Americana

My Memorial Day weekend was pure American. Sure I had those private reflections on those who have fallen in service of our country, but as we all know most in the US use the time for personal leisure and other selfish wants.

Kelly and I got to hear the baby's heartbeat, which was an exciting moment indeed. It brought a bit more of the reality that we'll be parents sooner than we know it.

I bbq'd some pork chops on Friday, which were smothered in marinated goodness. It turned out to be quite a success. Yesterday I attended a bbq with the in-laws. Red meat was consumed and beer floated to my belly and we even purchased lemonade from a child's drink stand. It twas a good day, except for the excitement earlier.

I was sitting at home watching television when I hear my named being shouted. I run to the garage to see my wife on the other side of the vehicle in panic mode. She told me to keep the dogs out of the garage, which I thought was weird. She then pointed out a spider the size of which I've never seen on the floor of the driver's side of her car. I put on shoes to dispose of it, but she had me take the bug spray and hose it. I squirted the toxic fluid all over it, but to little effect as it crawled in it's creepy way. Finally I squashed the thing with my foot and heard the spider's guts crunch. Satisfied that it met it's demise I kicked it out of the building knowing we were safe from the wrath of the eight legged beast.

I hate spiders for reasons I can't explain, so every time I do battle with them I feel like Samwise Gamgee. My wife fears anything with more than four legs and extermination falls upon me. I know those things can't put up much of a fight, but still I feel like a superhero when I kill one.

"A pretty little collection of weaknesses and a terror of spiders are our indispensable stock-in-trade with the men." - Sidonie Gabrielle Colette

Thursday Music

Once upon a gallant time the television audience was graced with a low brow cartoon entitled Beavis and Butthead. Many panned the show as being juvenile tripe, and to some degree it was a valid point, but they missed what made this comedy so endearing to many. Humor at it's core is subversive and pop culture at the time was ripe for the pickings. The cartoon pointed out at how silly and without artistic merit music was and for the fans we were all grateful.

Sadly the show lost wind and MTV viewers grew tired of seeing videos being picked apart. While we all saw the show's ending coming what we didn't expect is that no one made a real attempt to produce something that really makes a statement at how stupid pop culture is without being preachy. Beavis and Butthead was the rare exception in media critique that could generate a laugh without leaving the audience feeling they were being talked down to. Sure it poked fun at MTV's audience oddly enough, but I loved that fact and I wish someone would do it again.

So today I bring you what I think is the briefest critique the dim witted duo ever made:

"They say it figures MTV would do such a vulgar, awful, horrible show and they completely miss that it's satirizing the people who watch MTV." - Mike Judge

It's a twister!

As a lot of you are aware tornado season is in full swing. Sadly the storms have taken many lives and left a wake of devastation in the midwest. Last night I came to the sudden realization that north Texas is not immune to such things.

Regular programming was cancelled as weather people were discussing the outbreaks of heavy storms in our area. Winds picked up and lightning lit up the sky while thunder echoed throughout the metroplex. Sirens blared for a moment and we were warned to get into shelter. The wife and I gathered the dogs and we hid in our bedroom closet.

I had a lazy attitude about the whole affair as I'm unfamiliar with tornados. I've heard warnings about them before and nothing happened, plus the weatherman never listed our immediate area as being one prone to being caught up, so I just relaxed until there was something I felt I should be nervous about.

Finally the warnings stopped and the wife went to bed. I stayed up to see if there were going to be anymore panic inducing reports. The storms got louder and the rain came down as if it were coming out of a fire hose. I used to live in the Northwest and I'm very familiar with rain, but I've never seen precipitation like what we get here in Texas. That's saying a lot.

Our home was safe from a natural disaster thankfully and there were no reports of any Miss Gulch sightings.

"There is more good writing and good acting in any ten minutes of Twister than in, say, all of Citizen Kane." - Orson Scott Card

To catch...

Last night I was waiting out a thunderstorm and keeping one ear glued to the news in case of a tornado warning. After the storm passed I flipped to MSNBC, who's programming is getting all kinds of tired. They were showing 'To Catch a Predator' with Chris Hansen, and I felt it was 2003 all over again.

