(This is a review of the movie, not the graphic novel) Forget that the Wachowski brothers had anything to do with this… obtuse characters, weak art direction, and a scattered plot made this a watered down version of what could have been fantastic. 3/5 stars.

(This is a review of the graphic novel, not the movie) Judge this book by it’s cover… this wonderfully twisted tale of a well-meaning terrorist has a stunning cinematic look and a great plot. 5/5 stars.

Everyone says we live in a consumer culture. We are accustomed to consuming products, but very few people create products. What about socially? Are you a social consumer or a social producer? Do you listen to people only so you can talk to them? Do you talk to people only so you can listen to their responses? It’s important to have balance!

A bit overrated, this unique black-and-white movie is an intense but superficial slice of journalism history. 3/5 stars.

Hip-hop heaven, hosted by one of my favorite comedians, a good time is guaranteed. 4/5 stars.

I have seen some commercials for movies which seem so scary that I would really not want to subject myself to seeing them. For example: Slither, Saw II, Hostel, etc.

Also, in recent times we’ve seen video games so violent, one might not want to discuss the gameplay in a public place. Most well known is Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, but far more violent games are out there, such as Postal 2 and Manhunt. Both Postal 2 and Manhunt have actually been banned in New Zealand, but we in the land of the free are still allowed to play these games. I am happy that these sick violent movies and games are available to me, even though I don’t want to watch them or play them (okay… I do want to play Grand Theft Auto, but those others look like too much). Why? Because it allows me to take responsibility for myself. It allows me to draw my own line, beyond which I choose not to cross.

We all agree that it is a good idea to teach people responsibility, but how would we be teaching responsibility by banning violence from video games? One one hand maybe it is best that we ensure that kids play in environments which are as safe as possible. On the other hand, when kids learn the hard way… they learn that shit happens! An undeniable fact of life, if you ask me. Some people seem to have the impression that the world is supposed to be a safe haven where nothing can hurt you, and if it does… you can sue! Even if it was entirely your fault!

I recently heard about this disturbing story about an 18 year old kid who, after getting arrested for stealing a car, stole the cop’s gun and shot three officers in the head. The kid’s lawyer claimed that he had suffered mental damage from playing too much Grand Theft Auto coupled with years of child abuse and therefore was not responsible for his actions. My response is that this kid never learned responsibility… he chose to play the game for all those hours. He chose to steal the car and shoot those cops. He just doesn’t feel responsible because he has no idea what responsibility is.

If a theme park ride had a big sign that said “warning: you will get seriously injured on this ride” would you go on the ride? I say that as long as the salespeople are honest about how harmful it is, let people harm themselves! It will get us a little bit closer to a world where we come to expect honesty instead of being surprised by it.

This just in: Isaac Hayes quits South Park! Hayes, the voice of “Chef” on South Park, is a Scientologist, and quit the show because of a hilariously poignant episode which mocked Scientology.

[Matt] Stone told The AP he and co-creator Trey Parker “never heard a peep out of Isaac in any way until we did Scientology. He wants a different standard for religions other than his own, and to me, that is where intolerance and bigotry begin.”

Rolling Stone has a fascinating article about Scientology. You won’t believe the underhandedness and the evil that is involved in this cult business.

Why should anyone be concerned about the spread of Scientology? It explicitly indoctrinates intolerance, and we’ve seen recently that intolerance leads to violence. Also, in a kind of double-team effect, scientology is ruthlessly effective at ensuring that you are entirely dependent on it.

A fiercely doctrinaire religion, Scientology follows Hubbard’s edicts to the letter. Dissent or opposition to any of Hubbard’s views isn’t tolerated. Nor is debating certain church tenets — a practice Scientologists view as “counterintentioned.” Comporting oneself in any way that could be seen as contrary to church goals is considered subversive and is known as a “suppressive act.”

My prayers have (almost) been answered! I am so excited for this… As soon as google releases their calendar, I am getting off of Yahoo altogether. Yahoo mail is slow and annoying. I have a gmail account, but I don’t use it because I like Yahoo calendar.

See screenshots here: http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/03/08/exclusive-screenshots-google-calendar/

Was it good for 3-6 mafia to win an Oscar? I just can’t picture them bragging about winning. I think their win for best song lowered the “film cred” of the Oscars, but did it lower 3-6 mafia’s cred as rappers too?

South Dakota has just now become the first state to ban abortion since Roe v. Wade in 1973. I can understand there are many reasons why people think abortion should be illegal, but I think this is part of a disturbing trend where people are enacting laws which force their beliefs on the lives of others, even when what is at issue is people’s private livestyle choices. Let’s think realistically: why would you want to force people to raise children they don’t want? Give people the choice to do what they believe they should do!

Now everyone is talking about whether this will extend to a federal ban on abortion…

This gritty intense German film about a couple of suicidal Turks was fascinating, powerful, and thought-provoking. 5/5 stars.