If forced to choose, would you be a Blood or a Crip and why?
If you could be any sitcom character from the 80's till now, who would you
be and why?
Who was your favorite and least favorite Saved by the Bell characters and
why? (Miss Bliss and College Years included)
If you could be any character from the OC, Melrose Place or Beverly Hills
90210 who would you be and why?
If there could be only one breakfast cereal served in the world, what would
you want it to be?
If you could have one and only one fast food meal (3 items + drink) what
would it be?
If you could have a gourmet meal featuring one ingredient for an appetizer,
one for a main course, and one for a dessert, what would they be?
If you could be any world leader throughout history, who would it be and why?
If you could be any sports star of all-time, who would you be and why?
Would you rather be able to become invisible at will or walk at 100 mph?
What movie do you like better - Reality Bites or Singles?
What is your favorite trilogy (or beyond) and why?
Do you think Keanu Reeves is a good actor? If so, please list three good
acting performances of his.
Biggie or Tupac? Is either one still really alive? If so, which one?
Lindsay Lohan or Hillary Duff?
Coke or Pepsi?
Who do you think killed Kennedy and why?
Fritos or Cheetos?
If you opened a restaurant with your name as the name, what kind of food
would it serve?
Serena or Venus?
If you could: A: pick any 3 people every to smoke a joint with or B: pick
any 3 people to play a round of golf with or C: pick any 3 people to go to
dinner with - which would you pick, who would you pick and why?
Coke or Pepsi?
If you could be either: chief justice of the Supreme Court, Head of the FBI,
or a Judge on American Idol, which would you be and why?
Seinfeld or Friends?
What do you think is the most overrated TV show of your lifetime and why?
If you could pick any 25 yr period in American history (1775-1800,
1801-1825, etc) to live in, what would it be and why?
Nirvana or Pearl Jam?
Is France a bad country or just full of bad people?
Pacino or Deniro?
If you could only have two food groups, what would they be and why?
Would you rather have a 200 acre estate in some rural area of the west or a 2000 sq ft apt off Gramercy Park?
Porterhouse, Strip or Filet?
If you could be any TV show character of the last 25 years who would you be
and why?
Sean Penn or Johnny Depp?
Have you watched Arrested Development? If not, why??
If you could be a contestant on any reality show which one would it be and
why?
Thin crust or deep dish?
If you could have a job as a taste tester for any one type of food (make
your own parameters here) what type would it be and why?
Bo or Carrie?
Favorite item to throw on the grill?
Star Wars or Lord of the Rings?
If you could be any dictator of all time, who would you be and why?
Atlantic or Pacific?
Favorite company or brand? Most hated company or brand?
Greek salad or Caesar salad?
What is the most underrated music trend/phase/fad of the last 25 years?
Who do you think the next celebrity to hold a major elected office will be
and why?
Maxim or FHM?
Would you rather own a helicopter or a yacht (both come with crew)?
Rambo or Predator?
Would you rather direct or star in a movie if given the chance?
Britney or Christina?
What is your favorite movie that you think nobody knows about?
Cracked crab or lobster?
Does it bother you that Spring and Fall no longer exist? Why or why not?
Road Trip or Old School?
If you could create your own reality show, what would it be about and
what would the name be?
Spain or Italy?
Batman or Superman?
If you could run any company, what company would it be?
If you were stranded on a desert island with only one band or artist's
music to listen to, who would it be?
Have you ever seen the HBO movie Blown Away? If so, any comments?
Vanilla or Chocolate?
What will happen first: Britney Spears goes into porn or the Olsen twins
pose for Playboy?
American League or National League?
If you could play the role of any movie character in your everyday life,
who would it be and why?
Burger King or McDonalds? or Wendy's?
In 20 words or less, tell me why you should be our next Supreme Court
Justice.
Law and Order or CSI?
Would you rather have every Monday off or every Friday off?
Tom Cruise - alien or human?
If you could go live and work in any city in the world for two years
where would it be and what would you do?
Soft tacos or hard shell tacos?
Most effective hangover meal/remedy?.
Better president - Kevin Kline, Michael Douglas or Jeff Bridges?
Better Batman - Christian Bale, Michael Keaton or Val Kilmer?
Nike or Adidas?
Favorite Atlantic Ocean beach - or if you prefer, favorite Pacific Ocean
beach?
Simpsons or Family Guy?
What book have you read that you feel would make a great movie, but it
hasn't been done yet?
Live 8 or 5 Alive?
What was the bigger cultural phenomenon - the walkman or the ipod?
Monday, November 26, 2007
An Academy Awards Running Diary - Feb 2007
Thoughts while watching the 79th Academy Awards – aka - The Oscars aka - The Most Boring 3+ Hours on Television:
• So let me get this straight - there are TWO awards for short films, but there is no category for best comedy?
• Ellen is the host of this show, is that necessary? Was Billy Crystal busy? Did they even call? I don’t think they called. He would be here. This isn’t Lifetime.
o At least she dressed up. Like a man in the late 70’s going to either a wedding or the disco.
• Best sound editing? Wouldn’t this be covered at the technical awards? Did we pull this one out because it was more exciting? I’m pretty sure we will be glad they made time for this when Peter O’ Toole is fast asleep when his category comes up in two hours.
• Why don’t they have a category for Best New Actor? Best New Director?
• You get the feeling the people that make and star in movies are very proud of themselves. Very. Basically a room full of people who clap for one another for one reason – the hope that those people will be clapping for them sometime soon. Essentially a very large mutual masturbation event, in formalwear.
• I would never have thought the documentary that bashed the President and championed a liberal cause would win the Oscar. Hollywood usually doesn’t show any political affiliation. The movie must be very unbiased and factually based.
• I think its natural to be confused when you first hear Forrest Whitaker associated with the words the ‘Last King of Scotland.’ It requires explanation.
• Couldn’t they get Al Gore the next neck size up? Do we really need to see that much neck blubber?
• Remember when Cameron Diaz was hot?
• Introducing Ben Affleck as an Academy Award winning screenwriter is like introducing Brady Anderson as 50 HR hitter – it may legitimize him, but it brings down everyone else who has ever accomplished such a thing.
• Did you know that the 2020 version of Kevin Smith wrote the Departed? Me neither.
• A ticker that explained this rivalry (infighting? exclusion?) amongst the 5 producers of the Departed would be helpful.
