No. Then why this scene. UGH.
This film could have really been something with a different writer and director. It could been funny social satire. Instead it died a rotten stinking corpse. Avoid at all costs.
0 stars out of 5
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Clash of the Titans: Diverting Fun Not in 3D
Most of us remember the days of the bad 3D. It was ugly, gave you headache, and usually wasn't all that 3Dish. Avatar changes all that with a breathtaking 3D view that was immersive, gorgeous and real. Of course Hollywood, in all their infinite wisdom, saw the box office from this monster and went "all our movies need to be in 3-D just for the higher ticket price alone." Thus started the new craze of retrofit. While I have yet to see any of the retrofitted movies myself, I haven't read or talked to anyone who said this movie had good 3D. Actually they said it was terrible. So while the movie is fun in a stupid kind of way, under no reason should you see it in 3D.
The plot is similar to this year's Percy Jackson flick, so this is actually the 2nd remake of this movie I've seen this year. Sam Worthington, from Avatar as well, does fine as the vengeful Perseus and Liam Neeson bellows well as Zeus. The effects are typical CGI but the scenes with Medusa look really fake and both Percy Jackson and the original did better with what they took to the party than this. Uma Thurman was Medusa in the Percy Jackson film and was way better than the blank stared CGI nonsense from this one. There is one clever scene with a sorcerer whose stone gaze doesn't work on him much to the surprise of the Medusa, but that was it.
The film is actually not as good as the original whose Ray Harryhausen stop motion effects still look better than some of the CGI today.
It is still a fun movie, albeit not as much as the first. The plot is almost nonexistent (Perseus must get the head of Medusa to stop the Kraken from killing Athos or the princess. The end.) The script could definitely have used another walk through.
If your looking for a way to kill a couple of hours there are worse ways to spend your time. For the rest, wait to rent it or cable. The 3D doesn't matter so don;t waste your money.
2 stars
The plot is similar to this year's Percy Jackson flick, so this is actually the 2nd remake of this movie I've seen this year. Sam Worthington, from Avatar as well, does fine as the vengeful Perseus and Liam Neeson bellows well as Zeus. The effects are typical CGI but the scenes with Medusa look really fake and both Percy Jackson and the original did better with what they took to the party than this. Uma Thurman was Medusa in the Percy Jackson film and was way better than the blank stared CGI nonsense from this one. There is one clever scene with a sorcerer whose stone gaze doesn't work on him much to the surprise of the Medusa, but that was it.
The film is actually not as good as the original whose Ray Harryhausen stop motion effects still look better than some of the CGI today.
It is still a fun movie, albeit not as much as the first. The plot is almost nonexistent (Perseus must get the head of Medusa to stop the Kraken from killing Athos or the princess. The end.) The script could definitely have used another walk through.
If your looking for a way to kill a couple of hours there are worse ways to spend your time. For the rest, wait to rent it or cable. The 3D doesn't matter so don;t waste your money.
2 stars
Monday, April 12, 2010
The Coming Collapse
I really wish I never would have to write the tag line above and be serious about it, but our demise is all but written at this point. Unless drastic changes are made in the way we do everything, our empire will end. I fear it may already be too late.
If it was just one thing, mankind could be prepared, could fix it somehow. But the cracks are too numerous to fix and all my scenarios at this point end up badly.
One needs to study the end of the Roman Empire and even the densest of individuals would agree with me at this point. A corrupt, inefficient government, blood sports to appease the masses (any reality TV, sports), mass unchecked immigration, overextended borders, never ending wars, a faltering economy, and a huge difference in wages and living standards were what led to the Roman Empire demise. Sound familiar.
All civilizations follow a set path. Near the end are the final few steps, apathy (which are well past now), anger(full blown at the moment), which inevitably leads to revolution and chaos. Revolution is not necessarily a good thing either as the term can also lead to a military crackdown to restore order after a failed rise up. Then the cycle starts all over with martial law being the new order of things. If a revolution were to be staged at this point, I am certain it would be crushed by the military or, more likely, mercs such as Blackwater. Without some support from those ranks, a rise up would be suicide.
So what can you do. you ask? Pray. We also have to worry about the economy, climate change, war, terrorism, and oddly enough 2012. Not just because Sarah Palin could be our next President (don't laugh, stranger things have happened) but because of a larger than usual solar flare and solar polar shift. Scientists are unsure what will happen. Worst case scenario as that all life on the planet will end. Fun. We could also lose all power on the planet for years. Or nothing will occur. The fact that even Michio Akako (the highly respected theoretical physicist from MIT) said on a recent interview that there is indeed some cause for alarm does not bode well.
It has come my attention that vast underground bases may be being built under the Denver airport. I recommend anyone reading this check out the websites showing the murals and capstones of the airport. They're messed up. A few have since been painted over which is good because little ones would have nightmares from some of the graphic images. A capstone in the lobby reads commissioned by the New World Order which no one seems to know what that means or who they are. When the airport was built, a "mistake" caused five large buildings to be built over rather than razed and there's enough fiber optics to wire New York City being used. What exactly is under there. And why are books and works of art being moved out of Manchester England to a salt mine. They say its renovations, which it could very well be, but the number of libraries and museums closing world wide seem to be accelerating. They are all closing for renovations for years including the Orley and Piccasso museum in Paris, the Pushkin Museum in Russia and the biggest museums in Karakow. I have recently gotten a list of everything closing or being built underground. The list is staggering. The number is increasing from what I looked at just a few months back. I will update more on this topic later this week.
A further warning is to anyone who owns stock. The stock market has increased again to unhealthy levels due to the complete lack of regulation of any sort after the last debacle. A whistelblower has come forward warning the SEC about price fixing in the gold market by JP Morgan. As he was nearly killed in a car accident after this came out I tend to believe him. He says the whole market is a ponzi scheme waiting to deflate like all the other bubbles before it. When it nose dives it will take the whole market with it and a New Depression begins again, although I'm not entirely sure the old one ever ended. There is also an unconfirmed report that fake gold has made it into places such as Fort Knox and The Vatican. If it's true, our governments may be spending these large sums of money to save themselves form a coming Apocalypse. The rest of us are screwed. So smoke em if you got em. And if life ends so be it. It was a hell of ride.
If it was just one thing, mankind could be prepared, could fix it somehow. But the cracks are too numerous to fix and all my scenarios at this point end up badly.
One needs to study the end of the Roman Empire and even the densest of individuals would agree with me at this point. A corrupt, inefficient government, blood sports to appease the masses (any reality TV, sports), mass unchecked immigration, overextended borders, never ending wars, a faltering economy, and a huge difference in wages and living standards were what led to the Roman Empire demise. Sound familiar.
All civilizations follow a set path. Near the end are the final few steps, apathy (which are well past now), anger(full blown at the moment), which inevitably leads to revolution and chaos. Revolution is not necessarily a good thing either as the term can also lead to a military crackdown to restore order after a failed rise up. Then the cycle starts all over with martial law being the new order of things. If a revolution were to be staged at this point, I am certain it would be crushed by the military or, more likely, mercs such as Blackwater. Without some support from those ranks, a rise up would be suicide.
So what can you do. you ask? Pray. We also have to worry about the economy, climate change, war, terrorism, and oddly enough 2012. Not just because Sarah Palin could be our next President (don't laugh, stranger things have happened) but because of a larger than usual solar flare and solar polar shift. Scientists are unsure what will happen. Worst case scenario as that all life on the planet will end. Fun. We could also lose all power on the planet for years. Or nothing will occur. The fact that even Michio Akako (the highly respected theoretical physicist from MIT) said on a recent interview that there is indeed some cause for alarm does not bode well.
It has come my attention that vast underground bases may be being built under the Denver airport. I recommend anyone reading this check out the websites showing the murals and capstones of the airport. They're messed up. A few have since been painted over which is good because little ones would have nightmares from some of the graphic images. A capstone in the lobby reads commissioned by the New World Order which no one seems to know what that means or who they are. When the airport was built, a "mistake" caused five large buildings to be built over rather than razed and there's enough fiber optics to wire New York City being used. What exactly is under there. And why are books and works of art being moved out of Manchester England to a salt mine. They say its renovations, which it could very well be, but the number of libraries and museums closing world wide seem to be accelerating. They are all closing for renovations for years including the Orley and Piccasso museum in Paris, the Pushkin Museum in Russia and the biggest museums in Karakow. I have recently gotten a list of everything closing or being built underground. The list is staggering. The number is increasing from what I looked at just a few months back. I will update more on this topic later this week.
A further warning is to anyone who owns stock. The stock market has increased again to unhealthy levels due to the complete lack of regulation of any sort after the last debacle. A whistelblower has come forward warning the SEC about price fixing in the gold market by JP Morgan. As he was nearly killed in a car accident after this came out I tend to believe him. He says the whole market is a ponzi scheme waiting to deflate like all the other bubbles before it. When it nose dives it will take the whole market with it and a New Depression begins again, although I'm not entirely sure the old one ever ended. There is also an unconfirmed report that fake gold has made it into places such as Fort Knox and The Vatican. If it's true, our governments may be spending these large sums of money to save themselves form a coming Apocalypse. The rest of us are screwed. So smoke em if you got em. And if life ends so be it. It was a hell of ride.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Lies Lies Lies
Paul Craig Roberts was the assistant secretary to the treasury under Ronald Reagan. Over the past few dedcades he has written numerous articles and books about the rise of the fascist state and the shadow government that rules all. He has decided to retire because even after all that he's written, after all the facts he has uncovered are revleaved, nobody cared. Worse, his facts were called lies, his work twistsed and demonized by the mass media and the people who worship them like a false god. He has said the truth does not exist anymore, that people would rather cling to false hope and false gods than actual see the truth for what it is. I share his pain.
