Quote of the Day (2007-07-31)

Mary: Hey, you want to go upstairs and watch SportsCenter?
Ted: No, I think I'm just going to quit while I'm ahead.
Mary: You're not that far ahead, Ted.

Source: There's Something About Mary

Gang Activity in the U.S. Military

I saw an interesting story on the news last night. Because of the problems the military has had in recruiting since the fiasco in Iraq began, recruiting standards have dropped low enough that they will take anyone who can "walk through the door." The major street gangs in the nation's cities are taking advantage of this, sending members into the military for training that they then bring back to the gangs.

The San Fransisco Chronicle reported last year

Law enforcement officials report that the military is now "allowing more applicants with gang tattoos," the Chicago Sun-Times reports, "because they are under the gun to keep enlistment up." They also note that "gang activity maybe rising among soldiers." The paper was provided with "photos of military buildings and equipment in Iraq that were vandalized with graffiti of gangs based in Chicago, Los Angeles and other cities."

Last month, the Sun-Times reported that a gang member facing federal charges of murder and robbery enlisted in the Marine Corps "while he was free on bond -- and was preparing to ship out to boot camp when Marine officials recently discovered he was under indictment." While this recruit was eventually booted from the Corps, a Milwaukee police detective and Army veteran, who serves on the federal drug and gang task force that arrested the would-be Marine, noted that other "gang-bangers are going over to Iraq and sending weapons back ... gang members are getting access to military training and weapons."

Earlier this year, it was reported that an expected transfer of 10,000 to 20,000 troops to Fort Bliss, Texas, caused FBI and local law enforcement to fear a turf war between "members of the FolkNation gang ... (and) a criminal group that is already well-established in the area, Barrio Azteca." The New York Sun wrote that, according to one FBI agent, "FolkNation, which was founded in Chicago and includes several branches using the name Gangster Disciples, has gained a foothold in the Army."

Another type of gang member has also begun to proliferate within the military, evidently thanks to lowered recruitment standards and an increasing tendency of recruiters to look the other way. In July, a study by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks racist and right-wing militia groups, found that because of pressing manpower concerns, "large numbers of neo-Nazis and skinhead extremists" are now serving in the military. "Recruiters are knowingly allowing neo-Nazis and white supremacists to join the armed forces, and commanders don't remove them from the military even after we positively identify them as extremists or gang members," said Scott Barfield, a Defense Department investigator quoted in the report.

The New York Times noted that the neo-Nazi magazine Resistance is actually recruiting for the U.S. military, urging "skinheads to join the Army and insist on being assigned to light infantry units." As the magazine explained, "The coming race war and the ethnic cleansing to follow will be very much an infantryman's war. ... It will be house-to-house ... until your town or city is cleared and the alien races are driven into the countryside where they can be hunted down and 'cleansed.' "

It will take years to clean this mess up, yet another legacy of President Bush. Thanks George.

Quote of the Day (2007-07-30)

Larry Lipton: I can't listen to that much Wagner, ya know? I start to get the urge to conquer Poland.

Source: Manhattan Murder Mystery

Quote of the Day (2007-07-29)

Miracle Max: He probably owes you money huh? I'll ask him.
Inigo Montoya: He's dead. He can't talk.
Miracle Max: Whoo-hoo-hoo, look who knows so much. It just so happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead, well, with all dead there's usually only one thing you can do.
Inigo Montoya: What's that?
Miracle Max: Go through his clothes and look for loose change.

Source: The Princess Bride

Quote of the Day (2007-07-28)

Charles: How do you do, my name is Charles.
Old man: Don't be ridiculous, Charles died 20 years ago!
Charles: Must be a different Charles, I think.
Old man: Are you telling me I don't know my own brother!
Charles: No, no.

