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Author: Bryant

Again, not really

July 3, 2004
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Once again, it turns out that newly discovered WMD aren’t actually WMD after all. However, Poland and the US agree that the chaos in Iraq has resulted in a great opportunity for Al Qaeda to get access to previously unavailable Iraqi scientists with WMD know-how.

Well, OK, they don’t put it precisely like that.

Sixteen rocket warheads found last week in south-central Iraq by Polish troops did not contain deadly chemicals, a coalition spokesman said yesterday, but U.S. and Polish officials agreed that insurgents loyal to former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and foreign terrorist fighters are trying to buy such old weapons or purchase the services of Iraqi scientists who know how to make them.

Still — Hussein, a very bad man who mistreated his country but who had not used WMD in almost a decade and who might not have had any significant stocks of WMD at all, vs. Osama Bin Laden, also a very bad man who would almost certainly use WMD the moment he got his hands on them. Hm.

If Bush had said “this war is going to make our lives more dangerous, but it’s a good thing to take out Saddam,” OK. Alas, that’s not what he said. He said we were going to be safer. I don’t think that turned out to be true.

Weekend getaway

July 2, 2004
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Of course, if I went to Fantasia for a weekend — say, July 30th through August 1st — I could still catch about a dozen movies and have a great time. Say…

Hillside Strangler for weird American avant garde serial killer cinema (or Heaven’s Seven for the Thai take on Vietnam, it’s a hard choice).
One Missed Call cause who doesn’t love Takashi Miike? This looks like his take on Ringu.
Deadly Outlaw Rekka. Two hours of Miike is good; four hours is superb! Um.
Porco Rosso, Miyazaki, yes.
Harry Knuckles and the Pearl Necklace, for cheap laughs.
Executioners From Shaolin, the classic Shaw Brothers movie.
Enter… Zombie King!, cause masked wrestlers and zombies can’t be skipped.
Toolbox Murders, because it’s the only thing in that time slot and I like to hurt myself.
Malice@Doll (or maybe Freak Out) — ooo, wacky CGI anime!
Red vs. Blue: The Blood Gulch Chronicles, classic machinima, and I would love to see this on the big screen.
Robot Stories makes a nice contrast to the machinima.
Into the Mirror — Korean horror is not always good but so far in my experience it’s been interesting.
The Bodyguard, cause I want to see more Thai martial arts action.

It would make me sad to miss 8th Diagram Pole Fighter and Ju-on and Battlefield Baseball and The Card Player and I could keep going. But some is better than none. The only problem is going to be finding a flight out of Montreal at 10 PM Sunday.

Anyone want to meet me up there?

The silver screen and screen

July 2, 2004
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Turns out that I’m not, in fact, going to be able to develop a time machine and go back in time and clear off enough of my schedule to make it possible to go to Fantasia Festival 2004. Which is a damned shame. The only silver lining is that I won’t have to make any choices about which movie to see, this way.

Pale lining indeed. Well, maybe next year I can arrange to take a month off.

He's that guy

July 2, 2004
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The saga of the anonymous CIA author continues. According to the Boston Phoenix, Michael Scheuer is compelled to publish anonymously because of CIA restrictions. He’d rather let his name out, but can’t.

This means I was more or less wrong in my fevered speculations a couple of weeks ago. He’s pissed off, but he’s not a kamikaze. Although I suppose if he gets fired in the next couple of months, there’s something to be said for the notion that he’s too angry to care about his career.

Top ten

June 30, 2004
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“He was known throughout the world for his engineering accomplishments, also.”

“He was probably one of the greatest living experts on geology and archaeology.”

“He was a wizard with electricity.”

“Ham looked what he was – a quick thinker and possibly the most astute lawyer Harvard ever turned out.”

Excellence is a core aspect of any good pulp game. In order to establish this for Huey Long’s Men of Action, I’m going to steal a trick from San Angelo: City of Heroes and write down some top ten lists. Top ten doctors, top ten boxers, top ten research scientists, top ten aviators, top ten criminal masterminds, top ten archeologists, top ten diplomats… what else? Suggestions for more lists are welcome.

I’m thinking it’d make sense to share these with players as a means towards creating a shared conception of the world. Some entries will be “Unknown.” Some of those will be known to me, but not to players. Not too many, though.

Wrong turn

June 30, 2004
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Nader is cozying up with the far right, yes. He’s cutting into Kerry’s support, yes.

It is still wrong to play legalistic games in order to keep him off the ballot. I don’t doubt that Nader may have violated the letter of the law in Arizona, and maybe he doesn’t yet qualify for the Florida ballot on a technicality. Great. Does that mean it’s morally right to control ballot access?

Fuck no. Controlling ballot access is a method of controlling who can be elected, pure and simple. It is a way to say “minority opinions of a certain size don’t count.” I dislike Nader vastly, but let the hypocritical bastard run.

Monday Mashup #44: Richard Thompson

June 29, 2004
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Hey, did I miss a week? Yes I did, without so much as a word to the wise. I apologize, but I do not promise that it will not happen again. I haven’t produced a mashup I’d really want to run for a month or so and since I’m doing this for myself first and foremost… well.

However, this week I got something going. I think. Our mashup for the day is Richard Thompson. Unlike Madonna, I’m thinking of the man’s songs rather than his person, although I suppose if you want to base a campaign idea around a cheerful middle-aged man who sings songs about angst and love lost and pain and happens to be one of the best guitarists on the face of the planet — who am I to stop you?

Start your word processors.

Continue ReadingMonday Mashup #44: Richard Thompson

Standing the heat

June 29, 2004
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Yep, I saw it. Chances are most people reading this will have seen it or will intend to see it (and for the rest, read on for a special offer). So instead of reviewing, I’ll ramble.

It’s a Michael Moore movie. From some comments I read previously, I expected it to be less of a polemic, and perhaps more objective. Nope — he’s narrating the thing and even if he doesn’t come out in front of the camera much, it’s still got a heaping helping of Moore sarcasm and innuendo. I think I could have done without mocking members of the Iraq War coalition; even if I don’t think Costa Rica made a significant contribution to the war, I still believe the country deserves the same respect as any other sovereign nation. And I noticed that Moore left out England and Spain when listing coalition members.

On the other hand, it’s also got some astoundingly effective moments and, yeah, a few things I didn’t know. Some of them angered me, and some reminded me that there was a time when Bush didn’t look like he could possibly be as bad as he’s turned out to be. The Lila Lipscomb segments reached brilliance. Specifically, her reaction to the woman who challenged her. Every Republican should watch the movie for that moment if nothing else: that’s the danger you face when you try to brush off criticism.

Which leads me to the special offer. I think people should see this movie, not because it is a magic wand which will convert the masses to frothing Kerry worship but because it shows things you wouldn’t otherwise see. It does not present a complete picture. It does present important elements of a complete picture. So if you weren’t going to see this movie because you think Moore is a pompous blowhard, I will happily purchase and read a political book of your choosing if you change your mind. Even if it’s by Ann Coulter.

(Offer invalid if you pick a book I’ve already read, so be careful — you’d be surprised.)