Friday, January 20, 2006
Song of the day:
I know a girl
She puts the color inside of my world
But she's just like a maze
Where all of the walls all continually change
And I've done all I can
To stand on the steps with my heart in my hand
And I started to see
Maybe it's got nothing to do with me
Fathers be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers be good to your daughters, too
-John Mayer "Daughters"
-Picture by Lydia VanRoy-Amundson
History on Jan 20th when I first started this update:
In 1801, John Marshall was appointed chief justice of the United States.
In 1841, the island of Hong Kong was ceded to Great Britain. (It returned to Chinese control in July 1997.) (Whereupon it was promptly destroyed by Godzilla.
In 1887, the U.S. Senate approved an agreement to lease Pearl Harbor in Hawaii as a naval base.
In 1896, comedian George Burns was born Nathan Birnbaum in New York City.
In 1936, Britain's King George V died; he was succeeded by Edward VIII.
In 1942, Nazi officials held the notorious Wannsee conference, during which they arrived at their "final solution" that called for exterminating Jews.
In 1945, President Roosevelt was sworn into office for an unprecedented fourth term.
In 1954, "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial," a play by Herman Wouk based on part of his novel "The Caine Mutiny," opened on Broadway.
In 1986, the United States observed the first federal holiday in honor of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
In 1986, Britain and France announced plans to build the Channel Tunnel.
Jan 20th's Birthdays:
Country singer Slim Whitman is 82.
It's also possible he's Zorro.
Actress Patricia Neal is 80.
Comedian Arte Johnson is 77.
Verrry interesting, but stupid.
Former astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin is 76.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!
Rock musician Paul Stanley (KISS) is 54.
Murderers and the like are re-incarnated when they die as the hair traps in his shower.
Political blowhard, pissant, and general annoyance Bill Maher (MAR) is 50.
Actor Lorenzo Lamas is 48.
There wasn't a picture of him on the internet. I swear.
Actress Stacey Dash is 39.
I know, I was thinking the same thing... she's Ms. Dash, only spicier!
Actor Skeet Ulrich is 36.
For those that don't know, he's like Johnny Depp, only without the career.
Word of the day:
panacea \pan-uh-SEE-uh\, noun:
A remedy for all diseases, problems, or evils; a universal medicine; a cure-all.
Ok, REALLY...TODAY in history:
In 1783, Spain recognized U.S. independence. It looked like...
Touriya.
In 1809, the territory of Illinois was created. Well, not really created. It was already there. More like a group of people decided how a plot of land should be divided.
In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the Constitution, providing for a federal income tax, was ratified. Stupid 16th amendment, anyway.
In 1916, Canada's original Parliament Buildings, in Ottawa, burned down. Let the mutha burn! Burn, baby burn!
In 1917, the United States broke off diplomatic relations with Germany, which had announced a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. Psssh. What's the worst that could happen?
In 1924, the 28th president of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, died in Washington at age 67.
In 1930, the chief justice of the United States, William Howard Taft, resigned for health reasons.
In 1943, during World War II, the U.S. transport ship Dorchester, which was carrying troops to Greenland, sank after being hit by a torpedo. (Four Army chaplains gave their life belts to four other men, and went down with the ship.)
In 1994, the space shuttle Discovery lifted off, carrying Sergei Krikalev, the first Russian cosmonaut to fly aboard a U.S. spacecraft.
In 1995, the space shuttle Discovery blasted off with a woman, Air Force Lt. Colonel Eileen Collins, in the pilot's seat for the first time in NASA history.
Review of A & E's "Flight 93":
I really had every intention to go to sleep last night. Or to clean the bathroom. But Flight 93 was on A and E last night…
It was good TV, but beyond that there seemed to be a moral obligation to watch the thing once you started. If you missed it, it was ok. But if you caught any part of it, you were obligated to follow it to its inevitable end, to bear witness to what they had to go through.
The show itself, because of the nature of the content, comes perilously close to being above criticism. You cannot criticize it, because this is a re-enactment of a real and horrifying event, and the rules of decorum in reviewing a show such as this are not he same for something that is fictionally based, or some of the other so-called reality shows like American Idol. While not everything in a re-enactment can be accepted as scripture, there is something sacred about watching the final moments of some very brave people. It’s just very un-cool to assail the words and actions of those being portrayed. The portrayers, however, are another story.