Source: Four Weddings And A Funeral

Quote of the Day (2007-07-27)

PILATE
Now ... anyone else feel like a little giggle when I mention my fwend ...
(He goes right up to one of the GUARDS.)
Biggus ... Dickus. He has a wife you know.
(The GUARDS tense up.)
Called Incontinentia.
(The GUARDS relax.)
Incontinentia Buttocks!

Source: Life of Brian

Movie Review: Zodiac

David Fincher, who made his name with the story of a serial killer working his way through the seven deadly sins, now regales us with the true crime story of the Zodiac killer who terrorized San Francisco in the late '60s and early '70s. Well, really it's the story of the men, both police and journalists, who became obsessed with the Zodiac killer and the toll it took on their careers and lives. (And it's easy to get hooked. I visited one of the main clearinghouses of information on the Zodiac this morning and lost track of time, and then had to race to get ready for work.)

In summer 1969, the editors of the San Francisco Chronicle receive an anonymous letter from someone claiming responsibility for three recent murders (one victim survived), along with a cypher the author demands be published. Investigative reporter Paul Avery and cartoonist Robert Graysmith (on whose books the film is based) start looking into the Zodiac. For Avery, this will lead to the downfall of his career, as his obsession leads to alcoholism and paranoia, and he ultimately runs away. For Graysmith, it will obviously lead to fame and fortune through his books and this film, but will cost him a marriage.

The newspaper reports the letter to the police and Inspectors David Toschi and William Armstrong are assigned to the case. Armstrong will eventually burn out on the case. Toschi will get caught up in it to the end, despite it derailing his career when he is accused of writing some of the Zodiac letters himself. After that he tries desperately to put the case behind him, but Graysmith continues hounding him for information and direction.

The Zodiac killer has never been identified. The film posits one possible solution, apparently the favorite of many: Arthur Leigh Allen. No other suspect is even shown in the film. Given that the film is based on Graysmith's book rather than attempting to be an objective view of the case, this is not surprising. Fincher plays fair, though, and points out the flaws in the theory, little things like DNA.

Overall, I have to say I was disappointed. After such seminal works as Se7en and Fight Club, and the lesser but still entertaining Panic Room, this one is rather pedestrian. Fincher assembles a strong cast, and none disappoint with their performances. But the film just plods along with no energy or momentum. Part of the problem is that the story keeps jumping time frames, especially in the first half. And after all is said and done, the movie comes out and says, "We don't know who did it."

And then there are strange developments. For the first cypher, we get a quick scene of intelligence operatives in the Navy working to decode the thing, but then we find that the code is broken by some couple in their pajamas (early bloggers?). And it's not even a complicated code, but Navy intelligence couldn't crack it? Zodiac sent a second cypher that no one has ever solved. Late in the film, Graysmith is shown in a TV interview after he did so. But we never hear what the solution was. Given that in reality it's never been solved, that's not too surprising. But then why put that scene in?

But the weirdest one comes late in the film. Based on some anonymous tips and some investigation, Graysmith is convinced some guy named Rick Marshall is the Zodiac who was a film projectionist. One of the pieces of evidence for Marshall is that his handwriting is the closest match they've had to the Zodiac's handwriting. Graysmith goes to visit the man who owned the theater where Marshall worked. There, the owner identifies the handwriting as his own, and not Marshall's. Graysmith suddenly gets very scared, thinking the owner is the killer, and runs out. Two scenes later he's interviewing the sister of one of the victims and is insistent that Marshall is the Zodiac. At this point, why would he believe that? Doesn't he remember what he learned the night before?

Well acted, but the movie isn't worth the time. Too bad because the subject matter seems quite interesting.

Quote of the Day (2007-07-26)

Wanda: To call you stupid would be an insult to stupid people. I've known sheep who could outwit you. I've worn dresses with higher IQs, but you think you're an intellectual, don't you, ape?
Otto: Apes don't read philosophy.
Wanda: Yes they do, Otto, they just don't understand it.

