He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster.
And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.
- Friedrich Nietzsche
I have no idea if the creators behind the latest movie “Batman – The Dark Knight” even looked at the above quote before making the movie however, the quote seems to fit the character of Batman and the circumstances we currently face.
A friend of mine called me after we went to the midnight showing and asked “What did you think?” I couldn’t find the words but he spat out “I think it replaces the Godfather as my favorite movie.” And believe it or not, for me, it might replace the Lord of the Rings series as, in my little world, the best movie.
Purposefully, I waited a few days to write my review. I didn’t want the afterglow of such a wonderful movie going experience to taint what should be written. However, the further I get away from Thursday night, the more I love the movie.
On line and in print, you will read glowing reviews of Christian Bale and Heath Ledger’s performances. Indeed, it is sad that Ledger will never hear the praise of his performance. I am sure that on set, he knew he was redefining the character of the Joker. Recall that the Joker we saw as children was a silly clown (Cesar Romero in the television series) or an annoying aged villain (Jack Nicholson).
But Ledgers Joker is different. He’s insanity and anarchy. He’s sublime and intelligent. He’s scary but so damn interesting. He forces leaders, heroes, and real people to make the difficult choices they avoid making on a daily basis. He is what we want to avoid being but yet we can not help but wonder what it would be like to be so reckless.
Batman quickly realizes that he is dealing with a different kind of evil…an insane evil that understands no boundaries nor cares for boundaries; everyone is fair game. Slowly you see Batman staring at the abyss; he understands to defeat the Joker he must visit a place in his soul he tries desperately to avoid.
The more you dwell upon the decisions Batman makes, you quickly see the decisions we, as a people, have been avoiding. Should we allow our country to wire tap our cell phone conversations? Should we use evil to defeat evil? It seems our government has made those decisions. How sad is it that our country has defended the use of water boarding against terrorist suspects? We are becoming what we have stated so loudly that we want to defeat! This is America! We should be held to a higher standard. We are the shining light that the rest of the world looks to in the darkest of times and yet, here we are, staring at the abyss…becoming the monster that is trying so hard to destroy us.
I know, the last paragraph sounds preachy in a movie review however it is not that hard to see the similarities after you walk out of the movie. I have no clue if the creators of this latest movie had those intentions (I have avoided all the other reviews and hype) however, you really have to be a total dunce to not get the significance of Gary Oldman’s Commissioner Gordon’s comment about the hero we deserve.
We got ourselves into this mess; only we can get out of it. But do we need to walk down the dark paths of hell to show how better we are than the bad guys?
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
It's Restaurant Review Time!
Machiavelli's
The ends did not justify the meal!
While on a nice walk down State Street (Bristol Va/Tn) a couple of months ago, we came upon a sign that advertised an Italian restaurant coming soon.
A sign on their window advertised a Brick Oven.
We waited with anticipation, and finally, the restaurant opened 2 weeks ago. Excited, we decided to eat there last Friday.
The first impression was that it’s not a regular corner 'pizza place' that sells by the slice. We were seated in a dark dining room. At first it seemed classy and romantic but soon we found it too dark.
There were a lot of things we found wrong with the establishment (but maybe we can excuse some because it's a new restaurant).
For one thing, we were unable to order mixed drinks because they have yet to obtain their liquor license. Like I said, it just opened and so maybe that’s why they haven't received their license yet? So, we ordered Heineken bottles. We drank them with dinner and when we ordered a second bottle, we were informed they were out. This exposes an oversight in supply. Early on a Friday evening, they should not be running out of popular brands of beer!
The menu is small but that is often the case with new restaurants. We expect the menu to expand as the restaurant clientele grows.
We started with a Bruschetta as our appetizer. A Bruschetta (pronounced Bru-Skeh-Tah) is basically, toasted slices of Italian bread topped with diced tomato, and often cheese.
The Bruschetta were good. They were warm and toasty as should be. We were served about 9 slices on a plate which is an ample amount to have as an appetizer or even a small meal itself.
Next, our Caesar Salad arrived. Crisp lettuce, seasoned croutons and creamy Caesar dressing made up our salad. It was nothing fancy but I was very fond of the dressing. However, most real Italian restaurants will offer anchovies on their Caesar salads; this restaurant did not give us that option. Additionally, it was topped with breadsticks that tasted as if they came out of a package (think Stella D’Oro)
Brick Oven pizza is delicious and I have indulged in it before. Needless to say, we ordered a pizza, a Margherite Pizza to be exact. In case you have never tried one, a Margherite pizza is a simple pizza topped with fresh mozzarella cheese and instead of sauce, is topped with slices of fresh tomato. While it sounds plain, a Margherite pizza should have flavor.
