A Little Something For The Ladies...to get us started

I'd like to personally thank the casting director and anyone else resonsible for picking Daniel Craig as the new Bond. The only Bond flick I've ever seen in the theater was A View To A Kill and it was because Duran Duran did the theme song that year. Amazing how I can be easily swayed sometimes. The trailer for the new Bond movie almost had me stroking out over the following image. Enough of the chicks in bikinis...although I'm sure there will be a few of those...I want to see this guy come walking up out of the ocean on a 40ft. screen, preferrably in DLP. Not just eye candy, you should check out Mr. Craig in Layer Cake if you need convincing he can do Bond justice. I need just a moment.

Ok, I'm good now. Listening to Portishead, still waiting for the new cd sadly.

Just a couple of things to chat about tonight/early morning.

First, I was updating my queue on Netflix and saw that the number of movies/tv shows I've rated is currently 1,831. Everything from Meatballs to a French documentary on the Holocaust. And I'm still single...hmmm...perplexes me too.

On a not so light note:

I was mean to someone on Friday. Or rather, I had replied meanly to something he said. The guy who brings us our main book shipment is a pretty decent guy most of the time. I feel fairly safe in saying I think if either Jinn or I needed help he would be there in whatever way was possible. That being said, he has the complete polar opposite political view of myself (and Jinn for the most part as well, but I won't speak for her). He is a fairly hard-core conservative Republican. Me, well I think most of you know I'm liberal and if they aren't acting like a bunch of wankers, a Democrat. Our driver knows this and usually brings up things he hears on Rush's show or sees on Fox to try and spur a comment from us.

Usually the banter is pretty good natured. I certainly don't approve of everything the Dems have ever done so it's not too hard to poke fun at them along with the Republicans. Every once in awhile though, we touch on something that rubs me the wrong way. I'm still not sure what our driver meant by the comment he made, but my reply was mean spirited. I couldn't tell if what I said bothered him. Still, I felt bad about it. But I didn't apologize because I was unclear on what he meant by what he said. If he meant what I thought he meant, then I think I was within my "rights" to call him on it. If I'm wrong, then I guess I'm a confusing witch.

It's really difficult to reconcile liking someone and thinking they are a good person with the fact that you disagree with their political outlook. A person's perspective on politics is part of who they are and it can get tough to seperate the two. It's one thing to ignore a friend's love of let's say, the Dave Matthew's Band (which I can do as long as I can refer to the band as the Dead Lite for sorority girls). It's another to like someone, but hope that they never have the power to make political decisions.

Also, trying to juggle a liberal outlook while not going overboard on the PC stuff while also not letting someone's bigoted opionion go unchecked is no easy task. I firmly believe everyone has a right to their opionion. Liberals, Nazis, Dave Matthews, all of us. The problem then arises when it all turns from discussion to noise. I could never do what Jon Stewart does. I would be so angry with some of the guests I wouldn't be able to speak.

I should just say Jon's name and count to ten the next time I feel the need to respond. Not only to get the facts straight, but to be less mean on my end.

Hmmm...and I'm still single...shocker.

Doing Sexy Time...

WARNING: If you are planning to go see Borat and you DON'T want to know anything about the movie, you should probably not read tonight's blog entry.

Now, for the rest of you...

It's now been a couple of hours since I saw the movie and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. The gist of the picture is as follows. Sacha Baron Cohen (sp?) created a character called "Borat" as a part of his British (seen on HBO in the states) comedy Da Ali G Show. Not too unlike what several SNL alums have done, the character has moved on to his own full length movie. Borat is a journalist from Kazakstan (sp?) who comes to the US to learn our "modern" ways in order to share them with the people of his country. He ends up spending most of the "documentary" making his way toward California and Pam Anderson, whom he has fallen in love with after watching Baywatch in his hotel room...oh, and after his wife dies in a bizarre accident back home.

A decent amount of the humor stems from Borat's cultural differences and complete clueless-ness about the United States. There is the usual "can't speak the language" gags. (An example being the title of tonight's blog which is what Borat says when he refers to sex.) What's interesting to see is how he uses this "language barrier" to create situations which allow some of the people he meets to crucifiy themselves with their own words. His innocent behavior opens a few doors.

Several of these moments are quite funny. He goes to a rodeo and just nods as an old guy tells him he should shave his mustache because it makes him look like a Muslim. The man keeps talking and eventually makes the comment that, in not so many words, gay men should be hung. It's a bizarre conversation. Later at the rodeo, Borat is set to sing the National Anthem. Before he does, he gets the crowd going by rattling off phrases in support of the war in Iraq. The crowd is hooting and hollering, but he takes it that extra step and declares that George Bush should be drinking the blood of those evil people in Iraq. The crowd is slightly less enthusiastic because they are slowing catching on to the obvious. We are a blood thirsty country, yet we often blanket our behavior in patriotic garb. It's a smack in the face which is only compounded when he decides to sing the Kazakstani national anthem to the tune of our anthem.

