Oscar Picks (updated)

After looking at the new movie listings for Cedar City today, it became clear to me that I had seen all the Oscar nominees that I was going to see before Sunday's awards ceremony. So, without further delay, here are my votes in each of the categories that I find worth ranting about:

Actor in a Leading Role
WINNER!
OK, first off, where the fuck is Ken Watanabe's nomination for his role in Letters from Iwo Jima? His was one of the most powerfully subdued performances I saw this year. Talk about gravitas. Watanabe conveys all the sensibility and contemplation of Toshiro Mifune's famous samurai with all the world-weariness of Clint Eastwood in his later roles. Out-fucking-standing. But no nomination. So I'll have to go with Forest Whitaker, who is great in everything he does.

Actor in a Supporting Role
I would get a kick out of seeing Eddie Murphy win. I tend to avoid his movies more than I'm drawn to them, but the thought of Gumby winning an Oscar is irresistible. I knew him when he was just starting out, man! But my favorite performance in this category was Mark Wahlberg's in The Departed and since he is the only actor from that film to get a nomination (What. The. Fuck!), I'm giving him my vote.

Actress in a Leading Role
WINNER!
I love all of the nominees this year. The part of me that loves the glamour of Oscar night would swoon to see Penelope Cruz on camera as much as possible, but that's probably not the best criterion for a vote here. Helen Mirren's portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II was spot-on, and even though she might not leap to the stage with the same degree of, er, bounciness as Penelope Cruz, Mirren was the most convincing performer.

Actress in a Supporting Role
Do you think the kid is going to get this? I think the kid is going to get this. Oscar loves to hand out this award to the cutesy up-and-comer. But Rinko Kikuchi's role in Babel was devastatingly sharp. Without saying a word, she conveys the sorrow and shame of an unwanted teenage girl who is desperate for the touch of a lover. Literally and emotionally naked on the screen, Kikuchi registers uncomfortably familiar emotions from a foreign land of the deaf and mute.

Animated Feature
What the fuck is the point of this category anymore? The Academy had a great opportunity to reward the technologically innovative and uniquely expressive qualities of this genre when this award was created not so long ago, but it has quickly become a popularity award (not, some of you might say, unlike the rest of the Oscars) for crowd-pleasing pap. I don't give a shit who wins. It's meaningless. It could have been so much more.

Art Direction
WINNER!
I'd like to see Pan's Labyrinth win for this. That film creates a wholly unique world and deserves recognition. But the award will probably go to Dreamgirls.

Cinematography
Sadly, there aren't too many modern films anymore that make me wonder how a certain shot was achieved. Most contemporary films incorporate very conservative camera work that doesn't challenge the audience. Children of Men, on the other hand, contains at least two shots, that go on without a break for several minutes, that are extraordinarily complex and graceful. One involves an attack on a moving vehicle, another involves a slow withdrawal from an urban battleground to protect an important character. I could watch those two shots for hours and learn how to make a great-looking film.

Costume Design
Curse of the Golden Flower managed to make Gong Li look even more gorgeous than she already is. The outfits I saw her wearing in the trailers provided at least 50% of the reasons I wanted to see this film. FanTASTIC.

Directing
WINNER!
Martin Fucking Scorsese. MARTIN FUCKING SCORSESE. MARTIN FUCKING SCORSESE!

Film Editing
Babel surprised me with its rather haphazard editing. The transitions (and there are a lot of them in the film) were not always smooth. This may have been a deliberate choice, but the inconsistency of the editing took me out of the movie a bit. A for effort, though. I'm giving this to Children of Men for the two shots I mentioned above.

Foreign Language Film
As far as I'm concerned, Pan's Labyrinth should have got a nod for Best Picture. If this is the best it can get from the Oscars, fuck them, but give the film something.

Original Score
WINNER!
The score for Babel is wonderfully diverse, but more important, it is completely listenable and compelling and engaging. Seriously, when is the last time you actually listened to a film score? Go out and get a copy of the Babel soundtrack. You won't be sorry, even if you haven't seen the film.

Sound Editing
WINNER!
Either of Eastwood's war films is deserving for the clarity and depth of all the sounds heard in the background and foreground. This is going to sound great on a 5.1 DVD.