The pizza arrived and the first thing I noticed though was the absence of blisters. A good brick oven pizza should have nice blackened blisters where the cheese bubbled and the dough baked. It looked all right but taste is the real test. Once we bit into the pizza, we noticed that the dough overwhelmed the taste of the pizza. We expected a thin crispy crust; however we found it "bready." The tomatoes that topped the pizza were bland.
One of the positive things about this restaurant was the pricing. The prices were fair, however, I would be willing to pay more for better tasting pizza.
Finally, the atmosphere was to put it bluntly, dull. For a Friday evening, it was quiet. The music that was playing was the elevator imitation of Maroon 5. The restaurant seemed to be pretentious. If it wants to survive in Bristol, it will need to tone down the uppity attitude and lighten up the atmosphere.
For me, the best place in Bristol to get a fresh pizza is Bella’s. The service there may be slow however, it still produces the best pizza in town.
The ends did not justify the meal!
While on a nice walk down State Street (Bristol Va/Tn) a couple of months ago, we came upon a sign that advertised an Italian restaurant coming soon.
A sign on their window advertised a Brick Oven.
We waited with anticipation, and finally, the restaurant opened 2 weeks ago. Excited, we decided to eat there last Friday.
The first impression was that it’s not a regular corner 'pizza place' that sells by the slice. We were seated in a dark dining room. At first it seemed classy and romantic but soon we found it too dark.
There were a lot of things we found wrong with the establishment (but maybe we can excuse some because it's a new restaurant).
For one thing, we were unable to order mixed drinks because they have yet to obtain their liquor license. Like I said, it just opened and so maybe that’s why they haven't received their license yet? So, we ordered Heineken bottles. We drank them with dinner and when we ordered a second bottle, we were informed they were out. This exposes an oversight in supply. Early on a Friday evening, they should not be running out of popular brands of beer!
The menu is small but that is often the case with new restaurants. We expect the menu to expand as the restaurant clientele grows.
We started with a Bruschetta as our appetizer. A Bruschetta (pronounced Bru-Skeh-Tah) is basically, toasted slices of Italian bread topped with diced tomato, and often cheese.
The Bruschetta were good. They were warm and toasty as should be. We were served about 9 slices on a plate which is an ample amount to have as an appetizer or even a small meal itself.
Next, our Caesar Salad arrived. Crisp lettuce, seasoned croutons and creamy Caesar dressing made up our salad. It was nothing fancy but I was very fond of the dressing. However, most real Italian restaurants will offer anchovies on their Caesar salads; this restaurant did not give us that option. Additionally, it was topped with breadsticks that tasted as if they came out of a package (think Stella D’Oro)
Brick Oven pizza is delicious and I have indulged in it before. Needless to say, we ordered a pizza, a Margherite Pizza to be exact. In case you have never tried one, a Margherite pizza is a simple pizza topped with fresh mozzarella cheese and instead of sauce, is topped with slices of fresh tomato. While it sounds plain, a Margherite pizza should have flavor.
The pizza arrived and the first thing I noticed though was the absence of blisters. A good brick oven pizza should have nice blackened blisters where the cheese bubbled and the dough baked. It looked all right but taste is the real test. Once we bit into the pizza, we noticed that the dough overwhelmed the taste of the pizza. We expected a thin crispy crust; however we found it "bready." The tomatoes that topped the pizza were bland.
One of the positive things about this restaurant was the pricing. The prices were fair, however, I would be willing to pay more for better tasting pizza.
Finally, the atmosphere was to put it bluntly, dull. For a Friday evening, it was quiet. The music that was playing was the elevator imitation of Maroon 5. The restaurant seemed to be pretentious. If it wants to survive in Bristol, it will need to tone down the uppity attitude and lighten up the atmosphere.
For me, the best place in Bristol to get a fresh pizza is Bella’s. The service there may be slow however, it still produces the best pizza in town.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Green Screen Challenge
Wow! I failed to realize how long it has been since I've blogged. So much has happened within the past few weeks and I have had little time to write down my thoughts.
My move to NY has been delayed due to my brother's recent dismissal from the newspaper. The whole mess is just a huge farce but it goes to show people how the joke of office politics can play into your career. I am confident that he will find something in the next few months but until then, thanks to his former company, my relocation plans are on hold.
Fortunately, Ivan is down here for a few weeks. If everything works out ok, I should be heading back up to New York my birthday week for some job fairs and interviews.
In the mean time, I am grateful for what I do have...a good career and wonderful friends. Oh, and a supportive partner!