The lyrics revolve around Kazakstan being the best country in the world...and oddly, the best producer of potassium. The crowd boos, and in a moment that I'm not convinced wasn't set up, the woman who had ridden out on a horse holding the American flag suddenly appears behind him and her horse falls to the ground with her still on it.

I spent a good deal of this movie with my hands over my eyes, peering through my fingers. Remember, I am the person who enjoys the sight of a werewolf snacking on someone's entrails. Some of the bits are uncomfortable to watch, or atleast they were for me. Strangely, I made it through the soon to be infamous naked men fighting moment in the movie without looking away. Part of the gag is just how big the bar being used to cover Borat's bits was. Seriously, that man should be doing porn if it's that big.

There are a couple moments of what seemed like genuine connection in the film. Borat and his producer are driving in Atlanta trying to get directions to California. It's late at night and they are in an area of Atlanta that is set up as being not the nicest place in town. Coming up on a group of young black men shooting dice, Borat goes up to them and starts chatting. He eventually gets them to teach him to dress and talk "street." This encounter has hillarious results when he then tries to get a room at a hotel using his new language. The guys appeared to find Borat amusing and treated him like a lost child. Nice moment.

The second connection comes in the form of a prostitute Borat hires and then invites to an upper crust dinner party he is attending. He and his date get tossed out of the party then decide to go out on the town. They end up in a cowboy bar and procede to have a few drinks, ride the mechanical bull, and dance. At the end of the evening, he drives the woman back to her place and she invites him inside.

Now, Cohen is engaged to be married so obviously nothing is going to happen here. But the moment is really sweet. Borat becomes shy and tells her he is in love with a woman in Malibu (Pam A.) and it wouldn't be right for him to do anything right now. She tells him if he's ever in town to come check in on her. He smiles and says if he's ever back he would be happy to return and pay her for sex. She laughs and for a second you wonder if he'll even kiss her, but instead he gives her another shy smile and slowly makes his way off the porch.

The only downside of this moment comes at the end of the film. I won't give it away, but the ending made me question how much this woman was in on the joke as it were. I'm hoping she wasn't in on it. Or atleast, she wasn't when they went out on the town.

The only problems I had with the film were it's length. It's usually a stretch to take a character from a short skit on a tv show into a movie and I think there were a few moments in the movie that could have been cut because they don't really move the story forward or provide many laughs. It's as if they needed to toss in a few more bits to make a longer film.

The other problem stems from my own little self. I was never good at the crank call sort of thing. Any sort of comedy that revolves around pretending to be something you're not to create laughs at someone else's expense. I always felt too guilty to do a solid crank call. There are people in this movie that trap themselves with their own words and behavior. But, there are a few people who get caught who don't really seem to deserve it.

I will give Cohen big props for staying in character. There are two key moments when doing so put him in physical danger, but he sticks it out. Again, it's hard to tell how many people were in on the joke from the beginning. The moments with Pam at the end seemed somewhat real, but I read an article tonight where Cohen, as Borat, interrupted a "dog wedding" that Pam was having in Aug. of 2005. I'm not sure which moment happened first and whether or not she was in on either or them.

Ultimately, I'd say the movie is worth checking out. The laughs are there, but so are the uncomfortable moments. I don't think this is the funniest movie I've ever seen. I believe the South Park movie and Team America: World Police provided more laughs with the same sort of edge.

On the upside, I got to see a smack your head funny trailer for the Reno 911 movie that's coming out in Feb. And, I must admit, I am very excited about the new Bond movie as well.

Till next time. GO VOTE TUESDAY!!!!!!!!!

The 3rd and 4th horsemen have arrived...

Steve Nash got his hair cut. No longer looking like that guy who hangs out in front of the local gas station waiting for the high school girls to pass him as they buy a couple of Cokes and a Snickers bar, Steve has used a couple of his million bucks plus salary to take a trip to a Quick Cuts. I think it is an improvement, still I also think it is yet another sign of the "endtimes."