More on that in a moment, though. First, the question of why I was watching it in the first place. It wouldn’t be an accurate description to say that it was “fun to watch”. It wasn’t. It also wasn’t the “can’t watch the car wreck, but can’t look away” cliché either. It was gripping, however, in much the same way Schindler’s List is. It’s a representation of the account of a group of people who faced their eminent death, and all of the aspects that come with it. As a viewer, you’re transfixed by what you see. If you are anything like me, there is an ever-present concern that your interest in such shows will be misinterpreted as some masochistic glee at seeing others suffer. I watch these shows because it makes those moments in history all the more real for me, and makes them easier to connect to. It adds the human element to it, instead of having a statistical breakdown of the number of deaths, or pounds of fuel, or whatever it may be. Seeing the implications and connections to others, like a mother and daughter talking on the phone for the very last time, or watching a child ripped from the arms of a father as the Nazis carry out the liquidation of the ghetto. These aren’t scenes I like to see, but it allows me to feel them for myself, so that I better understand what they went through. However, from an outside view, those feelings may not be shared by others, and so I keep them to myself. In a sense, you become almost embarrassed for liking these tales of grief and despair. Which is not, repeat, NOT saying that watching Jewish families from Poland suffer is my guilty pleasure. Or from any other nation, for that matter.
Flight 93 does an exceptional job of capturing those true emotions laid bare for the viewer to see. I happened across only the last half of the show as I prepared for bed, and quite honestly, should have been in the process of cleaning the bathroom. Once I came across it however, I was transfixed. It was 11pm, but there wasn’t a chance I was going to sleep until the show ended. It was one of those events in history that you look back at, and wonder what you would have done if put in the same situation. I’m not sure that I could have been as brave as they had been. The people on that plane are praised for being heroes, which they are, there is no doubt of that. But I think that some people get the idea that they sacrificed themselves in fighting back to save those in the buildings they might have hit. That’s wrong. They fought to get home to their own lives. To get back to those on the other end of the phones, who could only sit and strain to listen to every crackled word on the cell phones they heard. They fought to live on. They weren’t able to accomplish that. But the fact that they tried –that they fought back the fear and panic and horror they had to feel to repel and ruin the plans of some horrible monsters to humanity- prevents anyone from saying they failed. To think of what it would have meant, to be able to take back the plane, and do away with their tormentors…to simply get to the point where the passengers would have had control of the cockpit, and to have a chance (just even a chance) to land it on their own! You can’t help after watching it to think about what it would have been like for them to be able to re-unite after everything that had happened.
The show had only a few points that fell out of harmony with the rest of the show. And it should be reminded again, that this nitpicks are leveled at the production of the re-enactment, and not at the moments themselves. There was a moment where Todd Beamer is talking to an operator, and reciting The Lord’s Prayer. The moment actually happened, and fit with the context of the show, but the portrayal of the actress playing the operator seemed forced and wooden. The other small complaint revolved around the director, and his insistence that nearly every character that wasn’t on the plane should be holding a baby, or looking out onto a lawn full of children. It’s not lost upon me that there were a multitude of children that were affected by this. As a father myself, I blubbered when Thomas Burnett eschewed talking to his 3 daughters one last time, not wanting to upset them further, or possibly risk losing his resolve to do what needed to be done. It became an issue, however, when every person involved on the ground was holding a child or infant, as if it were a mandatory prop. There again, it felt forced and unnatural. It was a minor twinge that for a brief moment made it feel more like propaganda instead of the memorial it is. And had it not been noticed by me, I am sure that you’d agree that it’s a fitting memorial at that.
Random Picture of Grace Park:
“Gun” review:
You need a horse.
No, correction.
You NEED a horse. All this running around on your feet crap is for the poor bastards who don’t have a Winchester. Oh sure, popular opinion of you in town might drop…but the hick in front of you has the only horse in sight, and you’ll be damned if you’re gonna spend the next few minutes dodging bullets when you could be galloping away. Or running them down on the beast yourself. So you do what you have to. You skin your bullet-wagon and make it a mercy killing, sending a metal angel through the owners brain bucket, just behind the ear. It’s a bit of a surprise to see his head explode like a piñata with a stick of dynamite inside, but you recover quickly enough when a bullet cracks the dusk and rock at your feet. You quickly mount the horse (NO, NOT THAT!), and get a quick feel for your bearings. There’s 5 hoodlums coming at different directions. You could beat the trail to Empire City and hole up for a spell, and come back later to wreak havoc on Dodge. Or you could stand and deliver the lungers to the sweet here-after.
