This is one of my favorite pieces of art, ever.



Done by the artist known as Banksy on the West Bank barrier.

Is it ludicrous that I've got nothing to believe in that was built by human hands or controlled by demand?

So if love is true, let's burn the factory.

Take off your shoes it's time for dancin'.

I finally had time to talk more with the "friend" mentioned in the previous blog entry. The talk didn't go as well as I wanted it to. In fact, it kind of sickened me.

I explained to him he should put himself in my shoes, to which he replied he didn't care and wouldn't apologize (using less than kind words). I told him to just enjoy the hobby and that I'd see him around. He replied by antagonizing me even further but to no avail. He just doesn't get the point.

my card, my lfe, deal with it

That's what he said to pretty much end the conversation.

--

I'm not disclosing who he is because that's not the point. The point is: people, please remember what the hobby is about and what keeps it going. It's not the high-dollar card, it's not the low-numbered parallel and it's not how much money you spend on your collection — it's generosity without question that makes card collecting one of the best hobbies.

A while back I helped a "friend" buy a "white whale," a "permanent PC item," a "dream card." He didn't have enough money so I covered what he didn't have and didn't ask for a cent back.

Today I learned that "friend" traded it. How did I find out? He linked me to the transaction and left the following smilie —

It hit me like a closed fist. It's not because I spent money I didn't really have on him, but because he thanked me up and down, and swore he appreciated it and would never let go of it.

What are friends for, huh?

Well, the news is out — a remake of the 1985 classic "Teen Wolf" is in the works. And guess who's starring in it? None other than the Man (Teen?) of Steel Tom Welling.

The movie is barely 20 years old. Seriously. What next, a remake of "The Breakfast Club"?

I'm not going to be sinking my teeth into that when it comes out (lols).

I don't know what took me so long to pick up this album, but it's probably the most amazing punk album I've heard since The Descendents released "Everything Sux" in 1996.

If you're into punk rock, check out the following...

Smoke or Fire — This Sinking Ship


Some sample lyrics...

The upper class, the middle class, the lower,
We're all one of the three.
It's true there is a color divide,
It's not black or white, it's green.
One nation of division and conformity,
Divided we stand, united we'll fall.
So where's this land of equal opportunity?
Divided we stand, United we'll fall.
As you walk along on stolen ground, ignoring poverty,
Remember anyone becomes a criminal
When you leave them starving.

Bang. Bang.
It's sex and violence on the television.
Give us all a cultural distraction or the cure.
Who's strong. Who's fast, who's in the game.
We've made our lives a competition,
and we all should be ashamed.
On the couch into the window of the world.
Who cares who ends up hurt,
as long as we're all entertained.
Who to be, what to eat, what to wear.
How would we make decisions
if the TV wasn't there?
We are laughing at each other.
Are we so insecure?

It's not every week a jaw-dropping action movie hits theaters. Let's face it — action movies of late have been drowning in monotony and rarely do we see any originality on the big screen. Frank Miller's graphic novel, "300," recently went to film, and, while it's not entirely original, it's the closest moviegoers can get today.

"300" is the tale about the Battle of Thermopylae, where 300 Spartans fended off thousands of Persian warriors during the Greco-Persian War. King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) leads his best troops into battle, going against the wishes of Sparta's councilmen and oracle. While Leonidas is away, his wife, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey), does her best to persuade the council into sending the rest of Sparta’s army to aid in the fight.

And, without spoiling the goods, just know everything in between and thereafter is non-stop action. Not meaningless action, but head-rolling, gut-checking and comic book-approved action, as waves of Xerxes I the Great’s (Rodrigo Santoro) troops get cut down (or thrown off cliffs) as they attempt to make their way into Sparta. The only problem is, the only road large enough for the Persian army is being conveniently blocked by Leonidas' men.

What has worked for large-scale war movies in the past works for "300" — computer graphics, slow-mo action shots, in-your-face intensity, and strong music and sound effects. The scenery and hordes of soldiers look great, even if it is all computer-generated. The movie looks astounding and has its own unique atmosphere, much like Miller’s comics do (just like "Sin City"). The film's score is appealing, and the clanging of swords and shields sounds like it's happening around you.

Another great aspect of the film is the fact it was adapted from a graphic novel, so the subtle differences and additions only add to the story's already-established flair. Introduced are intimidating and frightening villains like an executioner with blades for arms and a Frankenstein-like monster who has to be brought chained into battle, for his captors' safety. Throw-ins like that make the movie more enjoyable because it makes it different.

The film's historical accuracy is pretty good. Of course, Miller took liberties with the story to make it graphic novel-appropriate, but the core of the story is there. It's kind of difficult, though, to be inaccurate when 90 minutes of the film is non-stop battle. There are some slight differences to the story — they left out the fact nearly 700 Thespian and 6,000 other Greek-allied troops helped the Spartans, though those numbers sank to 1,000 after the third day of battle.

A neat aspect of the film is the historical quotes used throughout. When Queen Gorgo is watching Leonidas march off to battle, she tells him "On it or with it," referring to his shield, which is something Spartan mothers would tell their sons when they went off to become warriors at the age of seven. Another memorable quote is when, in the film, the Spartan Stelios says "Then we will fight in the shade," in response to a Persian telling him Persian arrows will block out the sun. Although the line was really spoken by Dienekes, the impact it has had in history, and the fact that is paid regards to in the film, is estimable.

