It seems Christians get all exercised by gay-themed movies like Brokeback Mountain, but don't make a peep when it comes to movies like Hostel (which was the #1 movie in the country last week).
Variety described “Hostel” as “unhinged gruesomeness.” Director Eli Roth explained to Salon.com that he got the idea for the movie from a Thai Web site that purported to offer an online pay-for-kill experience. He said there were “guys out there who are bored with doing drugs” and bedding prostitutes. “Nothing touches them anymore, so they start looking for the ultimate high. Paying to kill someone, to torture them.”
And here's more:
Lured off the beaten path by promises of carnal pleasures, they find their way to a hedonistic hostel in Slovakia, where they fall easy prey to a pair of temptresses and wind up in a chamber of horrors where wealthy sadists pay top dollar for the most depraved thrills.
Director Eli Roth (“Cabin Fever”) serves up a steady stream of soft-core sex and hard-core gore, as gratuitously pornographic as it is mindless.
The film’s stomach-churning factor is extreme by even the barrel-bottom standards of Quentin Tarantino, who is credited as one of the movie’s executive producers.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Quote of the Day
"Congress must continue to work to shrink the size of government." -- Republican Congressman Roy Blunt
Continue?
Continue?
I Think This Is Obvious...But It Probably Is Not
January 19, 2006 -- Couples who stay married through thick and thin accumulate twice as much personal wealth as people who get divorced or remain single, a new study reveals.
In fact, divorce reduces a person's wealth by about three-quarters, compared to that of someone who never marries. And people who decide to split up even start seeing their finances erode years before the divorce is finalized.
"Getting married and staying married is a wonderful way to increase your wealth — but the key is stay married," research scientist Jay Zagorsky of Ohio State University told The Post.
In fact, divorce reduces a person's wealth by about three-quarters, compared to that of someone who never marries. And people who decide to split up even start seeing their finances erode years before the divorce is finalized.
"Getting married and staying married is a wonderful way to increase your wealth — but the key is stay married," research scientist Jay Zagorsky of Ohio State University told The Post.
The Media Is Failing Us...
...just as the insurgents hoped.
The abduction of 28-year-old Christian Science Monitor reporter Jill Carroll in Baghdad on Jan. 7 has had a profound effect on the city's Western press corps. More so than ever, unembedded media in Baghdad are fortified in a handful of besieged hotels that are under constant surveillance by insurgent groups. Few Western reporters ever leave these hotels, instead relying on local stringers to gather quotes and research stories. And some reporters are finally throwing in the towel, forever abandoning this relentless and unforgiving city. . . .
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Barry Johnson has some sound theories about the insurgents' media strategies. While stressing that he "can't speak for insurgent groups," Col. Johnson says these strategies "boil down to influencing the media environment ... to get attention away from progress."
Whether there is much progress in Arab Iraq is certainly debatable, but it's apparent that the increasing inability of media to cover ANYTHING, much less coalition successes, is hurting the war effort. Iraq is a big, complicated problem, and as media flee or hunker down deeper in their hotel fortresses, the Western world's understanding of Iraq can only suffer.
There is a workable solution, and it's called embedding. No one protects journos as well as the U.S. and British militaries, but many media refuse to embed because they fear losing their objectivity. This is a valid fear, one even U.S. officers acknowledge, but what's better: slightly biased coverage? Or no coverage at all?
The abduction of 28-year-old Christian Science Monitor reporter Jill Carroll in Baghdad on Jan. 7 has had a profound effect on the city's Western press corps. More so than ever, unembedded media in Baghdad are fortified in a handful of besieged hotels that are under constant surveillance by insurgent groups. Few Western reporters ever leave these hotels, instead relying on local stringers to gather quotes and research stories. And some reporters are finally throwing in the towel, forever abandoning this relentless and unforgiving city. . . .
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Barry Johnson has some sound theories about the insurgents' media strategies. While stressing that he "can't speak for insurgent groups," Col. Johnson says these strategies "boil down to influencing the media environment ... to get attention away from progress."