Yesterday while watching TV I saw no less than four blantant, outright lies; lies so egergous that my brain tried to make a break for it but was thankfully stoped by my ears and common sense. The fisrt two were on that terrible daytime show, Doctors. The first stories were about cancer. Candles were recently linked to second hand smoke deaths as were laptops to testicular cancer. Neither or these "facts" are true. How would I know you ask? Surprisingly, I am an expert in this field. My science and logic background make me great at reading and understanding even the most dense scientific papers. Let me start out by saying something important. Cigarettes cause cancer. There is anple evidence to support this conclusion. However, the studies done on second hand smoke are garbage. The non biased research shows no correlation between the two, including a recent UN report. Much like those TRUTH commercials (they aren't), ANYTHING can be showed to cause cancer. In college, using standard data for some cancer research, I proved conclusively apples cause cancer. They don't, but using flawed data can show that litterally anything can cause cancer. Cell phone research shows much the same. Good solid sceince shows no correlation between brain cancer and cell phone use, but the study keeps coming back to that same terrible conclusion. Likewise, while I haven't seen the data on it, I doubt putting a laptop on your lap while boil your eggs so to speak. There has been no rise in testicular cancer that would correspond with the rise in use in laptops which we would see.
Later that day, I watched Sean Hannity and Newt Gringrich tell the American people a flat out lie about the new treaty Obama signed with the Russians. What will happen if we get attacked by a biological weapon? they cried like little girls. There's no provision in there for that. WWWAAAAAAAA. Yes there was. In plain english and in bold letters. Apparently neither Hannity or Gingrinch can read. That would explain a lot.
The right has gone ballistic over this issue, for all the wrong reasons. My favorite gaffe of the day however comes from record holder Sarah Palin for her foot in mouth performance over how Ronald Reagan would neevr have done this treaty with the Russians. Footage still exists of Reagan telling the crowd he was for exactly what Obama accomplished. To the letter I might add. The right is the party of NO, no matter what and cannot be trusted with anything. The Dems are no better, but at least a slower slide into destruction is better than the hell paced fury that will a rise with a Palin (shudder) presidency.
Yesterday while watching TV I saw no less than four blantant, outright lies; lies so egergous that my brain tried to make a break for it but was thankfully stoped by my ears and common sense. The fisrt two were on that terrible daytime show, Doctors. The first stories were about cancer. Candles were recently linked to second hand smoke deaths as were laptops to testicular cancer. Neither or these "facts" are true. How would I know you ask? Surprisingly, I am an expert in this field. My science and logic background make me great at reading and understanding even the most dense scientific papers. Let me start out by saying something important. Cigarettes cause cancer. There is anple evidence to support this conclusion. However, the studies done on second hand smoke are garbage. The non biased research shows no correlation between the two, including a recent UN report. Much like those TRUTH commercials (they aren't), ANYTHING can be showed to cause cancer. In college, using standard data for some cancer research, I proved conclusively apples cause cancer. They don't, but using flawed data can show that litterally anything can cause cancer. Cell phone research shows much the same. Good solid sceince shows no correlation between brain cancer and cell phone use, but the study keeps coming back to that same terrible conclusion. Likewise, while I haven't seen the data on it, I doubt putting a laptop on your lap while boil your eggs so to speak. There has been no rise in testicular cancer that would correspond with the rise in use in laptops which we would see.
Later that day, I watched Sean Hannity and Newt Gringrich tell the American people a flat out lie about the new treaty Obama signed with the Russians. What will happen if we get attacked by a biological weapon? they cried like little girls. There's no provision in there for that. WWWAAAAAAAA. Yes there was. In plain english and in bold letters. Apparently neither Hannity or Gingrinch can read. That would explain a lot.
The right has gone ballistic over this issue, for all the wrong reasons. My favorite gaffe of the day however comes from record holder Sarah Palin for her foot in mouth performance over how Ronald Reagan would neevr have done this treaty with the Russians. Footage still exists of Reagan telling the crowd he was for exactly what Obama accomplished. To the letter I might add. The right is the party of NO, no matter what and cannot be trusted with anything. The Dems are no better, but at least a slower slide into destruction is better than the hell paced fury that will a rise with a Palin (shudder) presidency.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Bad Lieutenant: Port of New Orleans is Messed Up Fun
Way back in 1992, Abel Ferrara directed Harvey Keitel in the movie Bad Lieutenant. Ferrara was hot off the success of the gritty crime drama King Of New York (I highly recommend it) and Harvey Keitel exploded in Resevoir Dogs. This movie will be great I thought. I was wrong. It is quite simply one of the worst movies ever made. It makes no sense, dull beyond words and mostly consists of Keitel walking around naked, and I do mean NAKED, spouting nonsensical dialouge, if it can be called that. It's really a primodial scream set to music for 45 minutes. I'm not kidding. Watch it. I dare you.
This movie on the other hand is much much better than that. It's not really a remake at all except both had deviant detectives solving a crime. Nicholas Cage is the best he's been in years, although I also admit to being a big fan of his in general. Yes I liked Ghost Rider and National Treasure 1 and 2. Sue me. But in this film he's truly insane, which may not be far off from his somewhat bizzare, real-life personality.
The plot is complex, mostly surrounding the death of five illegal immagrants. But tangents are taken with Cage's hooker/girlfriend played by Eva Mendes, Brad Doriff as a bookie, Val Kilmer as his partner, and Fariza Balk as a partner in crime. Along the way Cage does every drug known to man and a few new ones he invented along the way. Incidently, in all the coke scenes, he's acually snorting baby powder. Yuck.
Well directed by Werner Herzog whose only other film I saw was the disturbing Grizzly Man. In that gem, the camera follows an insane man around in his quest to be eaten by bears. He does succeed. This film has a strange hallucinatory effect that sometimes works and sometimes falls flat or overlong. All the scenes with lizards are pointless and dull. Don't ask why, you'd have to see it to understand. But some of the shoots are very effective. A single spotlight Cage shoots on a darkened street corner, looking for a suspect but only briefly illuminating 20 dollar crack whores, is compelling and somewhat scary. The whores are like zombies in the glare, only catching fleeing glimpses of them as the car moves on.
Not everything works here. The ending is jarring from the rest of the picture and whole scenes don't work or could have been radically shortened. Trust me the lizard scenes go on way too long. Fast forward, you'll miss nothing. But if you'd like to see a very strange, oddly effective thriller, this one is worth your time.
3 and 1/2 stars out of five
This movie on the other hand is much much better than that. It's not really a remake at all except both had deviant detectives solving a crime. Nicholas Cage is the best he's been in years, although I also admit to being a big fan of his in general. Yes I liked Ghost Rider and National Treasure 1 and 2. Sue me. But in this film he's truly insane, which may not be far off from his somewhat bizzare, real-life personality.
The plot is complex, mostly surrounding the death of five illegal immagrants. But tangents are taken with Cage's hooker/girlfriend played by Eva Mendes, Brad Doriff as a bookie, Val Kilmer as his partner, and Fariza Balk as a partner in crime. Along the way Cage does every drug known to man and a few new ones he invented along the way. Incidently, in all the coke scenes, he's acually snorting baby powder. Yuck.
Well directed by Werner Herzog whose only other film I saw was the disturbing Grizzly Man. In that gem, the camera follows an insane man around in his quest to be eaten by bears. He does succeed. This film has a strange hallucinatory effect that sometimes works and sometimes falls flat or overlong. All the scenes with lizards are pointless and dull. Don't ask why, you'd have to see it to understand. But some of the shoots are very effective. A single spotlight Cage shoots on a darkened street corner, looking for a suspect but only briefly illuminating 20 dollar crack whores, is compelling and somewhat scary. The whores are like zombies in the glare, only catching fleeing glimpses of them as the car moves on.
Not everything works here. The ending is jarring from the rest of the picture and whole scenes don't work or could have been radically shortened. Trust me the lizard scenes go on way too long. Fast forward, you'll miss nothing. But if you'd like to see a very strange, oddly effective thriller, this one is worth your time.
3 and 1/2 stars out of five
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
New World Order DVD
Alex Jones is a radio host/conspiracy theorist who, while being loud and boisterous, makes many an intersting point. His latest DVD New World Order follows him and several others world wide as they attempt to confront lies about 9/11, Waco, Ruby Ridge and the Bilderbereg group. I only wish they came across a little more sane on tape.
What they are doing I belive to be important, and I understand their passion about the truth. However yelling at people and protesting on the side of street corners will only get you so far. Worse, it makes you like a little suspect at times. See some of the Tea Party members for how not to behave at a rally.
The DVD makes some excellent points but seems to be more about the individuals involved than the stories itself. One, a former cop, makes the biggest impact. Others, particularily two younger men from the south, come across as kind of hickish. Once again, I really respect what these guys are doing, but passing pamplets out and hassling onlookers aren't going to win you any friends.
Alex Jones is another story. I like the guy. I read his posts everyday and agree with him an just about everything except global warming being a hoax (it isn't). Unfortantly, his protests and speeches come off as very Hitlereque. At one speech he seemed to be channeling the ex-fuhrer with such ferocity that all that was missing was a little mustache. This is not to belittle the man or speak badly. I believe his views to be right but he needs to tone down the rhetoric a little if he wants more than the fringe to follow him.
The Dvd is okay. It'd an intersting look at the people who follow the conspiracy theories not so much at the theories themselves. Several times, a few of them get outwitted by frat boys, which doesn't bode well for any kind of movement they want started. If you want to win an argument, you have to know all the facts and crush people when they challenge you with idiotic statements that have no basis in fact. For example one guy is accousted by a pentagon worker who challenged his belief that a plane hit the building. While I have no set belief on the matter, the lack of photographic evidence (even though 180 cameras caught the event) and the sheer impossibility of any plane hitting that building at the angle it did, does raise important questions. I just wish the believers were smart enough to answer them. Alex Jones would have ripped them a new one.
2 out 5 stars
What they are doing I belive to be important, and I understand their passion about the truth. However yelling at people and protesting on the side of street corners will only get you so far. Worse, it makes you like a little suspect at times. See some of the Tea Party members for how not to behave at a rally.
The DVD makes some excellent points but seems to be more about the individuals involved than the stories itself. One, a former cop, makes the biggest impact. Others, particularily two younger men from the south, come across as kind of hickish. Once again, I really respect what these guys are doing, but passing pamplets out and hassling onlookers aren't going to win you any friends.
Alex Jones is another story. I like the guy. I read his posts everyday and agree with him an just about everything except global warming being a hoax (it isn't). Unfortantly, his protests and speeches come off as very Hitlereque. At one speech he seemed to be channeling the ex-fuhrer with such ferocity that all that was missing was a little mustache. This is not to belittle the man or speak badly. I believe his views to be right but he needs to tone down the rhetoric a little if he wants more than the fringe to follow him.
The Dvd is okay. It'd an intersting look at the people who follow the conspiracy theories not so much at the theories themselves. Several times, a few of them get outwitted by frat boys, which doesn't bode well for any kind of movement they want started. If you want to win an argument, you have to know all the facts and crush people when they challenge you with idiotic statements that have no basis in fact. For example one guy is accousted by a pentagon worker who challenged his belief that a plane hit the building. While I have no set belief on the matter, the lack of photographic evidence (even though 180 cameras caught the event) and the sheer impossibility of any plane hitting that building at the angle it did, does raise important questions. I just wish the believers were smart enough to answer them. Alex Jones would have ripped them a new one.
2 out 5 stars
Your tax Dollars at work
How would you like not to pay your taxes. Better yet, the government not only doesn't ask for the money you owe but gives you a billion dollars instead. Sounds great. It is. If you're a corporation. Forbes magazine came out with how much taxes companies paid last year. The answer. For most of them it came out to nothing. Billions owed that weren't collected. Plus subsidies that amounted to billions in unneeded aid back. Where are the screaming anti-welfare queens here? No where to be found. Some poor person who can't put food on the table is a leach, but a comapny, that's different because how else will they create jobs? Boo Hoo. You can't have it both ways. The same goes for the idiots demanding an end to all government spending, but support the military where most of our spening goes (along with Medicare, Medicade and Social Security). Assinine.
So were the worst offenders? Not surprisingly, Exxon Mobil, who recorded a record 45.2 billion dollar profit. They owed 15 billion dolars in taxes. Amount paid. 0. That's right. ZERO! Because of offshore sheltered accounts it owed nothing. Plus it received 1.1 billion dolllars in tax breaks. Exxon insists that it will owe money and pay the IRS but somehow I kinda doubt it. According to the GAO (Government Accounting Office) 2 out 3 companies paid no income tax from 1998 to 2005. CHRIST! Yet I owe money I can't afford.
The tax rate has even been lowered to ridiculous levels. As if it matters as they pay nothing anyway. GE posted a 10.3 billion dollar profit in 2009 and again got a tax break of 1.1 billion in taxes not paid. Their tax rate is 5.3%, down from 35% several years ago and 15% from last year.
All this occurs because multinational companies can hide assest abroad from which they have to pay no taxes on. Try doing that as in individual and you will see jail time. Companies are doing a shell game to keep from paying what they rightfully owe. Until they start paying their fair share, we shouldn't either.
So were the worst offenders? Not surprisingly, Exxon Mobil, who recorded a record 45.2 billion dollar profit. They owed 15 billion dolars in taxes. Amount paid. 0. That's right. ZERO! Because of offshore sheltered accounts it owed nothing. Plus it received 1.1 billion dolllars in tax breaks. Exxon insists that it will owe money and pay the IRS but somehow I kinda doubt it. According to the GAO (Government Accounting Office) 2 out 3 companies paid no income tax from 1998 to 2005. CHRIST! Yet I owe money I can't afford.
The tax rate has even been lowered to ridiculous levels. As if it matters as they pay nothing anyway. GE posted a 10.3 billion dollar profit in 2009 and again got a tax break of 1.1 billion in taxes not paid. Their tax rate is 5.3%, down from 35% several years ago and 15% from last year.