Visual Effects
Why does Oscar have these categories that it clearly doesn't know what the fuck to do with? Three nominees, neither of which was particularly memorable or innovative for its effects work. I'm going with Superman Returns for the way the Boy Scout looks as he hovers over the Earth, and for the bad-ass shuttle sequence. But seriously, Oscar should take note of the Pulitzer's habit of making no award in particularly bleak years. That will give us more time for song and dance numbers during the ceremony, or, better yet, another look or five at Penelope Cruz.

Adapted Screenplay
I'm torn here, because I harbor a deep and abiding respect for anything having to do with The Departed. However, after considering what Marty had to work with, and the fact that he didn't fuck it up too much, I'm going to cast my vote for Children of Men, which is so good that you don't really care where it came from, and you care even less when you actually find out.

Original Screenplay
WINNER!
I would say Letters from Iwo Jima was the clear winner here, except for its lame framing sequence. Can't we watch an historical film without some clumsy reminder that The War is still relevant to our day and age? Saving Private Ryan had the same problem. I don't need Tom Hanks as an old man or a long-buried bag of mail to tell me that war is fucked up and sad. The films do that on their own, or should, anyway. So let's give this to Little Miss Sunshine which tells a great story without trying to remind the audience how fucking important it is.

Best Picture
First let's talk about the memorable films that did not get nominated, but will still be watched and studied by film lovers years hence when no one remembers if The Queen is about Elizabeth II or Freddy Mercury. (Not that it isn't a fine film.)

Children of Men has been compared to Blade Runner for the way it projects an exaggerated, yet compellingly realistic, vision of the near future. This movie has haunted me since the day I saw it, not only for its chillingly matter-of-fact depiction of a world decimated by human carelessness and greed, but for its haunting combination of humans at their best and worst. This is a film that tells you about your world and yourself, and will remembered and studied for years.

Similarly, Marie Antoinette shows us a world even further removed from our own than the one in Children of Men but it is ultimately the humanity of its lead character that makes this film more than yet another entry in the parade of historical costume dramas that so many critics mistook this for. Another film that, I suspect, will reward close attention.

Since I'm writing this after the awards have been handed out, I won't bother you with my prognostications other than to say that with Dreamgirls absent from the nominees, I wouldn't have been surprised to see any of the nominated films win. They are all worth a look, but none of them particularly stood out to me more than the others. In retrospect, however, I'm pleased that Scorsese received acknowledgement for both his direction and the film. It's not his best film, but it is a film made by one who is more invested in using his art to convey a solid narrative, with no gimmicks or tricks other than a complete working knowledge of his craft.

The Ironic Federalist (#5)

from The Federalist No. 10 (written by Madison)

. . . [A] pure democracy, by which I mean a society consisting of a small number of citizens, who assemble and administer the government in person, can admit of no cure for the mischiefs of faction. A common passion or interest will, in almost every case, be felt by a majority of the whole; a communication and concert result from the form of government itself; and there is nothing to check the inducements to sacrifice the weaker party or an obnoxious individual. Hence it is that such democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths. Theoretic politicians, who have patronized this species of government, have erroneously supposed that by reducing mankind to a perfect equality in their political rights, they would, at the same time, be perfectly equalized and assimilated in their possessions, their opinions, and their passions.

Further reading:

"Hijacking Democracy in Iraq" by Scott Ritter

"Iraq's Democracy Dilemma" by Jill Carroll

Chinese Democracy?

I'm not sure anyone other than me and maybe JonLee care at this point, but a track from the long-awaited (12 years!) new Guns 'n Roses album has been leaked. You can find it here.

My verdict: not as bad as I was expecting, but nothing that sounds worth ten years of "work". Still, nice to hear Axl again, if only to relive that brief period of my life when I was trying to be metal.

BTW, the host site, Hype Machine, is a great source of new music. It basically posts the songs that have been blogged by other MP3 music sites. HM allows you to click back to the original blog posts and search for related posts on the same song or artist. Nice.

Realpolitik

Uri Dan has written a biography of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in which the following insightful comment appears for, presumably, the first time:

Speaking of George Bush, with whom Sharon developed a very close relationship, Uri Dan recalls that Sharon's delicacy made him reluctant to repeat what the president had told him when they discussed Osama bin Laden. Finally he relented. And here is what the leader of the Western world, valiant warrior in the battle of cultures, promised to do to bin Laden if he caught him: "I will screw him in the ass!"

The full review is here.

An entire book is waiting to be written about that line. I guess we must be the practice run, huh?

