hilton156's Xanga

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:16:23 GMT

I just moved to Rochester, NY to be with my fiance. It's amazing. I'm happier than I've ever been before.

Iron Man review (No Spoilers)

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:50:57 GMT

I went to see Iron Man with my dad last night for Father's Day. I'm happy to say that it was badass.

Robert Downey Jr. plays the protagonist Tony Stark wonderfully. I doubt they could have picked a better person to play Stark. Stark has a lot of ups and downs, and Downey Jr. nails them. Everything that is likable and unlikable about Stark comes through. It's fascinating to watch how Stark develops through the movie. However, not to focus solely on Downey Jr, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, and Gwyneth Paltrow also bring great performances to the table. The dynamics between the characters just work really well.

There is a lot of action packed in as well. The Afghanistan combat scenes are gritty and realistic looking, like something you'd see in actual war footage from the area. The fight scenes are intense, interesting and enjoyable, and not completely predictable like many fight scenes are.

The soundtrack is great and dynamic, and composed by Ramin Djawadi. There's everything from loud heavy guitar during the action scenes to quiet orchestration that complements the softer side of the film. The majority of the score is guitar-based, though. (Just as an aside, Tom Morello lends his skills to some of the guitar parts.)

Overall, I'd say that this is a great movie, especially for a superhero movie. Out of all the superhero movies I've seen, this is probably my favorite. I can say without any doubt that this will be added to my DVD collection when it comes out. I give it an A.

Happy Father's Day

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 19:11:32 GMT

Happy Father's Day to all! Hope yours was a good one.

For anybody interested, here's a link to part of the Wikipedia article on Father's Day:
Father's Day in the United States

ABC Songs

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:32:59 GMT

I got this idea here.

Song - Artist

Alaska - Eyes Adrift
Break My Body - Pixies
Chrome - VNV Nation
Dunkelheit - Burzum
Enter Sandman - Metallica
Freezing Moon - Mayhem
Give Me Some Truth - John Lennon
Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap
I'll Fly With You - Gigi D'Agostino
Joker, The - Steve Miller Band
Know Your Enemy - Rage Against The Machine
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
Mr. Tambourine Man - Bob Dylan
Never Let You Go - Third Eye Blind
Octopus - Syd Barret
Propaganda - dead prez
Q-Ball - Sublime
Radio Friendly Unit Shifter - Nirvana
Severed - Mudvayne
That's How Grateful We Are - Chumbawamba
Underground Network - Anti-Flag
Voices - Disturbed
Wonderwall - Oasis
Yellow - Coldplay
Zephyr Song, The - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Weekly Photo Challenge - String

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:11:47 GMT

This week's Photo Challenge is String suggested by Gitarezan

I took a shot of part of a rope that is tied to the shed behind my house.

Thanks for stopping by.

Harmony (photography)

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:12:56 GMT

                       The tree sways gently,
                         Overlooking the water.
                           The world is at peace.

UPDATED - Kucinich Introduces the Articles of Impeachment

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:49:52 GMT

Last night, Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) introduced the 35 Articles of Impeachment of President Bush to the House of Representatives. While this should be a huge news story, whether you support impeachment or not, it has gone unreported by CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and the New York Times. Our "free" media is failing us.

Article on The Raw Story; includes video

The 35 Articles of Impeachment:

Article I
Creating a Secret Propaganda Campaign to Manufacture a False Case for War Against Iraq.

Article II
Falsely, Systematically, and with Criminal Intent Conflating the Attacks of September 11, 2001, With Misrepresentation of Iraq as a Security Threat as Part of Fraudulent Justification for a War of Aggression.

Article III
Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction, to Manufacture a False Case for War.

Article IV
Misleading the American People and Members of Congress to Believe Iraq Posed an Imminent Threat to the United States.

Article V
Illegally Misspending Funds to Secretly Begin a War of Aggression.

Article VI
Invading Iraq in Violation of the Requirements of HJRes114.

Article VII
Invading Iraq Absent a Declaration of War.

Article VIII
Invading Iraq, A Sovereign Nation, in Violation of the UN Charter.

Article IX
Failing to Provide Troops With Body Armor and Vehicle Armor

Article X
Falsifying Accounts of US Troop Deaths and Injuries for Political Purposes

Article XI
Establishment of Permanent U.S. Military Bases in Iraq

Article XII
Initiating a War Against Iraq for Control of That Nation’s Natural Resources

Article XIIII
Creating a Secret Task Force to Develop Energy and Military Policies With Respect to Iraq and Other Countries

Article XIV
Misprision of a Felony, Misuse and Exposure of Classified Information And Obstruction of Justice in the Matter of Valerie Plame Wilson, Clandestine Agent of the Central Intelligence Agency

Article XV
Providing Immunity from Prosecution for Criminal Contractors in Iraq

Article XVI
Reckless Misspending and Waste of U.S. Tax Dollars in Connection With Iraq and US Contractors

Article XVII
Illegal Detention: Detaining Indefinitely And Without Charge Persons Both U.S. Citizens and Foreign Captives