Whether there is much progress in Arab Iraq is certainly debatable, but it's apparent that the increasing inability of media to cover ANYTHING, much less coalition successes, is hurting the war effort. Iraq is a big, complicated problem, and as media flee or hunker down deeper in their hotel fortresses, the Western world's understanding of Iraq can only suffer.
There is a workable solution, and it's called embedding. No one protects journos as well as the U.S. and British militaries, but many media refuse to embed because they fear losing their objectivity. This is a valid fear, one even U.S. officers acknowledge, but what's better: slightly biased coverage? Or no coverage at all?
Oh, The Irony - Chirac the Cowboy
France said on Thursday it would be ready to launch a targeted nuclear strike against any state that carried out a terrorist attack on French soil.
In a speech defending France’s costly nuclear deterrent and toughening policy against terrorism, President Jacques Chirac said Paris must be able to hit back hard at a hostile state’s centres of power and its “capacity to act”.
In a speech defending France’s costly nuclear deterrent and toughening policy against terrorism, President Jacques Chirac said Paris must be able to hit back hard at a hostile state’s centres of power and its “capacity to act”.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Yes!
Jan. 18, 2006 — - ABC News has learned that al Qaeda's master bomb maker and chemical weapons expert was one of the men killed in last week's U.S. missile attack in eastern Pakistan.
Midhat Mursi, 52, also known as Abu Khabab al-Masri, was identified by Pakistani authorities as one of three known al Qaeda leaders present at an apparent terror summit conference in the village of Damadola.
The United States had posted a $5 million reward for Mursi's capture. He is described by U.S. authorities as the man who ran al Qaeda's infamous Derunta training camp in Afghanistan, where he used dogs and other animals as subjects of experiments with poison and chemicals.
"This is extraordinarily important," said former FBI agent Jack Cloonan, an ABC News consultant, who was the senior agent on the FBI's al Qaeda squad. "He's the man who trained the shoe bomber, Richard Reid and Zacharias Mousssaoui, as well as hundreds of others."
Pakistani authorities tell ABC News they have confirmation that Mursi was among those on the guest list for the late-night meeting. The authorities say al Qaeda's No. 2 man, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was also expected to attend but apparently changed his mind.
Midhat Mursi, 52, also known as Abu Khabab al-Masri, was identified by Pakistani authorities as one of three known al Qaeda leaders present at an apparent terror summit conference in the village of Damadola.
The United States had posted a $5 million reward for Mursi's capture. He is described by U.S. authorities as the man who ran al Qaeda's infamous Derunta training camp in Afghanistan, where he used dogs and other animals as subjects of experiments with poison and chemicals.
"This is extraordinarily important," said former FBI agent Jack Cloonan, an ABC News consultant, who was the senior agent on the FBI's al Qaeda squad. "He's the man who trained the shoe bomber, Richard Reid and Zacharias Mousssaoui, as well as hundreds of others."
Pakistani authorities tell ABC News they have confirmation that Mursi was among those on the guest list for the late-night meeting. The authorities say al Qaeda's No. 2 man, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was also expected to attend but apparently changed his mind.
Quote of the Day
"I know as actors our job is usually to shed our skins, but I think as people our job is to become who we really are, and so I would like to salute the men and women who brave ostracism, alienation and a life lived on the margins to become who they really are." -- Felicity Huffman, who plays a pre-op transsexual in "Transamerica", from her Golden Globe speech earlier this week.
Actually, Felicity, your job as an actor is to pretend to be something your not, to memorize a script, and - ultimately - to help put asses in the seats. That's pretty much it.
Actually, Felicity, your job as an actor is to pretend to be something your not, to memorize a script, and - ultimately - to help put asses in the seats. That's pretty much it.
Skip, Hugs and the Coaching Carousel
Dick Jerardi of the Philadelphia Daily News writes today:
It has been out there for months. And it goes like this. When this season ends, Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser will take over at Cincinnati. Remember, he had great success in Cincy at Xavier and would be a very popular choice. West Virginia coach John Beilein goes to Wake. And West Virginia alum Bob Huggins emerges from his 1-year exile to return to his alma mater.
Andy Kennedy, Cincinnati's interim coach, actually is doing a very nice job. But his team has been destroyed by injuries, so whatever small chance he had of getting the job permanently almost certainly has vanished.
