Archive for June, 2009
foundations »
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009
Economic strength is built on an incomplete, unsustainable equation, benefiting few, exploiting many. It’s growth is based on the shifting of responsibility, a constant thirst for resources stolen from others.
The flaws in Mr. Smith’s theory are downplayed. Resources are finite, very few have access and those in power work tirelessly to keep it. These flaws have become infested wounds on prosperity.
Health care is built on caring for the sick, now turned away if their condition is preexisting. Dozens of forms, calls and mistakes for something as simple as a visit to a clinic. Constantly struggling in reactive care. (more…)
apocalypse, repeatedly »
Monday, June 22nd, 2009
Roland Emmerich seems to be obsessed with our civilization crumbling under its own weight. (Some call this a “kindred spirit.”) For those wondering who that is, think ID4 or 10,000BC.
Some background: 2012 is the year predicted by Mayans (before they were conquered in the search for wealth, like Malaysians) to be the end of the world. Considering our current social state and climate issues, they’re likely not far off.
Here’s a trailer for Emmerich’s next offering, titled (no creativity) 2012:
Crazy right? Boom! The effects are nuts. The cast is… well, whatever. The concept is interesting. How will it play?
This could be Emmerich’s redeemer (that they still reference ID4 13yrs later should tell you he’s had a few stale ones). It’ll likely involve some terrible story where the main characters are the only three people that aren’t killed… but an aircraft carrier rolling over the White House? w00t!
Wait, so the government’s been planning on all this happening? Cusack’s the hero? Danny Glover as President? A car jumping (yes. jumping.) out of a plane?
Um…
This is probably best seen in a theater, given the explosions and tsunamis but maybe second run? Or matinee? This should be terrible with a side of CGI worth seeing but immediately regretting. (Again, think 10,000BC)
I will say this, though. If there’s one thing Emmerich does well, it’s destroy the world with reckless abandon. And I, for one, appreciate that.
Photo courtesy WorstPreviews.com. Trailer from Film School Rejects.
bloody mess »
Friday, June 19th, 2009
Have you heard of True Blood? It’s seriously hyped and critically acclaimed. If that’s too vague for you, let me be explicit: it sucks. (Pun intended.)
To get you up to speed, it’s a series on HBO. Vampires are real and discriminated against. Near-blood is created so they can quench their thirst without the neck of a too-hot coed. It’s called True Blood. (See what they do there?)
Anna (“mind-the-gap”) Paquin is the lead, who falls in love with a vampire engeniously named Bill. He, of course, is one of the human-friendly vamps who refuses to kill. There’s also a shape-shifting guy. But before I get into that… how about the positive?
Being on HBO and an elaborate drama, there’s flagrant nudity. The action can be awesome and the character interaction interesting. The acting is adequate, usually. And… that’s it?
Yes. That’s it. It sucks for a few dozen reasons but here are a few.
The thinly veiled prejudice metaphor is muddled at best. Vamps are treated like second-class citizens and their blood is a drug? Why can Paquin’s character hear thoughts? If the vamps are “homosexuals” is the shape-shifter someone with a learning disability?
There’s barely any of the entertaining action. Each episode usually has a charged scene where one of the attractive characters loses all or an article of their clothes but the rest is yawn.
As far as critics liking it, maybe they’re just watching it as a remake of Six Feet Under (a great show by the same creater). Or their not watching it. The writing is mediocre, the characters are absurd and most of the drama comes from watching the cast improvise a storyline.
Take, for instance, the premiere. It’s a solid example of how lame meets duh in a back-woods Louisiana-ish setting. (I’ll try not to ruin details for you fans out there.)
Shape-shifter has flashbacks to stealing some artifact from a cougar he got on back in the day. There’s a sex scene that involves biting and slightly more nudity than blood. Someone’s found in a car heartless (literally), sparking more flashbacks. A new vamp bitches about the taste of True Blood.
Really. Who. Cares.
Photo courtesy MoTechPosters
a rehashing of SFO (get it?)* »
Thursday, June 18th, 2009
First, let me address the absurd stereotypes I brought up last week. Gold nuggets are surprisingly hard to come by, land sharks are oddly docile and I forgot to mention Facebook. (The rest are dead on.)
On with it. The city is gorgeous, weather while we were there was stunning and we packed in a ton of stuff. So you don’t get bored, go to the usual place and view the snaps. For the rest of you, here’s a quick breakdown:
- California Academy of Sciences
- Napa Valley (including Peju and other mediocre tastings)
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Piers, a ton of them (What’s with all the coastal towns and all the piers? right?)
- Medjool, Little Baobab, Double Dutch, Oyagi, etc.
- Cable Cars
- Haight Street Festival
- de Young Art Museum
- Baker Beach
It was great fun and a nice reprieve from the day-to-day stress of… well… sitting around trying to find something to do? Thanks to Leah, our host, who doesn’t read this.
The highlight, for me, was attending a Facebook-sponsored event. Just don’t get that sort of stuff around here. Next stop, North Carolina? NYC? Poverty? Stay tuned for all the dicey details.
* If you didn’t get it, not to worry. This is quite possibly the most ambiguous and pathetic attempt at a marijuana reference ever recorded on the interweb. Still, no apologies.
to the golden gate »
Thursday, June 11th, 2009
Late this morning and through Monday, Girlfriend and I will be in San Francisco. I’ve never been (so many places never traveled to…) and am quite excited to see the place. Here are my assumptions* going in:
- It resembles an American Australia, founded on getting criminals as far from civilization as possible (until civilization caught up).
- Most things can be bought with gold nuggets (cash is frowned upon).
- There are land sharks (patrolling for any misguided tourists trying to escape from Alcatraz before the tour is finished).
- High speed chases occur, on average, on the hour every hour.
- Parks are filled to brimming with unwashed, dread-locked Phish fans in various stages of public coitus.
- Many places smell of body odor. (The rest smell of weed.)
- Two or three families live under each roof.
- One in every 3.243 people are gay or pretending to be in order to fit in.
- Earthquakes hit every three minutes but no one notices.
- 82% of the population works for Google, Apple, Amazon or [insert other tech giant here]. 3% are bicycle messengers. 16% have are unemployed (preferring a hand-rolled cigarette to a cubicle). (64% never took math.)
We’re hoping to get some sight-seeing in and will be headed to the Harmony Festival. Basically, I’m leaving the epicenter of MSP hippie to the epicenter of US hippie and going to a hippie festival. (One can’t get enough corporatized free love, I guess.)
Granted, as I’ve never been, I am completely could be wrong. I’ll try to relay some true-to-life details once I’m back… If I remember them after leaving the thick haze of second-hand toke.
* Based solely on television, (too many) movies, personal bias and a solid grasp of public-school-provided US history.