This is a must see video. It is how Japan is helping the Giant Salamander navigate thru man-made structures such as damns, locks, and resevoirs by altering their construction. Something we should take inspiration from.
The AP is running this picture and Drudge Report has the link labelled, "Obama is that You?" This is clearly just a black man with a mustache right? Am I crazy?
Kerry, I think you are on vacation or something and I hope you are enjoying the shit out of it. I just wanted to let you know I literally just opened some FedEx and I just got my "Political Package" from The Sun. I am going to read one article now and then go do some stuff. I'm so excited.
I've read in 3 different places now that Karl Rove's adoptive father was gay and heavy into the gay scene, and a subculture (I don't consider gay as sub anything) of genital piercing in the 1970's and there are pictures. There is an old essay by a man claiming to own Karl Rove's deceased father's solid gold cock ring. Omg, I hope this picks up in the liberal news and spreads to regular news. Rachel may have started a shit storm for karl rove last night - by ethically refusing to give him any privacy at all. I love Rachel.
1934 photo of a baby in a wooden and wire cage hanging out of a window a few stories up. It looks secure. Interestingly enough, I feel outrage about this, but I'll bet (as a commenter did on BoingBoing) that people with outrage to this photo feel comfortable strapping their baby in a plastic and nylon car seat - which statistically kills way more babies.
Isn't it gross that a terrorism attempt is a blessing to corporations? This 3d imaging company that makes those scanners is getting so many free commercials that talk about their features and performance.
I saw this on the top of Huffington Post. I love it. I'm sure you've seen it by now but just incase you haven't you really should. I'm hoping Rachel and Keith will air it, but I'm not so sure since they devoured Fox News for promoting Teabaggers. I'm sending it to everyone I know.
I'm doing research and I am trying to learn as much about non-conformity as possible, so I'm reading old sociology books from school right now. I found this passage about a case that was the IRS vs. Gypsies in Spokane, Washington. I thought that might be the same area as Lisa and Kerry. The following is a direct quote from the seventh edition (wealthy guy) "Extraordinary Groups" by William Worth.
"In 1986 police raided [two homes in Spokane, Washington, during a search for stolen goods] and seized $500,000 in jewelry and $1.6 million in cash. Some of the money-sewn into sacred quilts-was "sad money" the family says was to help deceased relatives in the next life.... Gypsies believe in an active hereafter, one in which the dead smoke and drink. On Memorial Day and All Saints' Day, the family gathers at Holy Cross cemetery in Spokane for graveside services. The money and property were later seized by the IRS, on the basis that no taxes had ever been paid on the cash or goods."
"The Gypsies sued in U.S. District Court, contending that the seizure was illegal. In the tax court they challenged the way the IRS calculated the tax. The Gypsies said the money was a community fund belonging to the entire settlement, the IRS agreed to return all but $350,000. "
I thought you may find this interesting and I could maybe get some feedback that might be useful when writing. I'm not writing about Gypsies, but just doing some broad research as I said earlier. The book cites a USA Today article written November 6, 1991 and "IRS will return Most of the Gypsies' Cache," Insight, November 9, 1987. So I'm guessing this went down in 87 and the court case was 91. Maybe Kerry was working when this was going on and has some sort of stories to share from the people who work in the courts there? Regardless, I hope you found it as interesting as I did, that they managed to keep like $1.3 million by working our system.
I think this comment left by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, The Christmas Bomber, is interesting. It reminds me of an article I've seen but not read yet, that when people come to big cities from Africa or whatnot that they feel overwhelmingly lonely.
"Basically, the problem I'm having is that I've been having extreme loneliness...for many years. I don't really know what to do because I'm not the type who likes to go out much, and I'm just shy and quiet. Even on the internet, I don't feel comfortable posting much because it exposes myself. Sometimes people are so mean. So I'm trying to figure out what to do. I just wish I had someone to give me attention and stuff. I wish I had someone who would be there to listen to me, and always be nice to me. It really hurts to have someone neglect me or be mean. Unfortunately, a weakness of mine is that I'm sensitive, but I think I became more sensitive after something bad happened some years ago.
I wish I had at least one nice person to talk to, maybe over e-mail or Messenger. Of course, if I could find someone to marry, then Insha'Allah* I would have someone in real life to give me all the attention and affection I wanted. So far, the families we've met aren't interested in me, though."
*I looked up Insha'Allah and it means God willing.
Visually stunning. The natives, the Na’vi (?), are very realistic in their facial expression and mouth movements. The best parts of the film for me are the amazing images of their planet. It definitely is a step forward in filmmaking. Seamless from the real to the computer generated images. It was an interesting choice to have the hero in a wheelchair even though he doesn’t stay there. I totally picked up on the similarities in our attack on Iraq even without the “shock and awe” reference. I just wonder how many in the theatre realized that “The Sky People” are us…..
Could we be somehow restraining the government of Iran and helping the people overthrow their government in hopes that a new government would get along better with israel because they'd be more liberal? That would explain why so many videos are getting out and why Obama was threatening so bad a few weeks ago to Iran and is now supporting the people vs. when we were against the people with the election results... I'm just saying. Israel/Iran was getting very intense for a while and we just had a giant mood swing.