Dustin Dow of the Cincy Enquirer says "not so fast" on the Prosser talk:
Is Skip a strong candidate? Yes. I've gone so far to say that if he wants the job, it's his. But that doesn't mean that Kevin Stallings at Vanderbilt isn't just as strong of a candidate. And as far as I know, he is still a candidate. Remember, Zimpher has ties to Vandy president Gordon Gee from when she and Gee were both at Ohio State. Skip is the one getting all the press, but I put it at dead-even right now between Prosser and Stallings.
It has been out there for months. And it goes like this. When this season ends, Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser will take over at Cincinnati. Remember, he had great success in Cincy at Xavier and would be a very popular choice. West Virginia coach John Beilein goes to Wake. And West Virginia alum Bob Huggins emerges from his 1-year exile to return to his alma mater.
Andy Kennedy, Cincinnati's interim coach, actually is doing a very nice job. But his team has been destroyed by injuries, so whatever small chance he had of getting the job permanently almost certainly has vanished.
Dustin Dow of the Cincy Enquirer says "not so fast" on the Prosser talk:
Is Skip a strong candidate? Yes. I've gone so far to say that if he wants the job, it's his. But that doesn't mean that Kevin Stallings at Vanderbilt isn't just as strong of a candidate. And as far as I know, he is still a candidate. Remember, Zimpher has ties to Vandy president Gordon Gee from when she and Gee were both at Ohio State. Skip is the one getting all the press, but I put it at dead-even right now between Prosser and Stallings.
Where Do They Find These Fools
Paul Hackett, the tough-talking Iraq war veteran seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Ohio, is refusing to back down from an assertion that "the Republican Party has been hijacked by the religious fanatics" who "aren't a whole lot different than Osama bin Laden."
"I said it. I meant it. I stand behind it," Hackett, a Cincinnati attorney, said in a statement issued by his campaign after Ohio Republican Chairman Bob Bennett demanded that Hackett apologize.
It's almost as if the Dems say, "Hey, you know who need to win this election in Ohio, a guy who thinks Christians are suicidal maniacs." Sounds like a winner to me.
"I said it. I meant it. I stand behind it," Hackett, a Cincinnati attorney, said in a statement issued by his campaign after Ohio Republican Chairman Bob Bennett demanded that Hackett apologize.
It's almost as if the Dems say, "Hey, you know who need to win this election in Ohio, a guy who thinks Christians are suicidal maniacs." Sounds like a winner to me.
I Think I'm In Love
Representative John Shadegg in the Wall Street Journal:
Republicans promised the American people two things in 1994. First, we promised to rein in the size and scope of the federal government. Second, we promised to clean up Washington. In recent years, we have fallen short on both counts. Total federal spending has grown by 33% since 1995, in inflation-adjusted dollars. Worse, we have permitted some of the same backroom practices that flourished in the old Democrat-controlled House. Powerful members of Congress are able to insert provisions giving away millions--even tens of millions--of dollars in the dead of night. The recent scandals involving Duke Cunningham and Jack Abramoff have highlighted the problem, but this is not just a case of a few bad apples. The system itself needs structural reforms.
Republicans promised the American people two things in 1994. First, we promised to rein in the size and scope of the federal government. Second, we promised to clean up Washington. In recent years, we have fallen short on both counts. Total federal spending has grown by 33% since 1995, in inflation-adjusted dollars. Worse, we have permitted some of the same backroom practices that flourished in the old Democrat-controlled House. Powerful members of Congress are able to insert provisions giving away millions--even tens of millions--of dollars in the dead of night. The recent scandals involving Duke Cunningham and Jack Abramoff have highlighted the problem, but this is not just a case of a few bad apples. The system itself needs structural reforms.
Do As I Say...
This is enlightening:
For this he went under the knife?
Satellite radio shock jock Howard Stern, whose long face, big nose, pointy chin and tangled curls gave him the perfect face for radio, admitted yesterday that he's had not one, but two plastic-surgery procedures.
I can't tell you how many times I've heard Stern defend his schtick by saying it's "brutally honest" and "truthful" and "raw." He can't say the same about his face. What happened to keepin' it real.
For this he went under the knife?