Source: A Fish Called Wanda

Quote of the Day (2007-07-25)

Jerry: "What else did you two do?"
Elaine: "Oh, you know, girly stuff."
Jerry: "So, uh, flower shows, shopping for pretty bows, then back to her place, strip down to bra and panties for a tickle fight."
Elaine: "That's really what you think girls do, isn't it?"
Jerry: "Yes, I do."

Source: Seinfeld

Quote of the Day (2007-07-24)

Kent Brockman: Scott, things aren't as happy as they used to be down here at the unemployment office. Joblessness is no longer just for Philosophy majors - useful people are starting to feel the pinch.

Source: The Simpsons

Quote of the Day (2007-07-23)

Basil Fawlty: Manuel... my wife informs me that you're... depressed. Let me tell you something. Depression is a very bad thing. It's like a virus. If you don't stamp on it, it spreads throughout the mind, and then one day you wake up in the morning and you... you can't face life any more!
Sybil Fawlty: And then you open a hotel.

Source: Fawlty Towers

Quote of the Day (2007-07-22)

Rose Schwartz: Actors don't like to play coma. They feel it limits their range.

Source: Soapdish

Quote of the Day (2007-07-21)

Homer: Kids, just because I don't care doesn't mean I'm not listening.

Source: The Simpsons

Michael Vick

What are the Falcons to do now that their star quarterback has been indicted for dog fighting? He hasn't been tried and not been convicted, so from that point of view Vick deserves the benefit of the doubt that is given to all Americans: innocent until proven guilty. But if Atlanta allows him to take the field this season, it will be a circus. Vick will be personally distracted and will likely miss practice time during the season as he shuttles to Virginia for hearings and possibly the trial. Press conferences will be all about Vick's legal situation. The team as a whole will be distracted by the media circus and all the Vick questions. And recall that they are a team with a new coach and learning a new system. Road trips will be harder than usual with crowds full of people in dog costumes, taunting Vick in all manner of ways. And it will be a public relations nightmare for the team, more than it already is. It seems obvious putting Vick on the field for the Falcons is just not a good idea at this point.

So, what should they do? Suspension? No. Not only would that probably not work (the union would come down in the team and Vick would probably win), I don't think it's justified. This isn't Pacman Jones or Tank Johnson. Michael Vick has kept himself out of trouble throughout his career, until now, and so deserves some leniency--for now--from both the team and league.

Cut him? That's a tough one. Looking purely at his performance on the field, this is a valid question. He's one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the league, Peyton Manning-like money, but has yet to break 3000 yards passing in a season, and last year was the first time he threw 20 touchdowns. He has not played to the level of his contract and is not worth the money they're paying him. Given that it's unlikely Vick will take a big pay cut in a contract restructuring, cutting their losses might be a good idea for the team. The negative PR angle arising from his arrest just adds to the benefits of doing so.

On the other hand, cutting Vick would constitute a big cap hit this year and next ($6 million this year, $15 million next year). On top of that, for better or worse, Vick is the face of the franchise, a star on a team very much devoid of big names. So cutting him just may not be practical.

What's left? They need to do something that will allow him to get his pay, so the union won't come down on the team, but keeps him off the field and away from the team facilities. What is clear is that the Falcons need to move forward in training camp in the season with someone else at quarterback.

Quote of the Day (2007-07-20)

"I don't like the opera. What are they singing for? Who sings? You got something to say, say it."

Source: Seinfeld

Quote of the Day (2007-07-19)

George: "I was free and clear. I was living the dream. I was stripped to the waist eating a block of cheese the size of a car battery."
Jerry: "Before we go any further, I'd just like to point out how disturbing it is that you equate eating a block of cheese with some sort of bachelor paradise."

Source: Seinfeld

Quote of the Day (2007-07-18)

[Bart has had his ear pierced]
Lisa: An earring, how rebellious. In a conformist sort of way.

Source: The Simpsons

Quote of the Day (2007-07-17)

Sybil Fawlty: Are you still here Basil?
Basil Fawlty: No, I went a few minutes ago dear, but I expect I'll be back shortly.

Source: Fawlty Towers

Quote of the Day (2007-07-16)

[Bart is faking illness to get out of a test he hasn't prepared for]
Bart: Ohhhh, my ovaries.

Source: The Simpsons

Quote of the Day (2007-07-15)

Homer: "To start, press any key." Where's the "Any" key?

Source: The Simpsons

Quote of the Day (2007-07-14)

Inigo Montoya: Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.
Count Rugen: Stop saying that!

Source: The Princess Bride

Quote of the Day (2007-07-13)

Niles: I'll have a decaf latte, and please be sure to use skim milk.
Frasier: I'll have the same.
Eric: Got it.
[to barista]
Eric: Two Gutless Wonders!

Source: Frasier

Quote of the Day (2007-07-12)

[Marge is working at a real estate firm]
Lionel Hutz: I've been getting a lot of calls about you, Marge. People just love your no-pressure approach.
Marge: Well, you know what we say: the right house for the right person.
Lionel Hutz: I'm going to let you in on a little secret. The right house is the house that's for sale. And the right person is anyone.

Source: The Simpsons

Quote of the Day (2007-07-11)

Marge: Bart, would you like to say grace?
Bart: Yesum!
[Bart says grace in Latin]
Homer: What the hell was that?
Lisa: Bart's speaking Latin, the language of Plutarc.
Homer: [Homer looks blankly] Micky Mouse's dog?

Source: The Simpsons

Quote of the Day (2007-07-10)

Marge: [to Bart] Now we have to find another school for you.
Homer: And if you get kicked out of that one, you're going straight in the army, where you'll be sent straight to America's latest military quagmire. Where will it be? North Korea? Iran? Anything's possible with Commander Cuckoo-Bananas in charge.

Source: The Simpsons

Quote of the Day (2007-07-09)

Jim Hacker: "The trouble with Brussels is not internationalism, it is too much bureaucracy."
Sir Humphrey: "But the bureaucracy is a consequence of the internationalism. Why else would there be an English Commissioner with a French Director-General immediately below him, and an Italian Chef-du-Division reporting to the Frenchman and so on down the line."
Jim Hacker: "Oh, I agree."
Sir Humphrey: "It is like the Tower of Babel."
Jim Hacker: "I agree."
Sir Humphrey: "No, it's even worse, it is like the United Nations."
Jim Hacker: "I agree."
Bernard Woolley: "Then perhaps, if I may interject, you are in fact in agreement."
Jim Hacker & Sir Humphrey: "No we're not!"

Source: Yes, Minister

Quote of the Day (2007-07-08)

Listen -- strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.

Source: Holy Grail

Quote of the Day (2007-07-07)

Sir Humphrey: "It must be hard for a political adviser to understand this, but I'm merely a civil servant. I simply do as I am instructed by my master."
Jim Hacker: "What happens when a Minister is a woman, what'll you call her?"
Sir Humphrey: "Yes, that is rather interesting. We sought an answer to that point when I was Principal Private Secretary and Dr. Edith Summerskill - as she then was - was appointed Minister in 1947. I didn't quite like to refer to her as my mistress."
Jim Hacker: "What was the answer?"
Sir Humphrey: "Oh, we're still waiting for it."

Source: Yes, Minister

Movie Review: Rocky Balboa

Like everyone else, when I heard that Sylvester Stallone was making a new Rocky movie, I couldn't help but laugh and feel bad for an aging action star long since left behind by the movie industry. When it came out, I was quite surprised to read many reviews saying it was pretty good. I finally decided to watch it last night ($0.99 on Amazon Unbox, how could I lose?). I watched it partially because a local TV station pretty recently showed the first three films, and immediately after I watched the fourth, so I'm in the mood for the Rock. And you know what? It really was good.