We all know the premise behind the show. Pervert chats with what they think is a teen, show up at the house, Hanson pops out and asks them to have a seat over there, after confusing stories are told the men are arrested.

I'm of the mindset that sexual offender databases are useless and unnecessary. While no one can condone the horrible crimes these folks inflicted on their victims, they spent their time paying their dues. To assume they'll reoffend is just that, an assumption. How these registries keep anyone safe is a mystery to me and I just assume our citizens not have a scarlet letter. Stranger danger is really overrated as most people will be harmed by someone they know.

That being said now that I'm a parent-elect I looked up the sex offender registry in my area. There were no one in my immediate area that have a criminal record and I breathed a sigh of relief. I'm not sure why as I'll be attempting to protect my kids regardless if there's one around or not. Still for a second it gave me the illusion of security and I thought to myself I'm on to those threats, real or imagined.

My god I'm becoming a parent.

“The challenge for us is also to make it journalistically solid.” - Chris Hansen

Peace

Obama made a speech yesterday regarding Israeli policy and asked both sides of the equation to resume talks regarding a possible peace process. He went into some detail asking the nation to roll back it's borders to the pre-Six Day War and kindly advised Hamas to quit being all Hamas-like.

Liberals gave a sense of glee saying this was a very brave move. Why I don't know. It's along the same policy of all Presidents since Nixon. It's the same rhetoric we've heard during Clinton's Camp David talks, which worked out swimmingly if you'll remember.

Conservatives are upset that Obama dare criticize the chosen people. Romney and Gingrich find using strongly worded phrases towards our ally in the Mideast hurtful to their poor little feelings. Since their favorite Christ killers are at the focal point of Armageddon, they'll back them and the 144,000 that will make it up in the rapture so the Lord can make it back to Earth.

I really don't get the idea that peace is even possible in that region, so a process for the Palestinians and Israel is laughable to me, sadly. I wish I shared in the optimism so many do for a stable middle east, but I don't see either side interested. I don't paint Israel as the only enemy in this as to do so would be naive. The problem really is that no one has a convincing argument that both sides really want peace in the end. If someone can change my mind I'm all ears.

The President made the speech he had to make and it's all a bunch of lip service. It was well written and orated, but it did seem empty to me. Israel will never pull back their borders in fear of a rocket attack penetrating deeper into their state and will never give air rights to a Palestinian nation. Hamas, Hezzbollah, and others will not recognize the nation's right to exist, so here we are at the same crossroad that's been present for many decades.

"Today President Barack Obama has again indicated that his policy towards Israel is to blame Israel first," - Michele Bachmann

Romney: Obama 'threw Israel under the bus'

Lockout

As many of you are already aware, it looks like there will be no NFL season this year. NFL owners, while chomping on their cigars hand rolled by Honduran toddlers, decided not to bow to the socialist whims of the players, who's biggest worry is making their Escalade payments.

While the fans watch a bunch of spoiled prima donnas battle it out with the forces of old and evil we now have to find a new way to pass our time come fall. Fantasy Football will no longer be in effect for obvious reasons and I'm saddned that the Nashville Tax Burdens will not suck away my Sundays. Perhaps I can get a hobby, read a novel, or just take in another sport.

Watching the CFL while being a resident of Texas is not something that is looked well upon around these parts. I might as well head a conference of Marxist guerillas fighters, or NAMBLA. College football does have it's merits, but doesn't offer the level of play only the NFL can bring. I can watch high school football, which is always a good time, but that still leaves Sunday and Monday nights with an empty feeling. At least we won't have to sit through another awful Super Bowl halftime show like last year.

Thankfully the UFC is year round, but I found another sport that has piqued my interest. Only the Japanese can muster the popularity of this event, which is something I not only want to watch, but to play as well:

"The NFL, like life, is full of idiots." - Randy Cross.

Questions.

