I have deliberately waited several days before commenting on the events last Friday in Tucson Arizona. My reasons for waiting were manifestly simple; I wanted to have more information. The earliest reports are always the most sketchy and the least reliable. Eye witness testimony is notoriously untrustworthy. (Consider that for decades we though the RMS Titanic was one piece because eye-witness testimony said is did not break up and sink, but merely sank.) Continue reading
This weekend saw the release of TRON: Legacy, a sequel the the cult film TRON from 1982.
TRON did not become the blockbuster hit that Disney had hoped for in 1982 and so the film was relegated to home video when that appeared in the market. There TRON found a following and has become something of a cult hit.
Now twenty-eight years later Disney has released a big-budget sequel to the sleeper cult hit. There are those who have called this a remake but that is simply and categorically wrong. TRON: Legacy builds on the story laid down in the TRON. Surprisingly you do not need to have seen TRON to understand the story of TRON: Legacy. The screenwriters and filmmakers have done a pretty decent job of crafting a story that can be followed by people new the TRON universe and one that can be enjoyed by the fans of the original TRON.
There are those who would consider this film a science-fiction film, but I approach it as a fantasy. Anyone with even a passing knowledge of computers can see that the terabytes and terabytes of data and processing that would be required for such a real-time environment is simply beyond anything close to existing in our world. So if you are a computer literate person I would suggest that you leave your specialized knowledge in the lobby and accept TRON as fantasy and allegory.
This story is simple. Sam Flynn, orphaned at a young age, discovers a clue that his father may not have died or abandoned him. He seeks out this clue and ends up in a realm of fantastic imagery and dangers, both for Sam and for our world at large. Sam must learn to navigate this new and threatening world with a bewildering array of allies and enemies. During the course of the adventure Sam learns about forgiveness and the dangers of arrogance.
My friend Bear and I saw this film during the matinee show this morning and we both enjoyed ourselves. The story moved along, the characters were convincing, and once the ground rules were established the world of the story behaved in a consistent and logical fashion. The 3-D effect was well used to portray the world of the computer-grid and the director resisted the temptation top thrust items repeatedly at the audience. (Though I will say that this film will play perfectly fine in2-D.)
Bear commented on what appeared to be fairly obvious Christian symbology in the film, and his argument for it is not a weak one. However, I think it could be taken too far. I cannot discuss the weakness and the Christian allegory without giving out too many spoilers. What is central to Christian theology, the sacrifice to wash away another’s sins is missing and so I do not think this was a direct Christian allegory.
This is a movie worth watching in the theaters, particularly if you were a fan of the first film.
Before President Clinton’s DADT policy gays were banned from serving in the military, but it was a policy that could have been over turned by executive action only, just like President Truman overturned President Wilson’s segregation of the military. Because Bill Clinton singed into law DADT it really required an act of Congress to undo it and now they finally have done just that.
The prohibition on homosexual persons serving in our nations armed forces was a senseless relic from less enlightened time and I rejoice at this repeal.
Thanks to the synergistic timing of Sarah Palin’s TLC Realty show and her daughter’s entry into the finalist rounds of Dancing with the Has-Beens, people are again freaking out over Sarah Palin and the thought she might run for president. Andrew Sullivan certainly in this pack and is always a twitter over the GOP being remade in Sarah;’s image.
Everyone should just take a deep breath and take a stress pill.
First off the idea that the GOP is being remade into Sarah’s image didn’t seem to pass the election test. The Candidates most like her in style and in substance, O’Donnell and Angel both lost. Angel very much avoided the main stream press and tried to get to the Senate without facing serious inquiry. Yes, she nearly won, against an incumbent who was hated in his own state, and on the wrong side of a wave election. That fact that she couldn’t beat Harry Reid is evidence just how weak of a candidate she truly was. Any sort of mainstream Republican candidate would have blow Harry out of the water in this election. The same goes for Delaware and Christine O’Donnell. So the Sarah Palin model — if there is such a thing — is a losing one.
Yes, Sarah Avoids the press and only get interviewed by friendly press. So what? She is not running for anything. She is not a politician, she is a celebrity.
I maintain that she is not an idiot, in fact I am counting on her not being on idiot. She is in her happy spot, she had found her niche in the modern entertainment/political ecosystem. she gets paid loads of money, get all the friendly press and attention she could want, and has zero real responsibilities. I do not believe she is going to throw that aside.
Nope.
She’s not going to run. She’ll tease her base with it, ’cause that brings in teh support and love and the dollars, but she’s not going to do it.