All this occurs because multinational companies can hide assest abroad from which they have to pay no taxes on. Try doing that as in individual and you will see jail time. Companies are doing a shell game to keep from paying what they rightfully owe. Until they start paying their fair share, we shouldn't either.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Hot Tub Time Machine: The Past Is Funny
Like most of you out there who can remember the mid 80's, John Cusack was a probably a big part of your theatergoing experiences. Movies like The Sure Thing, Better Off Dead, One Crazy Summer and Say Anything were all box office gold and catapulted him into super stardom. So putting him in a movie that returns to 1986 is not too far off the mark.
Hot Tub Time Machine is a great title. Unfortunately like the equally descriptive name Sankes On A Plane, no one really seemed interested. Its too bad too because this is one of the funniest movies I've seen in a while.
John Cusack plays Adam, an insurnce salesman going through a bitter divorce. His nephew Jacob, well played as a neo-Greek Chorus by Clark Duke, is staying with him to avoid his Mom's new boyfriend. He recives a call that his friend Lou (Rob Corddy) has tried to kill himself. So to cheer him up they head to the ski lodge they frequented in their youth along with Craig Robinson's henpecked Nick. The place has fallen into disrepair over the years and the one armed bellboy (the hilarious Crispin Glover) seems truly bitter over his situation.
After a night of drunken debauchery, they find themselves back in 1986, in the bodies of themsleves as they were back then. We the audience see them as they are now but mirrors show us them in their youth. Clark Duke, as he wasn't even born yet, has a tendency to flicker out of existence.
What follows is the four atempt to get back to their own time helped occasionally by a ditzy repairman (Chevy Chase) and Clark Duke who would like to get back before he fades from existence. Time travel rules are explained and broken on a whim which makes the whole movie's paradox's rip roaring funny. Glover's bellman in the past still has both his arms and is constantly about to lose it, much to Lou's delight and disppointment when in never seems to occur.
Much like Bill and Ted this is a stupid but very funny movie. Go see it while its still in theaters
3 and half stars out of 5
Hot Tub Time Machine is a great title. Unfortunately like the equally descriptive name Sankes On A Plane, no one really seemed interested. Its too bad too because this is one of the funniest movies I've seen in a while.
John Cusack plays Adam, an insurnce salesman going through a bitter divorce. His nephew Jacob, well played as a neo-Greek Chorus by Clark Duke, is staying with him to avoid his Mom's new boyfriend. He recives a call that his friend Lou (Rob Corddy) has tried to kill himself. So to cheer him up they head to the ski lodge they frequented in their youth along with Craig Robinson's henpecked Nick. The place has fallen into disrepair over the years and the one armed bellboy (the hilarious Crispin Glover) seems truly bitter over his situation.
After a night of drunken debauchery, they find themselves back in 1986, in the bodies of themsleves as they were back then. We the audience see them as they are now but mirrors show us them in their youth. Clark Duke, as he wasn't even born yet, has a tendency to flicker out of existence.
What follows is the four atempt to get back to their own time helped occasionally by a ditzy repairman (Chevy Chase) and Clark Duke who would like to get back before he fades from existence. Time travel rules are explained and broken on a whim which makes the whole movie's paradox's rip roaring funny. Glover's bellman in the past still has both his arms and is constantly about to lose it, much to Lou's delight and disppointment when in never seems to occur.
Much like Bill and Ted this is a stupid but very funny movie. Go see it while its still in theaters
3 and half stars out of 5
just who in the hell do I think I am
I know that's what a lot of you are thinking (or not. For all I know I'm writing for myself). But I figure on the off chance that someone I don't know has stumbled across this site, here goes.
I am a student of the world. I have a 181 IQ, read faster than almost anyone on the planet, and have degrees in philosophy and anthropolgy. I read constantly about everything. In my studies I came across the works of Neo-Confucianist Chu Tsi which is a must read, especially if you work in law enforcement. His chapters on investigative techniques helped me become a better thinker as would anyone who reads his stuff. I highly recommend it. My work in philosophy made see the world in a esoteric way. Anthroplogy grounded me in science. Bewteen the two I discovered there was little I couldn't understand.
Over the years I spent investigations into everything. The paranormal, conspiracy theories, evolution, global warming, health care, abortion, religion, even the existence of God. I believe I have firm answers to all of them. The only problem is that to a lot of the set questions, answers remain that will, quite simply, drive some people mad. And I don't mean mad as in pissed, I mean mad as in unhinged. Imagine if everything you knew turned out to be untrue. If reality itself wasn't what you thought it was (it probably isn't, by the way. It's much more complicated than you would think), how would you handle it. Some would be fine. Others, not so much.