Overall, Miller's on-screen version of the Battle of Thermopylae is an exciting one, despite one drawback — Director Zack Snyder's overuse of slowed down action shots, the kind "The Matrix" made famous. While good in moderation, the nausea-inducing art direction became boring after the first 30 minutes of battle, but, thankfully, didn't completely distract from the action itself.

What might seem trite and boring to some will be fresh and exciting to others. "300" is worth checking out, even if you think the whole large-scale war idea is played out.

Rating: B+

Situational comedy with meaning is a rare thing these days. In 2006, Sacha Cohen decided to delve back into what it means to be comical and released (take a deep breath) "Borat — Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan." Now the film, with a handful of extras, is out on DVD.

To explain what most everyone already knows, "Borat" is the story of a Kazakh reporter, Borat, who travels to America in order to make a documentary film. While in the states, Borat and his producer, Azamat, visit a southern rodeo where they meet a homophobic redneck, learn how to wine and dine with high society, have a chat with feminazis, gets drunk with racist frat boys and attempts to meet Pamela Anderson. All of that, and more, in a nearly 90-minute span.

With the movie, Cohen pokes fun at the various facets of American culture. How he does it, however, is the comical genius — he acts like an outsider attempting to look in, and with that comes a hilarity rarely seen in modern films. While paying homage to comedic paragons, Cohen paints an alluring picture of our multicultural society, which forces us to think, "Do we really act that way?"

Does the DVD offer anything truly significant to the "Borat" experience? Not really, and that's where the disappointment sets in.

First, the good things about the DVD. Starting with the basics, the picture and sound quality are pretty vivid. Borat looks extra flamboyant in his trademark green thonged wetsuit, and the grunts, growls and cursing during Borat's totally-nude struggle with Azamat sound livelier than ever.

The extras themselves, albeit a handful, are funny. There's a newscast of the rodeo coverage, a Kazakhstan "Bay Watch" spoof, a movie promotion featurette and some deleted scenes.

The "Bay Watch" parody is the funniest thing the extras have to offer. Imagine Borat wearing a one piece while running on a beach. Now picture a hairy, 300-pound Azamat doing the same while wearing the same. Throw in some classic "Bay Watch" references and more characters from the movie and you'll find yourself rolling with laughter.

The movie promotion featurette is just a compilation of all the promotional stops Cohen made to promote his movie. He stops at the Cannes Film Festival, a comic book convention (where he makes women laugh by making fun of them) and a couple late night talk shows, one of which Borat thanks Jay Leno for allowing him to bed Martha Stewart on his show.

No doubt funny, but the meat on the DVD's bones was kind of dry when it came to the deleted scenes. Watching them, it's easy to see why they weren't left in the film — they simply don't add to the strong social commentary Cohen fashioned. In a sense, they were pointless, but still fun to watch (kind of like some Eddie Murphy movies).

What I was hoping for I didn't get — funny audio commentary from Borat and Azamat, some making-of featurettes and the like. Nearly every DVD produced since the birth of the DVD has had audio commentary, and most of it is painfully boring. Some Borat commentary would have been appreciated, as it would have added some spice to the traditional recipe.

Alas, you get what you pay for: a funny movie with a modest side dish of extras. Is "Borat" worth the $20 price tag? Sure thing, but keep both eyes open for a (hopefully with more features) special edition in the future.

Rating: 3.5/5

I don't think it is, but these philosophers I'm studying certainly do.

One of them, Peter Singer, makes a sound case for why we shouldn't eat animals or even kill them. He claims that we should first break down what it means that all men are created equal. He asks us to question the validity of that statement — mentally-handicapped people are less capable at certain things than non-mentally-handicapped people; those who are paralyzed are less capable at things than those who aren't; men are better at math and science than women; men are faster than women, etc. (These statements are made not on particular cases, but on an average.)

Singer then asks us to consider animals — he claims an adult dog has a one-up on an infant human. So, even though we walk on two legs and some animals walk on four or have scales, doesn't mean we should participate in 'specieism.'

Singer then goes on to detail why we shouldn't eat meat. It comes down to a simple explanation — animals can suffer because they can feel pain and pleasure, thus, they're like humans. Humans are smart enough to know what's painful and pleasurable, and can avoid pain and strive for pleasure. Animals can do the same (if you have a dog, think about it.)

He argues that humans only eat meat because of the taste, which isn't a necessity to live. He says we're only trying to appeal to our palate when, in fact, we can get the same nutrients from vegetables, soy beans, etc. Furthermore, Singer also says we shouldn't kill or eat animals because of the conditions in which they are bred. If we want cheap meat, farmers need to cut costs on land, housing and the like. The more cows we can fit into a cramped space, the less expensive meat becomes.

And that's why we shouldn't kill or eat animals, according to Singer.

Interesting, but I love medium-rare moomoos too much. Sorry, Singer.

Know what I'm tired of? This —

Topic creator: "Thanks for watching my break! I'm pleased with the results!"

Other poster: "LMK what you want for the (card)"

And that's it. Why not comment on the break? Why not send a PM? Why not show some courtesy*?

*A term used quite a bit lately

And I'll begin keeping record of whichever I find: