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Now I can answer Billy D's question, if I can only find the time...

Bat Review

Plan "A" was to go see Batman Begins while my wife an son were napping. There never was a Plan "B." [Son] was energetic and cranky, fighting the nap like Ali fought Frazier. [Wife] says go, I'll take care of him. God bless her.

I've seen the Firefly movie trailer on the PC. The trailer in the theatre was worth price of admission. If Batman sucked, it would have been worth it just to see the Serenety preview.

I liked Starwars. I was entertained and saw what I expected to see (and, unfortunately, nothing more). Lucas had filmed himself into a corner and had nowhere unexpected to go.

Batman had no limitations like this. From the name you could tell it was a new start on the Man/Creature. The possibility for creativity in developing the Hero was there. Would they deliver?

Now let me state upfront that I consider any movie, other than a Highlander sequel, with a sword fight to be worth the price of admission. On this criteria alone, Batman delivers with a solid "BLAM" "KPOW" "SMACK". If you want to see some incredible sword fighting go.

For me, the best meat of the movie was the dialog where Batman's ethics and psychological will matured. There were discussions on the most effective way to fight and combat evil. Never has physlophy intrigued me so. If/when I see it again, it will be for this, primarily.

I like layers of defense, attacks with supporting elements, redundant systems, having an ace up my sleeve. In real life things cascade. How often do simple problems usually turns out to be more? Why should life be any easier for Bruce Wayne than for us?

SPOILERS FOLLOW, SORT OF

Just when you know that Batman is going to beat a villian, that villian turns out to be pawn of someone larger. Just when you think you know what is going on, the plot twists and twists again, all the time with adventure and a sense of danger. The bruises let you know that Bruce Wayne felt some of the hits two days later.

To the blogger who ragged on the Scarecrow, if you can't see the evil genius in this villian stop reading now because what I have to say next will surely go over your head.

There was a time when movies reflected the dreams and fears of society. Movies from this era are some of my favorites, partially due to the fact that they (probably) shaped me. Men were masculine, the women feminine, and the good guy won. They showed me the things I wanted to see.

Palerider was the first of the current genre where there are no good guys, no bad guys, (yea, there were some ugly guys) and no clear cut victory. I walked out of the theater after seeing Palerider knowing that I just saw a very well made movie, but with a distinct unsettled feeling. I was promised something, but they didn't deliver and, at the time, I couldn't name it. Not at the time, but I can now.

I didn't enjoy Palerider till I saw it a second time when I knew what not to expect. It was just a story of the Old West, probably more true to life than Hang'em High or a Fistfull of Dollars.

Now back to the Batcave:
In Batman, we have a masculine hero who wins. A guy the guys can root for and relate to. After watching, I still want to find a full contact martial arts dojo and join. I know I'm not as young as I was and that I don't have the time, but you will watch the movie and respect Bruce Wayne and want to be like him. Yea, I turn into a 10 at some time during the previews and revert to an adult during the credits.

Earlier I mentioned the "Fears of Society" and I think this movie is appropriate for our time. In Gotham, corruption reigned. The politicians were bought, the cops were crooked, and the criminals ruled. The little man was powerless, and with no one who had the courage to stand up and fight for them untill Batman arrived.

I look at society today where morally corrupt judges starve the infirm to death and the President of the United States pretends that he doesn't have the power to stop it with a wink and a nod. Now we have been told that the cornerstone of the American Dream is not our castle, but instead, freely available to anyone who can better use it for the 'public good.' Again the winks and nods between the Black Robed Legislatures and the President let the little man know where the guns of the police are aimed.

We need a Batman to stand for us. One place that he will is in the theatres. For this reason I expect that people will pay for a ticket more than once. They will go see the movie and find a man to respect (yea, his childhood sweetheart is a babe too, she'll grow on you) and the moral satisfaction of him winning, but they will return because, today in America, the only place the little man is safe from the corrupt is in a theatre dark enough for the Batman to be standing behind you.

Exit Strategy?

I'm busy at work, busy at home with a wife, two year old, yard, etc. and a side job that I'm trying to make my full time job. I'm so busy I don't have time to blog 15% of what I want to.

I do set here at work with an am talkshow playing (it's entertainment right?) in the next cube and the Libs are crying about our Iraqi exit strategy.

While I'm conflicted about the Iraqi war liberation, I do wonder where our exit strategy for World War II is. I'm all for down with bringing our troops home and putting them on our borders.

If We Can Recruit One Child...

I just can't say how wrong this is.

If the grandparents are objectionable, say registered sex offenders or senile, there'd have to be better options than this.

I'm guessing that we have a black robed legislator wearing a pink thong and garters.

Warning: Graphic Image

My mother sent me this while clearing her conscience by expressing her concern that she hoped it didn't give me nightmares. I could only assume it had to do with spiders. I was wrong.



I can only imagine what she sent her knitting buddies.

Coulda Been Worse...