Article XVIII
Torture: Secretly Authorizing, and Encouraging the Use of Torture Against Captives in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Other Places, as a Matter of Official Policy

Article XIX
Rendition: Kidnapping People and Taking Them Against Their Will to “Black Sites” Located in Other Nations, Including Nations Known to Practice Torture

Article XX
Imprisoning Children

Article XXI
Misleading Congress and the American People About Threats from Iran, and Supporting Terrorist Organizations Within Iran, With the Goal of Overthrowing the Iranian Government

Article XXII
Creating Secret Laws

Article XXIII
Violation of the Posse Comitatus Act

Article XXIV
Spying on American Citizens, Without a Court-Ordered Warrant, in Violation of the Law and the Fourth Amendment

Article XXV
Directing Telecommunications Companies to Create an Illegal and Unconstitutional Database of the Private Telephone Numbers and Emails of American Citizens

Article XXVI
Announcing the Intent to Violate Laws with Signing Statements

Article XXVII
Failing to Comply with Congressional Subpoenas and Instructing Former Employees Not to Comply

Article XXVIII
Tampering with Free and Fair Elections, Corruption of the Administration of Justice

Article XXIX
Conspiracy to Violate the Voting Rights Act of 1965

Article XXX
Misleading Congress and the American People in an Attempt to Destroy Medicare

Article XXXI
Katrina: Failure to Plan for the Predicted Disaster of Hurricane Katrina, Failure to Respond to a Civil Emergency

Article XXXII
Misleading Congress and the American People, Systematically Undermining Efforts to Address Global Climate Change

Article XXXIII
Repeatedly Ignored and Failed to Respond to High Level Intelligence Warnings of Planned Terrorist Attacks in the US, Prior to 911.

Article XXXIV
Obstruction of the Investigation into the Attacks of September 11, 2001

Article XXXV
Endangering the Health of 911 First Responders

************************************************************************************
UPDATE:

Bush's impeachment is not going to happen. The measure was sent to committee, where it is going to remain.
Of course CNN decided to report on its failure.

Salvation is at Hand

Thu, 29 May 2008 13:47:16 GMT

A large black cloud looms
on the edge of the horizon,
marring an otherwise pristine sky.
To see such beauty tainted
by this oppressive evil
moves me to tears.
I watch as it slowly approaches me,
inch by inch,
foot by foot,
yard by yard,
coming ever closer.

It haunts me.
It draws nearer,
still nearer,
seemingly on the verge
of overwhelming the sky,
yet never quite gaining the upper hand.
It seems inevitable
that the acidic rains should fall on me,
devouring all that I've done,
all that I've worked for,
all that I've cared about.

Yet there is still hope.
Despite the ever presence
of that ominous cloud,
I know all is not lost;
my future has yet to be sealed.
The moon is still visible,
and as I look upon her shining face,
I'm filled with a feeling of tranquility.
The moon is my faithful companion,
and she has told me what I must do.
Salvation is at hand.

We Should Not Violate Myanmar's National Sovereignty

Sun, 11 May 2008 00:18:11 GMT

Quick Vote on CNN.com (as of 10:43pm, 10 May 2008)

60% of people voting on the Quick Vote on CNN.com think we should break international law, violate Myanmar's national sovereignty, and drop food without the government's permission. Are these people serious? That's one of the last things we should do. Considering the continued fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, two conflicts that have drained our resources and tarnished our international reputations, and the way we're standing at the brink of war with Iran, I'm completely opposed to the idea of crossing into Myanmar's territory without explicit permission from the State Peace and Development Council, the military junta that rules Myanmar. Granted, the seizing of humanitarian aid is horrendous, especially considering what the people of Myanmar have suffered through recently. However, it is not our responsibility. We are not the police of the world. Flying planes into Myanmar without authorization will only cost more American lives. If planes are sent in, the Myanmar military would be fully justified in shooting them down. Should that happen, we could conceivably find ourselves in yet another war. It's not worth the risk. We should sit back and hope the ruling party of Myanmar opens up to foreign aid as soon as possible. It's the safest way to protect American interests.

Clinton's latest attack on Obama: Guns

Mon, 05 May 2008 20:25:54 GMT

Hillary Clinton's latest line of attack on Barack Obama is on gun rights. She's trying to portray Obama as being ferociously anti-gun. Hillary wants gun owners and the rest of the pro-gun population to see her as being more sympathetic to gun owners than Obama. But is this true? It's better to look past the words and propaganda and look at the actions of the candidates. What do the actions of the candidates reveal? As the votes on the Vitter Amendment show, Barack Obama voted to prevent the confiscation of legally owned firearms during an emergency or major disaster. Hillary Clinton voted against this bill. This shows that Hillary is not more pro-gun rights than Obama as she's trying to show. How anyone who supported the Federal Assault Weapons Ban could campaign on a gun rights platform is beyond me. It's just another example of a political opportunist saying whatever must be said to win over a target demographic. It doesn't matter how many threads of lies and misinformation Hillary adds to her tangled web of deceit; it's still just a web, and it can easily be cleared with a simple sweep of the hand.