The irony of this film is that many who see it won’t realize that one of the themes is how easy it is to manipulate what we think and feel by governments, businesses, advertising, religions and so on. The technology used in the film to take it all to a much higher level doesn’t exist yet, and may never exist as portrayed, but that doesn’t mean other means won’t be just as effective in trying to control us.
I’m not going to talk about the plot: the less you know going in the better. Be aware that the trailers only hint at the depth of this film. And that’s one potential problem for the filmmakers. This is a film for intelligent people with multiple levels of things going on, often at the same time. While there are plenty of explosions, gun battles and car chases for those less inclined to brain usage, even they serve the story in ways you aren’t used to. And what a story. Reality is what you make it. Literally.
If all you want is a popcorn film that requires little more than turning off your brain, go watch crap like Sux and the City or Transformers XII or whatever other remake or marginal TV show is playing this week. But if you want something that will stretch your mind and is truly original that haven’t seen before, Inception is the film for you.
It’s hard to imagine that writer/director Christopher Nolan (Momento, The Dark Knight) won’t win the Oscar for best screenplay because it’s hard to imagine there being a more original idea and execution of one this year. I don’t praise films often, but this time, Uncle Dave says go see it!
When the 20 agents arrived bearing a search warrant at her Ventura County farmhouse door at 7 a.m. on a Wednesday a couple weeks back, Sharon Palmer didn’t know what to say. This was the third time she was being raided in 18 months, and she had thought she was on her way to resolving the problem over labeling of her goat cheese that prompted the other two raids. (In addition to producing goat’s milk, she raises cattle, pigs, and chickens, and makes the meat available via a CSA.)
But her 12-year-old daughter, Jasmine, wasn’t the least bit tongue-tied. “She started back-talking to them,” recalls Palmer. “She said, ‘If you take my computer again, I can’t do my homework.’ This would be the third computer we will have lost. I still haven’t gotten the computers back that they took in the previous two raids.”
As part of a five-hour-plus search of her barn and home, the agents — from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, Los Angeles County Sheriff, Ventura County Sheriff, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture — took the replacement computer, along with milk she feeds her chickens and pigs.
While no one will say officially what the purpose of this latest raid was, aside from being part of an investigation in progress, what is very clear is that government raids of producers, distributors, and even consumers of nutritionally dense foods appear to be happening ever more frequently. Sometimes they are meant to counter raw dairy production, other times to challenge private food organizations over whether they should be licensed as food retailers.
A couple of things to note, this story has cropped up word for word in a slew of odd publications. Not sure exactly what that means, but it is worth dogging. I do know there is a concerted effort to shut down raw milk producers around the country. Raw honey seems odd. What’s wrong with that? It’s called HONEY. Why steal it?
Here is the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and actress Tilda Swinton when she played the role of the corrupt and murderous attorney in the film Michael Clayton.Interesting look.
A U.S. Congressman has introduced a resolution that would protect citizens who videotape cops in public from getting arrested on state wiretapping charges.
Edolphus Towns, a Democrat from New York, introduced the resolution on Thursday, the same day USA Today wrote a scathing editorial denouncing these types of arrests.
Edolphus “Ed” Towns
These types of arrests have become an epidemic throughout the country as more people are carrying some type of video-recording device on them at all times
But the case that has gained the most national attention has been the arrest of Anthony Graber, a National Guardsman who is facing 16 years in prison because he uploaded a video of a Maryland State Trooper pulling a gun on him during a traffic stop.
Ten days later, Uhler discovered that Graber posted the video online. Two videos. A longer one without audio and a shorter one with audio.
Wielding a blow-dryer, a leading atheist conducted a mass “de-baptism” of fellow non-believers and symbolically dried up the offending waters that were sprinkled on their foreheads as young children.
[…]
Kagin, who is American Atheists’ national legal director, firmly believes that regardless of one’s religious beliefs, each person has the right to say or do what he or she wants, provided it is within the law. In the past, he has reportedly called out parents who subject their children to strict fundamentalist religious education, referring to it as child abuse.
[…]
“They are practicing child abuse in teaching that the world operates in ways other than it does,” he told the convention crowd. “And in my opinion, they are engaged in terrorism by weakening our nation and our understanding of science and things with which we can defend ourselves and progress. If it had not been for these fools we could have been at the stars 2,000 years ago.”
[…]
Kagin said he thought some people might get overly offended by his poking fun at religion. “If someone is so secure in their faith, why are they the least bit concerned about some little atheist mocking them?” he asked. “I think the reason they are worried and concerned is the very deep fear that if everyone doesn’t believe it, maybe it isn’t so.”
For Kindle and with free ePub version. Only $9.49 Great reading.
Here is what Gary Shapiro CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) said: Dvorak's writing sings with insight and clarity. Whether or not you agree with John's views, he will get you thinking and is never boring. These essays are worth the read!