I found this little nugget at the bottom of a rabbit hole I found on SondraK's site:

Not all cops are safe, either.

That guy is lucky she didn't have the weapon trained on him. Maybe that is part of the police safety training: "Don't point your weapon at the bad guys."

I hope that was the only bullet that they gave her.

If that had been me on the ground, I'd have been gone. Between the adrenaline rush I'm sure he had and the other cop letting up, I'm very surprised that that guy didn't set a world record in the 100 yard dash.

Choice

The otherday I had a black bear cut through my backyard. The .45 is readilly accessable but I'm thinking about keeping something with a lot more firepower readily acessable downstairs.

My two best choices are the Garand or the .375 H&H Magnum. The .375 Magnum delivers an incredible amount of energy with each shot. The energy each delivers can be seen below:

ENERGY (ft-lbs)
Cartridge Type	Bullet	Muzzle	100	200	300	400	500
Remington Express	168 BTHP Match	2678	2318	1998	1713	1460	1239
Remington Express	270 SP	4337	3510	2812	2228	1747	1361

I can deliver more energy with two shots out of the Garand than I can with one shot from the Magnum. Since the Garand is semi-auto I'm sure I can deliver more than twice the volume of shots from it.

I've shot the Garand competitively and have put thousands of rounds through it. I love it. I know it like a part of my own body. There have been times, after shooting it, that it was hard to put it out of my sight. I am not impartial to it and do not want this impartiality to drive me to make a poor judgement, especially where the safety of my family is concerned.

I'll use the Garand for bear protection.

This Garand was rebuilt by the gentleman who builds all of Springfield Armories National Match M1-A's to National Match standards. Barrel, trigger assembly, and sights are all National Match. Have I mentioned that I love it?

Yes, I only feed reload with the right powder and loads so there is no risk of bending the op-rod.

Inhumane Treatment

I don't watch the news much any more. While I miss the History and Sci-Fi channels, I can't justify paying the cable bill. Not that I can really afford it either, but that is another story.

I get most my info from the internet and a little am talk radio.

The liberal dems crying about Gitmo has a frustration burning inside of me.

I would love to spend a week or two living in a tent on a Carribbean Island. How about a month or two? I think the technical term for this situation is paradise.

Three balanced meals daily with the appropriate meals for religious holidays would be a bonus. Forget the virgins, this sounds like paradise to me.

My health care has a $1,000 deductable per family member. Not the best plan I've ever had, but with the quarterly checkups that come with a young child you can spend that in a year, not that a $6 refund from the insurance company lets you buy much. It just lets you know that you spent $1,006 that year. Kind of like when your Sears upright freezer burns up it's compresser less than a month after the warranty expires.

The Foreign Belligerants at Gitmo get free American health care. I'm sure it is better health care that I get earn for my family. It's probably the best health care any Muslim Belligerant has ever got. And it's paid for by my our tax dollars. We're probably adding year to their lives.

They're also getting free dental care. Dental insurance is so expensive that my employer has decided to self insure us. We are refunded up to $75 twice a year. This almost pays for a cleaning and a checkup. Anything else is out of our pockets.

The Muslims enjoying their stay at the Carribbean resort probably have the best teeth in the whole population of 1.2 Billion muslims, royal families excluded.

They've been issued Korans and are allowed to pray as often as they are required to.

As for the 72 virgins they expect in paradise, well in the traditions of both, prisons world wide and the Muslim world, I'm sure the youngest (and cutest?) foreign combatants are servicing the demands.

No matter how you cut it, the prisoners at Gitmo are living in a paradise beyond their wildest dreams. They are living a life I'd call a pleasant vacation with full medical and dental and they are filing bogus claims against their hosts (no doubt with full legal counsel provided by the ACLU).

Contrast this with the treatment Jessica Lynch received. Whether she was gang raped after she had broken major bones or if she was beaten so severely that major bones were broken after the gang rape is a moot point. Her treatment was not equitable with the treatment we provide their captured forces. How's that for an understatment. I might even get an award for the understantment of the year with this.

Maybe the liberal dems are happy that she wasn't burned, dragged through town, and then hung up-side-down.

Is there any outrage over this (besides my own)?

UPDATE:
Club Gitmo

Color Me Nostalgic

I frequently check the SondraK site.

Today I noticed a new banner graphic that you can see below.




















Instantly I noticed what is missing, both in the graphic and, more poignantly, in New York. God, how I miss the Twin Towers.

For a moment it was September 11, 2001 again. I was homeless, having left my job in Michigan and was moving to Alaska. I did have a job in Alaska waiting for me, but the borders were closed. Who knew when they were going to open up. Ah, it's just a silly little graphic, isn't it?

My wife and I ended up driving West and holed up in Montana till the borders opened up. Strange times they were. Is it any different today?

Good Read

I'd like to thank Lycan for this recommendation.

