Review: Grizzly Man

It's a funny thing about trying to live a nobel life; you walk a fine line between seen as a champion for a cause or being seen as a crackpot. To truely make a difference you probably have to walk that line between activist and fanatic. One step to the right and you're seen as just another person who can't commit to change, and one step to the left.. and you step outside the relm of normal society, with people who can have a conversation about the weather, shop at a mall, or allow yourself luxuries like new cars and new underwear.

Grizzly Man is a lot about a guy who tries to walk that line.. and completely falls over to the left hand side. Basically this crazy, wannbe actor, goes and lives with bears for 13 summers, gives them cute names and thinks he's one of them. In the end, a bear he's unfamiliar with mauls him to death. The movie lets you make up your own mind about whether or not you think he's crazy or really has a purpose. I think he's crazy. An alcoholic who turned in his booze to get drunk on his sense of self-rightousness, but then a friend asked me 'if he was happy, and didn't hurt anybody maybe that was a good life for him?' Very true.

Anyways, to those of you reading, decide for your self if its noble to give up a normal existance to be a fanatic about some cause. Me, I think a Superman complex is more likely to alienate a person from their family and friends, and turn to some kind of personal crucade that really has no real-life goal. If we all just do a little bit, it works a lot better than one person trying to do everything.

Good movie though, check it out.

Conserve gas.. if you feel like it.

Our Prez

Its pretty easy to criticize the president these days. After all he's just so stubborn, can't admit a mistake, and won't seem to do what he needs to do to make amends for them.
Take today's speech at the energy department: Here's this speech where he's telling the American people a pretty important thing. He says that he will tap into the Nation's strategic petroleum reserves to help with the gas problem (not really a shortage in most of the country) and then he tells people that we need to car pool, take mass transit and consider putting off any unnecessary car trips.
Watch it here: (fast forward to about 1:20 into it)
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/09/26/bush.ap/index.html

That's a pretty important speech. But when he gets to the part about asking people to conserve, notice he doesn't do the presidential thing. He doesn't look into the cameras, and say what he wants to say clearly. If I'm he speech writer I have him look dead into the camera and say: Today, I have a message to the American people. We need your help. You can help make up for the gas shortage. Take public transportation. Have your husband or wife drive you to work, or take a car pool. Put of any driving you don't have to do. Give us a month to get this situation back to normal, and then we can all go back to doing things the way we used to."

Instead he 'hums' and 'haws' he looks down and off camera.. exactly how you'd look if you were telling a girl you were breaking up with her, or tell your boss you want to take a new job. Why can't he just stand up and say one complete sentence about what he wants to happen. It must be that it pains him so much to actually ask people to sacrifice. Its no wonder he partied so much in college, he's the good times president. We're spending too much money in Iraq? Tax Cuts! Huge profits for oil companies.. while gas is $3 a gallon? "Uh.. drive a bit less" The worst natural disaster in recent memory? "I'm looking to go back to Senator Lott's beach house when its re-built."

This guy doesn't have a clue how to lead.

Movie Review: Kung Fu Hustle

If you've seen Crouching Tiger.. Hero.. or any similar films you know how beautiful and creative Chineese cinema can be. After watching Kung Fu Hustle, add funny to that. Its a totally different twist on the spiritual martial arts film, about a Hong Kong slum, seemingly pulled from a musical, and a gang of killers that tries to take it over. I'll spare you the plot details, but it invloves four kung fu masters who just want to be regluar people, and a wannabe gang member who realizes what side he belongs on.. but the real neat thing about the movie is how funny it is, and the mix of traditional martial arts action mixed with Looney Toons-like cartoon scenes. Very cool, check it out.

Don't Judge Me

Food Choices:

One of the first things anyone works in a office realizes is that its hard not to talk about food. Everyone can relate to it.. because we all eat it, and most of the time.. people at work are hungry. In Yakima, we used to have huge conversations about food during our morning meetings, that would really go on longer than necessary.
The other thing about food and work is that, where I work, since most of us take working lunches (or breakfasts, in my case), you always get to smell and see what other people are eating. This leads to a lot of envy.. and in many cases judgement. Is not nice but, sometimes i ask my self.. why my boss drinks a frappachino, and has 10 cigarettes in a morning, or why the woman who's 150 lbs overweight goes on a burger run. The truth is.. we all have our vices.. and its not for meet to judge.. or at least.. its not for me to say anything.
However.. my co-worker is not of the same opinion. One day this week.. i was terminally exhausted.. and had to make a coffee shop run.. returning with a hot chocolate (hate coffee).. and a cherry turnover. Yes.. not a calorie light breakfast to be sure.. but I needed something.. and wheat grass juice was not going to get it done. But upon returning to my desk.. and proceding to work.. unlike my co-worker.. he says to me "my god.. how many calories are in that?.. you'll have to run for like 4 hours." WHO does that? Come on.. obvliously.. its not the smartest choice.. but most days I bring yogert w/ granola and fruit.. so what if I want to pig out for once? I guess I could just take it as a sign that he likes me and wants me to be healthy.. but I think maybe its his way to feel superior.. by knocking my choice.. just like I feel superior than the coffee drinkers.. who I know are getting addicted to their daily caffeene fix.. with sugar and cream.. or the smokers with their daily nicotine sticks. But at least I keep it to myself.

Unless they're reading this.

What lurks(or leaks) just below the surface.

http://www.biorelief.com/store/stadiumpal.html#

I have no idea what I'm doing.

.. nice helicopter though.

What you don't see behind the scenes

I had one of my biggest F-ups this weekend ever. I had an interview set up for the sunday morning show.. and left in the break before we came out to it (I was dealing with a few other issues) So for this 2 hour show.. we use one rundown.. copy it and float things that die from one hour to the next. So the interview was supposed to be off the top.. but the rundown didn't say that.. and I didn't tell the director. The anchor thought the interview was next.. and thought the weather guy was doing it.. so he left to go to a far bathroom.. because the near bathroom was out of order. Meanwhile.. the 1 studio guy we have on sunday's puts the cameras at the desk.. the director doesn't know that the anchor is gone.. and time is really ticking. the weather guys hates his IFB and wont wear it on the weekends.. and he knows things could get really ugly because the anchor's not there.. so he jumps behind the desk.. but by that time I'm back.. killing the stories at the desk and screaming for matt (the anchor in the far bathroom) so in the end we come out to byron (weather guy) and he has nothing to read.. save the intro to the interview.. which he reads.. while I'm pleading.. to no one in particular since he doesn't have an IFB.. to go to break. eventually he gets that the camera guy waving his arms means go to break.. and we go to commerical after saying " you know.. one of the best parts about the state fair is the food.. (pause to let it sink in)we'll be right back."