• Remember when the Oscars didn’t really really suck?
• The Wes Anderson Amex commercial is great. It should be on all the time.
• At this point, I’m starting to think some of these events – the Oscars, Grammy’s, NBA All-Star game – continue to exist solely for the surrounding events and parties – and the event itself just goes through the motions. Who really cares at this point? Is anyone even paying attention to who wins?
• Hearing Clint Eastwood slip and call Ellen ‘young man’ would have been the greatest 5 seconds in the history of live television.
• Right, the American guy with no accent has a chance for best cinematographer.
o What percentage of the viewing audience could even slightly explain what a cinematographer does? 2%? .5%?
o I have no idea what movie this guy cinematographed. And I have no idea if that’s a word. I thought Borat was really good. At least it got nominated for one thing.
• Robert Downey Jr had the best line of the night. Might have been worth the price of admission.
• Are you allowed to have beverages in the audience? Like a discreet water bottle or fountain soda? Perhaps a small bottle of whiskey?
o Do you think any side betting takes place on the awards? Rich bored celebrities sitting around, these people gamble on this, right?
• Again: Visual Effects = Technical Award.
• What about ‘Best Breakout Performance’ or ‘Best Comedic Role by a Dramatic Actor’ and the converse ‘Best Dramatic Performance by a traditionally Comedic Actor;?’ This wouldn’t be more interesting? Maybe its just me.
• Can we get subtitles when they are showing the Kung Fu category? Thank you.
• What about a ticker or graphic tag that tells us who is presenting, what category, nominees, whatever? At least we could feel like something is actually being accomplished.
• Lets give a standing ovation for global warming!!! While they pat themselves on the back, I’m going to go find my shovel and snow boots.
• Hey Al Gore – you can’t be President, but you can touch my Oscar.
o Go ahead, announce you are running. Ppplease. If you couldn’t win on the coattails of the most popular Democratic president ever, you don’t have a chance with that same guy officially against you. Did I mention you couldn’t even win your home state in that election? Warrants mentioning.
• You know what I would be impressed by? If Clint announced he was running for President. Eastwood/Ford (Harrison). You wouldn’t vote for those guys?
• Again, some sort of subtitle or ticker would help me a lot right now. If I have to listen to Clint mumble some kind of intro to find out what is going on, this really isn’t going to work.
• Did we not know he was going to do his speech in Italian? Is there one person in the audience who has a clue what he is talking about? Is Clint making this up? He is clearly making this up. Good ad-lib.
• Is there a reason people aren’t just politely clapping? Did this guy do bad things to young people like Roman Pulanski? Wait, they love Roman Pulanski. That was just weird. I’d like a translation of what he said, there’s more to this.
• I think I could score a film and it wouldn’t come off half bad. I mean, this is far from rocket science. Dramatic music! Lower, lower, hold it, Suspense music! They should have a reality show for this.
• Remember when people used to do their acceptance speeches in English. Dios mio.
• Maybe the problem, at least for me, this year, is that these movies don’t seem to have the impact and staying power of recent years. That and I haven’t seen half of them. Plus I think Helen Mirren and Judy Dench are the same person – why is only one there? Hmmm.
• Whoever stole Kirsten Dunst’s breasts from Spiderman, please give them back to her. Now.
• Jennifer Hudson is one more dip away from a wardrobe malfunction. In more important news, Beyonce is smoking hot. Wow.
• We are at the 3 hour mark, and by my count, 2 awards that I care about have been given out. I think this is the Academy’s way of thumbing its nose at the East Coast.
• I do not want to know what Ellen was doing behind the curtain during that performance.
• A lesbian kiss! I had no idea they would give more awards to the Global Warming movie. Blindly getting behind a cause with no solution to lead the way – isn’t that what America is really all about?
• Would be nice if they showed the Wes Anderson commercial again. Its better than everything I’ve seen besides Seinfeld, Robert Downey Jr and Beyonce so far.
• ABC is lucky the biggest show on Sunday nights is their own show, or half the audience would have turned away to watch Gray’s. Come to think of it, 20% of the people watching tuned in for Gray’s Anatomy and realized the Oscars were on and they might as well watch.
• I’m pretty sure Hilary Clinton is responsible for choosing Ellen’s outfits tonight.
• Highlight of the night – hearing off mic Spielberg say Mazel Tov to Marty.
• At least the right guy and the right movie won. Amen.
• So let me get this straight - there are TWO awards for short films, but there is no category for best comedy?
• Ellen is the host of this show, is that necessary? Was Billy Crystal busy? Did they even call? I don’t think they called. He would be here. This isn’t Lifetime.
o At least she dressed up. Like a man in the late 70’s going to either a wedding or the disco.
• Best sound editing? Wouldn’t this be covered at the technical awards? Did we pull this one out because it was more exciting? I’m pretty sure we will be glad they made time for this when Peter O’ Toole is fast asleep when his category comes up in two hours.
• Why don’t they have a category for Best New Actor? Best New Director?
• You get the feeling the people that make and star in movies are very proud of themselves. Very. Basically a room full of people who clap for one another for one reason – the hope that those people will be clapping for them sometime soon. Essentially a very large mutual masturbation event, in formalwear.
• I would never have thought the documentary that bashed the President and championed a liberal cause would win the Oscar. Hollywood usually doesn’t show any political affiliation. The movie must be very unbiased and factually based.
• I think its natural to be confused when you first hear Forrest Whitaker associated with the words the ‘Last King of Scotland.’ It requires explanation.
• Couldn’t they get Al Gore the next neck size up? Do we really need to see that much neck blubber?
• Remember when Cameron Diaz was hot?
• Introducing Ben Affleck as an Academy Award winning screenwriter is like introducing Brady Anderson as 50 HR hitter – it may legitimize him, but it brings down everyone else who has ever accomplished such a thing.
• Did you know that the 2020 version of Kevin Smith wrote the Departed? Me neither.
• A ticker that explained this rivalry (infighting? exclusion?) amongst the 5 producers of the Departed would be helpful.
• Remember when the Oscars didn’t really really suck?
• The Wes Anderson Amex commercial is great. It should be on all the time.
• At this point, I’m starting to think some of these events – the Oscars, Grammy’s, NBA All-Star game – continue to exist solely for the surrounding events and parties – and the event itself just goes through the motions. Who really cares at this point? Is anyone even paying attention to who wins?