Here's something to make everyone laugh...well maybe except John McCain. Unfortunately for McCain, he does not look fetching in green, or in front of it. Our hero, Stephen Colbert has issued the Green Screen Challenge to help McCain look more, uhm, interesting. What people have created has been down right hilarious. Here is my favorite:
Strike A Pose!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G9jA-FGGd8&feature=related
My move to NY has been delayed due to my brother's recent dismissal from the newspaper. The whole mess is just a huge farce but it goes to show people how the joke of office politics can play into your career. I am confident that he will find something in the next few months but until then, thanks to his former company, my relocation plans are on hold.
Fortunately, Ivan is down here for a few weeks. If everything works out ok, I should be heading back up to New York my birthday week for some job fairs and interviews.
In the mean time, I am grateful for what I do have...a good career and wonderful friends. Oh, and a supportive partner!
Here's something to make everyone laugh...well maybe except John McCain. Unfortunately for McCain, he does not look fetching in green, or in front of it. Our hero, Stephen Colbert has issued the Green Screen Challenge to help McCain look more, uhm, interesting. What people have created has been down right hilarious. Here is my favorite:
Strike A Pose!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G9jA-FGGd8&feature=related
Saturday, June 14, 2008
The Passing of a Giant
As I write this I am still in shock over the fact that tomorrow morning, Sunday, when I get up, Tim Russert will not be hosting Meet The Press. I wake up Sunday mornings, slowly, with coffee brewing and Tim on tv, verbally goosing some gas bag politico into giving an answer that was not full of double speak.
Yesterday afternoon, my brother left a voicemail on my cell telling me of Russert's sudden death. He of all people knows what a news nerd I am. Seriously, I watch more news in a week than most people watch in ten years.
All of my life I have been a political junkie. And because of that, I sometimes detested politics because I knew personally how hypocritical politicians could be. Years before I pimped office products, during my college years I worked in politics (I know, a surprise to many of you who just know me for the paying gig). So more than once I got an up front seat to politicians, or their handelers, changing their minds on issues mid stream. Or I saw how political campaigns thrived or died on gossip or innuendo. It was a freaky thing.
Although I am no longer active in working any campaigns, I watch politics now from a different standpoint. I've enjoyed watching this years Democratic primary process. And to hear Russert explain it, well, it made it even more enjoyable. Politics is serious but Russert showed us we could still enjoy it.
What makes this even sadder, and not just because he leaves a wife and a son, is that our press, who is responsible for pushing politicians into answering the tough questions, has lost one of the few real unbiased members of the MSM. A majority of news show hosts, quite frankly, are gas bags. But Russert, in his inexpensive suites and somewhat disheveled look, could care less about appearence. What he cared about was finding out the answers for the everyday person who was working hard to make ends meet. Like most of us, he came from a working class background and thankfully he never forgot his roots; he never forgot his Catholic background.
My heart goes out to his family (no man should have to bury his son) and his coworkers. And I hope all journalists take a look at how he always demanded answers and kept pressing politicians until he got them.
Yesterday afternoon, my brother left a voicemail on my cell telling me of Russert's sudden death. He of all people knows what a news nerd I am. Seriously, I watch more news in a week than most people watch in ten years.
All of my life I have been a political junkie. And because of that, I sometimes detested politics because I knew personally how hypocritical politicians could be. Years before I pimped office products, during my college years I worked in politics (I know, a surprise to many of you who just know me for the paying gig). So more than once I got an up front seat to politicians, or their handelers, changing their minds on issues mid stream. Or I saw how political campaigns thrived or died on gossip or innuendo. It was a freaky thing.
Although I am no longer active in working any campaigns, I watch politics now from a different standpoint. I've enjoyed watching this years Democratic primary process. And to hear Russert explain it, well, it made it even more enjoyable. Politics is serious but Russert showed us we could still enjoy it.
What makes this even sadder, and not just because he leaves a wife and a son, is that our press, who is responsible for pushing politicians into answering the tough questions, has lost one of the few real unbiased members of the MSM. A majority of news show hosts, quite frankly, are gas bags. But Russert, in his inexpensive suites and somewhat disheveled look, could care less about appearence. What he cared about was finding out the answers for the everyday person who was working hard to make ends meet. Like most of us, he came from a working class background and thankfully he never forgot his roots; he never forgot his Catholic background.
My heart goes out to his family (no man should have to bury his son) and his coworkers. And I hope all journalists take a look at how he always demanded answers and kept pressing politicians until he got them.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
An Apology From Andrea
Remember the bulletin I posted last week concerning MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell and her comments on Southwest Virginia? Well, Andrea has apologized.
We now have an end to the crisis!!!
