Malaland

Stories that don't make sense

I'm a big fan of Jeremy Northam and eagerly waited for the DVD release of Cypher.

Now I know why Miramax didn't opt for a theatrical release.

The action takes place in a futuristic world that pits one large corporation against another. Morgan Sullivan is recruited to train for a position in espionage, spying on a rival company.

The premise is promising - a thoughtful scifi adventure that will expose the sinister side of corporate America. But the story fails on so many levels.

The Sullivan's assigments are more grunt work than espionage. It didn't make sense so the whole time I'm on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what is going on.

The twists in the plot turn the story in on itself, so that at the end you think "Huh?"  When everything is said and done, there is no reason for the movie to have ever happened. I don't know how better to explain it without revealing lots of spoilers.

In a nutshell I'll never get those 95 minutes of my life back again.

Are there any films you recommend NOT watching?   

A Four Year Trip

Titan may be habitable after all. New images from the Cassini-Huygens Mission to Saturn and Titan reveal what might be a shoreline with bays, channels and a sea.

So forget about the manned mission to Mars. Let's just shoot for Titan instead.

Quitter

I woke up today and decided to eliminate all caffeine and nicotine.

Cold turkey.

Not that I'm a huge smoker.... more like a few Marlboro Ultra Lights when I'm out with friends or grabbing a Pumpkin Spice latte from Starbucks. But I have been a social smoker since college. A long time - too long.

Now the caffeine is an issue. I usually drink two to three tall/large/venti cafe lattes or cappuccinos per day AND a few cans of Diet Coke for good measure. My body runs on caffeine.

So here goes nothing.

Fork in the Road

Today I woke up thinking about fate and destiny.

I was struck by an awful feeling that I'm on the wrong path. For years my family has tried talking me into moving back to the homestead. And lately friends of mine have moved to my hometown, enjoying fantastic lives in MY Hood.

Notice the capital MY.

Instead of being happy for them, I feel a tad envious and resentful.

Excuses for never ever moving home: I'll never find clients; I'll never find a good paying job; I'll be bored; the attitude is pedestrian and not very sophisticated; limited cultural activities; I'm too old to start over; family can drop in to visit unannounced.

But still, another part of me whispers "Should that be me?" Am I missing the boat? Why do I really choose to live so far away from my family? Is the price of my independence worth the cost to other relationships?

I feel like I've lost my map and reached a fork in the road. And I honestly don't know where I'm supposed to be heading to. I suppose that's the price for too many choices.

Oh so true

The Huffington Post ran this blog entry by Bill Maher:

"On Your Watch, We've Lost Almost All Of Our Allies, The Surplus, Four Airliners, Two Trade Centers, A Piece Of The Pentagon And The City Of New Orleans”...

Oh and here's a remix of Kanye West's "George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People" compliments of Sid in Tokyo.

What is going on with this country?

A federal judge declared it unconstitutional to recite the pledge of allegiance in public schools today. What greater purpose does that serve? Really?

Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by feelings of frustration at the direction this country is moving towards... a direction determined by special interests and lots of money. It's a criticism of both political parties and the nation as a whole.

What are we becoming?   

Perhaps I'm being naive. Maybe the U.S. (the land of the free, the home of the brave) has always catered to the whims of the loudest bully or the wealthiest citizen. It could be a case of magnifying a state of being because I just happen to be living through it instead of reading about it in books.

Or maybe I'm taking politics too seriously because it's constantly in my face - from the whir of motorcade sirens, to casual conversations in grocery store lines, to headlines of local newspapers, to the weekend rallies and protests.

Does anyone else feel like our fearless leaders don't have a clue? That everyone has sold their soul to a devil of choice and the rest of us be damned? Do I just need a vacation? 

Supercroc

I've been planning a trip to Peru for a long time. I'm enchanted with Machu Picchu and the Nazca lines.

Now there's a new reason to visit Peru and it's called Sarcosuchus imperator.

How to Help

The First District police of Washington, DC, announced that 400 families will be arriving on Monday to stay in the Armory. Their needs at this time are bottled water and anything that would constitute a care package; for example, toothbrushes, toothpaste, blankets, undergarments, soap, etc. These items can be brought to the First District office located at 415 4th St SW.

Meanwhile the Washington Post published a list of online resources and ways to help the victims in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and in the ravaged Gulf coast area.

Or you can donate directly at the Red Cross.

If you live within 350 miles of the devastated area and can provide shelter, please visit HurricaneHousing.org.

Every little bit helps!

Be prepared

Each morning I step into the kitchen and check a daily Bushism calendar that sits on top of the microwave oven. Here's today's entry -

"Home is important. It's important to have a home."—Crawford, Texas, Feb. 18, 2001

Hurricane Katrina has left thousands of area residents homeless. If you live within 300 miles of the devastated area and are able to provide a warm bed or shelter, please log on to hurricanehousing.org  to offer free housing.

Due to our president's single-mindedness in the war against terror and his optimism that hurricane season would be a walk in the park, millions of dollars in budget cuts to disaster relief have been diverted to Homeland Security.

Meanwhile, thousands of people are stranded without food and water and basic sanitation as looters continue to ransack the city, afforded free reign.

Excerpts from a story written by Seth Borenstein for Knight Ridder Newspapers -

"We're not getting any help yet," said Biloxi Fire Department Battalion Chief Joe Boney. "We need water. We need ice. I've been told it's coming, but we've got people in shelters who haven't had a drink since the storm."

The slow response to Katrina and poor federal leadership is a replay of 1992's mishandling of Hurricane Andrew, said former FEMA chief of staff Jane Bullock, a 22-year veteran of the agency.

The slowness is all too familiar to Kate Hale. As Miami's disaster chief during Hurricane Andrew, Hale asked: "Where the hell's the cavalry?"

May help soon arrive to the survivors in Katrina's wake. And here's to hope that our leaders are capable of learning from their mistakes.