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I really think it's time for a "thin the herd" clause on the whole concept of media responsibility. We saw Death Race this weekend, and at the end of the movie, there's a legal disclaimer to the extent that all stunts were handled by professional drivers on closed courses, yadda, yadda, yadda. And I kinda think that, if you're stupid enough to think that you can mount automatic weapons (working or prop) to your rig and go out death racing with your buddies, well frankly, we're all better off if you remove yourself from the gene pool, and no one gets to complain to anyone about your stupidity. Maybe I'm being misanthropic there. Or maybe that's just my common sense coming to the fore. You decide.  

So when I first heard this report… US Pushes Troop Immunity, Flexible Deadline in Iraq Pact My first reaction was a simple 'what the fuck?' If we're supposed to be "the good guys" here, aren't we supposed to hold ourselves to a higher standard (damning photographic evidence to the contrary aside). So shouldn't the concept of "immunity" run counter to that? Don't we need to step up and take responsibility for our actions in the region? Then I dug into the story and find that the immunity Bush is holding out for is immunity from Iraqi prosecution, as an early draft of the agreement under discussion holds that private U.S. contractors would be subject to Iraqi law. Now, I may not be a big fan of private military contractors (what a wonderful euphemism for mercenaries), but I'm going to agree that, while I think they need to be held accountable for their actions, it probably should be handled in US courts. But I find it interesting how little

I started a rant about this yesterday, then realized that I was complaining about the wrong thing. Dozens protest at 'Tropic Thunder' premiere It's not the protest that bugs me… you've got a problem with the use of the word "retard" in Tropic Thunder, protest away. Where I'm having problems lately is that there's no gatekeeper on this stuff. Anyone that wants to make noise about something is immediately paid attention to, gets national exposure and is suddenly on the forefront of the latest pop culture faux pas. The Internet has taken the "active" out of activism… it takes no effort to hit the "send your complaint" link in an email, and one blog post is all it takes to catch the media's attention. In this case, "dozens" protested the Tropic Thunder premier. Dozens. If this is your standard Hollywood premiere, then I would assume there were hundreds, if not thousands, in the stands to see the stars arrive and hundreds m

In a blatant display of bandwagon-jumping (something I try diligently to avoid) I've been reading a lot of graphic novels in recent years. I always enjoyed comics when I was a kid, and have rediscovered a taste for them as they've matured into the graphic novels of today. But I noticed something recently, when I was reading previews of The Dark Knight and The Watchmen . The Dark Knight article referred to a pair of Frank Miller Batman graphic novels ( Batman: Year One & The Dark Knight Returns ) that I've got sitting in my bookcase today. But the articles made reference to things and events in these comics that I simply had no memory of… despite a firm recollection of reading the damn books only a short while ago. The Watchmen is, hands down, one of the greatest comics ever created (so sayeth the scholars and critics) and I finally got around to reading it last year, but I'm suffering the same problem… scenes and characters that I simply do not remember. Even mor

Do we really need to know this? No Cue: Paris Hilton Memorized McCain Slam Perhaps more to the point, do we care? (And, while I'm questioning things, since when does the notion that Paris is capable of memorizing her lines equate to her being able to f'ing ACT? You're gonna need Olympic long jump stamina to make that particular leap in logic.) And finally, and perhaps the most cogent question, how is this NEWS?!? MEANWHILE… Mr T's Snickers advert axed… The US Based Human Rights Campaign complained about a UK-only ad campaign in which Mr. T pelts a speed-walker with a Snickers Gatling gun. Aside from the absurdity of Mars taking this complaint seriously enough to remove the commercial from UK TV (and let's face it, a "Get some nuts!" ad campaign was never going to make it to the US these days), lets take a moment to consider the notion that speed-walking = gay, as the HRC is apparently arguing. At this point, if I'm the head of the Olympic Speed Walkin

It's no secret I'm no fan of our Governor. From his " Vote for me because I'm Arnold " campaign, to his attempt at governing by decree (how else to interpret an attempt to sidestep the legislature by putting all the plans they've rejected onto the state ballot), his style tends to resemble his movies… a lot of noise and heavy on the action, but not the most thought provoking content. (And I like his movies — well, some of them at least.) He's a fan of the direct approach, which has probably served him well in his movie career, but seems to be a hard fit for the governor's mansion. (Arguments that 'being outside the system' brings a breath of fresh air and a chance for change have to be countered with the awareness that, while 'the system' may be burdensome and corrupt, not knowing how to effectively work that system is not going to benefit anyone.) His latest baffles me. Not the idea that "we're in a budget crisis and I'm