Thus, fair being fair, I wanted to make sure that everyone knew. By the way, how awesome was it that so many people wrote, emailed, called NBC from the "Fighting 9th?" Below is the story from Media Matters:
"On the June 9 edition of MSNBC Live, anchor Andrea Mitchell apologized for comments she made on June 5 regarding Sen. Barack Obama's appearance that day in Bristol, Virginia. As Media Matters for America and the Huffington Post noted, on June 5, Mitchell described the area as "real redneck, sort of, bordering on Appalachia country." From the 1 p.m.ET hour of the June 9 edition of MSNBC Live:MITCHELL: And now, a point of personal privilege. I owe an apology to the good people of Bristol, Virginia, for something stupid that I said last week. I was trying to explain, based on reporting from Democratic strategists, why Barack Obama was campaigning in southwest Virginia, but without attribution or explanation, I used a term strategists often use to demean an entire community. No excuses, I'm really sorry. As they say, when I make a mistake, it's a beaut."
Here is the link: http://mediamatters. org/items/200806090004?lid=354855&rid=9279711
We now have an end to the crisis!!!
Thus, fair being fair, I wanted to make sure that everyone knew. By the way, how awesome was it that so many people wrote, emailed, called NBC from the "Fighting 9th?" Below is the story from Media Matters:
"On the June 9 edition of MSNBC Live, anchor Andrea Mitchell apologized for comments she made on June 5 regarding Sen. Barack Obama's appearance that day in Bristol, Virginia. As Media Matters for America and the Huffington Post noted, on June 5, Mitchell described the area as "real redneck, sort of, bordering on Appalachia country." From the 1 p.m.ET hour of the June 9 edition of MSNBC Live:MITCHELL: And now, a point of personal privilege. I owe an apology to the good people of Bristol, Virginia, for something stupid that I said last week. I was trying to explain, based on reporting from Democratic strategists, why Barack Obama was campaigning in southwest Virginia, but without attribution or explanation, I used a term strategists often use to demean an entire community. No excuses, I'm really sorry. As they say, when I make a mistake, it's a beaut."
Here is the link: http://mediamatters. org/items/200806090004?lid=354855&rid=9279711
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Unfortunate Comments About Southwest Virginia
Normally I believe Andrea Mitchell's (of NBC/MSNBC) reporting is spot on, even if she is slightly elitist. Well...she let her elitism get in the way of reporting on Democratic Presidential Nominee Barak Obama's visit to Bristol, Virginia today. Below is a reprint of what Mitchell said live today on MSNBC during MSNBC live:
MSNBC's Mitchell: Southwest Virginia "is real redneck, sort of, bordering on Appalachia country"http://mediamatters.org/items/200806050005?f=h_latest
On the June 5 edition of MSNBC Live, anchor Andrea Mitchell noted Sen. Barack Obama's appearance that day in Bristol, Virginia, with former Virginia governor and Democratic Senate candidate Mark Warner and asserted, "Interesting images today. Barak Obama, Mark Warner in southwest Virginia. This is real redneck, sort of, bordering on Appalachia country. This is not the Northern Virginia, you know, sort of high-tech corridor. And these are voters that he would not logically be, you know, gravitating to. This is the beginning of a pivot."
The link is above so you can view it yourself. You will notice the big time "red neck" Rick Boucher behind Senator Obama. For those of you not from our beautiful neck of the woods (pun intended), Rick is far from a redneck.
We have two Starbucks in Bristol now! How can we be rednecks? :-)
MSNBC's Mitchell: Southwest Virginia "is real redneck, sort of, bordering on Appalachia country"http://mediamatters.org/items/200806050005?f=h_latest
On the June 5 edition of MSNBC Live, anchor Andrea Mitchell noted Sen. Barack Obama's appearance that day in Bristol, Virginia, with former Virginia governor and Democratic Senate candidate Mark Warner and asserted, "Interesting images today. Barak Obama, Mark Warner in southwest Virginia. This is real redneck, sort of, bordering on Appalachia country. This is not the Northern Virginia, you know, sort of high-tech corridor. And these are voters that he would not logically be, you know, gravitating to. This is the beginning of a pivot."
The link is above so you can view it yourself. You will notice the big time "red neck" Rick Boucher behind Senator Obama. For those of you not from our beautiful neck of the woods (pun intended), Rick is far from a redneck.
We have two Starbucks in Bristol now! How can we be rednecks? :-)
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Hillary's Foot In Mouth Disease
Personally I have enjoyed the political drama over the past several months between Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama. If anything, it has forced young people who normally are more concerned with keggers to actually focus on the country’s future.