Jonathan E. only wants two things out of life, to have his wife back and to play Rollerball. He’s played Rollerball for the Houston team on behalf of the Energy Corporation for nearly ten years. Longer than any other man has ever player the brutal and often deadly sport. Now the Corporation, one of seven that rule in a world without nations, has told him to retire. Jonathan, one man, stands against the corporate machine in defiance and the corporation will not be defied.
Rollerball is one of the first stories that can be called cyberpunk. Made in 1975 the film depicts a world without want, without suffering, with war, and without freedom. A world where the nation-state has withered away, but communism did not rise rather corporations did. They manage the world and provide for everyone’s needs, all they ask is that people keep out of managerial decisions.
Rollerball stars James Cann as Jonathan e, the best Rollerballer the world has ever seen, and that is a danger to the corporation. The game is both gladiatorial bloodsport to keep the masses happy and entertained and symbolic message that one man can not make a difference.
This is a brand of SF filmmaking from the 70’s that I truly miss. Before Star Wars, the Sf films of the 70’s by and large had important themes and messages. They were concerned with ideas and the implications of those ideas. Thanks to ground breaking films before them. 2001, The Planet Of The Apes, The Day The Earth Stood Still, SF films were beginning to be seen as a fully adult medium for story telling. this fully matured in the 70’s until Star Wars.
Don’t get me wrong I love me my fun action filled Star Wars, but it displaced by the massive box office it generated, the idea of the small thoughtful SF movie. Science Fiction at the theater became the domain of the block buster, the wanna be blockbuster, always with more and more elaborate special effects.It is like the SF buffet was now comprised solely of Ice cream and Cookies.
We’ve seen a few thoughtful Sf films post Star Wars, but by and large the spectacle has ruled the day.
Well, the Republicans both over performed and under-performed for my expectations.
60+ seats is a huge wave one that normally crushes everything beneath it. However, the senate remains in Democratic hands the only question is by how much. Oregon may go Democratic still. Alaska? No way, but right now the Republican and tea-party favorite Joe Miller is behind.
I was surprised to see the democrats hold onto both Colorado and Nevada. I though the wave would be strong enough to sweep both states, but apparently you can be too outside the main stream for even this wave. Frankly I am happy to have Angle and O’Donnell loss their bids.
Now the hard part come in for the Republicans. If the tea Party truly is an independent movement and not the Republican Party in Fancy Dress they are going to expect that this new Congress do more than just snipe from the sidelines. However if this Congress moves against big budget items that are popular — such as Medicare and Social Security — which they will have to do to balance the budget, they’ll see their number tumbles.
As we heard often during the health care debates the Senior Citizens hates socialized Medicine and love Medicare.
There are of course people already talking about what this mean for 2012. Dudes. it is way too early to speak about that.
So if you read the postings I made during the trip then you pretty much know how I spent Saturday afternoon. What you do not know is the extent of political ads I was forced to endure.
Once I reach vegas itself I stopped using the ipod in the car. I listened at the Ipod by way of a small fm transmitter and there were so many FM stations in Vegas it was difficult to find a clear channel for my own music. Because of this and the TV in my room, (Cable but no premium channels.) I saw and heard a lot of political ads during those three days.
I never saw one ad that was pro-Sharon Angel. Oh there were endless ads anti-Harry Reid. Some of them quickly tricky. (“Ladies, Harry Reid wants to take away your right to chose.” Without explicitly stating that what they mean is chose your won healthcare.) To me the ads in Nevada were microcosm of the political winds blowing across the country. It isn’t that the Republicans are suddenly popular with their ideas, it’s that the Democrats are taking a pounding.
You can argue it is because of the way the Democrats passed their bills.
You can argue it is because they tried to push the country to far left.
You can argue it is because the economy is in the drain and they’re caught holding the bag.
You can argue it is because Obama is so arrogant and people hate that.
You can argue all these viewpoints on why, but you cannot prove any of them. You can not disentangle the factors enough to prove any single factor is the principle factor in the coming wave. However, the wave is coming, the question is what happens next year with the new Congress.
Google has announced that for months that they have been testing driverless cars on the streets and freeways of California. I for one am happy at the prospect of driverless cars. No, they will not be perfect, but I have ridden with and been hit by too many humans to know what sort of drivers most of them are!
There are legal hurdles to clear, but I suspect big business will push for this innovation when it become practical. Insurance companies will love them. It will give them a reason to jack up your rates if you insist on driving yourself.
Perfected this will save lives, time, and money.