If you are reading this and want an answer to something please ask. My email is iwarmonger0@aol.com. Ask about anything. Does Bigfoot exist? Is Global warming real? What is the best explination for the possibility of space travel? Can you go to other dimensions? Is time travel possible? What really happened at Waco or 9/11? The only thing is be prepared for answers that you may not want. I will back up any answer with as much proof as possible.
I am a true skeptic. This means for any answer I would look first into the most logical one(aka Occum's Razor). But if none are reasonable than one must apply the Sherlock Holmes Rule. When you've elminated everything else, whatever remains no matter how odd, must be the truth. There are too many believers and disbelievers (these people call themselves skeptics but if an alien walked up to them and shook their hand they would find a way to explain it away). You need to keep an open mind in this world but not so open your brain falls out.
But what's that you ask? My reveiws of pop culture spells an acceptance to corporate malefesence? Hardly. Just because coporate culture sucks, doesn't mean that art created from it is false or phony. Art is all we have in this world to keep our sanity and no matter what happens I hope we always have it. If we can't find outlets to be entertained, this really will be hell on earth. We need to laugh, to cry, to feel something. To feel connected. I love Tv and movies and books and videogames. I love to talk to people about the latest episode of Lost or the book Animal Farm or Lady Gaga's new album. Shared experience is what makes us human and that is something we can never forget.
So enjoy the ride to anyone out there. I want you to join me in something new and revoloutionary. I want to start an orginaztion of pure logic that would make Mr. Spock proud. I want to find people dedicated to the truth no matter where it leads. I need philosophical generals to restart a dying planet. Our future is at stake. Who will join me?
I am a student of the world. I have a 181 IQ, read faster than almost anyone on the planet, and have degrees in philosophy and anthropolgy. I read constantly about everything. In my studies I came across the works of Neo-Confucianist Chu Tsi which is a must read, especially if you work in law enforcement. His chapters on investigative techniques helped me become a better thinker as would anyone who reads his stuff. I highly recommend it. My work in philosophy made see the world in a esoteric way. Anthroplogy grounded me in science. Bewteen the two I discovered there was little I couldn't understand.
Over the years I spent investigations into everything. The paranormal, conspiracy theories, evolution, global warming, health care, abortion, religion, even the existence of God. I believe I have firm answers to all of them. The only problem is that to a lot of the set questions, answers remain that will, quite simply, drive some people mad. And I don't mean mad as in pissed, I mean mad as in unhinged. Imagine if everything you knew turned out to be untrue. If reality itself wasn't what you thought it was (it probably isn't, by the way. It's much more complicated than you would think), how would you handle it. Some would be fine. Others, not so much.
If you are reading this and want an answer to something please ask. My email is iwarmonger0@aol.com. Ask about anything. Does Bigfoot exist? Is Global warming real? What is the best explination for the possibility of space travel? Can you go to other dimensions? Is time travel possible? What really happened at Waco or 9/11? The only thing is be prepared for answers that you may not want. I will back up any answer with as much proof as possible.
I am a true skeptic. This means for any answer I would look first into the most logical one(aka Occum's Razor). But if none are reasonable than one must apply the Sherlock Holmes Rule. When you've elminated everything else, whatever remains no matter how odd, must be the truth. There are too many believers and disbelievers (these people call themselves skeptics but if an alien walked up to them and shook their hand they would find a way to explain it away). You need to keep an open mind in this world but not so open your brain falls out.
But what's that you ask? My reveiws of pop culture spells an acceptance to corporate malefesence? Hardly. Just because coporate culture sucks, doesn't mean that art created from it is false or phony. Art is all we have in this world to keep our sanity and no matter what happens I hope we always have it. If we can't find outlets to be entertained, this really will be hell on earth. We need to laugh, to cry, to feel something. To feel connected. I love Tv and movies and books and videogames. I love to talk to people about the latest episode of Lost or the book Animal Farm or Lady Gaga's new album. Shared experience is what makes us human and that is something we can never forget.
So enjoy the ride to anyone out there. I want you to join me in something new and revoloutionary. I want to start an orginaztion of pure logic that would make Mr. Spock proud. I want to find people dedicated to the truth no matter where it leads. I need philosophical generals to restart a dying planet. Our future is at stake. Who will join me?
Monday, April 5, 2010
borderlands xbox 360
The new thing in videogames is the birth of the RPG first person shooter. While nothing new as Fallout 3 and Mass Effect have done this before, Borderlands is still revolutionary in the sheer volume of pickups. 15 million pickups. Wow. Set in a off world adventure, your character roams the countryside in search of loot, weapons and monsters. Don't get attached to any one weapon because every few minutes you'll come across something better. Want a weapon that shoots through shields, score. Enemy too heavily armored, use corrisive weapons. One of my favorites late in the game was a scoped bazooka that shoots acid. Heavily armored defendors became puddles of goo on minutes. Be perpared to die a lot though. One wrong move into a new territory and your wepaons are useless against much stronger opponents. And it is not like its marked that dangerous creatures lie ahead.