It’d be smarter to make a break for it. But you’ve never been the type to run away. So you quickdraw your pistols and time suddenly slows down. Their movement compared to yours is so slow, it’s almost comical. They never stood a chance. Your concentration narrows as you plug the first man 2 times in the gut, and move to the next target. He’s blazing away at you, but his shot is wide. Yours are dead on, and you run a bullet through his throat. Any other time, you’d call it a lucky shot, but there are more targets yet. The third guy is caught re-loading and a shot in the chest and leg puts him down. The 4th man grazes your shoulder, but it doesn’t keep you from getting off 3 shots to end his misery. The 5th guy feints to gallop away on his own ride, but a well placed shot in his back has him slumped over. Out of nowhere, a hail of bullets rains down on your steed from above. A quick glance reveals a whore with a rifle of her own, atop the balcony of the Amstead Saloon. Your horse falls over, leaving you on your feet again, but you’re able to take your time, because she’s got terrible aim (which is surprising considering her reputation for working with her hands). You take your time, line up your shot, and take pleasure in giving her something she’s never had before…
But dammit! Now you’re without a horse again. No, wait! The dead guy who tried to ride away. You amble over to the now rider-less painted pony, and climb aboard. Now, with a fresh horse, and no one in town to get in your way. Still, there isn’t anything in town for you anymore. May as well head over to Empire City, and see if there’s any bounty work. Maybe stop by the Rancher, and see if he needs a hand along the way.
Gun allows you to get in touch with your inner-Clint Eastwood. Only just last night, I got “A Fistful of Dollars” from Netflix, and no sooner had the first shootout occurred (“My mule don’t like it you laughing. He gets the crazy idea you’re laughing at him.”), then I felt a compelling urge to set the movie next to my video game console and watch the movie while going through my own shoot-outs.
There is a larger mission to accomplish, but in the meantime, you have plenty of lee-way to go where you want when you want. Wanna take a side job for the Pony Express? Why not! Feel like talking things over with an Indian trader? Just head on up to the lake shore, and get some medicinal herbs. Go mining for gold? Friend, there a bunch of offbeat places to do it. Got a craving that your horse can’t scratch? Sorry. There are “Billiard rooms”, but no one is ever in them, and you can’t spend your hard earned bounty cash on the ladies of the upstairs. And as with all a-moral games in which you play a character who is a bit of an anti-hero, there is a testing out phase of what you can shoot and what you can’t. Or who, for that matter.
It took some time to get to Dodge, but immediately upon my arrival, I used some of the common citizens for practice. At first, it was innocent warning shots, just to get the hang of the capabilities of my character. But as my own ability grew, so did the darker side of my desires. I found that I could sneak up behind people, and grab them, holding a knife to their throat. I wouldn’t execute them however…I just pretended to be a badass, and a bully. I suspect it’s because I wasn’t held enough as a child. (Which would also explain why I hold myself so often.)
(It’s a special type of hug, just for me.)
It was inevitable, though. After a time, I simply couldn’t resist the temptation to squeeze off a round into an innocent bystander. Channeling my inner Johnny Cash, I shot a man in Reno (Actually Empire).
Just to watch him die.
Now at this point, I’m sure many of you are wondering to yourselves the following:
“Clint Eastwood?! Johnny Cash?! Just how many men do you have inside you?”
You’ll simply have to wait until it reaches the video shelves to find out. (Look for “BuckBack Mounting 2: The Turning Out of Young Eddie Colbort” at your favorite adult novelty stores next week!)
It’s a small part, but it’s a start.
…
Maybe the phrase “It’s a small part” wasn’t the best choice of words there.
Gun is one of the better non-Star Wars, non-Madden games I’ve played in a long time. If I ever find a way to play the cool whistling theme from “The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly” while playing, I’ll never leave my room.
Postscript note…When watching a spaghetti western, which is the better food to accompany it…burritos/tacos or spaghetti?
Super Bowl XL preview/prediction:
My Michigan readers, I am sure, are tired of hearing about the Super Bowl. Some might even prefer we skip straight to spring training, and the upcoming Red Sox season. Because Lord knows no one looks forward to watching the Tigers play.
There really isn’t anything further that I can add that hasn’t already been written about this game. But rather than cut and paste what others have said, I’ll post my thoughts anyway.