The Ironic Federalist (#4)

from The Federalist No. 9 (written by Hamilton)

It is impossible to read the history of the petty republics of Greece and Italy without feeling sensations of horror and disgust at the distractions with which they were continually agitated, and at the rapid succession of revolutions by which they were kept in a state of perpetual vibration between the extremes of tyranny and anarchy. If they exhibit occasional calms, these only serve as short-lived contrast to the furious storms that are to succeed. If now and then intervals of felicity open to view, we behold them with a mixture of regret, arising from the reflection that the pleasing scenes before us are soon to be overwhelmed by the tempestuous waves of sedition and party rage. If momentary rays of glory break forth from the gloom, while they dazzle us with a transient and fleeting brilliancy, they at the same time admonish us to lament that the vices of government should pervert the direction and tarnish the lustre of those bright talents and exalted endowments for which the favored soils that produced them have been so justly celebrated.

Now Playing

The New Horizons website has a cute movie-style trailer promoting the progress of the Pluto-Kuiper Belt Mission, scheduled to reach Pluto in 2015. The spacecraft's closest approach to Jupiter, however, occurs in two weeks. It's already sent back some stunning photos.

The promo trailer is pretty clever, and comes complete with dramatic voiceovers, special effects, and studious-looking physicists being enthusiastic. I also learned the correct way to pronounce "Kuiper." (I've been saying "Cooper Belt" for longer than I care to admit.)

Remember when theaters used to screen short films, cartoons, and news briefs before the feature presentation? (OK, so maybe you don't remember this.) It would be cool to see something like this pop up on the screen sometime. When I have my very own movie palace, I'm totally going to make with the NASA trailers.

In semi-related news, plans for a motion picture detailing the story of astronaut Lisa Nowak's cross-country journey have been shelved, for now. Meanwhile, plans for a remake of Capricorn One are well underway. And the ground will always be there for you when you fall.

Portrait of a City Under Seige

As part of its coverage of the Trolley Square shootings in downtown Salt Lake, the city's NBC affiliate pre-empted that evening's episode of Heroes. Reading some of the comments on this page makes me wonder if the gunman should have targeted a different group of people. No one is safe, indeed.

Disclaimer: Heroes is one of my favorite shows. As evidence of my devotion, here are some pictures of Hayden Panettiere. Save the cheerleader!

Disclaimer #2: Yeah, I'm old enough to be her flying daddy.

I was watching 24 when news of the shootings came on the air. After a brief announcement, 24 came back on at the precise moment a CTU agent was seen firing an automatic weapon at a terrorist at point-blank range. In retrospect, the newscast doesn't seem like that much of an interruption.

Books Read in 1987

Two years out of high school, unfocused and terrified, I began taking college literature classes and reading on the bus. Kerouac would inspire me to chuck it all out the window, in search of that elusive quality known as "life experience." I was 20 years old. I would never be the same.

Total number of pages read: 11,496
Pages read in 1988: 9058
Pages read in 1989: 5892
Pages read in 1990: 7743
Pages read in 1991: 4870
Pages read in 1992: 5395
Pages read in 1993: 7568
Pages read in 1994: 4441
Pages read in 1995: 5417
Pages read in 1996: 4268
Pages read in 1997: 6890
Pages read in 1998: 6546
Pages read in 1999: 4324
Pages read in 2000: 8639
Pages read in 2001: 12,542

Strange Seed by T.M. Wright
The Looking Glass War by John le Carre
Doctor Who: Marco Polo by John Lucarotti
Doctor Who: The King's Demons by Terence Dudley
White Gold Wielder by Stephen R. Donaldson
High-Rise by J.G. Ballard
On Her Majesty's Secret Service by Ian Fleming
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
Doctor Who and the Keys of Marinus by Philip Hinchcliffe
Harry Sullivan's War by Ian Marter
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
The Black Castle by Les Daniels
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe
Memos from Purgatory by Harlan Ellison
Books of Blood, Vol. 2 by Clive Barker
In the Belly of the Beast by Jack Henry Abbott
Doctor Who: The Aztecs by John Lucarotti
Doctor Who: Slipback by Eric Saward
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Misery by Stephen King
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Magic Kingdom for Sale by Terry Brooks
Doctor Who: Black Orchid by Terence Dudley
Books of Blood, Vol. 3 by Clive Barker
Ensign Flandry by Poul Anderson
Doctor Who: The Mind Robber by Peter Ling
Doctor Who: The Sensorites by Nigel Robinson
Memoirs of an Invisible Man by H.F. Saint
Doctor Who: The Celestial Toymaker by Gerry Davis & Alison Bingeman
Greener Than You Think by Ward Moore
Enterprise: The First Adventure by Vonda N. McIntyre
Paradise Postponed by John Mortimer
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Magician: Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist
Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers
Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov
Magician: Master by Raymond E. Feist
Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg
Fifty-Two Pickup by Elmore Leonard
Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
Unknown Man No. 89 by Elmore Leonard
Silverthorn by Raymond E. Feist