• Hearing Clint Eastwood slip and call Ellen ‘young man’ would have been the greatest 5 seconds in the history of live television.
• Right, the American guy with no accent has a chance for best cinematographer.
o What percentage of the viewing audience could even slightly explain what a cinematographer does? 2%? .5%?
o I have no idea what movie this guy cinematographed. And I have no idea if that’s a word. I thought Borat was really good. At least it got nominated for one thing.
• Robert Downey Jr had the best line of the night. Might have been worth the price of admission.
• Are you allowed to have beverages in the audience? Like a discreet water bottle or fountain soda? Perhaps a small bottle of whiskey?
o Do you think any side betting takes place on the awards? Rich bored celebrities sitting around, these people gamble on this, right?
• Again: Visual Effects = Technical Award.
• What about ‘Best Breakout Performance’ or ‘Best Comedic Role by a Dramatic Actor’ and the converse ‘Best Dramatic Performance by a traditionally Comedic Actor;?’ This wouldn’t be more interesting? Maybe its just me.
• Can we get subtitles when they are showing the Kung Fu category? Thank you.
• What about a ticker or graphic tag that tells us who is presenting, what category, nominees, whatever? At least we could feel like something is actually being accomplished.
• Lets give a standing ovation for global warming!!! While they pat themselves on the back, I’m going to go find my shovel and snow boots.
• Hey Al Gore – you can’t be President, but you can touch my Oscar.
o Go ahead, announce you are running. Ppplease. If you couldn’t win on the coattails of the most popular Democratic president ever, you don’t have a chance with that same guy officially against you. Did I mention you couldn’t even win your home state in that election? Warrants mentioning.
• You know what I would be impressed by? If Clint announced he was running for President. Eastwood/Ford (Harrison). You wouldn’t vote for those guys?
• Again, some sort of subtitle or ticker would help me a lot right now. If I have to listen to Clint mumble some kind of intro to find out what is going on, this really isn’t going to work.
• Did we not know he was going to do his speech in Italian? Is there one person in the audience who has a clue what he is talking about? Is Clint making this up? He is clearly making this up. Good ad-lib.
• Is there a reason people aren’t just politely clapping? Did this guy do bad things to young people like Roman Pulanski? Wait, they love Roman Pulanski. That was just weird. I’d like a translation of what he said, there’s more to this.
• I think I could score a film and it wouldn’t come off half bad. I mean, this is far from rocket science. Dramatic music! Lower, lower, hold it, Suspense music! They should have a reality show for this.
• Remember when people used to do their acceptance speeches in English. Dios mio.
• Maybe the problem, at least for me, this year, is that these movies don’t seem to have the impact and staying power of recent years. That and I haven’t seen half of them. Plus I think Helen Mirren and Judy Dench are the same person – why is only one there? Hmmm.
• Whoever stole Kirsten Dunst’s breasts from Spiderman, please give them back to her. Now.
• Jennifer Hudson is one more dip away from a wardrobe malfunction. In more important news, Beyonce is smoking hot. Wow.
• We are at the 3 hour mark, and by my count, 2 awards that I care about have been given out. I think this is the Academy’s way of thumbing its nose at the East Coast.
• I do not want to know what Ellen was doing behind the curtain during that performance.
• A lesbian kiss! I had no idea they would give more awards to the Global Warming movie. Blindly getting behind a cause with no solution to lead the way – isn’t that what America is really all about?
• Would be nice if they showed the Wes Anderson commercial again. Its better than everything I’ve seen besides Seinfeld, Robert Downey Jr and Beyonce so far.
• ABC is lucky the biggest show on Sunday nights is their own show, or half the audience would have turned away to watch Gray’s. Come to think of it, 20% of the people watching tuned in for Gray’s Anatomy and realized the Oscars were on and they might as well watch.
• I’m pretty sure Hilary Clinton is responsible for choosing Ellen’s outfits tonight.
• Highlight of the night – hearing off mic Spielberg say Mazel Tov to Marty.
• At least the right guy and the right movie won. Amen.
An Ode to my Favorite Beach Boys Song
Low Riding G (a Hip-Hop Ode to ‘Sloop John B’ by the Beach Boys)
We roll into brick city,
my boys, Teisha and me,
puffing mad blunts as we drove,
drinking Old E,
had to pull out my piece,
this blocks all shot up,
we better roll out
So roll up dem windows yo,
turn up the music loud,
hit up Lil D on the skytel,
rollin on out, rollin on out,
we best roll on out,
this blocks all shot up,
we gotta roll out
some hata’s (haters) got all wack,
my 9 went clack clack clack,
5-0 came in to take us away,
whitey cop pig, why don’t you leave us alone,
this blocks all shot up, we gotta roll out
So roll up dem windows yo,
turn up the music loud,
hit up Lil D on the skytel,
rollin on out, rollin on out,
so roll up dem windows yo,
we best roll on out,
this blocks all shot up,
we gotta roll out
Teisha she got picked up,
but she ain’t spilling shit,
a good ghetto ho she knows whats good,
rollin on out,
we best be rollin on out,
this hood so fucked up, we gotta bust out
So roll up dem windows yo,
turn up the music loud,
hit up Lil D on the skytel,
rollin on out, rollin on out,
this blocks all shot up,
we gotta roll out
We roll into brick city,
my boys, Teisha and me,
puffing mad blunts as we drove,
drinking Old E,
had to pull out my piece,
this blocks all shot up,
we better roll out
So roll up dem windows yo,
turn up the music loud,
hit up Lil D on the skytel,
rollin on out, rollin on out,
we best roll on out,
this blocks all shot up,
we gotta roll out
some hata’s (haters) got all wack,
my 9 went clack clack clack,
5-0 came in to take us away,
whitey cop pig, why don’t you leave us alone,
this blocks all shot up, we gotta roll out
So roll up dem windows yo,
turn up the music loud,
hit up Lil D on the skytel,
rollin on out, rollin on out,
so roll up dem windows yo,
we best roll on out,
this blocks all shot up,
we gotta roll out
Teisha she got picked up,
but she ain’t spilling shit,
a good ghetto ho she knows whats good,
rollin on out,
we best be rollin on out,
this hood so fucked up, we gotta bust out
So roll up dem windows yo,
turn up the music loud,
hit up Lil D on the skytel,
rollin on out, rollin on out,
this blocks all shot up,
we gotta roll out
The Middle Beast - Mitchell on World Affairs
State sponsored terrorism is the worst threat to the safety and freedom of the American way of life. Israel’s safety and sovereignty is essential to American freedom and the prospect of democracy one day engulfing the Middle East.