Admittedly, I am still in the dark on what Obama actually plans to do to help this country rebound. With Warren Buffett saying that the recession may be deeper and longer than he once thought and the war in Iraq in a never ending, the mood in this country is anxious and weary. But Obama does have hope for our future. Although he saying “yes we can” reminds me of a mantra we had in elementary school, at least his attitude is positive. He honestly believes we can make this country strong and vibrant again.
Earlier this year, I was excited about Hillary’s run for the presidency. A woman, running for president, with a more than legitimate chance of winning, in my life time? Hooray! But as Obama kept scoring unexpected wins, Hillary’s true colors began to shine. She turned negative. To make things worse, lately she has tried riling up women to believe that Barak Obama’s campaign is misogynist. Why would any women believe this load of crap? Barak Obama was raised by a strong woman and is married to a woman who obviously does not need a man to validate her existence (which by the way gals is how we should all feel). Working within the top levels of his campaign are many women who have supported Obama in politics for years.
The other day, Hillary Clinton made her biggest faux pas of the campaign. By now you have already heard or at least read how Hillary tried to relate to an editorial board as to why she is staying in this campaign. She was correct in stating that it is not unusual for a Democratic primary to go into the summer. But where she royally screwed the pooch was mentioning the Robert Kennedy assassination almost as justification for staying in the race.
Hillary, that was just damn stupid. Really. If you wanted to compare this campaign to one that went into the summer months, you could have went with the 1980 Democratic race in which another Kennedy, Ted, took his fight against weakened President Jimmy Carter all the way to the convention floor. Indeed, the recent history of nominees being decided months in advance is a rarity in this history of any political party. Instead Hillary offends everyone’s common sense and she makes a hurtful remark to the Democratic Party’s most powerful family already reeling from the recent diagnosis of their patriarch’s illness.
Today, the New York Daily News published a letter from Hillary to the paper in which she basically states that her comments were taken out of context.
No Hillary, they were not taken out of context; it was hateful or stupid. Admit to one but it really does not matter because both answers show a shameful record of poor decision making that has engrossed your campaign.
Hillary, from one strong woman to another, let it go. Just let it go. We need an end to another Clintonian quest for the holy grail of the presidency. We need an end to all the negativity. We need someone that is hopeful and positive and you have just shown you are hardly a picture of positive attitude.
Admittedly, I am still in the dark on what Obama actually plans to do to help this country rebound. With Warren Buffett saying that the recession may be deeper and longer than he once thought and the war in Iraq in a never ending, the mood in this country is anxious and weary. But Obama does have hope for our future. Although he saying “yes we can” reminds me of a mantra we had in elementary school, at least his attitude is positive. He honestly believes we can make this country strong and vibrant again.
Earlier this year, I was excited about Hillary’s run for the presidency. A woman, running for president, with a more than legitimate chance of winning, in my life time? Hooray! But as Obama kept scoring unexpected wins, Hillary’s true colors began to shine. She turned negative. To make things worse, lately she has tried riling up women to believe that Barak Obama’s campaign is misogynist. Why would any women believe this load of crap? Barak Obama was raised by a strong woman and is married to a woman who obviously does not need a man to validate her existence (which by the way gals is how we should all feel). Working within the top levels of his campaign are many women who have supported Obama in politics for years.
The other day, Hillary Clinton made her biggest faux pas of the campaign. By now you have already heard or at least read how Hillary tried to relate to an editorial board as to why she is staying in this campaign. She was correct in stating that it is not unusual for a Democratic primary to go into the summer. But where she royally screwed the pooch was mentioning the Robert Kennedy assassination almost as justification for staying in the race.
Hillary, that was just damn stupid. Really. If you wanted to compare this campaign to one that went into the summer months, you could have went with the 1980 Democratic race in which another Kennedy, Ted, took his fight against weakened President Jimmy Carter all the way to the convention floor. Indeed, the recent history of nominees being decided months in advance is a rarity in this history of any political party. Instead Hillary offends everyone’s common sense and she makes a hurtful remark to the Democratic Party’s most powerful family already reeling from the recent diagnosis of their patriarch’s illness.
Today, the New York Daily News published a letter from Hillary to the paper in which she basically states that her comments were taken out of context.
No Hillary, they were not taken out of context; it was hateful or stupid. Admit to one but it really does not matter because both answers show a shameful record of poor decision making that has engrossed your campaign.
Hillary, from one strong woman to another, let it go. Just let it go. We need an end to another Clintonian quest for the holy grail of the presidency. We need an end to all the negativity. We need someone that is hopeful and positive and you have just shown you are hardly a picture of positive attitude.
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