Psychological Screening

Question One:

Think of three of your friends or former schoolmates. You have all been chosen by your employer to participate in an exciting and challenging journey that will put your lives at risk. You will need to train with your three colleagues for several years, during which you will learn to depend on each other's training and professionalism in potentially life-endangering circumstances.

After your training is complete, you find that your friends will be making the journey earlier than you. You are disappointed, but happy that they have been given the opportunity to put their years of training to practical use.

The journey is successful, but on the voyage back home, your friends are killed, their bodies destroyed beyond recognition. You soon realize that your friends died, not because of any fault of their own, but because your employer did not assume responsibility for their safety and, indeed, did not make any extra effort to inform your friends of their potential endangerment, the very kind of endangerment that you spent several years learning to anticipate and minimize.

Many months later, you follow the same path they took on their own fatal journey, but this time the journey is successful and you return safely. You fall in love with another classmate, one who is about to go on the same journey from which you have just returned. You want to go on the journey again.

Question: Are you insane? Discuss.

Here is NASA Deputy Administrator Shana Dale's statement regarding Capt. Lisa Nowak. Please refer to this statement in your response.

Breaking News: Guitars May Be Phallic

Here is the greatest quote in the history of journalism, courtesy of CNN's exploitative coverage of some overly-prudent dumbasses' reactions to Prince's Super Bowl performance:

"I think it was one of those things because a guitar at waist level does look like an enormous phallus."

In other news, CNN reporters have discovered that the phrase "rock 'n' roll" was an African-American euphemism for intercourse. Hide the children! Here comes Chuck Berry and his huge cock!

And coming soon: CNN leads the charge to ban Negro performers from the Super Bowl forever.

Stay tuned for more ground-breaking journalism from CNN's Jigaboo Watch!

For the World Is Hollow. . .

This time of year--late January through early February--has never been a good season for NASA. Last week saw the anniversaries of the Challenger and Columbia disasters, as well as the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 1 fire. And though there are no shuttles in orbit at the moment, the tidings this year are no less grim.

Today comes the somewhat bizarre and disappointingly earth-bound story of astronaut Lisa Nowak's alleged attempt to kidnap a fellow NASA employee, Colleen Shipman, who Nowak percieved as a potential rival for the affections of another astronaut, William Oefelein.

It has never been a secret that the astronaut corps is composed of a fair share of what a former neighbor of mine used to refer to as "horndogs"--ultra-macho playas who strode the world like little Caesars, rightfully proud to be selected as America's standard-bearers in orbit and, later, the moon. With the diversification of the astronaut corps in the late 1980s, as the shuttle became the "manned" space vehicle of choice, there was less emphasis placed on the action-star qualities of the astronauts and more emphasis given to their scientific and technical backgrounds. Though the corps is still largely populated by current and former members of the armed services--especially the Navy--shuttle astronauts are perceived as people who work in space rather than test pilot thrill-jockies.

This shift in perception and the methods used to select future astronauts are both to be applauded, particularly if we are to have any kind of practical future in space (as I believe we must). Though the astronauts may not be seen nowadays with the same kind of golden aura that surrounded the Mercury 7, they are more widely recognizable as true representatives of the diversity of this country.

It's probably no secret that I idolize these people, the way that some idolize soldiers or athletes. I still have vague hopes of one day being able to see the world from orbit, once the ticket price comes down a bit. So when I heard about the romantic rivalry between Nowak and Shipman, my feelings, to say the least, were mixed. At some level, I recognize that these people are, you know, human, and subject to all the complexities and contradictions and failings of human emotion. And, at its most basic level, the story of Nowak's obsessive pursuit of her rival would be of interest even if she had never set foot on a launch platform. But my primary reaction is one of deep disappointment, and Nowak's story makes an unsightly smear on my idealistic notions of what an astronaut represents, or should represent. I suppose this sense of disappointment is not unlike hearing stories of American soldiers raping schoolgirls in, well, pick your favorite war zone.