It's hard to write about Glenn Beck anymore as really no one takes him seriously anymore. Those few that do are really on the fringe and could be considered dangerous, if only to themselves. Still the intellectual midget amuses me to some degree, but sometimes he takes a surprising turn in his comedy and makes me wonder what goes on in the brain of the Tea Party mascot.

Recently he decided to take a shot at Meghan McCain for reasons that are unclear. The Senator's daughter posed seemingly naked, along with a bunch of stars you've forgotten exist, for a PSA concerning skin cancer. While her lady stuff was indeed covered, Beck found the idea of a naked McCain to be horrific. Instead of just voicing his displeasure at the thought of Meghan nude, he pretended to vomit on air for a full ten minutes, because people wouldn't have gotten the joke after, say sixty seconds.

Meghan responded to Beck's segment about her body in a fashion you would expect, but there was one line in her open letter I thought was rather funny:

"As a person who is known for his hot body, you must find it easy to judge the weight fluctuations of others, especially young women."

It was a good line, but I thought she could've crafted the entire letter with more skill. Let's try and take it from a man's point of view.

Mr Beck,

I understand you have no interest in seeing the woman pictured below without any clothes on. You actually believe seeing her naked would result in you losing your lunch and as such you want her to put on a burqa. This leads me to ponder that you're a raging homosexual who has a fetish for Polynesian teenage boys who sport bad goatees. Now I'm not saying you are one, but since you seem upset by the idea of a pretty woman scantily clad I have to bow to the only logical conclusion. Now again, I'm not saying you do like to have weekend getaways to Guam while you hold up in a hotel with men half your age, but I'm just asking questions. Prove to the public you don't masturbate to the volleyball scene in Top Gun this matter will be resolved. It's just that simple.

Respectfully,

Wiwille

"Put some extra clothes on. Like, lots of extra clothes...has she thought about a burqa, just to be extra safe?" - Glenn Beck

Overrated films part 30

Romantic comedies are a mixed bag for reasons that are kind of obvious. They're probably the most formulaic genre second only to horror. Basically you have boy meets girl, boy screws up, boy apologizes, girl forgives, wash, rinse, repeat.

Working Girl does take the formula and put it on it's ear, for better or for worse. Melanie Griffith stars as Tess, a spunky, ambitious secretary who wants to be a huge player in the world of big business. As her new boss is recovering from a skiing accident after stealing Tess' idea, Tess decides to steal it back and pretend she has her supervisor's job. She then meets Jack, a mogul in the industry and unbeknownst to Tess her boss' love interest, and attempts to solicit the idea. Romance ensues as well as a comedy of errors.

Sadly this romantic comedy has not one laugh. I can forgive a film for it, but it has to have a good love story to offset the failed attempts at humor, which it doesn't. Working Girl is as ambitious as the lead character in trying to give us lighthearted humor with a Cinderella story, but Pretty Woman this isn't. Melanie Griffith gives what is arguably her best performance in her entire career, but that doesn't save the lack of chemistry she has with Harrison Ford, or Alec Baldwin for that matter.

Critics praised this film largely on the back of Griffith's acting, and again it's a stellar performance, but the story failed to live up to that high standard. Perhaps if I were well versed with the world of high finance and brokering I may have had a few laughs, but I doubt it. Watching it recently just makes the film feel dated and awkward and the only chuckle I could give was for the strange hairstyles that were all the rage in the 80s. The film is well crafted as one would expect from Mike Nichols, but the script keeps this from being a memorable film.

"Blah comedy, but with nice performers." - Michael E. Grost

Manners

I like video games, but I was never the kind to play multiplayer online. It just didn't interest me in the slightest. Now that I'm miles away from my old friends I started to rethink my stance on playing games over the Internet so I can have another way of connecting
with them.

I ended up enjoying playing Call of Duty: Black Ops with my friends as we shot up other players and got ourselves killed numerous times. I was clearly not versed in multiplayer as I my skills were lacking, but I got better as time went on.

Recently I plopped in my Call of Duty: World at War disc as I'm a sucker for WWII shooters. I started to play and came across a guy who was clearly just standing in the open shooting at someone on my team. I approach him and unload my clip into him with no results. The character then jumped into the stratosphere and flew around like Superman. He then took aim at me and shot me dead.