Groups like Hizbollah and Hamas have been clearly proven to survive based on the support of other sovereign nations. The presence of Hizbollah in Lebanon, and their de facto control of southern Lebanon is a direct consequence of Syria’s strong support for the organization. Syria is also an avid supporter of Hamas, giving them both money and weapons to serve as their proxy in the fight against Israel. People, specifically those associated with the United Nations and the anti-Bush faction, constantly point to diplomacy as the way out of crisis in the Middle East. Last time I checked, Hizbollah didn’t send an envoy carrying a letter voicing disapproval over Israel’s northern border. They sent militants to kill and kidnap Israeli soldiers in an unprovoked action intended to cause unrest. The Palestinian and Syrian based terror organizations have longed used these tactics to elicit what the media likes to call a ‘disproportionate response from Israel.’ The reality is, the nature of war in conflict is just that. The actions of the Japanese at Pearl Harbor, a major action at its time, was dwarfed so significantly by the ensuing American military activity in the Pacific that there was no longer any ‘response equivalency.’
When those with obviously hostile intentions assault the sovereignty of your nation, your very survival relies on your ability, as a nation, to gather the support and courage to do what must be done. In this case, in Israel’s case, ‘what must be done’ includes dismantling both Hizbollah and Hamas, while showing whom their real puppet masters are. Media coverage of ‘indiscriminate Israeli attacks on civilians’ buys in directly to what the terrorists want people to think. For years, both Hamas and Hizbollah (and many other terrorists organizations, for that matter) have housed their offices, militants and leaders within the heart of the civilian population. By doing this, and launching attacks from these civilian strong holds, THEY, not the other side, are responsible for any death or injury resulting in an attack. I do not feel that these civilians are responsible for this plight, nor do I feel there is realistically much they can do about it. These are evil, sick terrorists. If civilians, facing the prospect of a terrorist leader living in their midst, were to speak out, death or severe punishment would likely follow. However, avoiding attacks on the terrorists simply because of their blatant disregard for the people’s they pretend to fight in support of is not an option. Following this line of thought is essentially awarding victory to the terrorists on all counts. Following this line of thought allows the same vicious cycle to repeat itself – and gives the terrorists no reason to think they are in any position to negotiate or compromise. The idea of ‘diplomacy’ really doesn’t apply to people who think that fair play is hiding in a house full of women and children after launching an attack on a sovereign nation.
Time after time, and many times during the Clinton administration ‘successful’ diplomatic initiatives were launched. When these ‘agreements’ were accepted, what they really meant for the Palestinian side was that somehow, they were getting aid from somewhere for ‘behaving.’ At the same time, they were also gaining the advantage of having Israel bound to some sort of peace agreement. Therefore, anything Israel might do in reaction to any hostilities would paint them as responsible for ‘endangering a fragile peace.’
The pinnacle of the ‘diplomatic brilliance’ of the 90’s was the famous Camp David meeting between Clinton, Arafat and Barak at the end of Clinton’s second term. At this meeting, with great pressure from the USA, Barak agreed to give 98% of what was demanded by Palestinians in peace negotiations. It goes without saying that the goal of diplomacy is to give both sides part of what they want. A 50/50 split is ideal, but usually impossible, so it’s expected that one side might give slightly more. In this case, Israel was essentially forced to accept a deal that makes Babe Ruth’s purchase by the Yankees for $25,000 (or so) seem like quite a bad value. To understand why Israel was stuck in this position, you must understand the timing of the ordeal. At that time, as Bill Clinton left his final term – he (and his administration, namely Madame Albright) were obsessed with making Middle East peace the centerpiece of their legacy. After several years of public embarrassment related to Whitewater and the Lewinski affair, finding a middle ground in the Middle East would have given Clinton the legitimacy he so greatly hungered for. Great pressure was put on the Israeli’s by Clinton to give Arafat everything he wanted in the hopes of reaching a peace. So, presented with 98% of his demands, and the prospect of Middle East peace and a potential two state solution, Arafat finally had the chance to give his people what they so greatly desired – a homeland. Shockingly, instead of accepting this sweetheart deal, Arafat rejected it, and upon his return to Gaza and the West Bank, the famous Intifada was launched and created a storm of suicide bombings and civil unrest that turned the region on its head. Of course, in the months and years that followed, as Israeli forces time and time again retaliated for ruthless and indiscriminate suicide attacks on civilians, the source of the latest conflict started to fade. People pointed at the gunships and tanks of Israel as the aggressors, the oppressors, and most of all – the occupiers. Arafat’s rejection of the peace deal at Camp David essentially validated his people’s willingness to live within this alleged ‘occupation.’
What came very clear is that the idea of a two state solution was not the interest of the Palestinian posse. This posse consists of the major terrorist groups – Hamas, Hizbollah, Islamic Jihad, Al Aqsa Martyr Brigades, and, of course – Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iraq (pre-war) and a host of other small, militant nations. The key to this arrangement is that the sovereign nations that stand behind the terrorists don’t do the dirty work, the terrorists do. This may or may not be a reflection on the series of humiliating defeats these nations suffered teaming up on Israel in the late 1940’s, early 1950’s, late 1960’s and early 1970’s. What became clear to those with the foresight to look past the ‘diplomatic gains’ was that there was no desire for peace. The only acceptable solution to these people would be the elimination of Israel altogether. This is not only some hidden conspiracy theory, it is at the heart of the rhetoric consistently spewed by leaders of both nations and terrorist organizations.
The very essence of diplomacy is to have two sides that each have a willingness to reach a peaceful agreement. When, as I believe is the case here, one side engages in talks merely to give the appearance of diplomacy – we are all played the fool. The world media and world leaders who frequently comment on the Middle East are no better than Pavlov’s dog. Their bell is the constant cry of injustice by Palestinians, usually right after some heinous attack on civilian targets intended to inflict maximum damage. Now, they have made military targets their goal, and the game changes when that happens. It all leads to a simple question. If, as a country, your sworn enemies – who happen to preach the idea of your country being driven into the sea, attack your military what are you to do? Can these actions be viewed as anything else except an act of war? If someone walked up to me on the street – announced to the world he wanted me dead – and then attacked me – any action I took in response would likely be justified in the eyes of the law. Why should that not translate onto the world stage? People are trying to eliminate the existence of Israel, despite the best diplomatic deals that can be brokered – and Israel should show restraint? All that will do is allow this vicious, ignorant cycle of violence, lies and stupidity to continue. The answer, sad as it may be, is for Israel to dismantle these terrorist organizations completely. It sounds brutal, but if the civilians who these terrorists put in harms way do perish, Israel should not be blamed, they are doing what must be done. Maybe, once Hamas and Hizbollah are peeled away, the world can deal with the real culprits – Iran, Syria et al., who might be wiling to engage in diplomacy. Until then, diplomacy with terrorists is not an option that intelligent and freedom-loving people should ever be forced to pursue.
Groups like Hizbollah and Hamas have been clearly proven to survive based on the support of other sovereign nations. The presence of Hizbollah in Lebanon, and their de facto control of southern Lebanon is a direct consequence of Syria’s strong support for the organization. Syria is also an avid supporter of Hamas, giving them both money and weapons to serve as their proxy in the fight against Israel. People, specifically those associated with the United Nations and the anti-Bush faction, constantly point to diplomacy as the way out of crisis in the Middle East. Last time I checked, Hizbollah didn’t send an envoy carrying a letter voicing disapproval over Israel’s northern border. They sent militants to kill and kidnap Israeli soldiers in an unprovoked action intended to cause unrest. The Palestinian and Syrian based terror organizations have longed used these tactics to elicit what the media likes to call a ‘disproportionate response from Israel.’ The reality is, the nature of war in conflict is just that. The actions of the Japanese at Pearl Harbor, a major action at its time, was dwarfed so significantly by the ensuing American military activity in the Pacific that there was no longer any ‘response equivalency.’
When those with obviously hostile intentions assault the sovereignty of your nation, your very survival relies on your ability, as a nation, to gather the support and courage to do what must be done. In this case, in Israel’s case, ‘what must be done’ includes dismantling both Hizbollah and Hamas, while showing whom their real puppet masters are. Media coverage of ‘indiscriminate Israeli attacks on civilians’ buys in directly to what the terrorists want people to think. For years, both Hamas and Hizbollah (and many other terrorists organizations, for that matter) have housed their offices, militants and leaders within the heart of the civilian population. By doing this, and launching attacks from these civilian strong holds, THEY, not the other side, are responsible for any death or injury resulting in an attack. I do not feel that these civilians are responsible for this plight, nor do I feel there is realistically much they can do about it. These are evil, sick terrorists. If civilians, facing the prospect of a terrorist leader living in their midst, were to speak out, death or severe punishment would likely follow. However, avoiding attacks on the terrorists simply because of their blatant disregard for the people’s they pretend to fight in support of is not an option. Following this line of thought is essentially awarding victory to the terrorists on all counts. Following this line of thought allows the same vicious cycle to repeat itself – and gives the terrorists no reason to think they are in any position to negotiate or compromise. The idea of ‘diplomacy’ really doesn’t apply to people who think that fair play is hiding in a house full of women and children after launching an attack on a sovereign nation.
Time after time, and many times during the Clinton administration ‘successful’ diplomatic initiatives were launched. When these ‘agreements’ were accepted, what they really meant for the Palestinian side was that somehow, they were getting aid from somewhere for ‘behaving.’ At the same time, they were also gaining the advantage of having Israel bound to some sort of peace agreement. Therefore, anything Israel might do in reaction to any hostilities would paint them as responsible for ‘endangering a fragile peace.’
The pinnacle of the ‘diplomatic brilliance’ of the 90’s was the famous Camp David meeting between Clinton, Arafat and Barak at the end of Clinton’s second term. At this meeting, with great pressure from the USA, Barak agreed to give 98% of what was demanded by Palestinians in peace negotiations. It goes without saying that the goal of diplomacy is to give both sides part of what they want. A 50/50 split is ideal, but usually impossible, so it’s expected that one side might give slightly more. In this case, Israel was essentially forced to accept a deal that makes Babe Ruth’s purchase by the Yankees for $25,000 (or so) seem like quite a bad value. To understand why Israel was stuck in this position, you must understand the timing of the ordeal. At that time, as Bill Clinton left his final term – he (and his administration, namely Madame Albright) were obsessed with making Middle East peace the centerpiece of their legacy. After several years of public embarrassment related to Whitewater and the Lewinski affair, finding a middle ground in the Middle East would have given Clinton the legitimacy he so greatly hungered for. Great pressure was put on the Israeli’s by Clinton to give Arafat everything he wanted in the hopes of reaching a peace. So, presented with 98% of his demands, and the prospect of Middle East peace and a potential two state solution, Arafat finally had the chance to give his people what they so greatly desired – a homeland. Shockingly, instead of accepting this sweetheart deal, Arafat rejected it, and upon his return to Gaza and the West Bank, the famous Intifada was launched and created a storm of suicide bombings and civil unrest that turned the region on its head. Of course, in the months and years that followed, as Israeli forces time and time again retaliated for ruthless and indiscriminate suicide attacks on civilians, the source of the latest conflict started to fade. People pointed at the gunships and tanks of Israel as the aggressors, the oppressors, and most of all – the occupiers. Arafat’s rejection of the peace deal at Camp David essentially validated his people’s willingness to live within this alleged ‘occupation.’
What came very clear is that the idea of a two state solution was not the interest of the Palestinian posse. This posse consists of the major terrorist groups – Hamas, Hizbollah, Islamic Jihad, Al Aqsa Martyr Brigades, and, of course – Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iraq (pre-war) and a host of other small, militant nations. The key to this arrangement is that the sovereign nations that stand behind the terrorists don’t do the dirty work, the terrorists do. This may or may not be a reflection on the series of humiliating defeats these nations suffered teaming up on Israel in the late 1940’s, early 1950’s, late 1960’s and early 1970’s. What became clear to those with the foresight to look past the ‘diplomatic gains’ was that there was no desire for peace. The only acceptable solution to these people would be the elimination of Israel altogether. This is not only some hidden conspiracy theory, it is at the heart of the rhetoric consistently spewed by leaders of both nations and terrorist organizations.
The very essence of diplomacy is to have two sides that each have a willingness to reach a peaceful agreement. When, as I believe is the case here, one side engages in talks merely to give the appearance of diplomacy – we are all played the fool. The world media and world leaders who frequently comment on the Middle East are no better than Pavlov’s dog. Their bell is the constant cry of injustice by Palestinians, usually right after some heinous attack on civilian targets intended to inflict maximum damage. Now, they have made military targets their goal, and the game changes when that happens. It all leads to a simple question. If, as a country, your sworn enemies – who happen to preach the idea of your country being driven into the sea, attack your military what are you to do? Can these actions be viewed as anything else except an act of war? If someone walked up to me on the street – announced to the world he wanted me dead – and then attacked me – any action I took in response would likely be justified in the eyes of the law. Why should that not translate onto the world stage? People are trying to eliminate the existence of Israel, despite the best diplomatic deals that can be brokered – and Israel should show restraint? All that will do is allow this vicious, ignorant cycle of violence, lies and stupidity to continue. The answer, sad as it may be, is for Israel to dismantle these terrorist organizations completely. It sounds brutal, but if the civilians who these terrorists put in harms way do perish, Israel should not be blamed, they are doing what must be done. Maybe, once Hamas and Hizbollah are peeled away, the world can deal with the real culprits – Iran, Syria et al., who might be wiling to engage in diplomacy. Until then, diplomacy with terrorists is not an option that intelligent and freedom-loving people should ever be forced to pursue.
A Few of My Favorite Movie Quotes Ever
Quick Change (1990 Bill Murray as Grimm)
[to construction workers, sarcastically]
Grimm: I want to thank you. You could've given us help, but you've given us so much more.
Street Sign Worker: [cheerfully] Hey! What's what we're here for, huh?
Chief Rotzinger : Listen, I've had just about enough of your comedy, clown. We're coming in through the plate glass.
Grimm : Alright, I gotta hang-up now, because I gotta go kill everybody.
Rushmore (1998 Murray as Herman Blume)
Max Fischer : I like your nurse's uniform, guy.
Dr. Peter Flynn : These are O.R. scrubs.
Max Fischer : Oh, are they?
Max Fischer : So tell me Curly, how do you know Miss Cross?
Dr. Peter Flynn : We went to Harvard together.
Max Fischer : Oh that's great. I wrote a hit play and directed it, so I'm not sweating it either.
Herman Blume : Why did you ask me to come here?
Max Fischer : Oh, I was going to drop that tree on you.
Herman Blume : That big one?
Max Fischer : Yeah.
Herman Blume : It would've flattened me like a pancake.
Ghostbusters (1984 Murray as Dr. Venkman)
Dr. Peter Venkman : This city is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions.
Mayor : What do you mean, "biblical"?
Dr. Raymond Stantz : What he means is Old Testament, Mr. Mayor, real wrath-of-God type stuff.
Dr. Peter Venkman : Exactly.
Dr. Raymond Stantz : Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies. Rivers and seas boiling.
Dr. Egon Spengler : Forty years of darkness. Earthquakes, volcanoes...
Winston Zeddemore : The dead rising from the grave.
Dr. Peter Venkman : Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together - mass hysteria.
Dr. Egon Spengler : There's something very important I forgot to tell you.
Dr. Peter Venkman : What?
Dr. Egon Spengler : Don't cross the streams.
Dr. Peter Venkman : Why?
Dr. Egon Spengler : It would be bad.
Dr. Peter Venkman : I'm fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. What do you mean "bad"?
Dr. Egon Spengler : Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light.
Dr. Raymond Stantz : Total protonic reversal.
Dr. Peter Venkman : That's bad. Okay. Alright, important safety tip, thanks Egon.
Dr. Raymond Stantz : Everything was fine with our system until the power grid was shut off by dickless here.
Walter Peck : They caused an explosion!
Mayor : Is this true?
Dr. Peter Venkman : Yes it's true.
[pause]
Dr. Peter Venkman : This man has no dick.
Walter Peck : Jeez!
[Charges at Venkman]
Mayor : Break it up! Hey, break this up! Break it up!
Walter Peck : Alright, alright, alright!
Dr. Peter Venkman : Well that's what I heard!
What About Bob ? (1991 – Murray as Bob Wiley)
Dr. Leo Marvin : Are you married?
Bob Wiley : I'm divorced.
Dr. Leo Marvin : Would you like to talk about that?
Bob Wiley : There are two types of people in this world: Those who like Neil Diamond, and those who don't. My ex-wife loves him.
Siggy : I mean, my dad just dropped me in the water. He let me go with no warning. I mean, I nearly drowned. My whole life passed before my eyes.
Bob Wiley : You're lucky you're only 12.
Siggy : It was still grim.
Casino (1995 Robert Deniro as ‘Ace’, Joe Pesci as ‘Nicky’)
Ace Rothstein : [narrating] Nicky's methods of betting weren't scientific, but they worked. When he won, he collected. When he lost, he told the bookies to go fuck themselves. I mean, what were they going to do, muscle Nicky? Nicky was the muscle.
Nicky Santoro : A lot of holes in the desert, and a lot of problems are buried in those holes. But you gotta do it right. I mean, you gotta have the hole already dug before you show up with a package in the trunk. Otherwise, you're talking about a half-hour to forty-five minutes worth of digging. And who knows who's gonna come along in that time? Pretty soon, you gotta dig a few more holes. You could be there all fuckin' night.
Nicky Santoro : I think in all fairness, I should explain to you exactly what it is that I do. For instance tomorrow morning ill get up nice and early, take a walk down over to the bank and... walk in and see and uh... if you don't have my money for me, I'll... crack your fuckin' head wide-open in front of everybody in the bank. And just about the time I'm comin' out of jail, hopefully, you'll be coming out of your coma. And guess what? I'll split your fuckin' head open again. 'Cause I'm fuckin' stupid. I don't give a fuck about jail. That's my business. That's what I do.
Goodfellas (1990 – Ray Liotta as Henry Hill, Deniro as Jimmy Conway, Pesci as Tommy)
Henry Hill : [voice-over] Anything I wanted was a phone call away. Free cars. The keys to a dozen hideout flats all over the city. I bet twenty, thirty grand over a weekend and then I'd either blow the winnings in a week or go to the sharks to pay back the bookies.
[Henry leaves the witness stand and speaks directly to the camera]
Henry Hill : Didn't matter. It didn't mean anything. When I was broke, I'd go out and rob some more. We ran everything. We paid off cops. We paid off lawyers. We paid off judges. Everybody had their hands out. Everything was for the taking. And now it's all over.
Henry Hill : [voice-over] That's the hardest part. Today everything is different. There's no action. I have to wait around like everyone else. Can't even get decent food. Right after I got here I ordered some spaghetti with marinara sauce and I got egg noodles and ketchup. I'm an average nobody. I get to live the rest of my life like a schnook.
Jimmy Conway : I'm not mad, I'm proud of you. You took your first pinch like a man and you learn two great things in your life. Look at me, never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut.
Tommy DeVito : He said, "No, you're gonna tell me something today, tough guy." I said, "All right, I'll tell you something: go fuck your mother."
Tommy DeVito : But, I'm funny how? Funny like a clown? I amuse you? I make you laugh? I'm here to fuckin' amuse you?
Tommy DeVito : Sure, mom, I settle down with a nice girl every night, then I'm free the next morning.
My Cousin Vinny (1992 Pesci as Vinny, Marisa Tomei as Lisa)
Vinny Gambini : I understand you played a game of pool with Lisa for two hundred dollars, which she won. I'm here to collect.
J.T. : How 'bout I just kick your ass.
Vinny Gambini : Oh a counter offer. That's what we lawyers, I'm a lawyer... we lawyers call that a counter offer. This is a tough decision you give me here. Get my ass kicked or collect two hundred dollars. I could use a good ass-kickin', I'll be perfectly honest with you... nah, I think I'll just go with the two hundred.
J.T. : Over my dead body.
Vinny Gambini : You like to renegotiate as you go along, don't you? Well here's my counter offer... do I have to kill you? What if I were just to kick the ever loving shit out of you?
J.T. : YOU kick the shit outta ME... in your dreams.
Vinny Gambini : Oh no no... in reality. If I kick the shit out of you, do I get the money?
Lisa : Imagine you're a deer. You're prancing around. You get thirsty. You spot a little brook. You put your little deer lips down to the clear water - BAM. A fuckin' bullet rips off part of your head. Your brains are lying on the ground in little bloody pieces. Now I ask you, do you give a fuck what kind of pants the son-of-a-bitch who shot you was wearing?
[Opening statements]
Vinny Gambini : Yeah, everything that guy just said is bullshit... Thank you.
D.A. Jim Trotter : Objection.
Judge Chamberlain Haller : Sustained. Counselor's entire opening statement, with the exception of 'Thank you' will be stricken from the record.
Judge Chamberlain Haller : Mr. Gambini, didn't I tell you that the next time you appear in my court that you dress appropriately?
Vinny Gambini : You were serious about that?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vinny Gambini : How could it take you 5 minutes to cook your grits when it takes the entire grit-eating world 20 minutes?
Mr. Tipton : Um... I'm a fast cook, I guess.
Vinny Gambini : You're a fast cook? Are we to believe that boiling water soaks into a grit faster in your kitchen than any place on the face of the earth?
Mr. Tipton : I don't know.
Vinny Gambini : Perhaps the laws of physics cease to exist on your stove. Were these magic grits? Did you buy them from the same guy who sold Jack his beanstalk beans?
Vinny Gambini : It is possible that the two utes...
Judge Chamberlain Haller : ...Ah, the two what? Uh... uh, what was that word?
Vinny Gambini : Uh... what word?
Judge Chamberlain Haller : Two what?
Vinny Gambini : What?
Judge Chamberlain Haller : Uh... did you say "utes"?
Vinny Gambini : Yeah, two utes.
Judge Chamberlain Haller : What is a ute?
[beat]
Vinny Gambini : Oh, excuse me, Your Honor...
[exaggerated]
Vinny Gambini : two YOUTHS.
[to construction workers, sarcastically]
Grimm: I want to thank you. You could've given us help, but you've given us so much more.
Street Sign Worker: [cheerfully] Hey! What's what we're here for, huh?
Chief Rotzinger : Listen, I've had just about enough of your comedy, clown. We're coming in through the plate glass.
Grimm : Alright, I gotta hang-up now, because I gotta go kill everybody.
Rushmore (1998 Murray as Herman Blume)
Max Fischer : I like your nurse's uniform, guy.
Dr. Peter Flynn : These are O.R. scrubs.
Max Fischer : Oh, are they?
Max Fischer : So tell me Curly, how do you know Miss Cross?
Dr. Peter Flynn : We went to Harvard together.
Max Fischer : Oh that's great. I wrote a hit play and directed it, so I'm not sweating it either.
Herman Blume : Why did you ask me to come here?
Max Fischer : Oh, I was going to drop that tree on you.
Herman Blume : That big one?
Max Fischer : Yeah.
Herman Blume : It would've flattened me like a pancake.
Ghostbusters (1984 Murray as Dr. Venkman)
Dr. Peter Venkman : This city is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions.
Mayor : What do you mean, "biblical"?
Dr. Raymond Stantz : What he means is Old Testament, Mr. Mayor, real wrath-of-God type stuff.
Dr. Peter Venkman : Exactly.
Dr. Raymond Stantz : Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies. Rivers and seas boiling.
Dr. Egon Spengler : Forty years of darkness. Earthquakes, volcanoes...
Winston Zeddemore : The dead rising from the grave.
Dr. Peter Venkman : Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together - mass hysteria.
Dr. Egon Spengler : There's something very important I forgot to tell you.
Dr. Peter Venkman : What?
Dr. Egon Spengler : Don't cross the streams.
Dr. Peter Venkman : Why?
Dr. Egon Spengler : It would be bad.
Dr. Peter Venkman : I'm fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. What do you mean "bad"?
Dr. Egon Spengler : Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light.
Dr. Raymond Stantz : Total protonic reversal.
Dr. Peter Venkman : That's bad. Okay. Alright, important safety tip, thanks Egon.
Dr. Raymond Stantz : Everything was fine with our system until the power grid was shut off by dickless here.
Walter Peck : They caused an explosion!
Mayor : Is this true?
Dr. Peter Venkman : Yes it's true.
[pause]
Dr. Peter Venkman : This man has no dick.
Walter Peck : Jeez!
[Charges at Venkman]
Mayor : Break it up! Hey, break this up! Break it up!
Walter Peck : Alright, alright, alright!
Dr. Peter Venkman : Well that's what I heard!
What About Bob ? (1991 – Murray as Bob Wiley)
Dr. Leo Marvin : Are you married?
Bob Wiley : I'm divorced.
Dr. Leo Marvin : Would you like to talk about that?
Bob Wiley : There are two types of people in this world: Those who like Neil Diamond, and those who don't. My ex-wife loves him.
Siggy : I mean, my dad just dropped me in the water. He let me go with no warning. I mean, I nearly drowned. My whole life passed before my eyes.
Bob Wiley : You're lucky you're only 12.
Siggy : It was still grim.
Casino (1995 Robert Deniro as ‘Ace’, Joe Pesci as ‘Nicky’)
Ace Rothstein : [narrating] Nicky's methods of betting weren't scientific, but they worked. When he won, he collected. When he lost, he told the bookies to go fuck themselves. I mean, what were they going to do, muscle Nicky? Nicky was the muscle.
Nicky Santoro : A lot of holes in the desert, and a lot of problems are buried in those holes. But you gotta do it right. I mean, you gotta have the hole already dug before you show up with a package in the trunk. Otherwise, you're talking about a half-hour to forty-five minutes worth of digging. And who knows who's gonna come along in that time? Pretty soon, you gotta dig a few more holes. You could be there all fuckin' night.
Nicky Santoro : I think in all fairness, I should explain to you exactly what it is that I do. For instance tomorrow morning ill get up nice and early, take a walk down over to the bank and... walk in and see and uh... if you don't have my money for me, I'll... crack your fuckin' head wide-open in front of everybody in the bank. And just about the time I'm comin' out of jail, hopefully, you'll be coming out of your coma. And guess what? I'll split your fuckin' head open again. 'Cause I'm fuckin' stupid. I don't give a fuck about jail. That's my business. That's what I do.
Goodfellas (1990 – Ray Liotta as Henry Hill, Deniro as Jimmy Conway, Pesci as Tommy)
Henry Hill : [voice-over] Anything I wanted was a phone call away. Free cars. The keys to a dozen hideout flats all over the city. I bet twenty, thirty grand over a weekend and then I'd either blow the winnings in a week or go to the sharks to pay back the bookies.
[Henry leaves the witness stand and speaks directly to the camera]
Henry Hill : Didn't matter. It didn't mean anything. When I was broke, I'd go out and rob some more. We ran everything. We paid off cops. We paid off lawyers. We paid off judges. Everybody had their hands out. Everything was for the taking. And now it's all over.
Henry Hill : [voice-over] That's the hardest part. Today everything is different. There's no action. I have to wait around like everyone else. Can't even get decent food. Right after I got here I ordered some spaghetti with marinara sauce and I got egg noodles and ketchup. I'm an average nobody. I get to live the rest of my life like a schnook.
Jimmy Conway : I'm not mad, I'm proud of you. You took your first pinch like a man and you learn two great things in your life. Look at me, never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut.
Tommy DeVito : He said, "No, you're gonna tell me something today, tough guy." I said, "All right, I'll tell you something: go fuck your mother."
Tommy DeVito : But, I'm funny how? Funny like a clown? I amuse you? I make you laugh? I'm here to fuckin' amuse you?
Tommy DeVito : Sure, mom, I settle down with a nice girl every night, then I'm free the next morning.
My Cousin Vinny (1992 Pesci as Vinny, Marisa Tomei as Lisa)
Vinny Gambini : I understand you played a game of pool with Lisa for two hundred dollars, which she won. I'm here to collect.
J.T. : How 'bout I just kick your ass.
Vinny Gambini : Oh a counter offer. That's what we lawyers, I'm a lawyer... we lawyers call that a counter offer. This is a tough decision you give me here. Get my ass kicked or collect two hundred dollars. I could use a good ass-kickin', I'll be perfectly honest with you... nah, I think I'll just go with the two hundred.
J.T. : Over my dead body.
Vinny Gambini : You like to renegotiate as you go along, don't you? Well here's my counter offer... do I have to kill you? What if I were just to kick the ever loving shit out of you?
J.T. : YOU kick the shit outta ME... in your dreams.
Vinny Gambini : Oh no no... in reality. If I kick the shit out of you, do I get the money?
Lisa : Imagine you're a deer. You're prancing around. You get thirsty. You spot a little brook. You put your little deer lips down to the clear water - BAM. A fuckin' bullet rips off part of your head. Your brains are lying on the ground in little bloody pieces. Now I ask you, do you give a fuck what kind of pants the son-of-a-bitch who shot you was wearing?
[Opening statements]
Vinny Gambini : Yeah, everything that guy just said is bullshit... Thank you.
D.A. Jim Trotter : Objection.
Judge Chamberlain Haller : Sustained. Counselor's entire opening statement, with the exception of 'Thank you' will be stricken from the record.
Judge Chamberlain Haller : Mr. Gambini, didn't I tell you that the next time you appear in my court that you dress appropriately?
Vinny Gambini : You were serious about that?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vinny Gambini : How could it take you 5 minutes to cook your grits when it takes the entire grit-eating world 20 minutes?
Mr. Tipton : Um... I'm a fast cook, I guess.
Vinny Gambini : You're a fast cook? Are we to believe that boiling water soaks into a grit faster in your kitchen than any place on the face of the earth?
Mr. Tipton : I don't know.
Vinny Gambini : Perhaps the laws of physics cease to exist on your stove. Were these magic grits? Did you buy them from the same guy who sold Jack his beanstalk beans?
Vinny Gambini : It is possible that the two utes...
Judge Chamberlain Haller : ...Ah, the two what? Uh... uh, what was that word?
Vinny Gambini : Uh... what word?
Judge Chamberlain Haller : Two what?
Vinny Gambini : What?
Judge Chamberlain Haller : Uh... did you say "utes"?
Vinny Gambini : Yeah, two utes.
Judge Chamberlain Haller : What is a ute?
[beat]
Vinny Gambini : Oh, excuse me, Your Honor...
[exaggerated]
Vinny Gambini : two YOUTHS.
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