Though I recognize that the image I have of astronauts is largely informed by NASA publicity and Hollywood glorification (the contrast between Nowak's official astronaut photo and her mug shot should offer compelling evidence of the power of NASA's publicity machine), it still makes for a sad story. And, though it will do nothing to stop the media's recitation of Nowak's failings, I feel the need to at least make mention of her commendation and meritorious service medals, and the fact that, you know, she has over 1500 flight hours.

In other bad news for NASA, budget cuts may mean that the U.S. has no manned orbital capability after the shuttle fleet is decommissioned in 2010 (a date with ironic implications for any fan of Arthur C. Clarke). And even if we do manage to get off the ground, there awaits the increasingly expanding field of orbital debris that poses a threat to all spacecraft.

Space has often been referred to as the "final frontier," the new focal point for the "human adventure," but this February, as in previous Februarys, I find myself more often looking at the ground beneath my feet, trying to get used to it.

Roy Neary Now in Chemo

FRIDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- People who spend a lot of time behind the wheel may be motoring their way to an increased risk of skin cancer on the left side of their body, U.S. researchers report.

"Since previous scientific findings have shown an association between one-sided exposure to ultraviolet light (UV) and an asymmetric facial distribution of sun damage, we would expect that skin cancers also would be more prevalent on the left side of the body in drivers who spend a significant amount of time in their cars," Dr. Scott Fosko, professor and chairman of dermatology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement.

"Our initial findings confirm that there is a correlation between more time spent driving and a higher incidence of left-side skin cancers, especially on sun-exposed areas in men," Fosko said.

You can read the rest of this story here, though the primary purpose of this post is to make a lame Close Encounters joke using the image above for the two people who might A) get it, and B) actually find it mildly amusing.

Me, I think I'm hilarious.

In other news, Wonder Woman is now expected to survive for a second movie, and my new bifocals make me look more like Baltar than I ever did before. I am now seeking God and/or a platinum blonde in a slinky dress, assuming there is a (spoiler?) difference.

Obi, You Can Drive My Car

So apparently Sean Lennon is a big Star Wars geek, or so he claims in this article. But Lennon makes another interesting admission in the interview:

Sean Lennon was so affected by seeing The Empire Strikes Back that he couldn't help but test his Jedi powers as a child. "I used to stare at my mom's station wagon for hours on end trying to levitate it with my mind," the singer/songwriter laughs. "It took me some time to stop believing in the Force literally. In fact, I'm not sure I've really stopped. I just don't try to levitate things with my mind anymore. Well, not that often anyway."

Really? A station wagon? Your father was one of the most popular recording artists of the 20th-century and Yoko was driving a station wagon? I find this a little hard to swallow, even in light of the Lennono's well-known proclamations of "power to the people" and all that. If nothing else, New York City doesn't seem like the kind of place where you would see anyone, let alone a former Beatle, cruising down Broadway in a station wagon.

So is this Lennon's attempt to connect with the masses? I've got nothing against the guy; in fact, with his declaration of love for all things Star Wars, I'm prepared to give him even more credibility. But a station wagon? I'm not buying it.

Anyway, Lennon, like many of us, has found a very personal connection with the characters of the latter episodes:

As much as he enjoyed seeing the evolution of Darth Vader in Episode III, his favorite scenes are still from The Empire Strikes Back. "My favorite scene by far is Luke and Yoda in Dagobah," Lennon says. "Isn't that everyone's? Yoda demonstrates the nature of the Force, passing on his ancient wisdom. Then Luke must deal with his second mentor's death. Now he has lost his parents, Obi-Wan and Yoda. He knows the meaning of life and is ready to face his destiny. And I suppose I identify with Luke too because of the whole having lost his father."

I would have never dared hope that two of my favorite obsessions would come together (Har!) so well. Look for me at the next Star Wars Celebration in the flowing robes of a true Hippie Jedi. But under no circumstances will I be arriving in a fucking station wagon, unless, of course, Yoko is at the wheel, ready to attack the Death Star. Or Sir McCartney, as the case may be.

Books Read in 1988

We're approaching those dangerous years during which nearly every other book I read was a Doctor Who novelization, but I promise you that if I read more than ten in any given year, I will exclude them from these lists. Ahem.

Total number of pages read: 9058
Pages read in 1989: 5892
Pages read in 1990: 7743
Pages read in 1991: 4870
Pages read in 1992: 5395
Pages read in 1993: 7568
Pages read in 1994: 4441
Pages read in 1995: 5417
Pages read in 1996: 4268
Pages read in 1997: 6890
Pages read in 1998: 6546
Pages read in 1999: 4324
Pages read in 2000: 8639
Pages read in 2001: 12,542

Doctor Who: The Savages by Ian Stuart Black
Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion by Terrance Dicks
Songmaster by Orson Scott Card
2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke
Great Sky River by Gregory Benford
Lennon Remembers edited by Jann Wenner
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
Venus of Dreams by Pamela Sargent
Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Postman by David Brin
Ironweed by William Kennedy
Buried Alive: The Biography of Janis Joplin by Myra Friedman
Doctor Who and the Cave Monsters by Malcolm Hulke
Doctor Who: Fury from the Deep by Victor Pemberton
The Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Bury My Heat at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
The Land of Little Rain by Mary Austin
Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake
Dangerous Visions edited by Harlan Ellison
Spider Kiss by Harlan Ellison
The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
The Damnation Game by Clive Barker
Doctor Who: Time and the Rani by Pip & Jane Baker
Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
Slob by Rex Miller
The Hour of the Oxrun Dead by Charles L. Grant

The Ironic Federalist (#3)

from The Federalist No. 8 (written by Hamilton with boldface emphases from me):

[In former times], an invading army would penetrate into the heart of a neighboring country almost as soon as intelligence of its approach could be received; but now a comparatively small force of disciplined troops, acting on the defensive, with the aid of posts, is able to impede, and finally to frustrate, the enterprises of one much more considerable. The history of war . . . is no longer a history of nations subdued and empires overturned, but of towns taken and retaken; of battles that decide nothing; of retreats more beneficial than victories; of much effort and little acquisition.
***************
Safety from external danger is the most powerful director of national conduct. Even the ardent love of liberty will, after a time, give way to its dictates. The violent destruction of life and property incident to war, the continual effort and alarm attendant on a state of continual danger, will compel nations the most attached to liberty to resort for repose and security to institutions which have a tendency to destroy their civil and political rights. To be more safe, they at length become willing to run the risk of being less free.
***************
It is of the nature of war to increase the executive at the expense of the legislative authority.
***************
There is a wide difference, also, between military establishments in a country seldom exposed by its situation to internal invasions, and in one which is often subject to them, and always apprehensive of them. . . [In the latter instance, t]he perpetual menacings of danger oblige the government to be always prepared to repel it; its armies must be numerous enough for instant defense. The continual necessity for their services enhances the importance of the soldier, and proportionably degrades the condition of the citizen. The military state becomes elevated above the civil. The inhabitants of territories, often the theatre of war, are unavoidably subjected to frequent infringements on their rights, which serve to weaken their sense of those rights; and by degrees the people are brought to consider the soldiery not only as their protectors, but as their superiors. The transition from this disposition to that of considering them masters, is neither remote nor difficult; but it is very difficult to prevail upon a people under such impressions, to make a bold or effectual resistance to usurpations supported by the military power.

Tigh Noon

I hear he has a great shooting eye. Har!

More retro-Galactica images here. They all look great; this one "advertising" New Caprica is my next favorite.

Utah Quote of the Week

from a January 31 article in the Salt Lake Tribune regarding approval by the Utah House of Representatives' Health and Human Services Committee to impose a statewide ban on abortion:

Eagle Forum Secretary Marianne Christensen, the only member of the public to speak for the bill, said unborn babies need lawmakers to defend them. She predicted divine retribution if abortions continue.

"We are a nation founded with divine providence. We will continue to prosper if we adhere to principles that will cause those blessings to fall upon our heads. If we degenerate to the point where we kill our own offspring, that's not something God is going to tolerate for long," Christensen warned.

I like the not-so-veiled threat in Christensen's comments. And just how, one wonders, will God express his intolerance of abortion doctors and those inclined to let women do what they want with their bodies? A Level 5 Hurricane? A declaration of martial law by George W? Another season of American Idol? Or will some of Christensen's ideological allies feel justified in taking up arms in order to carry out God's will? Doesn't sound out of the question, does it? And that's the scariest aspect of this quote.

In semi-related news, I may get to see Children of Men tonight before it disappears from the local theatre. But I'm surprised it even showed up here.

Note on Chazzbot: Blogger has updated some of its features, so I might be playing around with fonts and formatting in the next few days. One new feature that I will definitely be taking advantage of soon is the ability to label and index my posts. And so we begin to find order through chaos.