Really Cool Picture

Nothing really to this post. I just thought this picture of Israeli soldiers looked pretty cadillac with the muzzle flash. I'm gonna have a big post, a meta post, if you will (I like that, meta post, it sounds important, anyways, I digress) about West Virginia and Edwards endorsing Obama. But for now, enjoy the muzzle flash.

Note: Just in case Marty Peretz, Jamie Kirchick, or Alan Dershowitz are reading this blog (which I'm sure they are not); my inclusion (is that a word?) of this picture is in NO WAY an endorsement of the article by Arnon Grunberg that I took it from. I haven't even read the article yet; which is probably irresponsible on my part. I just think the picture is legitamately really cool looking. No hidden messages need be sought.

Maintenance

This post is meant to serve as a note of explanation. The times reflected in the lower left hand corners of my posts are not accurate, for instance in my last post on the cyclone in Burma, it said that I posted that at 8:27 AM; it was actually more like 11:30 AM. I've tried to adjust the time in the post options section of the Blogger software but that usually holds the post for a few hours before publishing. Needless to say, if any of you have experience with this software and can advise me on how to correct this problem, it would be greatly appreciated. As for now, disregard the time stamps, they are inaccurate.

Help needed in Myanmar

Thus far I haven't said anything about the devastation wrought by Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar. It's not because I don't find it worthy of mention (what could be more worthy?) it's merely a result of me not knowing quite what to say. Anyways, here goes. Myanmar, better known to most of us by its former name, Burma, has been devastated by a cyclone. The official death count according to the BBC article linked to above is at 34,273; however, there are fears that the death toll could be as high as 100,000 and it will only rise if rescue workers cannot reach the more than 1 million people still in need of urgent relief. Foreign assistance has only just begun to arrive in Myanmar, in part because of hesitation by Myanmar's government, which is ruled by a repressive and brutal military regime. However, there is still much we can do to help. I donated to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Socities (IFRC) today, and I urge all my readers (if there are any of you) and their family and friends to do the same. If your not a fan of the Red Cross or just prefer to donate elsewhere, CNN.com has a helpful page here with a number of other great organizations that you can donate to in order to help the cyclone victims. You're also no doubt aware of the massive earthquake in southwest China that has killed at least 12,000 people. They are in urgent need of our help as well. If anyone knows of any other good rescue and relief organizations not listed by me or CNN on their page, please link to them in comments. Most of the readers of this blog are people I know face to face, you are all great people that I feel privileged to have in my life. I have no doubt that you will all step up to the plate to help those in need in Myanmar and China. Thank you for all that you do.

Photo Courtesy of Flickr user IFRC May 10, 2008

Review: Redbelt

I really didn't know a lot about this movie other than it starred Chiwetel Ejiofor, whom I think is awesome (if you don't believe me see Children of Men, Inside Man, and American Gangster), so I decided to go check it out. I'm not going to go much into the plot of Redbelt like I usually do with most movies because the plot is so unique and twisty that I would more than likely reveal too much. Redbelt is unlike any film I've ever seen before, the plot and dialouge were constructed in a unique fashion that was new to me. It took me a few minutes to get used to it, but after that I began to really enjoy it. I was surprised to see Tim Allen in this movie, in a serious role at that, and he's was actually quite good. Emily Mortimer, whom endeared herself to me in Lars and the Real Girl, is poignant in her role as an attorney traumatized by a rape. The moviegoing experience for me wasn't the best, because without sounding to condescending or self-righteous, there were a number of people in the theater that couldn't grasp what David Mament, the director and screenwriter, was trying to accomplish with Redbelt. The movie displays the consequences of excess, both for those that indulge and those that refrain. As a result, the film itself, has little excess. The dialouge and plot drive the film therefore this movie while it may appear like it's a martial arts film, it isn't in the slightest. Perhaps, better marketing could've cleared this up for the audience. Nevertheless, David Mamet, has crafted a truly unique and thoughtprovoking film about the conflict between principle and survival.

Rating: ***1/2

*Uwe Boll/Michael Bay Bad **Keeanu Reevesish ***Great ***Excellent

The Construction of Terror

Spencer Ackerman has a very insightful post this morning that should be read by every American. Ackerman touches briefly on the story of one Abdullah Salim Ali al-Ajmi who it is believed has participated in terrorist activity since his time at Guantanamo Bay. There's not really any more I can say on the subject that Ackerman doesn't already cover. Please read his post. It's short and of the upmost importance to those seeking to understand the motivations of the other side of the "war on terror."

The B Team Heroes (Warning: Quite Geeky)

What Matt Yglesias said in regards to so-called "second-tier" superheroes. Yglesias' post comes in response to this article by John Anderson in the Washington Post the Iron Man movie. It just so happens that some of the most compelling and identifiable superheroes occupy the "second-tier." These characters, in my opinion, are ripe for hit movies. Superheroes like Ant-Man, Green Lantern, Captain America, and Green Arrow are incredibly human, and fallible characters that would translate well to the big screen if the right people (not Michael Bay/Brett Ratner/McG) got behind the project. A lot of people that would normally not give a superhero movie the time of day were very impressed by Batman Begins and Iron Man. Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark, despite their billionaire status, possess a number of shortcomings and character flaws common to almost all of us, and these limitations manifest themselves as key themes and as a result their respective stories are greatly enhanced. I mean dear God, did you see Batman Begins? Call me pathetic, but I walked out of that movie a slightly different person than I walked in! I'm looking forward to the Wolverine movie that's coming out next year. I wish I could say the same for the Silver Surfer (pictured above) but if it's a spin-off of the atrocious and I mean ATROCIOUS Fantastic Four moives, then it will surely be horrible. The fact remains, as Yglesias pointed out, there are millions of people out there (mostly single, shy, and male) that will gladly shell out the $10 to see movies made about their heroes. One can only hope that the success of (the actually not so obscure) Iron Man on the big screen will lead to more quality movies about focusing on "second-tier" comic characters.

UPDATE: It looks like my hopes have been answered!

Primary Wrap Up

Tom Edsall has got a good write up of last night's results over at HuffPost. Barack Obama won a huge 15-point victory in North Carolina and narrowly lost Indiana by less than 2-points. To make a long story short: he exceeded expectations. I also thought that his speech last night in NC was much better than his Pennslyvania concescion speech in Indiana a few weeks ago. Obama was on message and he got in a few good zingers at McCain. The crowd seemed electrified by his speech, like they used to be back in January and February, hopefully this means his once again ensnared the momentum that marked his early candidacy.

Well, I'm a broken record when it comes to my commentary on Hillary Clinton, but it's time for her to drop out. She's lost any momentum she once had and her argument for the superdelegates was pretty much negated last night. She has also reportedly lent another $6.4 million to her campaign. It's clear that the end is near for her campaign. It's unfortunate that her run is most likely going to end on such a negative note, but when you really think about it, you end a campaign because you experience a defeat, these things rarely end positively.

Also, to my amusement, Sam Stein reports that St. John had a rough night. He won majorities in North Carolina and Indiana but Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, and Ron Paul were able to pick up a combined 20% of the Republican vote in each state. This is notable because only Paul is still in the race. His Maverickness will need some crazy straight talk to maverick his way out of that debacle.