The reviews for this movie were terrible. Lots of bad mouthing Crowe as being bad at comedy. They complained about some technical stuff, lighting, etc.
The movie was directed by Ridley Scott. (The Gladiator, Aliens, Black Hawk Down) Obviously a romantic comedy is a significant move ffom action adventure.
Well, I have seen it. And...I love it. Crowe is very funny. Lots of physical comedy but not so much that it is campy. The other characters are cast perfectly. Jemma, played by Archie Panjabi is wonderful. Marion Cotillard, the love interest Fanny Channel, is one of the most attractive women I have ever seen. She does a good job. But she could have done a horrible job and I would not have noticed.
As for what ever technical problems there were... well I noticed nothing. Movies aren't made for critics to pick about the details. They are made for the every-man. Is a layman can't find the problem...it doesn't exist.
Crowe's accent is supposed to be English. It does fluctuate. But if I can stomach an Irish Brad Pitt or an American Colin Ferrel I can certainly give Crowe some latitude.
Movie is set in Provence, France. I am in love with Provence and I have never been there. So the movie does accomplish that. The house and grounds where 90% of the movie takes place is lovely.
Lastly the music/score/soundtrack is fantastic. I will probably buy it.
It is a great movie. To hell with the reviews from "professionals".
B.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Friday, March 30, 2007
The Brits Turn to the UN for help in Iran... What they can expect.
Watered down, ambiguous, face-saving (for Iran) rhetoric that in no way positively influences the out come.
Asking the Security Council to intervene in a matter that is time sensitive is like asking a NYC cab driver to take you to Dublin Ireland. First of all it would take a long time and second and most importantly the vehicle is not designed for that purpose and there is zero chance of success when employed for that purpose. The UNSC is not designed for hostage negotiation. Anytime the Security Council gets bogged down in minutia it fails. Why? It is toothless. There is no real enforcement mechanism. Iran only recognizes the UN when it is to its benefit. Just like every other nation in the world.
The UN has only one weapon. The appearance of authority. If the issue is too large or complicated nations can move around and in between that authority. Or if the issue is to small and complicated it can move in spite of it. (as this one is)
If the UNSC could act quickly and unambiguously it could have some say in this matter. But it has done neither to date. In fact, in the statement that the UN has made about the matter it has chosen the words "grave concern" instead of the Brit suggested "deplore".
I think those poor sailors and marines are in for a long ride in Tehran. The Brits won't go in and get them. (which I kind of wish they would, but again, the "media" would show any casualty as a failure.) The Iranians have NO incentive that I can think of to cooperate. Ahmahdinejad is the media darling. His absence in this matter has been noted. The one thing that has gone right is that the US has stayed OUT of this in terms of any public influence.
Asking the Security Council to intervene in a matter that is time sensitive is like asking a NYC cab driver to take you to Dublin Ireland. First of all it would take a long time and second and most importantly the vehicle is not designed for that purpose and there is zero chance of success when employed for that purpose. The UNSC is not designed for hostage negotiation. Anytime the Security Council gets bogged down in minutia it fails. Why? It is toothless. There is no real enforcement mechanism. Iran only recognizes the UN when it is to its benefit. Just like every other nation in the world.
The UN has only one weapon. The appearance of authority. If the issue is too large or complicated nations can move around and in between that authority. Or if the issue is to small and complicated it can move in spite of it. (as this one is)
If the UNSC could act quickly and unambiguously it could have some say in this matter. But it has done neither to date. In fact, in the statement that the UN has made about the matter it has chosen the words "grave concern" instead of the Brit suggested "deplore".
I think those poor sailors and marines are in for a long ride in Tehran. The Brits won't go in and get them. (which I kind of wish they would, but again, the "media" would show any casualty as a failure.) The Iranians have NO incentive that I can think of to cooperate. Ahmahdinejad is the media darling. His absence in this matter has been noted. The one thing that has gone right is that the US has stayed OUT of this in terms of any public influence.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Aretha Franklin !!!! Nessun Dorma !!!
If anyone knows where I can get a good copy of this please let me know!
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
A dream come true!
Last Sunday I did something that most people only get to dream about at 34 years old. I played in a football game. Most of us leave that behind in high school never to return. A very lucky few go on to play college. I am currently a student in Dublin Ireland. As such I participate in Irish American Football League team the Dublin City University Saints as a defensive guard. I also am the line coach for offense and defense.
In the beginning my ankles were (and to some extent still are) very angry with for attempting football after 15 years off. But through a little conditioning and a lot of ankle wrap I am able to play. There are a few other Americans on the team but most are Irish. We even have a Czech player, a German, a Scotsman and a Hollander. W
e 
are the UN of footba
ll!
In the beginning my ankles were (and to some extent still are) very angry with for attempting football after 15 years off. But through a little conditioning and a lot of ankle wrap I am able to play. There are a few other Americans on the team but most are Irish. We even have a Czech player, a German, a Scotsman and a Hollander. W
e 
are the UN of footba
ll!
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Evolution
Humans originally existed as members of small bands of nomadic
hunters/gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer
and would go to the coast and live on fish and lobster in the winter.
The two most important events in all of history were the invention of beer
and the invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the
beer. These were the foundation of modern civilization and together were
the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into two distinct subgroups:
1. Liberals; and
2. Conservatives.
Once beer was discovered, it required grain and that was the beginning of
agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet,
so while our early humans were sitting around waiting for them to be
invented,
they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.
Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to B-B-Q at night
while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as
the Conservative movement.
Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting learned to live off
the conservatives by showing up for the nightly B-B-Q's and doing the
sewing, fetching, and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the Liberal
movement.
Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. The rest became
known as girliemen.
Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the
invention of group therapy, group hugs, and the concept of Democratic
voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that conservatives
provided.
Over the years conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most
powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized by the
jackass.
Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white
wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well
done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare.
Another interesting evolutionary side note: most of their women have higher
testosterone levels than their men. Most social workers, personal injury
attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists are
liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't
fair to make the pitcher also bat.
Conservatives drink domestic beer. They eat red meat and still provide for
their women. Conservatives are big-game hunters, rodeo cowboys,
lumberjacks, executives, athletes, Marines, and generally anyone who works
productively.
Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work
for a living.
Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to govern the producers and
decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more
enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in
Europe when conservatives were coming to America. They crept in after the
Wild West was tamed and created a business of trying to get more for
nothing.
Here ends today's lesson in world history: It should be noted that a
Liberal may have a momentary urge to angrily respond to the above before
forwarding
it. A Conservative will simply laugh and be so convinced of the absolute
truth of this history that it will be forwarded immediately to other true
believers and to more liberals just to tick them off.
hunters/gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer
and would go to the coast and live on fish and lobster in the winter.
The two most important events in all of history were the invention of beer
and the invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the
beer. These were the foundation of modern civilization and together were
the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into two distinct subgroups:
1. Liberals; and
2. Conservatives.
Once beer was discovered, it required grain and that was the beginning of
agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet,
so while our early humans were sitting around waiting for them to be
invented,
they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.
Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to B-B-Q at night
while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as
the Conservative movement.
Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting learned to live off
the conservatives by showing up for the nightly B-B-Q's and doing the
sewing, fetching, and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the Liberal
movement.
Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. The rest became
known as girliemen.
Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the
invention of group therapy, group hugs, and the concept of Democratic
voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that conservatives
provided.
Over the years conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most
powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized by the
jackass.
Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white
wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well
done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare.
Another interesting evolutionary side note: most of their women have higher
testosterone levels than their men. Most social workers, personal injury
attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists are
liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't
fair to make the pitcher also bat.
Conservatives drink domestic beer. They eat red meat and still provide for
their women. Conservatives are big-game hunters, rodeo cowboys,
lumberjacks, executives, athletes, Marines, and generally anyone who works
productively.
Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work
for a living.
Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to govern the producers and
decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more
enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in
Europe when conservatives were coming to America. They crept in after the
Wild West was tamed and created a business of trying to get more for
nothing.
Here ends today's lesson in world history: It should be noted that a
Liberal may have a momentary urge to angrily respond to the above before
forwarding
it. A Conservative will simply laugh and be so convinced of the absolute
truth of this history that it will be forwarded immediately to other true
believers and to more liberals just to tick them off.
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