Satellite radio shock jock Howard Stern, whose long face, big nose, pointy chin and tangled curls gave him the perfect face for radio, admitted yesterday that he's had not one, but two plastic-surgery procedures.
I can't tell you how many times I've heard Stern defend his schtick by saying it's "brutally honest" and "truthful" and "raw." He can't say the same about his face. What happened to keepin' it real.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Uh Oh!
You had to know we weren't going to get through Crosstown Shootout week without some sort of controversy.
Ok, I'm going to make this as lighthearted as possible (because it's not that big of a deal), but the Crosstown Shootout trophy is missing.
The trophy was sponsored by the Enquirer and is supposed to be kept with the winner of the game until the next season.UC claims that Xavier never gave it the trophy after UC won last season. The issue was raised again by UC today. Where's the trophy?
Turns out, Xavier doesn't know. Yes, the Crosstown Shootout trophy is missing (cue dramatic music).
It might not be a real controversy, but darnit, it's better than any material the players have provided us with this week.
Ok, I'm going to make this as lighthearted as possible (because it's not that big of a deal), but the Crosstown Shootout trophy is missing.
The trophy was sponsored by the Enquirer and is supposed to be kept with the winner of the game until the next season.UC claims that Xavier never gave it the trophy after UC won last season. The issue was raised again by UC today. Where's the trophy?
Turns out, Xavier doesn't know. Yes, the Crosstown Shootout trophy is missing (cue dramatic music).
It might not be a real controversy, but darnit, it's better than any material the players have provided us with this week.
The New Al Gore
While we're on the subject of the loyal opposition's wholesale memory failure, perhaps it is worth reviewing Al Gore's support for the practice of "extraordinary rendition" (aggressively anti-rendition Wikipedia entry here). I stumbled across this passage in Richard Clarke's Against All Enemies, published last year in a fairly blatant attempt to compare the Bush administration's anti-terrorism efforts unfavorably with those of Bill Clinton:
Snatches, or more properly "extraordinary renditions," were operations to apprehend terrorists abroad, usually without the knowledge of and almost always without public acknowledgement of the host government.... The first time I proposed a snatch, in 1993, the White House Counsel, Lloyd Cutler, demanded a meeting with the President to explain how it violated international law. Clinton had seemed to be siding with Cutler until Al Gore belatedly joined the meeting, having just flown overnight from South Africa. Clinton recapped the arguments on both sides for Gore: Lloyd says this. Dick says that. Gore laughed and said, "That's a no-brainer. Of course it's a violation of international law, that's why it's a covert action. The guy is a terrorist. Go grab his ass." (pp. 143-144)
This passage is especially interesting in light of Gore's more recent speechifying, in which he specifically denounced rendition. No more "go grab his ass."Al Gore supported rendition before al Qaeda had declared war on the United States and hung its battle flag on the Khobar Towers, the USS Cole, the African embassies, the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, the Bali disco, the Madrid trains, and the United Nations.
But after those defeats, Al Gore changed his mind. Has any reporter for any major news organization bothered to ask Gore to explain his reasoning?
Snatches, or more properly "extraordinary renditions," were operations to apprehend terrorists abroad, usually without the knowledge of and almost always without public acknowledgement of the host government.... The first time I proposed a snatch, in 1993, the White House Counsel, Lloyd Cutler, demanded a meeting with the President to explain how it violated international law. Clinton had seemed to be siding with Cutler until Al Gore belatedly joined the meeting, having just flown overnight from South Africa. Clinton recapped the arguments on both sides for Gore: Lloyd says this. Dick says that. Gore laughed and said, "That's a no-brainer. Of course it's a violation of international law, that's why it's a covert action. The guy is a terrorist. Go grab his ass." (pp. 143-144)
This passage is especially interesting in light of Gore's more recent speechifying, in which he specifically denounced rendition. No more "go grab his ass."Al Gore supported rendition before al Qaeda had declared war on the United States and hung its battle flag on the Khobar Towers, the USS Cole, the African embassies, the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, the Bali disco, the Madrid trains, and the United Nations.
But after those defeats, Al Gore changed his mind. Has any reporter for any major news organization bothered to ask Gore to explain his reasoning?
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