Did you watch Rachel last night where she was giving a bunch of facts about Yemen and then interviewed Richard Engval (I think I have a crush on him). Um, we have been bombing Yemen as well as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan? This is being presented as common knowledge everywhere. I had no idea we were dropping bombs in Yemen AT ALL. What other countries are we bombing right now? Seriously. Are we dropping bombs in Central/South America too or is that just CIA? Actually, you know what that counts. Where can you find out what countries our government is using force right now? Are we bombing Somalia?
I sincerely don't know what my country is doing to the rest of the world anymore and I don't think I ever knew that much, but the weird thing is, I pay attention more than any single person I know.
Remember those videos of people in Iran shouting from their rooftops before and after the election was stolen from Mousavi? Here is a video of last night in Tehran.
So these are the new blogs I'm using for personal things. One to post stuff on twitter with just a link that has Disqus comments enabled. The other is for me and my friend to share ideas with writing this script and Disqus is not enabled and it should be password protected. I've literally been doing this all day long, with the exception of meeting someone for lunch. Feedback? These are different than earlier. I am insanely proud of them both. I just wish I could get the comments to work on the script one, that is the real reason they aren't enabled. :-(
The thing to remember with this film is that it is an event. You aren't going to see a movie, it is more like an experience. You are going into another world in a way that you never have with a film. The 3d is engaging but it is not the novelty 3d we've come to know where clowns throw pies at the audience or an explosion jumps off the screen and rolls over the crowd. This is more like you are physically present in this world and the characters can't see you. This is why it is so important that you see it on the big screen. I am selling it short, but the words haven't been formed yet to describe the event. This movie is a game-changer for Hollywood. This is sitting in a black and white movie when Dorthy opens the door of the house to find the technicolor of Oz. This is cinema.
You may have heard criticisms regarding dialog or the story itself. I will concede that the story is not original, somewhat predictable, and even cliche at times. The thing to keep in mind is that James Cameron has been working on this for over 10 years. He wrote a script for THE movie he wanted to make and developed it over years. He was creating a multimedia piece of art that said something, instead of trying to anticipate what an audience wants. He didn't care that the story had been told before because the scenes were just his commentary on consumerism and humanity in regards to just how dirty and horrible we really are.
We are introduced to the Na'vi and their planet which we've discovered has a commodity called Unobtanium (no points for originality there), which is worth like 20 million dollars a pound or something. The particular tribe of Na'vi that we follow in the film live in a tree that makes a redwood look like a blade of grass. I mean this thing is huge. Like our native people, they view nature as their mother and live to worship it. They fully understand that they are a part of the larger collective that is like an ecosystem, but somewhat different. Everything functioned together as its own living organism. There is a constant theme of networked energy and that they are only borrowing the energy before it is returned again and recycled by another essential part of the whole. I can go on about this buddhist aspect of the script, but if I were to continue, it may reveal surprises you won't want spoiled. This is a reoccurring theme throughout the film.
When the experience is over you are kind of left in awe that something like this got made at all, and I'm not talking about the largest budget in film history. This film forces you to identify with the native people and shows you just how savage we really are. The reaction isn't like 'wow we do that. How terrible.' It is more like 'Holy fuck! Are you kidding me? What is going on? Why? ::cry and curl up in your seat in discomfort:: The genius is that he shows it to you like any other film, then it doesn't stop. You have to watch their pain and then with the 3d you actually feel it as if it were happening to you. He still doesn't pan away or move on, you have to listen to their death curdling screams and make sounds of pain you'd expect to only hear at places like Auschwitz. I mean you see what is happening to them, but you totally understand why it is happening and just want to hold them and explain to them - because they are ignorant to how we work. We are the aliens.
I want to go into so much detail about this film and it has been what has been holding my review back. I don't want to spoil anything for you. All of the criticisms you have heard are bogus and likely produced by writers who are trying to stand out from the crowd, so they're fishing. The only thing I wish were different about this was the score. This was decent, but it needed John Williams. That feeling you get when when the helicopter lands on Jurassic Park for the first, with the regal and enticing horn-centric score, this what you feel thru all 3 hours of Avatar. The score just failed to capitalize on that emotion. Also, I felt that more could have been done with the character regarding how his disability affected his psyche in everyday decision making scenarios.
James Cameron had said in an interview that he wanted Pandora to be the Garden of Eden with teeth and that is exactly what it is. It is Utopia being introduced with humanity for the first time. By the end of the film you are just angry that you are human. I mean you are just so mad and the thoughts of Iraq and Afghanistan pop in and out of your mind. We approach the Na'vi as savages in the beginning and we leave them as the race we aspire to be. It sounds as if this film is sad and frustrating, but somehow has managed to be the complete opposite. You walk out with hope.
This movie got made in this political climate. What may very well be the most successful film in human history is about the western world finally saying they are sorry to the indigenous people across the world. This film is telling Iraqi's that the American people do not support our governments actions, and it is a message that will be received by those people watching it right now (assuming it is playing there). This film documents the struggle between corporatism and liberalism and the history that is being made right now in so many countries around the world. This is a diplomatic achievement as well and proof that art transcends culture. Art can bring enemies together and put things into perspective.
Avatar was a masterpiece and I beg you to see it in theatre, in 3d.