Also fun is the tank you get to drive across the countryside. Starship trooper-like bugs pop up from out of the ground and it never gets old splattering them under your tires. Although as they have corrsoive blood, keep an eye on your tank's health as it can be depleted quickly if your not careful.
It wouldn't be much of an RPG if you didn't have classes. This game has four but this really only matters if you're playing multiplayer. In single player round, the solider is the best because of his ability to throw out a turret on occasion that acts like a second player. Plus as you go up in levels you can spend points to upgrade yourself or the turret. Geting health from killing things is very helpful as is the incrased magazine size. One of my best guns was a SMG that held 111 rounds before reloading. It would shoot through schools (bonus points for anyone who can name that film quote).
Overall if you like FPS or RPGs this is the game for you. An added feature is the second playthrough feature. You can keep the same character with all his goodies for another round with much harder enemies. or start again with a new class. The replay value of this game is staggering as the weapons you get are all random, making each time through a little different. A must own for serious fans of the genre.
Also fun is the tank you get to drive across the countryside. Starship trooper-like bugs pop up from out of the ground and it never gets old splattering them under your tires. Although as they have corrsoive blood, keep an eye on your tank's health as it can be depleted quickly if your not careful.
It wouldn't be much of an RPG if you didn't have classes. This game has four but this really only matters if you're playing multiplayer. In single player round, the solider is the best because of his ability to throw out a turret on occasion that acts like a second player. Plus as you go up in levels you can spend points to upgrade yourself or the turret. Geting health from killing things is very helpful as is the incrased magazine size. One of my best guns was a SMG that held 111 rounds before reloading. It would shoot through schools (bonus points for anyone who can name that film quote).
Overall if you like FPS or RPGs this is the game for you. An added feature is the second playthrough feature. You can keep the same character with all his goodies for another round with much harder enemies. or start again with a new class. The replay value of this game is staggering as the weapons you get are all random, making each time through a little different. A must own for serious fans of the genre.
death of the american dream
If you're like the millions of others like me out of work and getting more and more pissed about it, this is the site for you. After receiving a pitiful wage from the federal government in the form of slave wages, I mean unemployment (almost every country doles out at least double what we get here), I dutifully went to pay my taxes. Knowning that I would owe something, I was shocked to discover that your taxes are done on the same level as if you were self employed. This means you were taxed at a 10 percent tax rate and the fedreal government covers nothing. This results in thousands of dolars being owed by people who can least afford it. Even worse, on the nightly news that night was a story about how great hedge fund maangers were doing. They're doing great with our tax dollars given to them by people like myself who can barely afford rent. Add that to the fact that our congress went on a two week break without extending benefits, which will cost the states millions in retrofitting (should they decide to extend it again and also paid with our taxes). Enough is enough. We need to stand in one loud voice and say we will not put up with this anymore.
It has come to light that the american dream is no more. That only England and Italy have worse upward mobility than here in the Western world. So if you want the american dream of a better life, move to Denmark. They're in the top five. Sad. Even worse is we put up with this nonsense.
The Supreme Court has turned this country into a fascist dictatorship. What you ask? How is that possible? With this rule allowing unlimited spending by corporations, your vote no longer counts. Fascism by the way is the combo of state and corporate power. Sound familiar. Rules to demand fair accountability and direct spending to candidate are under attack and will probably also be swept away. At that point, fascism rules all.
Only mass demonstrations and the fight to elimiante corporate welfare will end this. Violence will not solve anything (not yet at least). But neither will our vote. No matter who you put in, they will be controlled by special interests. They have done a great job of manipulating the masses to fight one another on health care and abortion rights. Only when we stand togather will we realize that the true enemy are the CEO's and the uber-wealthy. Our time has come. WE NEED TO STAND.
It has come to light that the american dream is no more. That only England and Italy have worse upward mobility than here in the Western world. So if you want the american dream of a better life, move to Denmark. They're in the top five. Sad. Even worse is we put up with this nonsense.
The Supreme Court has turned this country into a fascist dictatorship. What you ask? How is that possible? With this rule allowing unlimited spending by corporations, your vote no longer counts. Fascism by the way is the combo of state and corporate power. Sound familiar. Rules to demand fair accountability and direct spending to candidate are under attack and will probably also be swept away. At that point, fascism rules all.
Only mass demonstrations and the fight to elimiante corporate welfare will end this. Violence will not solve anything (not yet at least). But neither will our vote. No matter who you put in, they will be controlled by special interests. They have done a great job of manipulating the masses to fight one another on health care and abortion rights. Only when we stand togather will we realize that the true enemy are the CEO's and the uber-wealthy. Our time has come. WE NEED TO STAND.
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