Confused I respawned and ran around the map. I saw the guy again and shot at him with two clips which did nothing. He said "Wiwille, you're such a dumbass" and ran up to me and killed me with his knife.

I expressed my confusion and some other player told me to go report him to the Xbox Live service, which I did (suck it PSN). More players got on and displayed Superman like powers, so after filing numerous complaints I got frustrated and decided to play it no longer. It doesn't seem fair as someone who wants to have a fun, honest game can be mauled over a bunch of times by cheaters.

The other night I was playing Call of Duty: Black Ops. After a match someone sent me a voice message calling me a "little faggot". I have no idea what I did to incur his wrath or to assume I'm gay, but whatever. Last night there was some kid singing racial epithets over and over again, to which I muted and reported him.

It seems people don't like to play nice on the Internet, which is no surprise. The safety of being behind a keyboard, or in this case a controller, can make a coward seem invincible.

I've recently discovered a great blog, Why Was I Banned?, which chronicles the forums of people asking the moderators why they were kicked off Xbox Live. It's an endless source of comedy of whiny jobless virgins knowing full well they broke the rules, but somehow feel they're above them.
"I don't know; it just seemed like the cooler guys are playing Xbox. At least the ones I know." - Liz Phair

A wee Wiwille to come

After months of failed attempts my wife is finally with child. Yes the force is strong with my swimmers and soon Kelly will unleash the most awesome baby in the whole wide world out of her uterus.

We had been planning on getting pregnant since our wedding night, but sadly the task was more daunting for us than others. Some of our friends got pregnant by simply looking at a member of the opposite sex. We tried and tried by reading up on pregnancy science, which is a relatively new field, and engaging in every old wives' tale we could think of. For months I would be woken up to the depressing news that our swimmers and eggs weren't prone to meeting.

Finally after all hope seemed lost she woke my groggy self out of bed at some unholy hour announcing that the test proved positive. I was excited as well as relieved. We did it. We finally did it.

"Pregnancy is a kind of miracle. Especially so in that it proves that a man and woman can conspire to force God to create a new soul." - Robert Anton Wilson

Feelings

There seems to be a lot of chatter going about regarding what is appropriate when it comes to the death of Osama Bin Laden. A lot of the celebratory gatherings seem to offend those who don't wish death upon anyone and have made their disapproval public. There are those who would like Americans to use this moment as a time bit of quiet reflection. They'll also misquote Martin Luther King Jr while doing so oddly enough.

Who the hell gets off telling someone else how to feel? When Osama was killed I watched the streets of Washington DC and New York erupt into jubilation. While I at first felt uncomfortable with celebrating someone's death I soon realized it wasn't all about the terror mastermind being killed. These were people who felt they were at death's door for the past decade. They lost many loved ones in those horrific attacks and gained a bit of closure. After so long the country felt a bit more secure. To assume that everyone dancing in the streets or feeling any bit of happiness at Osama's demise is some fool with a bloodlust is arrogant.

I didn't lose a loved one on 9/11 thankfully, but had I did I might be inclined to feel a bit more jubilant about Osama's passing. I should make no apologies for it. I understand the feeling that it's immoral to want someone to die, but to claim that as an absolute and then wag your finger at those who feel differently than you is a bit trite. This is not the time to be holier than thou.

We'll go through this nonsense again when Fred Phelps meets his maker.

"What kind of nation and what kind of species do we want to be? Do we want to become a species that honors life? Do we want to become a species that embodies peace?" - Pamela Gerloff - Writer, education futurist, specialist in transformational change.

The Psychology of Revenge: Why We Should Stop Celebrating Osama Bin Laden's Death

Praise Allah!

As you're all abundantly aware Osama Bin Laden is no longer with us as he's spending his time amongst virgins in heaven. The terror mastermind was dealt his death card at the hands of American forces in Pakistan.