All year, Seattle has run the football behind a great run blocking offensive line, and Shawn Alexander followed behind. There isn’t much reason for them to do much different in this game. They’ll do what they can against a very tough defense. I think Pittsburgh has the players to stop the run, but it will be a heavy toll on their bodies, and possibly wear them out towards the end of the game. It will be important to stop the run and force the Seahawks to pass. Pitt isn’t as good on defense in coverage, but they make up for it by getting to the quarterback better than most. But to get to the QB, they’ll have to go through that same tough offensive line. For Pittsburgh to win, they’re gonna need their offense to have long sustained drives to give the defense a chance to rest on the sideline. Pittsburgh will bring 8 guys into the box, and try to stop the run. Seattle, I think, may come out throwing, trying to take advantage of the 1 on 1 match-ups on the outside. The Steelers Troy Polamalu has the agility to play the role of the 8th defender in the box and still get back for deep coverage, so the Steelers won’t lose much if Seattle goes to pass. And I haven’t seen many successful screens against this team while he was on the field. The Seahawks WR’s aren’t great; merely solid. If they’re able to take Alexander out of the game, and force Seattle to pass, they’ll have taken a huge step to winning the game.
On offense, Pittsburgh is much better at passing the ball than people give them credit for. Quite honestly, they could easily shed any notions that the Steelers are a run-first team without any problem at all. But because the running game fits their aura so well, and because they are so good at what they do, Pittsburgh will try to strike at the Seahawks with the more agile Willie Parker as much as they can, and then sprinkle in carries for Jerome Bettis as they can. The offensive line for the Steelers isn’t as good as Seattle, but they’re in the top 5 of the league, especially the center and guard combinations. When it comes time to pass, they won’t have any hesitation to hit the secondary receivers, like the TE, or 3rd or 4th WR. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that if they get in a goal-line situation, they’ll play action to Bettis, and hit a rolling out TE, like Heath Miller. The defense will be thinking about the Steelers trying to get Bettis a TD, so they’ll be aggressive to stop him from getting in. A fake to Bettis could leave the TE open in the back corner of the end zone. Antwaan Randle-El could also have a significant role in this game. With he and Hines Ward both having QB experience, I hope we’re lucky enough to see some gadget plays executed.
Of course, that is only if and when the Steelers get into a goal-line situation. Seattle has a defense that had the most sacks of any team in the league, so they’re no slouch, despite not having any all-star like players of notoriety. Just good solid players without much weakness across the board.
I think, given the strength of the Seattle running game, that they actually may have an edge in this match-up. Despite that, I am going to join in with the Steeler following. This is for many reasons. One of which is that I don’t want to be on a coast surrounded with a bunch of Seahawk fans who believe that their team is the best, carrying on like fools. Other reasons range from the former allegiances of my step-father to a simple hope to see Bill Cowher win a Super Bowl, rewarding the faith that the owners of that football team with the loyalty they showed their coach. The Steelers have had only 2 coaches since 1969,and in an era where most teams swap coaches every 3-5 years…it says a lot about staying the course and having faith and common sense.
There are a couple of other reasons as well. One poignant, and the other not as much.
The last time the Steelers were in a Super Bowl was Super Bowl XXX. Cowboys-Steelers. Big game. (Well, of course it was. It was the Super Bowl. ) I don’t have many memories of the game, beyond the fact that the Steelers had a chance to win it a few different times, if only Neil O’Donnell hadn’t thrown some horribly bad passes that were picked off. Most of my memories were of the day, and of going to a local bakery to get a cake decorated, and presenting the cake to my fiancée, embedded within the frosting on the top, an engagement ring she and I had both picked out. I can’t remember why I had chosen to do it on Super Bowl Sunday, but I can think of what my feelings were at the time. I was much more wrapped up in football then, and it was a way of getting her involved in that passion of mine. Combining my love for her and for the Super Bowl seems embarrassingly silly now; she deserved a whole separate occasion to herself. But at the time, no idea seemed more right. The only thing that didn’t go right that day was that the wrong team won. Ten years later, it’d be nice to see that corrected.
And if you need further reason (and this is for those MI readers again) the Steelers have more Michigan and Michigan State players on their roster, and NO Ohio State players. Seattle? They’ve got a few Michigan players as well, but they’re harboring a buckeye. You know what that means.
Steelers win.
Beyond that, I’m just hoping for a good close game that’s entertaining, with few punts, and great commercials that make you laugh the laugh of 30 tickled babies. But not 31, because that would be excessive. There have been good commercial years (Bud Bowl, when they actually animated the bottles; Terry Tate Office Linebacker; etc) and really bad years (Pepsi clear, with Van Halen’s Right Now. I still hate that damned song from over-exposure). Let this be a good year. We need the laughs.
I know a girlShe puts the color inside of my world
But she's just like a maze
Where all of the walls all continually change
And I've done all I can
To stand on the steps with my heart in my hand
And I started to see
Maybe it's got nothing to do with me
Fathers be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers be good to your daughters, too
-John Mayer "Daughters"
-Picture by Lydia VanRoy-Amundson
History on Jan 20th when I first started this update:
In 1801, John Marshall was appointed chief justice of the United States.
In 1841, the island of Hong Kong was ceded to Great Britain. (It returned to Chinese control in July 1997.) (Whereupon it was promptly destroyed by Godzilla.
In 1887, the U.S. Senate approved an agreement to lease Pearl Harbor in Hawaii as a naval base.
In 1896, comedian George Burns was born Nathan Birnbaum in New York City.
In 1936, Britain's King George V died; he was succeeded by Edward VIII.
In 1942, Nazi officials held the notorious Wannsee conference, during which they arrived at their "final solution" that called for exterminating Jews.
In 1945, President Roosevelt was sworn into office for an unprecedented fourth term.
In 1954, "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial," a play by Herman Wouk based on part of his novel "The Caine Mutiny," opened on Broadway.
In 1986, the United States observed the first federal holiday in honor of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
In 1986, Britain and France announced plans to build the Channel Tunnel.
Jan 20th's Birthdays:
Country singer Slim Whitman is 82.
It's also possible he's Zorro.
Actress Patricia Neal is 80.
Comedian Arte Johnson is 77.
Verrry interesting, but stupid.
Former astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin is 76.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!
Rock musician Paul Stanley (KISS) is 54.
Murderers and the like are re-incarnated when they die as the hair traps in his shower.
Political blowhard, pissant, and general annoyance Bill Maher (MAR) is 50.
Actor Lorenzo Lamas is 48.
There wasn't a picture of him on the internet. I swear.
Actress Stacey Dash is 39.
I know, I was thinking the same thing... she's Ms. Dash, only spicier!
Actor Skeet Ulrich is 36.
For those that don't know, he's like Johnny Depp, only without the career.
Word of the day:
panacea \pan-uh-SEE-uh\, noun:
A remedy for all diseases, problems, or evils; a universal medicine; a cure-all.
Ok, REALLY...TODAY in history:
In 1783, Spain recognized U.S. independence. It looked like...
Touriya.
In 1809, the territory of Illinois was created. Well, not really created. It was already there. More like a group of people decided how a plot of land should be divided.
In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the Constitution, providing for a federal income tax, was ratified. Stupid 16th amendment, anyway.
In 1916, Canada's original Parliament Buildings, in Ottawa, burned down. Let the mutha burn! Burn, baby burn!
In 1917, the United States broke off diplomatic relations with Germany, which had announced a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. Psssh. What's the worst that could happen?
In 1924, the 28th president of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, died in Washington at age 67.
In 1930, the chief justice of the United States, William Howard Taft, resigned for health reasons.
In 1943, during World War II, the U.S. transport ship Dorchester, which was carrying troops to Greenland, sank after being hit by a torpedo. (Four Army chaplains gave their life belts to four other men, and went down with the ship.)
In 1994, the space shuttle Discovery lifted off, carrying Sergei Krikalev, the first Russian cosmonaut to fly aboard a U.S. spacecraft.
In 1995, the space shuttle Discovery blasted off with a woman, Air Force Lt. Colonel Eileen Collins, in the pilot's seat for the first time in NASA history.
Review of A & E's "Flight 93":
I really had every intention to go to sleep last night. Or to clean the bathroom. But Flight 93 was on A and E last night…
It was good TV, but beyond that there seemed to be a moral obligation to watch the thing once you started. If you missed it, it was ok. But if you caught any part of it, you were obligated to follow it to its inevitable end, to bear witness to what they had to go through.
The show itself, because of the nature of the content, comes perilously close to being above criticism. You cannot criticize it, because this is a re-enactment of a real and horrifying event, and the rules of decorum in reviewing a show such as this are not he same for something that is fictionally based, or some of the other so-called reality shows like American Idol. While not everything in a re-enactment can be accepted as scripture, there is something sacred about watching the final moments of some very brave people. It’s just very un-cool to assail the words and actions of those being portrayed. The portrayers, however, are another story.