It's a well told sci-fi tale. John Steakley's writing amazes me. He packs so much detail that the reader can clearly see all as the events unfold as the action happens.

He's also inside the head of the main character sharing his thoughts, motivations, and fears. Kinda makes me wonder if the author ever wore powered battle armour and fought a non-human foe on foreigh worlds. His ability to put you in the midst of a battle not going to plan* makes you think he's been there.

Then, 100 pages, or so into the book you're wondering where you are, for about 10 pages. Kind of like getting hit by a Mike Tyson hook, except it's made up of written words. It'll knock you for a loop and leave your head spinning, it just won't hurt.

I'm in the middle of the book and can't wait to finish it. Then I'll read this one next.

*Not that any battle plan ever survives initial contact with the enemy.

Only Because Bane is Otherwise Occupied...

Go and worship.

Weapons of the future!

Liberals will have a problem with this.

I enjoyed it.

The Power of One Word *or* The Memory of a Child

I usually lead my son in his nightly prayers. Two nights ago I lasked him if he wanted to say them himself. He's very independent but at this time he's winding down, I figured it could go either way.

"Sure Daddy" he says.

"Thank you for Mommy and Tanta and Nama and Mommy and and Nama and Tanta and."

"And Daddy" I add.

"And Daddy and Mommy and Tanta..."

"And Johnny" I also add.

"And Johnny and Mommy and Daddy. Amen" He concludes.

The following day is quite exciting. He gets his first bee sting, goes swimming for the first time in 10 days (he had the flu) and Nama is coming from America to visit.

Last night after the spelling game has been played, the books read, and the oh so vital drink of water has been had, I ask "are you ready to say your prayers?"

"Sure Daddy." He squeals with so much entheusiasm that I suspect it may be a long while before he's asleep.

"Thank you for this meal and Mommy and Daddy and Tanta and Nama and Mommy and Johnny..."

One of my tricks to putting my son to sleep is to relax. I know he keys off my mood, level of interest, and activity level. I'm relaxed, pretending to be half asleep, but am surprised. Who is Johnny? He has no friends named Johnny. Do I know a Johnny?

Then it hits me. Johnny. One word from the night before, drawn from the memory of someone not yet three. Someone who runs up the rolling ladders at Wal Mart and dives at me knowing that I'll catch him. Someone with faith so innocent and pure that I know it can move mountains.

Who's What?

Yesterday, driving home, I saw a puckup truck ahead of me with a sign in the rear window. Now I generally think of puckup trucks as being a mobile domicile of the working class and rednecks (unless it's a red pickup driven by a woman (at least in Michigan) than all bets are off).

The sign was 8-1/2 X 11 and, though it had some color (I'll get to that later), looked like it was printed at home.

The sign read something like "Hands off the Supreme Court" or maybe it was "Your hands off the Supreme Court" either way I'm sure he meant "Keep Your Hands off My Supreme Court"

There was a graphic at the bottom that looked like the Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon, logo but had the sexually suspicious rainbow colors throughout the light ray.

Of course the was the Moron.org Moveon.org URL at the bottom, big enough to see.

Now I'll state this: My understanding is that the Supreme Court is to test laws against the Rights of the People and the Limits put on the Power of Government as well as the Responsibilities as documented in the Constitution. If the laws don't comply with the Constitution, they are deemed unconstitutional and are null and void. It is not a tool of some political group, even though they've used it as such for so long that they now assume it is their exclusive legislative body. What a bunch of arrogant punks!

Proof the USA is Winning in Iraq

Usually I don't turn on the tv in the morning, but today was different. My Mother-in-law is in visiting and my whole routine is messed up. I had some time to kill this morning and figured I'd waste it on the tv.

Low and behold, there is Katie Couric reading canned softball questions from the teleprompter so her her guest can look good. More liberal propaganda. My mind is not so weak as to be influenced by it so I'll watch and see where the MSM is leading the masses today.

Koffee Anan is the guest and he is expaining how the UN is instumental in restoring democracy in Iraq.

I'll pause in my blogging for a moment so those of you familiar with recent history can recover from that statement.

Unless Koffee is implying that over a decade of worthless resolutions and corrupt oil for political influence food deals set the stage for the US to come in and do something I think he is lying. Just the fact that his son was a recipient of some of the corrupt oil for food money, or was his son a bagman (Just like Hillary Clinton was) for him, and the cash cow is now sitting in an Iraqi prison, after being found by US forces, would make me think that Koffe is angry with the US for costing him Millions of dollars.

But NO, here he is trying to take credit for what the moonbats were crying was "Unilateral Agression" not so long ago. Oh, how they have such short memories.

Our memories must not be so short.

Also, Koffe stated that he was going to make the UN more financially economical (maybe this is due to his payoff being cutoff). I wonder if an efficiently run UN would demand and cry for less money than it does now.

Babelize It, The Contest

Post your best and worst translations from the Babelizer.

It's Just Not Fair...