'Valkyrie' is a Joke

I rented 'Valkyrie' because 'Synecdoche, New York' wasn't in stock. Forgive me.

The history behind the whole event interested me enough, but the story didn't make up for the terrible filmmaking. It was kind of like 'The Fellowship of the Rings' as directed by Michael Bay. Yech. How can you take such a beautiful, poignant thriller and dissolve it into such trash?

In fact, the whole movie was presented almost as a joke, a joke without a punchline. Since most people going into this film have an idea that this isn't how Hitler actually dies, they know how the film ends. Just like how everyone knew Obi-Wan couldn't fuck up too much in the Star Wars prequels; no matter what, he'll end up as a hermit on Tatooine. Which is to say, it's boring. With this type of movie, don't focus on plot tension, don't focus on the history so much as the drama, the paranoia and the general emotion of the characters.

Well, maybe that's what you get for hiring Bryan Singer to do the job stiff, dry story-telling and unmemorable dialogue. And placing Tom Cruise in the role of Germany's greatest hero wasn't the wisest choice either.

Despite being generally accurate historically, Valkyrie is an insult to the true conspirators.

Warless

Albert Einstein:
"The pioneers of a warless world are the youth that refuse military service."

I find it fascinating that the most noble and moral people throughout history were also anti-war. Einstein, Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Buddha, Henry David Thoreau, Leo Tolstoy, Lysander Spooner, and of course, Jesus.
They weren't just anti-this war. They were anti-ALL war.

On the other hand, those that most supported war were crooked, wretched men such as Hitler, Stalin, FDR, Bush (senior and junior), Nixon, LBJ, Mao, Castro, Saddam Hussein, Caesar, etc.

Am I missing anyone who was a moral person who supported violence by the state? Anyone who hugged the bomb as well as un-aborted babies? Probably, but they aren't the norm. People who think war is a solution to their nation's problems are evil, evil people.

Now, my point is this: Obama supports war in Pakistan, Darfur and Afghanistan. McCain supports war everywhere.

You really think voting is going to make a difference?

Day Twenty Eight: My List

A friend said he has an addictive personality, and I wondered if I did too. A study by Florida State University, and reported by the New York Times finds that there are several ''significant personality factors'' that can contribute to addiction:

- Impulsive behavior, difficulty in delaying gratification, an antisocial personality and a disposition toward sensation seeking.

- A high value on nonconformity combined with a weak commitment to the goals for achievement valued by the society.

- A sense of social alienation and a general tolerance for deviance.

- A sense of heightened stress. This may help explain why adolescence and other stressful transition periods are often associated with the most severe drug and alcohol problems.

Let me put it in my own way. All I care about anymore is new experiences, new flavors, meeting new people, smelling new blood. A new kind of purity.

I'm not worried or upset and I'm not gonna bat an eye. It's almost as if the study proposes this kind of attitude is a bad thing. I'm happy with who I am. Who knows, maybe I'll even grow out of it. Maybe being me is just a "phase".

I was reading Hitler quotes yesterday. Why not. My favorite quote from him (besides the "kill everybody" one) is "Anyone who sees and paints a sky green and fields blue ought to be sterilized." So if you know me, you know what I did. I painted a landscape according to this color scheme. Many people believe Hitler to be the most evil man in history, and maybe, but doesn't it feel great to break whatever rules he makes. A new kind of purity.

I'm excited for school. Not the school parts tho. Those are far from my mind. I'm excited for all the amazing things I will be doing this year. I'm really happy about it. Nothing's gonna stop me.

I explored a thunderstorm today and met the girl my grandma is trying to hook me up with. We'll be good friends, sure. But nothing more.