More on that in a moment, though. First, the question of why I was watching it in the first place. It wouldn’t be an accurate description to say that it was “fun to watch”. It wasn’t. It also wasn’t the “can’t watch the car wreck, but can’t look away” cliché either. It was gripping, however, in much the same way Schindler’s List is. It’s a representation of the account of a group of people who faced their eminent death, and all of the aspects that come with it. As a viewer, you’re transfixed by what you see. If you are anything like me, there is an ever-present concern that your interest in such shows will be misinterpreted as some masochistic glee at seeing others suffer. I watch these shows because it makes those moments in history all the more real for me, and makes them easier to connect to. It adds the human element to it, instead of having a statistical breakdown of the number of deaths, or pounds of fuel, or whatever it may be. Seeing the implications and connections to others, like a mother and daughter talking on the phone for the very last time, or watching a child ripped from the arms of a father as the Nazis carry out the liquidation of the ghetto. These aren’t scenes I like to see, but it allows me to feel them for myself, so that I better understand what they went through. However, from an outside view, those feelings may not be shared by others, and so I keep them to myself. In a sense, you become almost embarrassed for liking these tales of grief and despair. Which is not, repeat, NOT saying that watching Jewish families from Poland suffer is my guilty pleasure. Or from any other nation, for that matter.
Flight 93 does an exceptional job of capturing those true emotions laid bare for the viewer to see. I happened across only the last half of the show as I prepared for bed, and quite honestly, should have been in the process of cleaning the bathroom. Once I came across it however, I was transfixed. It was 11pm, but there wasn’t a chance I was going to sleep until the show ended. It was one of those events in history that you look back at, and wonder what you would have done if put in the same situation. I’m not sure that I could have been as brave as they had been. The people on that plane are praised for being heroes, which they are, there is no doubt of that. But I think that some people get the idea that they sacrificed themselves in fighting back to save those in the buildings they might have hit. That’s wrong. They fought to get home to their own lives. To get back to those on the other end of the phones, who could only sit and strain to listen to every crackled word on the cell phones they heard. They fought to live on. They weren’t able to accomplish that. But the fact that they tried –that they fought back the fear and panic and horror they had to feel to repel and ruin the plans of some horrible monsters to humanity- prevents anyone from saying they failed. To think of what it would have meant, to be able to take back the plane, and do away with their tormentors…to simply get to the point where the passengers would have had control of the cockpit, and to have a chance (just even a chance) to land it on their own! You can’t help after watching it to think about what it would have been like for them to be able to re-unite after everything that had happened.
The show had only a few points that fell out of harmony with the rest of the show. And it should be reminded again, that this nitpicks are leveled at the production of the re-enactment, and not at the moments themselves. There was a moment where Todd Beamer is talking to an operator, and reciting The Lord’s Prayer. The moment actually happened, and fit with the context of the show, but the portrayal of the actress playing the operator seemed forced and wooden. The other small complaint revolved around the director, and his insistence that nearly every character that wasn’t on the plane should be holding a baby, or looking out onto a lawn full of children. It’s not lost upon me that there were a multitude of children that were affected by this. As a father myself, I blubbered when Thomas Burnett eschewed talking to his 3 daughters one last time, not wanting to upset them further, or possibly risk losing his resolve to do what needed to be done. It became an issue, however, when every person involved on the ground was holding a child or infant, as if it were a mandatory prop. There again, it felt forced and unnatural. It was a minor twinge that for a brief moment made it feel more like propaganda instead of the memorial it is. And had it not been noticed by me, I am sure that you’d agree that it’s a fitting memorial at that.
Random Picture of Grace Park:
“Gun” review:
You need a horse.
No, correction.
You NEED a horse. All this running around on your feet crap is for the poor bastards who don’t have a Winchester. Oh sure, popular opinion of you in town might drop…but the hick in front of you has the only horse in sight, and you’ll be damned if you’re gonna spend the next few minutes dodging bullets when you could be galloping away. Or running them down on the beast yourself. So you do what you have to. You skin your bullet-wagon and make it a mercy killing, sending a metal angel through the owners brain bucket, just behind the ear. It’s a bit of a surprise to see his head explode like a piñata with a stick of dynamite inside, but you recover quickly enough when a bullet cracks the dusk and rock at your feet. You quickly mount the horse (NO, NOT THAT!), and get a quick feel for your bearings. There’s 5 hoodlums coming at different directions. You could beat the trail to Empire City and hole up for a spell, and come back later to wreak havoc on Dodge. Or you could stand and deliver the lungers to the sweet here-after.