Balboa reminds viewers what the original Rocky was all about. It wasn't about some muscle bound boxer who could pound super-human Soviet fighters into submission with a super-burst of testosterone. It was a personal story of self-respect and not allowing one's circumstances, no matter how poor, dictate who you are. The final film in the series gets back to that. It's not about boxing. In fact, boxing doesn't even show up in the film for the first hour. It's about Rocky the man, who finds himself back where he started and again struggling for that sense of respect and meaning.

In the first film, Rocky was little more than a street thug with a good heart living poor in Philadelphia who was given a chance, as part of a publicity gimmick, to fight the heavyweight champion. To Rocky, it was an opportunity to prove to himself and others that he was more than just a bum, that he was somebody. And he did.

In the last film, Rocky is again back in the old neighborhood. His beloved wife, Adrian, is dead and Rocky is left to carry on with his restaurant, entertaining customers with stories of the old days. He's living in the past. The film begins on the anniversary of Adrian's death and shows Rocky and Paulie going to various sites around the neighborhood that meant something in his relationship with Adrian. The old apartment. The ice rink. The pet shop. He's become a shell of himself, eking out a living, surrounded by images and memories of what he had been. In Rocky IV, Apollo warned Rocky about what would happen when it was all over. Here, we see it.

Despite the sadness and emptiness of his life now, he still has a good heart. He allows Spider Rico, a fighter from the clubs where Rocky got his start and the one Rocky fought at the beginning of the first film, to eat for free in his restaurant as Spider is now a broken-down old man without much money. He bumps into Marie, a kid in the first movie, who's now a single mother in the neighborhood and who has been made to feel worthless, and gives her and her son jobs in the restaurant. And, of course, he still helps Paulie as much as he can.

Finally, Rocky is approached for one last fight, against the champion. Feeling a bit of the old fire in his belly, he agrees, setting the stage for the final bout. This is, of course, where everyone thought things would just get absurd. But they don't. Rocky is a fighter with a broken down body who can't train like he used to because his body just can't handle it.

One of the interesting things is how Rocky's opponent, Mason Dixon, is portrayed. He's not Rocky's enemy or rival, like the opponent in all the films before this one. He's a champion who has never really been tested. There's no one in the boxing world who can truly challenge him, and he knows it. He's an Ali in a world of Tommy Morrisons. He's frustrated by it. He doesn't seem to really enjoy his money and fame because he knows he hasn't really proven anything. (There are two scenes at Dixon's home. In both, we see his entourage and hangers-on in his house watching TV and enjoying his wealth while Dixon is out by himself, watching a reply of a bout in one scene and playing basketball in the other. Not a vision of a man enjoying his success.) So, like Rocky, he has something to prove, to himself if not to the fans. While he goes into the fight with Balboa as a stunt, in that fight he finds himself. Even Rocky commends Dixon after the fight for being a great champion, and having a lot of heart.

There are a lot of parallels between the first and last film. In both Rocky fights the champion as a stunt only to shock everyone and go the distance. In both, Rocky loses, in split decisions. But there's an important difference, one that really does bring the saga to an end. In the first film, Rocky decides he cannot beat Creed, so he lowers his goals a bit to going to the distance against a champion who has never had to. He fulfills that goal, but in doing so shows that he could actually beat Creed. At the end of that fight, Creed is just about out on his feet and is truly saved by the bell. (This makes Rocky's "victory" a bit hollow looking back on it, and sets the stage for II where he must now prove he can carry through on the loftier goal of winning.) At the end of this fight, Dixon and Balboa are furiously exchanging blows, neither beaten. So while Rocky has again gone the distance, there's not a danger that he's again a contender. And Stallone is careful to hinder Dixon a bit (he's not in top shape, he breaks his hand during the fight) so that Balboa is hanging in there against a champion fighting at only partial capacity.

Stallone is not known as a great actor. But he's done his best work in the Rocky series. I always thought III was the best acted of the series, but Balboa takes the crown. He delivers a superb speech to his son that epitomizes everything Rocky is about. And there's a nice scene between Rocky and Marie, who encourages him to not worry about what other people think about the fight, but all that matters is what he thinks. (A statement to all of us who mocked the idea of making the movie? If nothing else, I think it shows how much a labor of love the movie was for Stallone.)

And I have to give props to Stallone as a director, as well. The movie has a great look and feel. Lots of night photography and interesting lighting. Two images at the end of the film stand out to me. The movie ends at Adrian's grave. Rocky leaves some flowers and walks away. The camera stays focused on the flowers and Balboa goes out of focus, but stays in just enough to show him waving good-bye and then fading out. Beautiful ending. And then, after the credits roll (with video of lots of ordinary people running up the museum steps, imitating Rocky), there's a short, quiet shot of Rocky standing standing quietly at the top of the steps, at night, looking out over the city, and then fading to black.

All in all, a very well done film that brings Rocky full circle and provides a touching closure to an enduring character and redeems a series that had long ago fallen away from its original vision.

Quote of the Day (2007-07-06)

Zathras: Zathras not of this time. You take, Zathras die. You leave, Zathras die. Either way, it is bad for Zathras.

Source: Babylon 5

Quote of the Day (2007-07-05)

Jay Sherman: Welcome to "Coming Attractions". I'm your host, Jay Sherman. Thank you. Tonight, we review an aging Charles Bronson in "Death Wish 9."
[Charles Bronson is in a hospital bed]
Charles Bronson: I wish I was dead. Oy!
Jay Sherman: But first, we have a special guest: Rainer Wolfcastle, star of the reprehensible McBain movies.
Rainer Wolfcastle: Jay, my new film is a mixture of action und comedy. It's called "McBain: Let's Get Silly."
[Cut to clip from movie showing McBain with a microphone in front of a brick wall]
Rainer Wolfcastle as McBain: Did you ever notice how men always leave the toilet seat up?
[pause]
Rainer Wolfcastle as McBain: That's the joke.
Man in audience: You suck, McBain!
[McBain pulls a machine gun and fires into the audience]
Rainer Wolfcastle as McBain: Now, my Woody Allen impression: I'm a neurotic nerd who likes to sleep with little girls.
Man in audience: Hey, that really sucked!
[McBain pulls the pin on a grenade and tosses it at him]
Man in audience: [Cut back to Rainer and Jay]
Rainer Wolfcastle: The film is just me in front of a brick wall for an hour and a half. It cost $80 million.
Jay Sherman: [contemptuous] How do you sleep at night?
Rainer Wolfcastle: On top of a pile of money with many beautiful ladies.
Jay Sherman: Just asking. Yeesh!

Source: The Simpsons

Quote of the Day (2007-07-04)

Kent Brockman: Springfield has come down with a fever: football fever. If you have the fever, there's only one cure. Take 2 tickets, and see the game Sunday morning.
Public Service Announcer: Warning. Tickets should NOT be taken internally.
Homer: See? Because of me, now they have a warning.

Source: The Simpsons

Quote of the Day (2007-07-03)

[Frasier's rocker neighbor's music is shaking his apartment]
Frasier: Doesn't he take a break for sex and drugs?

Source: Frasier

Quote of the Day (2007-07-02)

Lisa: My family never talks about library standards. And every time I try to steer the conversation that way, they make me feel like a nerd.
Comic Book Guy: We are hardly nerds. Would a nerd wear such an irreverent sweatshirt?
[open his jacket to show off his shirt]
Lisa: [reading the shirt] "C:/DOS C:/DOS/RUN RUN/DOS/RUN".
[laughs]
Lisa: Oh, only one person in a million would find that funny.
Professor Frink: Yes, we call that the "Dennis Miller Ratio."

Source: The Simpsons

Quote of the Day (2007-07-01)

FATHER: One day, lad, all this will be yours!
HERBERT: What, the curtains?

Source: Holy Grail