The 4th horseman? Well, let me just say this...they said they put a frickin' pacemaker in Sawyer's chest and then they shook a cage till the bunny inside passed out. FRAK YOU, LOST!!!! This week? It seemed like it was going to be slightly more sane except for the fact that Sayid is back and no one seems to wonder about how things went on the boat...you know the ONLY FRAKKIN' BOAT THEY HAD!!!! Hmmm...we're on an island, perhaps a boat would be useful. Oops. Plus, where the hell are Sun and Jin? Did they take a sidetrip to a spa or something? A little miniature golf? ARRRGHHH!!!! Plus, they went to the trouble of bringing in "reality" by showing Jack that the Red Sox won a World Series and this week we get the crazy ass black smoke monster thing that tosses Eko (sp?) around like he's a Malibu Barbie with a deathwish.

Elections can't come soon enough for me. As if the phone calls and mail weren't bad enough, today at work we got a fixture delivered to the store. The driver, after I sign the paperwork, takes the time to show me an article about how our governor wants to help immigrants get home loans and apparently this would include illegal immigrants. As he put it, "I don't think these people should get anything. They shouldn't be here. We need to get them out of the country. Blah, blah, blah." He wanted to know if I wanted a copy of the article to hand out, etc. Flippin' hell. Seriously, enough is enough. I politely told him thanks, but no and left it at that.

Along those lines, sort of, Jon Stewart is the man. Last night on The Daily Show he uttered the perfect phrase. "John Kerry...losing elections he's not even in." It's sad that everyone is in an uproar over what some dufus with not that much power in the party said in a lame attempt at a joke and the true issues are swept under the rug. Nothing like letting the opposing party hand you a media diversion practically gift wrapped.

Finally, I came up with a few more songs to add to my "timeless tunes" list from the last entry. Still hoping to get some feedback from you people.

Someone To Love--Queen
Welcome To The Jungle--GNR
With Or Without You--U2
Just Like Heaven--The Cure

OH! Two more quick things.

I am an idiot. I left my oven on for about 10 hours today. I made muffins for breakfast then didn't bother to turn off the oven. No wonder it was so warm in the kitchen when I came home tonight. DUH. I bet the heat didn't turn on once in my apartment today.

Nine Inch Nails will have a new album out sometime in April. I am very happy. They are also going on tour. Europe, etc. first starting in Feb. Hopefully they will be stateside come Spring/Summer.

READ IT:
David Sedaris--Holidays On Ice This is my lunchtime reading at work. It's very funny, but depressing because I wish I could be that funny.

WATCH IT:
Ugly Betty on ABC. I love America Ferraro (sp?). She was great in Real Women Have Curves and she really shines in this comedy. Although, it's a bit of a sad statement when someone who is cute like America has some braces added and her hair is a bit frumped up and she suddenly becomes "ugly."

HEAR IT:
Soundgarden--"Jesus Christ Pose" Caught this the other day on the radio and it made me remember grunge in all its flannel glory.

Timeless Music

The nominees for the '07 Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremonies were just announced and (YEAH!) R.E.M. is on the list. The somewhat depressing bit comes when you remember that in order to make the list atleast 25 years has to have passed since they've released someting. Errgh. Hopefully the boys will make the final cut. Here's the rest of the nominees:
Van Halen
Chic
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Patti Smith
Dave Clark 5
Ronettes
Joe Tex
The Stooges

To stay with the music theme of today's entry here's a list I've been working on over the past few days. It all started from the fact that almost everytime I hear a certain Stones song I will tell whomever is in the room that I believe the song sounds as fresh today as it did when it first came out. It is possible that my co-workers have heard me say this a few hundred times and I should be grateful that they haven't gagged me yet.

PACKED FOR FRESHNESS TO LAST FOREVER TUNES (in no particular order)

Jumpin' Jack Flash--The Stones
Back In Black--AC/DC
Cinnamon Girl--Neil Young
Your Song--Elton John
Communication Breakdown--the mighty Zep
Dreamin'--Blondie
Middle Of The Road--The Pretenders
The Real Me--The Who
Can't Get There From Here--R.E.M.
Wonderwall--Oasis

All of this tunes seem as relevant and thrilling today as the first time I heard them. They may not be the best songs from each artist, but I will turn up the radio/cd louder when I hear them. I'm curious as to what you all think. Like I mentioned, I came up with this list pretty much while driving to and from work and I'm sure I've missed tunes. Send me a comment with your additions.

Finally, a late "duh" moment from our President. About a week ago, I happened to catch the tailend of a press conference W was having. He was in the midst of taking questions and someone asked how this war compares to WW2. He said the following (I'm paraphrasing by the way)...WW2 was a "war against....(thinking, thinking...eyes begin to flutter...mommy, mommy, is it nap time?)...facists...(long pause)...a nation state...(pause)...two nation states...(pause)...three nation states!"

Do I hear four? Can someone give me four nation states for this lovely war? Going once, going twice...