When I heard the news last night I was kind of numb. Actually I was shocked he was still alive. I felt odd having a bit of excitement at the news of someone's death, but in the case I think it's justified. He is responsible for not only the death of many Americans, but citizens the world over. Still I think a bullet was too quick a death for this miserable creature.

I was hoping US forces would've just tied him down to a cot and let his dialysis take over, but maybe that's too harsh. It's a time for America, and the world, to take a short sigh of relief. A criminal is no longer with us, and maybe the Earth became a safer place to live. Whether that's true or not will remain to be seen, but celebration is natural. Crowds gathered, the President made a terrific speech, and all shared a historic experience hoping that this event will benefit mankind.

Of course next summer we'll see a dramatized version of his demise in a blockbuster directed by Michael Bay.

"We love death. The U.S. loves life. That is the difference between us two." - Osama bin Laden

Deep in the heart of marriage.

Shocking as it may be to some, transgendered folks can get married in the state of Texas, but they have to show documentation as to which sex they surgically chosen, because we couldn't have them marry the same sex after all. Yes I could legally marry someone who was once a man, but that person couldn't marry a woman.

With me so far?

Well Texas Republicans are trying to change all that. Apparently the GOP is trying to pass a bill that only allows transgendered folks to marry someone of the opposite sex that was registered on their birth certificate. So say a man gets a sex change, then decides as a women he (she?) wants to get married. Because of this bill she could only marry a woman, which would seem like a gay marriage to any reasonable thinking adult, but to Texas conservatives it would be as God intended.

Still with me? I'm having difficulty following the logic myself.

So now that the Texas deficit is solved, the economy is full swing as middle class jobs are a dime a dozen, and no state employees fear being laid off it only makes sense that we bar transgendered people from offending the delicate sensibilities of our legislature.

"It would be terrible for Texas, now that it finally caught up with the rest of the country, to take a step back." - Shannon Minter

Texas may strip away transgender marriage rights

Suck it birthers

The billboard pictured here is on display in Dallas. It's goal is clear, to give doubt in the minds of Americans that our President was not born in this country and therefore ineligible to hold the office.

This morning that's all changed. The White House has finally released the long form birth certificate issued by the State of Hawaii, which is what birthers have been asking for these many years. It's kind of sad that he had to do this. He already released his certificate of live birth, the Governor's office has stated numerous times he was indeed born in Honolulu, and announcements in the local newspapers confirm his mom did give birth to him at a hospital in the US. None of that was good enough for birthers.

Donald Trump came into the picture with his media whoring self and proposed that this ridiculous conspiracy theory had legs. No one with a reasonable mind believed him, but four out of ten Republicans gave him credence. Media coverage of the issue increased to the frustration of those who really wanted to consume information about policy.

Suck it birthers. Suck it long and suck it hard. To any person who believed as Trump did that may be reading this, you are a stupid person. Yes you are a whore for the likes of WND and Alex Jones, who have profited greatly off your ignorance. I know this birth certificate won't be enough for you, for after all you can't accept that the majority of Americans voted in a black man, well half black at least, and you can't accept that. You're too dumb to point to a policy issue you may disagree with, because that would take actual research. Your live in a fantasy world, one where you feel you're the most informed, when in fact you play serf to the feudal forces of insanity. You'll believe anything you read and give no amount of research into things you know little about, all the while claiming to everyone that you're a media savy intellectual.

In short birthers, you're just a bunch of dumb assholes who have distracted the discourse into this kind of nonsense. Try now to take up important issues such as policy concerns, economic recovery, and the like. Sadly this will not happen as you'll be as stubborn as truthers in your ignorance, because you're a bunch of simpleton idiots. You're an enemy of the conservative movement and you've done more harm than good. No thinking Republican wants to be associated with you anymore and it's time you stop giving them a bad name.

"We do not have time for this kind of silliness." - President Obama

Obama releases long form birth document, rips 'silliness' of debate over issue

Christian grammar.

This Easter I hung out with my brother in-law and his wife while we did the church thing and had a fine meal with the extended family. On our way back home I saw numerous church signs declaring Christ is risen.

This proclamation gave me thought. Now I know I'm not a whiz in the grammatical sense, but shouldn't it be Christ 'has' risen? Unless the Lord and Savior is like bread and is constantly rising from the tomb Joseph of Arimathea so kindly provided, shouldn't it be in the past tense? Aren't Christians waiting for him to descend back onto Earth with the sword?

Now that I think about it it makes some kind of sense as the celebration tries to put you in the time in history when the disciples discovered Jesus' body was no longer present. Still it seems odd to a passerby.

I sometimes wonder if Christ gained Hulk like strength to move that boulder. Now I'm sure people think it just moved on it's own, sort of like a Jedi Jesus scenario, but that's not as cool. Well then again it kind of is.

"My mom used to say that Greek Easter was later because then you get stuff cheaper." - Amy Sedaris

Do this in rememberance of me.

As all good Catholics are aware, today is Good Friday where Christians the world over celebrate the crucifixion of the savior. Gov Rick Perry of the great state of Texas has decided to use this Easter weekend to call on citizens to pray for rain.

I'm not kidding. The Governor has issued a proclamation asking people of all faiths and traditions to pray to their chosen God(s), prophets, and/or elementals in hopes that rain may befall us.

Is this even Constitutional? I know Perry would like to think of Texas as it's own nation, but isn't this a clear endorsement of a higher power by an elected official? Even if the Supreme Court does rule that actions like this don't violate the separation of church and state, is it appropriate? Should atheists and agnostics be excluded?

Frankly shouldn't our Christian bretheren be offended this? I was raised to believe this weekend was a time to give thanks for Christ's sacrifice and the fulfillment of the new covenant, not to sit and dwell on personal and often times selfish matters. It seems rather exploitative to have those who believe in the resurrection to not celebrate it, but to rather hope for a higher power to intervene on natural weather systems.

I can't believe this guy was elected to a third term. This is such a waste of tax payer money.

"NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICK PERRY, Governor of Texas, under the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Statutes of the State of Texas, do hereby proclaim the three-day period from Friday, April 22, 2011, to Sunday, April 24, 2011, as Days of Prayer for Rain in the State of Texas. I urge Texans of all faiths and traditions to offer prayers on that day for the healing of our land, the rebuilding of our communities and the restoration of our normal way of life." - Gov Rick Perry.

Gov. Perry Issues Proclamation for Days of Prayer for Rain in Texas

Tramps

Recently a CNN article regarding little girls dressing like tramps has been circulating all over the web. It's an interesting commentary about how girls as young as the age of eight are dressing as if they were prostitutes as corporations are sexing up clothing targeted to them. The author of the commentary is correct in laying blame squarely where it should lie with, the parents.

But is that enough? Will simply calling out folks who dress their daughters as whores on the internet really going to change adults minds or is it just preaching to the choir? Does the author, and those who are sharing his piece with their Facebook friends, really think that someone who does let their child look like a teen idol in public are really going to change their ways?

I've often been told, mostly by parents, that you shouldn't criticize other people's paternal skills unless you yourself have crotchfruit. I find that completely ridiculous. I don't have access to nuclear weapons nor am I a police officer, but I should be allowed an opinion on the appropriate use of genocidal tools and law enforcement. Sure I've never been through the backbreaking work parents put themselves through, but it's clear to them that if I see an adult do something I deem stupid or reckless I should clam up and go about my day.

Too often we hear that stupid line that the childless should keep their mouths shut. Sure in some cases it's appropriate to keep your opinions yourself regarding the parenting of others, but when I see an eight year old girl dressed like a pole dancer should I just mind my own business? I mean the stripper industry does need a workforce and I'm all about good economics.

Seriously I'd hate to see a bunch of zealots run around and denounce parents in public for any action as it would lead to mob rule of parenting, something none of us want. Parents are free to make their own decisions, for good or for ill. No one should create a website called parentswhoraisestrippers.com with pictures of offending adults, although that would be comical. In the case of dressing little girls like hookers, well that's their right to excersize poor judgment. Sure they may have a daughter grow up to be one of loose morals, but there were plenty of them well before Bratz dolls and the like.

So I'll pose the question nobody is asking; if you're really offended by pre-teen girls showing too much skin, what exactly can or should you do about it?

"Yeah, that 8-year-old girl was something to see all right. ... I hope her parents are proud. Their daughter was the sexiest girl in the terminal, and she's not even in middle school yet." - LZ Granderson

Parents, don't dress your girls like tramps

Bad Movies I Love part 30

Ernesto "Che" Guevara has always been a fascinating figure to me. His actions and the public's view of him has always made me love the myth of him, but hate the man. Che has somewhat been a hero to left leaning souls who romanticize his revolutionary tactics. It's not surprising as those with a more conservative bent in the US view our own revolutionary forefathers as the ethical equivalent of Jesus. Strangely those who idolize our founding fathers and their work hold a sympathy for the Confederates, the same folks who fought against the foundation of our Republic.

Che was a despicable person regardless of his economic views. He was only interested in justice for those who agreed with him and his brutal armed struggle. Che's claim that if the Soviet missiles located in Cuba were under his direct control, he would've launched them, believing that crushing American imperialism would've been worth "millions of atomic war victims."

Liking Guevara's legacy seems to be the trend, even though in the end he failed in his global conquest to spread his brand of communism and unite Latin America under it's principles. That's no surprise as America is known for rooting for the under dog. Of course the irony that kids wear his image on t-shirts made in sweat shops to be sold in Hot Topic amuses me to no end.

This brings me to "Che", the two part film by Steven Soderbergh. The first part chronicles Che's part in the Cuban revolution against the Batistas. The second and equally long part unravels his failed attempt to take down the Bolivian government, which he paid the ultimate price for.

The movie is told through the Guevara's eyes and is largely based on his own writings, which consequently makes him look like a saint instead of the complicated revolutionary. I was saddened by this approach as autobiographies are largely more fiction than fact and leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to objectivity. The story moves along at a snails pace at times and one could only wonder if the editor was ordered to leave every single piece of footage in, for good or ill.

Flaws and all I loved it, mostly because of Benecio Del Toro's amazing performance as the former Argentinian revolutionary. He made me believe he knew Che personally, and had all his mannerisms masterfully imitated. I enjoyed the story as it's an interesting take on a piece of history I find fascinating, but those who don't share that interest will hardly be drawn to learning more about it when watching this. Mostly they'll have trouble keeping their eyelids open.

"If Soderbergh's ambition was to make us feel just how dull it would be to a woods-dwelling communist guerrilla, he succeeded." - Mick LaSalle

Lawn care.

What a difference a year makes. In my youth I could give two shits about what my lawn looked liked, if I had any. While I did mow the lawn many times when I was a kid I looked upon it as a chore as my father kept telling me how character building it was. For reasons I'll never understand he decided that it was best that I use the push mower instead of the rider. Considering we lived on five acres I became the equivalent of Mother Theresa.

Saturday it was time to give the grass a trim, so I picked up after the dogs and prepared myself for some mowing. My lawn isn't that big, so the task is a small one. Still I broke out the edger and weed eater to give a nice look to our house. Surprisingly, I gave a damn. Yes I stood there and looked at my greenery and had a sense of pride given to a task any child could do.

So this is what it's like being a home owner....

"A lawn is nature under totalitarian rule." - Michael Pollan

Thursday Music

As some of you may be aware I lost an old friend a few days ago. It's actually hard to write about the guy, because he was one of the good ones. Not only was he a friend to all, had a wicked sharp sense of humor, but he was a man you could trust to do the right thing in any circumstance. Too often we don't see that kind of combination in the people we meet.

My friend Bruce and his girlfriend, who lost her life alongside him, will be remembered fondly. Today I'd like to share one of his favorite songs, the Grateful Dead's "Touch of Grey":

Goodbye Bruce....

"I hope it is true that a man can die and yet not only live in others but give them life, and not only life, but that great consciousness of life." - Jack Kerouac