It’d be smarter to make a break for it. But you’ve never been the type to run away. So you quickdraw your pistols and time suddenly slows down. Their movement compared to yours is so slow, it’s almost comical. They never stood a chance. Your concentration narrows as you plug the first man 2 times in the gut, and move to the next target. He’s blazing away at you, but his shot is wide. Yours are dead on, and you run a bullet through his throat. Any other time, you’d call it a lucky shot, but there are more targets yet. The third guy is caught re-loading and a shot in the chest and leg puts him down. The 4th man grazes your shoulder, but it doesn’t keep you from getting off 3 shots to end his misery. The 5th guy feints to gallop away on his own ride, but a well placed shot in his back has him slumped over. Out of nowhere, a hail of bullets rains down on your steed from above. A quick glance reveals a whore with a rifle of her own, atop the balcony of the Amstead Saloon. Your horse falls over, leaving you on your feet again, but you’re able to take your time, because she’s got terrible aim (which is surprising considering her reputation for working with her hands). You take your time, line up your shot, and take pleasure in giving her something she’s never had before…
But dammit! Now you’re without a horse again. No, wait! The dead guy who tried to ride away. You amble over to the now rider-less painted pony, and climb aboard. Now, with a fresh horse, and no one in town to get in your way. Still, there isn’t anything in town for you anymore. May as well head over to Empire City, and see if there’s any bounty work. Maybe stop by the Rancher, and see if he needs a hand along the way.
Gun allows you to get in touch with your inner-Clint Eastwood. Only just last night, I got “A Fistful of Dollars” from Netflix, and no sooner had the first shootout occurred (“My mule don’t like it you laughing. He gets the crazy idea you’re laughing at him.”), then I felt a compelling urge to set the movie next to my video game console and watch the movie while going through my own shoot-outs.
There is a larger mission to accomplish, but in the meantime, you have plenty of lee-way to go where you want when you want. Wanna take a side job for the Pony Express? Why not! Feel like talking things over with an Indian trader? Just head on up to the lake shore, and get some medicinal herbs. Go mining for gold? Friend, there a bunch of offbeat places to do it. Got a craving that your horse can’t scratch? Sorry. There are “Billiard rooms”, but no one is ever in them, and you can’t spend your hard earned bounty cash on the ladies of the upstairs. And as with all a-moral games in which you play a character who is a bit of an anti-hero, there is a testing out phase of what you can shoot and what you can’t. Or who, for that matter.
It took some time to get to Dodge, but immediately upon my arrival, I used some of the common citizens for practice. At first, it was innocent warning shots, just to get the hang of the capabilities of my character. But as my own ability grew, so did the darker side of my desires. I found that I could sneak up behind people, and grab them, holding a knife to their throat. I wouldn’t execute them however…I just pretended to be a badass, and a bully. I suspect it’s because I wasn’t held enough as a child. (Which would also explain why I hold myself so often.)
(It’s a special type of hug, just for me.)
It was inevitable, though. After a time, I simply couldn’t resist the temptation to squeeze off a round into an innocent bystander. Channeling my inner Johnny Cash, I shot a man in Reno (Actually Empire).
Just to watch him die.
Now at this point, I’m sure many of you are wondering to yourselves the following:
“Clint Eastwood?! Johnny Cash?! Just how many men do you have inside you?”
You’ll simply have to wait until it reaches the video shelves to find out. (Look for “BuckBack Mounting 2: The Turning Out of Young Eddie Colbort” at your favorite adult novelty stores next week!)
It’s a small part, but it’s a start.
…
Maybe the phrase “It’s a small part” wasn’t the best choice of words there.
Gun is one of the better non-Star Wars, non-Madden games I’ve played in a long time. If I ever find a way to play the cool whistling theme from “The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly” while playing, I’ll never leave my room.
Postscript note…When watching a spaghetti western, which is the better food to accompany it…burritos/tacos or spaghetti?
Super Bowl XL preview/prediction:
My Michigan readers, I am sure, are tired of hearing about the Super Bowl. Some might even prefer we skip straight to spring training, and the upcoming Red Sox season. Because Lord knows no one looks forward to watching the Tigers play.
There really isn’t anything further that I can add that hasn’t already been written about this game. But rather than cut and paste what others have said, I’ll post my thoughts anyway.
All year, Seattle has run the football behind a great run blocking offensive line, and Shawn Alexander followed behind. There isn’t much reason for them to do much different in this game. They’ll do what they can against a very tough defense. I think Pittsburgh has the players to stop the run, but it will be a heavy toll on their bodies, and possibly wear them out towards the end of the game. It will be important to stop the run and force the Seahawks to pass. Pitt isn’t as good on defense in coverage, but they make up for it by getting to the quarterback better than most. But to get to the QB, they’ll have to go through that same tough offensive line. For Pittsburgh to win, they’re gonna need their offense to have long sustained drives to give the defense a chance to rest on the sideline. Pittsburgh will bring 8 guys into the box, and try to stop the run. Seattle, I think, may come out throwing, trying to take advantage of the 1 on 1 match-ups on the outside. The Steelers Troy Polamalu has the agility to play the role of the 8th defender in the box and still get back for deep coverage, so the Steelers won’t lose much if Seattle goes to pass. And I haven’t seen many successful screens against this team while he was on the field. The Seahawks WR’s aren’t great; merely solid. If they’re able to take Alexander out of the game, and force Seattle to pass, they’ll have taken a huge step to winning the game.
On offense, Pittsburgh is much better at passing the ball than people give them credit for. Quite honestly, they could easily shed any notions that the Steelers are a run-first team without any problem at all. But because the running game fits their aura so well, and because they are so good at what they do, Pittsburgh will try to strike at the Seahawks with the more agile Willie Parker as much as they can, and then sprinkle in carries for Jerome Bettis as they can. The offensive line for the Steelers isn’t as good as Seattle, but they’re in the top 5 of the league, especially the center and guard combinations. When it comes time to pass, they won’t have any hesitation to hit the secondary receivers, like the TE, or 3rd or 4th WR. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that if they get in a goal-line situation, they’ll play action to Bettis, and hit a rolling out TE, like Heath Miller. The defense will be thinking about the Steelers trying to get Bettis a TD, so they’ll be aggressive to stop him from getting in. A fake to Bettis could leave the TE open in the back corner of the end zone. Antwaan Randle-El could also have a significant role in this game. With he and Hines Ward both having QB experience, I hope we’re lucky enough to see some gadget plays executed.
Of course, that is only if and when the Steelers get into a goal-line situation. Seattle has a defense that had the most sacks of any team in the league, so they’re no slouch, despite not having any all-star like players of notoriety. Just good solid players without much weakness across the board.
I think, given the strength of the Seattle running game, that they actually may have an edge in this match-up. Despite that, I am going to join in with the Steeler following. This is for many reasons. One of which is that I don’t want to be on a coast surrounded with a bunch of Seahawk fans who believe that their team is the best, carrying on like fools. Other reasons range from the former allegiances of my step-father to a simple hope to see Bill Cowher win a Super Bowl, rewarding the faith that the owners of that football team with the loyalty they showed their coach. The Steelers have had only 2 coaches since 1969,and in an era where most teams swap coaches every 3-5 years…it says a lot about staying the course and having faith and common sense.
There are a couple of other reasons as well. One poignant, and the other not as much.
The last time the Steelers were in a Super Bowl was Super Bowl XXX. Cowboys-Steelers. Big game. (Well, of course it was. It was the Super Bowl. ) I don’t have many memories of the game, beyond the fact that the Steelers had a chance to win it a few different times, if only Neil O’Donnell hadn’t thrown some horribly bad passes that were picked off. Most of my memories were of the day, and of going to a local bakery to get a cake decorated, and presenting the cake to my fiancée, embedded within the frosting on the top, an engagement ring she and I had both picked out. I can’t remember why I had chosen to do it on Super Bowl Sunday, but I can think of what my feelings were at the time. I was much more wrapped up in football then, and it was a way of getting her involved in that passion of mine. Combining my love for her and for the Super Bowl seems embarrassingly silly now; she deserved a whole separate occasion to herself. But at the time, no idea seemed more right. The only thing that didn’t go right that day was that the wrong team won. Ten years later, it’d be nice to see that corrected.
And if you need further reason (and this is for those MI readers again) the Steelers have more Michigan and Michigan State players on their roster, and NO Ohio State players. Seattle? They’ve got a few Michigan players as well, but they’re harboring a buckeye. You know what that means.
Steelers win.
Beyond that, I’m just hoping for a good close game that’s entertaining, with few punts, and great commercials that make you laugh the laugh of 30 tickled babies. But not 31, because that would be excessive. There have been good commercial years (Bud Bowl, when they actually animated the bottles; Terry Tate Office Linebacker; etc) and really bad years (Pepsi clear, with Van Halen’s Right Now. I still hate that damned song from over-exposure). Let this be a good year. We need the laughs.
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